It’s not just mountaineers with their hearts set on conquering Everest who fall in love with the Himalayan country of Nepal. With stunning scenery, fringed by the highest peaks on the planet, leading down to steamy jungle packed with wildlife, there’s something for everyone.
In addition to a distinctive
ancient Hindu and Buddhist culture, Nepal has jaw-dropping mountains with spectacular
scenery for walkers and trekkers. If there is a hikers’ paradise, this is it, with
picturesque mountain villages linked by hundreds of trails that have been used for
centuries, with little change noticeable even today. Trails are dotted with intriguing temples to discover on the way.
Nepal was created from an amalgam of principalities in 1768 under King Prithvi Narayan Shah. Under the control of a hereditary king, it became a ‘buffer state’ between the
British Empire and territories to the north. The country became independent in 1923, but it was not until 1947 (the year of Indian independence) and total withdrawal of the British before Nepal achieved complete
autonomy. In May 2008, the monarchy was abolished making Nepal the world’s newest republic.
GeographyNepal is a landlocked kingdom sharing borders with Tibet to the north and northwest, and India to the west, south and east. The country can be divided into six zones: the Terai, the Chure hills, the Mahabharat range, the Pahar zone, the Himalaya and the Trans-Himalaya. The greater part of the country lies on the southern slope of the Himalayas, extending down from the highest peaks through hill country to the upper edge of the Ganges Plain. The hilly central area is crossed by the Lower Himalayas, where there are eight of the highest peaks in the world, leading up to Mount Everest. Wildlife in Nepal includes tigers, leopards, gaur, elephants, buffalo, deer and rhinos.
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