Geography of Nepal

Geography of Nepal, Nepal is located in south Asia and lies on the southern laps of the central Great, Himalayan Range. Nepal is a landlocked country – 1127 km away from the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh is 27 km away – via Radhikapur of India Bhutan – 32 km across Sikkim. (44 landlocked Countries in the world, Ten are in Asia)Nepal lies between 26⁰22^’ North to 30⁰27’ North, latitude and 80⁰4^’ East to 88⁰12^’ East Longitude.

The country is quite small in term of total area and population. It occupies only 0.03 percent of the total land surface of the world (i.e. 147181 Sq. Km.). The world is about 5100 lakh Sq. km. The length of Nepal from mechi river in the east to mahakali river in the west is 885km and the average width is 193km (width varies from 145 km to 241km).

Ask for a Quote

Nepal is located between two Vast Asian Countries i.e. China and India. China is 65 times and India 22 times larger than Nepal in size. It is often referred as yam between the two stone. Nepal – china boundary is 1111km and Nepal – India boundary is 1808km.

Physical Features Geography of Nepal

According to Geography of Nepal is a mountainous country with 76% of its area – consists of High mountains and hills including valleys, tars, basins and low hills.24% – low and level land – (Terai and Inner Terai)
Topographic altitude increase from south(60m) towards north Nepal (exceeds 8000m

On the basis of topographic altitudes (geography of Nepal), Nepal is divided into three major geographic regions:

• The himlayan Region
• The hilly region
• The terai region

A)The Himalayan region
Elevation : 3000m – 8848m above the sea level
Length: 885km; breadth; 24 – 50km
Area: 25% of Nepal
Snowline is found at an altitude of 5000m above the sea level. World famous Himalayan ranges peaks, glacier, etc. are found over 5000m.
Sub – divisions of the Himalayan region
The greater Himalayas
The boarder of trans- Himalayas
The inner or high mountain valleys or bhot

According to Geography of Nepal Great Himalayas division

The greater Himalayas
The Himalayas are 2400 kilometers in length and extend from the valley of the indus to that of the Brahmaputra. The Himalayas of Nepal are the highest mountain range in the world and include the world’s highest and also beautiful peaks.
1) The Kanchenjunga Himal – constitutes the eastern most limit of the Nepal Himalayas and the range stands on the border point between Nepal and Sikkim. The third highest peak of the world Kanchenjunga (8586m) lies on this Himal.
2) The Khumbu karna Himal: stretching from the barun glacier to the upper reaches of the arun river – is the kumbhakarna Himal dominated by Makalu(8463m), the fifth highest peak in the world.
3) The mahalangur Himal: stretches from the barun river to the dudhkoshi – is the largest, most rugged and varied in the whole of the Himalaya chain. It is dominated by mt. Everest (8848m) the highest peak in the world. The other important peaks are Lhotse(8516m), cho oyu (8201m), ama Dablam, etc
4)The rowling Himal – lies between the dudhkoshi and chobabhamare. The range culminates in mt. Gaurishankar (7134m)

5)The jugal Himal: lies between the bhotekoshi (sun koshi) and the Langtang Himal. The main peaks are Dorje Lakpa(6979m) and Phurbichchyachu (6672m).
6) The Langtang Himal – stretches from the jugal Himal in the east to the rasuwagarhi in the west. It is dominated by Langtang Lirung(7245m). Langtang ri (7205) and shishapangma (8012m) on the Chinese side are other peaks.
7)The ganesh Himal – extends form the upper basin of budi Gandaki river in the west to chilimekhola in the east. This group culminates in ganeshpeak(7406m).
8)The Gorkha Himal– stretches from the budi Gandaki river in the east to the marsyangdi river in the west. The principal peaks are Manaslu(8163m), himalchuli(7892m), dakura(7514m) and baudh(6742m).
9)The Annapurna Himal– stretches between the marsyangdi river in the east and the kali Gandaki river in the west. The principal peaks are Annapurna I (8091m), II, III, IV, Machchapuchhre(6993m) and other.
10)The dhawalagiri Himal – extends from the kali Gandaki river valley in the east to the thulibheri in the west. The range is dominated by Dhaulagiri I (8167m).
11)The kanjiroba Himal – lies between the karnali river in the west and barbing khola( a tributary of the bheri river) in the east.
12)The saipal Himal – lies between the karnali river in the east and the seti river in the west.
13)The byas rishi Himal– lies between the seti river and the mahakali river and this range constitutes the western limit of the Nepal Himalayas.

14)The boarder Himalaya
It lies between the karnali river in the west and Trishuli river in the east along Nepal- china boarder. The height of this boarder Himalaya is lesser than the greater Himalaya. It is almost dry with some glaciers and screes. This is the cold mountain desert land of Nepal. Mustang (lihomantang) presents a typical desert landscape in the north of the Himalaya.

15)The inner Himalaya
It lies between the border Himalaya in the north and the gretater Himalayan in the south. These elevated bhot valleys of Tibetan landscape are surrounded by ice- clad high Himalaya glaciers and moraines are extended up to the valley floors. This typical feature of the high Himalayan valley (2400m- 500m above sea level ) in most cases is locally known as bhot. This is the rain- shadow region of Nepal. This is also the driest as well as low productive land of Nepal.

