Interesting Facts on Nepal

Have you heard of Nepal, a masterpiece created by Mother Nature? I hope a few of us might have heard about it. In case you don’t know, here are a few interesting facts about Nepal.

Official Name:              Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal

Location:                        South Asia

Capital:                           Kathmandu

Area:                               147,181 sq. km.

Population:                    26,620,809 (according to Nepal Census 2011)

Time:                               GMT +5.45

Language:                      Official Language Nepal; 109 regional and indigenous languages

Religion:                         9 religions; Hindu 81%, Buddhist 11%, Muslim 4% others 4%

National Calendar:      Lunar calendar, Nepali Calender called Bikram Sambat (B.S.)

Geography:                 Landlocked country sharing a border with India on the East, West and South and China on the North. The larger part of the country lies on the southern slopes of the Himalayas and extends down to the hills and then to the plains known as the Terai region.

Climate:

• March to May: Spring(warm and dusty with rain showers)
• June to August: Summer (dominated by the monsoon)
• Late September to November: Autumn (cool with clear skies – most popular trekking season)
• December to February: Winter (cold at night and can be foggy in the early morning; afternoons are usually clear and pleasant). There is occasional snow in the mountains.

Everything you need to know; Interesting facts on Nepal

• Only country without a rectangular Flag

Nepal is not the only country without a rectangular flag but also Nepal’s flag is the most mathematical flag. The crimson red flag with a blue border has the moon and sun printed on it. The blue border is the National Flag of Nepal symbolizes peace, the crimson red is Nepal’s national color, and it indicates the bravery and victory. The two triangles symbolize the Himalaya Mountains. The moon represents the serenity of the Nepalese people and the shade and cool weather in the Himalayas. The sun stands for the fierce tenacity of the Nepalese people and the heat of the lower parts of Nepal. Among many interesting facts on Nepal, it is the foremost one.

• Nepal is home to the only living Goddess, Kumari

In Nepal kumari, or “living goddesses,” are pre-pubescent girls considered to be the earthly manifestations of divine female energy, incarnations of the goddess known as Taleju, the Nepalese name for Durga.

Selected as children, they live in temples, are carried in chariots during festivals and are worshipped by thousands of Hindus and Buddhists. They retire upon puberty. Kumari literally means “Virgin” in Nepali.

• The Birth Place of Lord Buddha:

Light of Asia the founder of Buddism Religion, Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal. He was the prince of Kaplivastu, son of King Sudhodan and Queen Maya Devi and was given the name Siddhartha Gautam before he achieved Nirvana and became Buddha.

• World’s highest peak Mount Everest (8848m) is in Nepal

Nepal is the home to the world’s highest peak, Mount. Everest. It is known as Sagarmatha in Nepali which means “Forehead to the Sky” in Tibetan languages Everest is known as Chomolungma meaning the “Goddess Mother of Snows”.

• World’s longest Freefall is in Nepal, Bhote Koshi Bungy Jump

Jump from the remarkable steel, suspension bridge located above the Bhote Kosi River near the Nepal / Tibet border. Built specifically for bungee, jumpers get a view of the Himalayas as they drop 500 feet (160 meters) in the air. This jump is known to be one of the longest free-falls in the world. The base is located approximately three hours drive from Kathmandu

• 10 UNESCO- World Heritage Sites

Nepal has 10 of its properties listed in the World Heritage Sites among which 8 are Cultural Heritage Sites and 2 are Natural Heritage Sites. They are Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Pashupatinath Temple, Lumbini, Swayambhunath Stupa, Boudhanath Stupa, Changu Narayan, Chitwan National Park, and Sagarmatha National Park.

• Steepest, Longest and Fastest Zip Liner, Sarangkot Pokhara

This zip line located at Sarangkot, about 10 km from the beautiful town of Pokhara, Nepal with a vertical drop of 600 meters over a total distance of 1.8km makes this the world’s steepest, tallest and one of the longest zip lines. It’s also one of the fastest with top speeds of up to 140 kmph.

• Nepal was once Known as ” The Weed Capital”

Weed is said to be illegal and is not available for buy and sell, we can find the growth of weeds everywhere mostly in the rural area, around the roads, ditches, farmlands, mountainside and everywhere. Who would not love to fire a pot and get along with the fine environment that Nepal beholds? During the festival of “Shiva Ratri,” you will find people smoking weed especially in the famous shiva temple “Pashupatinath”. It is believed that Hindu God Shiva use to smoke Weed. Hence people consume weed in the form of Prasad, Scared food taken after offering to Gods and Goddess in Hindu Religion. Indeed, this is a bit odd as well as an interesting fact about Nepal.

