Nepal is a small and land locked country in South Asia. It is situated between the two large and densely populated countries of Asia - China in the North and India in the South, East and West. The shape of Nepal is rectangular and it has an area of 147, 181 sq. kms. The average length (East to West) is 885 kms. and the width (North to South) is non-uniform,  approximately 193 kms. It is situated between longitudes 80°4'E to  88°12'E and latitudes  26°22'N to  30°27'N,  along the southern  slopes of the Himalayan range. Although the breadth of the country is  narrow, all varieties of climate and topography can  be found  in  this  country  ranging  from the  sub-tropical to the alpine. The lowest altitude starts from 60 meters above the sea level in the Southern plain to 8, 848 meters in the North i.e. Mt. Everest, the highest peak in the world. Ecologically, the country is divided into three regions; the Terai (Plain area), the Hills and the Mountains.

The Terai region has low, flat and fertile land.  It is also known as the "grain basket" of Nepal. Water resources, fertility and its flatness permits the cultivation of variety of crops in this area such as paddy, maize, wheat, sugarcane, vegetables, tobacco, jute and several others.

The altitude of the Hilly region varies between 610 meters to 4,877 meters above the sea level.The main occupation of this region includes animal farming, cottage industry and cultivation of cereals  and cash crops. This  region comprises of several attractive pockets, valleys and basins such as Kathmandu, Pokhara, Hetaunda, Dang, Surkhet and several others. These valleys, especially the Kathmandu valley, supports relatively high percentage of the hill population.

 

The altitude of the Mountainous region varies from 4,877 meters to 8,848 meters above the sea level. "Sagarmatha" or the "Mount Everest" (8,848 m.) the highest peak of the world lies in this region. There are more than 250 peaks in this region with more than 6, 000 meters in height and most of them are in the eastern and the central part of the country. In this region the snow line lies above 5, 000 meters and there is no human settlement above this line.  Since this region is mostly steep, rugged and cold, it is the most sparsely populated region of the country. The main occupation of the people of this region is livestock raising.

Climate and Population 

Various types of climate can be found in Nepal i.e. tropical, subtropical, temperate,sub temperate and alpine/tundra. The subtropical monsoon climate is found in the Terai, temperate monsoon in the Hills and alpine in the Mountainous region of Nepal.

 

The average rainfall of the country in the whole year is about 1,700 mm. But the mean annual rainfall varies from less than 300 mm. in the region near the Tibetan plateau to more than 5,200 mm. in the Pokhara valley and the southern slopes. Monsoon usually starts in the month of June and ends in September. During summer the maximum temperature in the Terai exceeds more than 40°c and it is about 28°c in the middle Hills. During winter the minimum temperature in the Terai is about 7°c, and it is  below the freezing point in the Hills.

Economy:

The econimoc growth of the country has not improved markedly over time the population growth. As the current population growth is 2.37 percent per annum estimated by the Central Bureau of Statistics in 1991, 57 percent of the population age were economically active and 81 percent of the total population were engaged in farming activities. These days contribution of non-agricultural activities is gradually increasing GDP. Per capita GDP is estimated to be in the order of US$ 222 for 1998/99 which income of the country is only US$ 196. The major source of foreign currency is tourism industry. The country has high potentiality of water resources which has not yet been fully utilized.

Language, Culture and Religion:

Nepali is the official language as well as the lingua franca . Maithali, Bhojpuri, Tharu, Tamang and Newari are other languages which are the mother tongue of certain communities. More than 40 caste/ethnic groups are accommodated in the country and there are about 70 spoken languages in Nepal. Nepal is rich in cultural heritage. It is known as the country of non-stop festivals and land of brave Gurkhas. The country is full of hidden valleys and crystal mountains. Kathmandu city is full of golden pagodas and parasols. Kathmandu city is also the home of the Living Goddess (Kumari). Religious tolerance and harmony are the common features in the Nepalese way of life. Lord Buddha who is well known as the God of Peace and Tranquility was born in Lumbini, Nepal. Goddess Sita, spouse of Lord Rama,  was born in Janakpur, Nepal.Thus, Nepal is the homeland of high mountains and eminent personalities as well.

  

Political Division:

There are 5 development regions and 75 administrative districts in the country. The districts are further divided into smaller units i.e. Municipalities and Village Development Committees. At present, there are 3,915 VDCs and 58 Municipalities in the country. A VDC consists of 9 wards and the Municipalities consist from 9 to 35 wards. Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal.

Historical Background:

Nepalese civilization is thousands of years old. It has a long glorious history. Three hundred years ago Nepal was divided into hundreds of petty kingdoms. Before the integration of the petty kingdoms the Kathmandu valley was ruled by the Gopals, the Lichhivis, the Thakuris and the Mallas. Art and culture of the valley was highly developed during the rule of the Malla kings. Their contribution to art and culture is indeed great. In the middle of 17th century King Prithvi Narayan Shah carried out the unification of the petty small kingdoms. Thus in 1768 A.D. the Shah dynasty stated to rule the unified Nepal.After 1768 A.D. Nepal identified herself as a sovereign nation in the world.

During the reign of the Shah Kings till 1845 A.D., the internal administration of the country was looked after by their Bhai Bhardars (associates). As a matter of fact, the country's administration was handled by the Muktiyar (Prime Minister), the Chautaria and the Bhardar (counsellors), Bada Kaji (Chief-Secretary) and the Kaji (Secretary). Under the jurisdiction of the military administration, there was an office called the Thana (the present police stations), which was assigned with the job of preventing crimes. It was found that a viable structure for internal affairs had not been set up by then. Administratively, Nepal was divided into 12 divisions, 5 of which belonged to the mountainous area, 6 to the Terai and 1 to the Kathmandu Valley.The Subba/Amali (somewhat similar to the present Chief District Officer who is the in charge of  maintaining law and order and representative of the government in the district) was responsible for the district administration.

However, after the beginning of the Rana rule in 1846 A.D. Nepal's administration remained completely under the control of the Rana families. The country was ruled by the Rana Prime Minister, the Commander-In-Chief, the Commanding General and other vital positions were held by the Ranas. The Home Administration at that time was looked after by the Internal Affairs Office (Muluki Bandobasta Adda).Maintenance of law and order, managing the internal affairs and general administration of the country were the main functions of that office. This office which was under the Commander-In-Chief and the Prime Minister (Muktiyar) was also responsible to formulate rules and regulations and their execution. Beside the above it also had to handle public grievances. A Thana was separately established as a Police Administration Organization. An Auditor's office was also set up to watch anti-Rana activities. In fact, it worked as an intelligence office. Militia Police organization had been set up in the hilly region for police affairs. A Subba or a Hakim used to be appointed as the chief of the district administration. Later on, the position was upgraded to Bada Hakim. 12 administrative offices in the Terai and 23 Tahasils (collectors' offices) in the hilly region were set up to collect revenue and to maintain security and peace.