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Nepal has captivated the imagination of nature
lovers, mountaineers, explorers and all kinds of
foreign visitors since it first opened its doors
in the 1950s. This extraordinary country
contains some of the most breathtakingly
beautiful mountain scenery in the world; ranging
from lush, terraced farmland and rice paddies,
sub-tropical forest and sweltering valleys, to
arid, windswept high-altitude plains, remote
mountain passes and the summits of the highest
peaks on earth. Home to cultures and religions
that have shaped the philosophical outlook of
the civilized world for thousands of years,
Nepal is a Mecca for adventurous travelers and a
visit is both a scenic revelation and an
education in itself.
Nepal is a landlocked country situated between
Tibet, Autonomous Region of China and India,
divided into three geographical regions:
ranges in altitude between 3,000 and 8,848
meters, with the snow line starting at 4,800
meters. It houses eight of the fourteen highest
peaks in the world.
Hilly region: occupies 64% of the country’s
total land. The region is formed by the
Mahabharat range soaring up to 4,877 meters. To
the South lies the Churen range the altitude of
which varies from 610 meters to 1,524 meters.
at an altitude of maximum 305 meters above sea
level, Terai occupies 17% of the total land. The
country’s lowest altitude, just 70 meters above
sea level, can be found in the Eastern Terai.
The country has a population of about twenty
three million representing different races and
tribes. The Sherpas live in the Himalayan region
up to an altitude of 4,572 meters. The Brahmans,
Chhetris, and Thakuris inhabit most parts of the
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Bhutan's early history is shrouded in the mists
of Buddhist tradition and mythology. As most
important events of the period involved saints
and religious leaders, they were therefore
chronicled only in scriptures. Unfortunately,
due to natural calamities like earthquake and
fire, most of these original documents were
destroyed and much of this early history relies
on reports from British explorers, and on legend
and folklore. Archaeological evidence suggests
Bhutan was inhabited as early as 1500 BC or
possibly even 2000 BC. These early inhabitants
were followers of Bon, an animistic tradition
that was the main religion of the Himalayan
region before the advent of Buddhism.
Tibet is located at the southwest frontier of China
covering a vast land of more than 1.2 million square kilometers. Tibet borders with India, Nepal, Bhutan, Shikkim, Burma and
neighbors with the Chinese provinces of Qinghai, Xinjiang, Sichuan, Yunnan. Tibet has a total population of more than 2.56 million, among which Tibetan takes up 94.7%. Other main nationalities include Hon, Menba, Luoba, Hui, Naxi etc.
This spectacular land is charming for its beautiful natural landscape, glorious history and culture, unique folk custom, with all of which Tibet has attracted more and more tourists from home and abroad. Tibet has already become the hottest world-level tourist destination in the world.
The Republic of India comprises the majority of the Indian
subcontinent. India has a coastline which
stretches over seven thousand kilometres, and
shares its borders with Pakistan to the west,
the People's Republic of China, Nepal, and
Bhutan to the northeast, and Bangladesh and
Myanmar on the east. On the Indian Ocean, it is
adjacent to the island nations of the Maldives
on the southwest, Sri Lanka on the south.
India is the fourth largest economy in the
world in terms of purchasing power parity. It is
the second most populous country in the world,
with a population of over one billion, and is
the seventh largest country by geographical
area. It is home to some of the most ancient
civilizations, and a centre of important
historic trade routes. Four major world
religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and
Sikhism have originated from India. Formerly a
major part of the British Empire as the British
Raj before gaining independence in 1947, during
the past twenty years the country has grown
significantly, especially in its economic and
military spheres, regionally as well as
globally.
India's entire north and northeast states are
made up of the Himalayan Range. The rest of
northern, central and eastern India consists of
the fertile Indo-Gangetic plain. Towards western
India, bordering southeast Pakistan, lies the
Thar Desert. The southern Indian peninsula is
almost entirely composed of the Deccan plateau.
The plateau is flanked by two hilly coastal
ranges, the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats.
India is home to several major rivers such as
the Ganga (Ganges), the Brahmaputra, the Yamuna,
the Godavari, and the Krishna. The rivers are
responsible for the fertile plains in northern
India which are conducive to farming. The Indian
climate varies from a tropical climate in the
south to a more temperate climate in the north.
Parts of India which lie in the Himalaya have a
tundra climate. India gets most of its rains
through the monsoons.
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