Nepal – country information

Country name	Nepal
Official name	Kingdom of Nepal
Capital	Kathmandu
continent	Asia
Area	147,181 km
Population	26 494 504 (2011)
Foundation of a state	1. 1. 1768
The highest mountains	Sagarmatha / Chomolungma (Mount Everest) 8848 m (according to measurements in 2005 – 8844 m)
Longest rivers	Karnálí 920 km (in the country 800 km)
State system	constitutional monarchy with a bicameral parliament
The biggest cities	Kathmandu (capital) 650,000 (agglomeration 1.2 million), Biratnagar 145,000, Lalitpur / Patan 130,000
Official language	nepali language
Ethnicity/National Composition	Nepali 53.5%, Bihari 18.5%, Tharu 4.8%, Tamang 4.7%, Newar 3.4%, Magar 2.2%, Abadi 1.7%, others 11.2%
Religious affiliation	Hindu 86.5%, Buddhist 7.8%, Muslim 3.8%, other 1.9%
Currency	1 Nepalese rupee (NRe, pl. NRs) = 100 paise
gross domestic product (GDP)	US$1,457 (2012)
Average life expectancy of the population	60.18 let (2006)
Structure of GDP	agriculture and fishing 54%, mining and industry 7.5%, construction 7.5%, services 31%

Nepal – Neighboring States

State	Capital	Area	Populace
China	Peking	9,640,820 km	1 363 350 000
Indie	Delhi	3,287,260 km	1 241 610 000

Country overview

According to Abbreviationfinder, Nepal is a small landlocked kingdom at the foot of the Himalayas between India to the south and Tibet to the north.

Country data

Location: Asia

Time zone: CET + 4.75 (during European summer time: CET + 3.75)

Total area: 147,181 km²

Land area: 143,351 km²

Water area: 3,830 km²

Length of the state border: 2,926 km

Bordering countries:
China: 1,236 km
India: 1,690 km

Coastline: 0 km

Capital: Kathmandu

Districts: 14
Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti

Electric current: 220 V / 50 Hz

Telephone code: 00 977 (Source: Allcitycodes)

Highest point: Mount Everest 8,848 m

Population

Population: approx. 31 million residents (Countryaah, 2021)

Population growth: 1.8% per year

Population density (residents per km²): 210

Life expectancy: 66 (male), 69 (female)

Official language: Nepalese, English

Religions:

• 81% Hindu
• 9% Buddhists
• 4% Muslim
• 6% other

Climate

Due to the extreme differences in altitude, the current climate can change significantly within a few kilometers. From tropical climates to active climates, everything can be found.

northern regions:

• In the deeper valleys there is hardly any snow, but it rains more often
• The main rainy season is from early June to early September
• temperate climate (about that in northern Germany)
• Temperatures drop sharply from an altitude of around 3,500 meters
• arctic climate from an altitude of about 6,000 meters

Center of the country:

• subtropical climate
• more pronounced summer and winter months
• the humidity is also bearable for Europeans

southern regions:

• • it’s tropical and warm
  • the humidity is very high

Currency / finance

Currency unit: Nepalese rupee (NPR)

Classification: 1 rupee = 100 paisas

ATMs: There are hardly any. Avoid using the Himalaya Bank ATMs. These are very unreliable. There are often incorrect bookings.

International credit cards: These are accepted in larger hotels and shops.

Regulations: The import and export of the local currency is prohibited!

There is no limit to the amount of foreign currency that can be imported and exported (Indian currency may not be imported or exported).

In travel agencies, hotels and some airlines you usually have to pay in a foreign currency.

You should always only exchange the amounts of money that you need directly, as a maximum of 10% of the exchange amount will be exchanged back into a foreign currency.

You should therefore keep all exchange receipts. For the redemption you still need a corresponding declaration, which you can obtain from approved banks.

Customs regulations

The following may be carried duty-free:

• 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco
• 1 liter of alcoholic beverages
• small amounts of perfume

(Information applies to people aged 18 and over)

Tourists and people in transit can bring items of personal use with them duty-free.

All luggage carried must be declared upon entry. Occasionally, a deposit is charged, which is paid out again on departure.

People traveling to Nepal on business can request an exemption from the deposit for the items they need for work.

In order to export antiques from Nepal, you need a certificate (subject to a fee) from the Department of Archeology.

In principle, no export license is issued for certain gemstones, minerals, animal species and drugs of all kinds.

Travel advice

The western parts of the country should be avoided when traveling to Nepal. Although the situation has calmed down somewhat, the danger for foreigners in this part of the country is particularly high.

If you are going on longer tours, you should register at the German embassy. Enter your personal data and your planned travel route here.

Behavioral advice

Before you drink water, you should boil it, as the quality is sometimes very poor. Alternatively, you should use bottled water.

The theft rate is particularly high in the larger cities. For this reason, you should never show valuables and money in public.

It is best to deposit unneeded items in a hotel safe.

Economy

Although only a small part of the country’s area can be used for agriculture, the majority of the population is employed in this sector.

The average annual income of the residents is so low that Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world.

Industries: building materials, food production, textiles, tourism, cigarette production

Natural resources: iron ore, wood, cobalt, copper, quartz, hydropower

Land use:

• Land: 17%
• Grain cultivation: 0%
• Pasture area: 15%
• Forests: 42%
• other: 26%

Plants

In the lower regions there are not only forests but also many plains on which plants and bush species thrive.

Most of the fertile land, however, was cultivated for agricultural use.

The higher you get into the mountains, the less flora you will find. Up to the tree line there are mainly conifers.

Animals

Many dozen species of wild mammals and hundreds of species of birds inhabit the mountains and forests of the country.

Since the animal population has decreased significantly in recent decades, national parks have been established. These are supposed to save the remaining animal species from extinction.