Nepal in General

Nepal a Himalayan country is situated on the southern slopes of the central Himalayas and represents about one third of its whole length. The Country lies between China on the north and India on the east south and west. It is located between the latitudes 26°22' and 30°27' and the longitudes 80°40' and 88°12'E. It is roughly rectangular in shape and occupies a total area of 1,47,181 sq.km. From east to west the average length is 885km and north-south varies from 145-241 km with a mean of 193 km. About 83% of its total land area is occupied by high mountains and wavy hills and the remaining 17% by flat lands of the Terai. The altitude varies from some 60m above the sea level in the Terai to 8848m the Everest which is the highest point of the world.

       Nepal's extreme topography gives to diverse landscape and climates ranging from tropical to arctic. Wide altitude variation and diverse climate condition within a small area make the topography and diversity i.e. Floras and Fauna, unique in the world. The forest has been divided into five i.e. Tropical, Subtropical, Temperate, Sub-Alpine and Alpine forest with different elevation. The elevation of the mountains and valleys extend approximately parallel east-west. Himalayan geologist have adapted seven topographical zones, proceeding from south to north; Terai, Siwalik, Hills, Mahabharat Mountains, midlands, the Himalayan, high mountain valleys and Tibetan marginal mountains (Chaudhary,1998).