• 8 of 14 highest peaks in the world are in Nepal and more than 1900 peaks above 5500m

Nepal is truly a Himalayan country. At present, there are 326 peaks opened for mountaineering expeditions in Nepal including 13 peaks above 8000m (some of the 13 peaks are part of the same massif as their main peak). So, there are surely more than enough in Nepal for any mountain enthusiastic from around the world and it’s clear why Nepal is known as the Himalayan Kingdom.

• Nepal Has Over 80 Ethnic Groups And 123 Languages | Top interesting facts on Nepal

There are 102 castes and ethnic groups. There are three main racial types: Aryan, Mongoloid and mixed. Aryan: Bahun, Chhetri, Damai, Kami, etc. Mongoloid consists of Tamang, Gurung, Magar, Sherpa, Thakali and Kirat (e.g., Rai, Limbu, Sunuwar) and mixed solely consists of Newar people. “Unity in Diversity”- this slogan is a perfect match for the Nepalese people.

• Home to many endangered birds and animal

There are 27 species of endangered mammals, 9 species of endangered birds and 3 species of endangered reptiles which are given legal protection under the 1973 National Parks and Wildlife Act. The following are the list of endangered species of Nepal. Some of the endangered mammals are: Red Panda, Snow Leopard, Bengal Tiger, One-horned Rhinoceros, Himalayan Musk Deer, Dolphin, Asiatic Elephant, Four homed Antelope, Grey Wolf, Assamese Monkey, Leopard Cat, Brown Bear, etc. Some of the endangered birds are Great Hornbill, Impeyan Pheasant (National Bird of Nepal), Bengal Florican, Crimson-honied Pheasant, Lesser Florican, Black Stork, White Stork, Cheer Pheasant, and Saurus Crane. The endangered reptiles are Gharial, GoldenMonitor Lizard, and Asiatic Rock Python.

• The highest lake on the earth (Tilicho 4800 meters)

Tilicho lake (4,919 m) is the highest lake in the world. The Annapurna range of the Himalayas in the Manang district of  Nepal. Tilicho Lake is the destination of one of the most popular side hikes of the Annapurna Circuit trek. The hike takes additional 3-4 days. No camping is required, as new lodges have been built between Manang and the lake. The final approach to the lake is done in a day hike from the lodge at Tilicho Base Camp. Yes! There are many interesting facts on Nepal like this high altitude lake. 

• The deepest gorges (1200 meter) in Kaligandaki

The Kali Gandaki Gorge is the Gorge of the Kali Gandaki (or Gandaki River) in the Himalayas in Nepal. By some measures the Kali Gandaki gorge is the deepest gorge in the world, being 5,571 m or 18,278 ft lower than Annapurna I which bounds it at one point. Gorge depth is difficult to define due to disagreement over rim height so this claim is disputed.

• The deepest valley on earth (Arun valley) | Interesting facts on Nepal

Arun Valley is really a non-touristic area but we can see significant views of Mt. Everest, Makalu, and hundreds of other mountains just on your eye. It is the highest valley in the world located at a height of

• The tallest grassland in the world in Chitwan

The Terai-Duar Savanna and Grasslands [IM0701] eco-region sit at the base of the Himalayas, the world’s youngest and tallest mountain range. About 25 km wide, this narrow lowland ecoregion is a continuation of the Gangetic Plain. The ecoregion stretches from southern Nepal’s Terai, Bhabar, and Dun Valleys eastward to Banke and covers the Dang and Deokhuri Valleys along the Rapti River.

• Nepal was never under any foreign invasion

Nepal does not have an independent day because Nepal was never colonized. Nepal is proud of this fact that Nepal has never been ruled by any other country. Nepal is also the oldest country in South Asia.

• Nepal Gurkhas have been part of the British Army since 1816

“Better to die than being a coward” is the motto of the Nepalese Gurkha soldiers who are an integral part of the British Army since 1815 when a peace agreement was clinched by the British East India Company after it suffered heavy casualties during an invasion of Nepal.

• Not a single drop of blood has ever been shed in Nepal in the name of Religious and Ethnic riot

Something for the world to learn from the people of Nepal who hold the best feeling for Unity. There are 9 different religions residing in this country and yet there hasn’t been a single case where there has been a clash in the name of religion in Nepal.

• Nepal Standard time is one of only two official time zones with a 45-minute increment from UTC.

Nepal Standard Time (NST) is the time zone for Nepal with a time offset from Coordinated Universal Time of +5:45.

Conclusion

After reading interesting facts on Nepal, up to here, now I am sure you can speak many more words about Nepal. For more interesting informations, blogs and articles you can follow Trekking Top Nepal. Simply, buzz us when you plan your visit to Nepal.