B)The hilly region
This region lies between the Himalayan region in the north and the terai region in the south.
Elevation: 600m – 3000m above the sea level.
Length: 885km, wide 75- 125km.
Area: near about 50% of the land surface of Nepal.
The sub-divisions of the hilly region:
The midland: (i)valleys, (ii)Tars (iii)Besis
The mahabharatlekh (or range)
The churia range

The midland:
(i)Kathmandu valley(elevation : 1350 m),
Area: 668 sq. km – survey map (area within watershed of bagmati river)
Pokhara valley (elevation : 800-900m)
Area: 466sq. km.
(ii) Tars (Tableland)
Suketar (taplejung), tumlingtar, 457m (sankhuwasabha), rumjatar, 350m (okhaldhunga) sallyantar (area :42 sq. km) in dhading, khairanitar (tanahu), chaurjaharitar 500 he (rukum)
(iii) besi: dhunibesi, chautrabesi, sherabesi, etc

The mahabharatlekh or lesser himalya
The height of the folded mahabharatlekh mostly ranging 1500 to 3000 or altitude runs continuously east to west which hardly exceeds 3000m. The southern slope is steeper in comparison to the northern slope. The gentler and lower slope aspects have been utilized for terrace cultivation. The higher and steeper parts of their blue mountain are yet occupied by forest. The high point (lekh) on this range is sailung (3159m) locating In dolkha district.
The churia range or outer Himalaya
This is the southern most and the youngest and lowest (600- 1800m) mountain of the Himalayan system extending from Afghanistan to assam. Churia hillocks present a hogback landscape steep south and gentle slope toward north altitude of the churia range decreases from west to east. Garba, (1872m) on kailalidoti border is the highest peak on churia.

C) Terai Region

		Sub- Divisions of Terai Region
Sub Division (in %)	Altitude(m)	Length(km)(E-W)	Breath(km)
The inner terai(7)	110-665	25-200	15-30
The bhabar(4)	300-391	125-400	10-15
The terai plain(13)	60-200	125-400	15-30

Rivers of Nepal

Nepal is the second richest country possessing 2.27 percent of the world water resource.
No. of rivers: 6000(including rivulets)
Total length of these rivers: 45000 km
Volume of water: 200 billion cubic metre per annum
The main source of the river of Nepal are
Snow and glacier (b) rain and (c)springs

Hydro – electricity generation
Theoretical potentiality: 83000mw
Economic potentiality: 42000mw
Present production: 900mw

All the rivers of Nepal (6000), on the basis of their flow, can be classified into three main group or grades.
The rivers of the first Grade: originating in and beyond Himalayan mountain range – the saptakoshi, sapta Gandaki, karnali, and mahakali fall in this group and constitute 82% of the total run off of Nepal.
The rivers of the second grade: these include all the rivers which have their source in some springs located in the mahabharat range. The bagmati, kamala, kankai, trijuga, mechi, tinau, rapti, babai, mohana, etc depend on rain and spring water.
The rivers of the third grade: they occur mainly on the south of the churia ranges and are comparatively of lesser importance than previous onces. Tilawe, rato, sirsia, hardinathmanusmara are rivers of this grade.

Length of the rivers:
Arun: 720 km (from source to the mouth)
Humlakarnali (507km), mugukarnali (384km), kaligandaki (316km), sunkoshi(256km)

Climate of Nepal
According to Geography of Nepal. Nepal has sub- tropical monsoon type of climate. But the climatic condition varies considerably from place to place. Chief factors affecting climate are:
Altitude: temperature decreases at a general lapse rate of 60C at every 1000m ascent.
Slope and direction of the mountains south facing slope records high temperature and receive more rainfall as compared to north facing ones.

Three distinct seasons of Geography of Nepal:
cold or winter season: October to January
hot or summer season: February to may
hot-wet or rainy season: june to September
Mountain climbing seasons
pre- monsoon (spring) season – march- mid june
post- monsoon(autumn) season – September – mid
winter season- December – January

climatic types
sub- tropical monsoon belt– terai, bhabar, inner terai, churia (area up to 1200 m)
summer temperature 340-390c. temperature increases from east toward west.
Winter temperature 60- 90c
Average rainfall 100- 200cm
Warm temperature monsoon belt: hills and valley areas of 1200 to 2100m above sea level. Summer temperature is between 240 and 300c and winter temperature is about 50c. in winter fogs are common. Rainfall: 100-125cm
Cool temperate monsoon belt: Higher elevation of mahabharat range and lower elevation of inner Himalayas (2100- 3300cm). summer temperature is between 150c and 200c. winter temperature is around 00c. range ranges : 50-100cm
Alpine climatic belt: higher elevation of inner Himalaya and lower elevation of the Grater Himalaya(3300-5000m)
Summer temperature -100-150c
Winter temperature (-)50, (-)100c
Rainfall less than 50 cm
Tundra climatic belt: area over 5000m temperature is constantly far below 00c. air is thin and snow – storms in the afternoon are very frequent. Precipitation occurs in the form of snow. Extremely cold.

TRIP DESIGNER

Natural vegetation Geography of Nepal

Sub- tropical evergreen forest – upto an altitude of 1200m. sal (shorearobusta) khair-siso (acacia catechu- dalbergia), simal (salmaliamalabarica), jamun, etc.
Deciduous monsoon forest – between 1200 and 2100m. chilaune (schimawallichii), katus (chestnut), banjh(oak), uttis, lankuri, champ, paihyu, bamboo(dendrocalamus), gurans(rhododendron) etc.
Evergreen coniferous forest – between 2100 and 3300m. khasru, pine, rhododendron, fir, birch(bhoj), silver fir(thingresalla), juniper, spruce, deodar, cedars, dhupi, etc.
Alpine grass land (3300-5000m)– in the cold climate and low rainfall high Himalayan region variety of grasses, bushes, and flowering vegetation is predominant. Tree line differs from east to west (4300m-3700m)
Himalayan or cold desert vegetation (above 5000m)– mosses (kai) and lichens(leu) are available in the exposed areas. Fungi and yeast are also found up to more than 8000m in the Sagarmatha region.