Nepal is a country of amazing extremes. Imagine a rectangle, 500 by 150 miles (800 by 240km), divided lengthwise into three strips. The northernmost strip is the Himalayas; Meaning "abode of snow," and includes eight of ten highest mountains in the world. The southernmost region, called the Terai, is an extension of the Gangetic plain of northern India, containing, jungles with elephants, rhinoceroses and tigers. These inhabitants contrast markedly with the yaks and snow leopard less than 100 miles (160 km) to the north.

Enchantment is everywhere, be it on the shoulders of high mountains, terraced ridges ascending like stairways to sky, on quiet or rushing rivers, or in forests full of wildlife, flowers and birdsong.

Nepal is a round-the-year destination with a difference, be it summer, monsoon, autumn or winter. One finds an unsurpassed splendor in all the seasons depending upon one's mood and choice. Mother nature has gifted this country with bountiful beauty in all the seasons-the balmy and moderate summer of the valleys provides with the opportunity of strolling around the temples, monuments and shrines in a leisurely manners; the monsoon provides the vies of the soothing green lush valleys and an occasional opening up of the snow-capped peaks all along the northern border. Summer or winter, during the both extremes of the weather the climate is surprisingly moderate and soothing.

AT A GLANCE:

LOCATION

It borders with the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China in the North and India in the East, South and West respectively.

AREA: 147,181 sq. kilometers.

ALTITUDE: Varies from 70 meters to 8848 meters.

CAPITAL: Kathmandu.

POPULATION: 1,84,91,097

LANGUAGE:

Nepali is the national language of Nepal. Educated people understand and speak English as well.

TIME:

Nepal Time is 5 hours 45 minutes ahead of GMT and 15 minutes ahead of Indian standard time.

CLIMATE

Nepal has four major seasons, namely, (1) Winter: December-February, (2) Spring: March-May, (3) Summer: June-August, (4) Autumn: September- November.

Nepal can be visited the whole year round.