Nepal

Basic Facts:
Sandwiched in the Himalayas between India and Tibetan China, Nepal is approximately the size of Tennessee and has roughly the same population as California (~30 million people). Eight of the worlds ten highest peaks reside within its borders, including Mt Everest. But the country is not entirely mountainous – the climate ranges from sub-tropical on the border with the Indian flood plains to frozen tundra at the top of the Himalayan peaks, providing Nepal with an immense diversity of both flora and fauna (including royal bengal tigers and Himalayan bears). Equally diverse are its people, for which the largest single group only accounts for 16% of the population. Across ethnic boundaries Hinduism remains the dominant religion, but sects of Buddhism, Islam and Christianity also exist.

More Info:

Recommended Reading

  • Culture Smart! Nepal
  • The Violet Shyness of Their Eyes, Barbara J. Scot
  • Forget Kathmandu: an elegy for democracy, Manjushree Thapa
  • Arresting God in Kathmandu, Samrat Upadhyay


Footage (not mine)