Situated in the lap of Himalaya, Nepal is a land locked country located in between the latitude 26º 22' N to 30º 27' North and longitude of 80º 4' E to 88º 12' East and elevation ranges from 90 to 8848 meters. It has an area of 147181 Sq. Km. Out of that; hills, mountains and snowy high peaks cover approximately 83% of the area. The average length being 885 km. east to west and average breadth is about 193 km. north to south. The country is bordering between the two most populous countries of the world, China and India. It is our pride that the highest peak of the world Mt. Everest exists in Nepal and also that Nepal is the birth place of Lord Buddha.

The total population of Nepal is 23.21 million as per a recent census of Central Bureau of Statistics, out of which the ratio of male and female are around 50% each. From the literacy point of view, Nepal is a least developed country having only 45% of the population literate.

In Nepal, Hinduism and Buddhism are the two main religions. Eighty-six percent of Nepalese follow Hinduism; while eight percent follow Buddhism and three percent follow Islam. The population comprises various groups of different races, which are further divided into different castes.

Some of the main groups are such: Gurungs and Magars who live mainly in the western region; Rais, Limbus and Sunwars who live in the eastern mid hills; Sherpas, Manangpas and Lopas who live near the mountains of Everest, Annapurna and Mustang respectively; Newars who live in and around the capital valley of Kathmandu; Tharus, Yadavas, Satar, Rajvanshis and Dhimals who live in the Terai region; and Brahmins, Chhetris and Thakuris generally spread over all parts of the country.

Nepali is the official language of the state, spoken and understood by 100 percent of the population. Multiple ethnic groups speak more than a dozen other languages in about 93 different dialects. English is spoken by many in government and business offices. It is the mode of education in most private schools of Kathmandu and some other cities.

There are a lot of festivals celebrated in Nepal which have religious significance. The dates of most festivals are fixed by famous astrologers after consulting the lunar calendar. The biggest and most popular festivals are: Dashain, a celebration of Goddess Bhagabati's victory over evil Mahisashur; and Tihar, a celebration of lights dedicated to Goddess Laxmi.

Nepal a land locked country where 80% of the economy is based on the traditional Agriculture and people still are living under the poverty line. The country is geographically divided into four regions i.e. High Mountains, Hills, Valleys and Terrain. 42% of Nepal's GDP is tied up in agriculture. 90% of the people in Nepal live in rural areas. Almost 40% of them are unemployed. National Planning Commission estimated 40-42 percent of the population in rural areas and 15 percent in urban areas live in poverty. Poverty arises from inadequate agricultural production on small and marginal farms and inadequate growth in employment opportunities for small farms and landless households. Nepal is related to agriculture, either through production or consumption activities.
The fiscal year of Nepal starts from Mid July.

NEPAL IN FIGURES

Total Area
Location:
Latitude- 26º22' N to 30º27' North
Longitude- 80º4' E to 88º12' East
Elevation- 90 to 8848 meters

Geographical Division:

Region	Population	Area
Mountain	7.3%	35%
Hill	44.3%	42%
Terai	48.4%	23%

Administrative Division: 5 Development Regions,14 Zones and 75 Districts
• Eastern Development Region-23.1% (population)
• Central Development Region-34.7% (population)
• Western Development Region-19.7% (population)
• Mid-Western Development Region-13.0% (population)
• Far-Western Development Region-9.5% (population)

Length (average)- 885km east to west
Breadth (average)- 193km north to south
Total Population, 2006 - 25886736
Male - 12963722
Female - 12923014
Population growth rate - 2.25% per annum
Population below the poverty line - 31%
Literacy rate, 2001 - 54.1% (Male- 65.5%, Female-42.8%)
Infant Mortality rate- per thousand live birth - 64.4
Life Expectancy at birth, 2006 -63.3 yrs (Male- 62.9%, Female- 63.7%)
Per capita GDP, 2006 - US$ 315