Nepal at a Glance

Nestled in an area landlocked to the North by Tibet/China and India to the South, East and West, and within an area of 141,181 sq. km (56,827 sq. mi), Nepal is a country of immense diversity.   Among a population of nearly 29 million people with a density of 184 per sq km (477 per sq mi.), Nepal is home to over 100 castes and ethnic groups comprised of Hindus, Buddhist, Muslim, Animist, Christian, Jain, Sikh among other religions and belief systems.   A 2001 census shows 100 languages and dialects of primarily Indo-Aryan and Tibeto-Burman origin, yet the precision of these numbers have been doubted by scholars.

Nepal also boasts incredible biodiversity through five different climactic zones that range from sub-tropical to arctic at elevations from less than 100 meters in the Southern terai (plains) to Mt. Everest, the highest spot on earth, at 8850 meters.   Several locations within Nepal have been designated as ecological hot spots due to its great biodiversity and the desire to preserve the wild heritage.  

While the majority of the country still attend to the rhythms of nature as subsistence farmers, this life support system is continually under the pressure of potential natural disasters, including monsoons, landslides, drought, famine, and flood.   As urban centers continue to grow, contaminated water and vehicle emissions have increasingly become a threat.   Likewise, forest areas continue to diminish with the populations’ need for cooking fuels and as a support for households and the millions of tourists visiting Nepal every year.   Wildlife conservation remains an important issue in the country.