Nepal Information and History
Nepal lies between China and India in South Asia. The king of this constitutional monarchy traces his lineage to the ruler of Gorkha, who unified the area in the late 18th century. The present monarch, King Gyanendra, came to the throne in 2001 after the tragic murder of the previous king. Violent political protest in early 1990 opened the way to multiparty government. Since then, no single party has been able to form a majority, resulting in a number of incompatible coalitions. The king postponed elections in 2002 because Maoist insurgents controlled nearly half of Nepal—mostly the poorer western region. This political instability has not fostered economic reforms, and Nepal remains one of the world's poorest countries.
Most Nepalese live in the central, hilly region, which embraces the Kathmandu Valley, and in the southern plain known as the Terai. The cutting of trees for fuel—increased by demands of a booming tourist industry—causes erosion. Rivers that spring from the Himalaya generate electricity for local use and potentially for export. Nepal possesses the greatest altitude variation on the Earth, from the lowlands near sea level to Mount Everest at 8,850 meters (29,035 feet). Everest, named after British surveyor Sir George Everest, is known as Chomolungma by the local Sherpas, meaning "Goddess Mother of the World"—related to this is the Chinese name Qomolangma. The Nepali word for Everest, Sagarmatha, is often translated as "Forehead of the Sky." Sherpas benefit from the mountaineering boom and tourism in the Everest region, owning much of the lodging and transportation. They teach visitors about Sherpa culture and Buddhism's love of the land.ECONOMYIndustry: tourism, carpets, textiles; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarettes; cement and brick production.Agriculture: rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane; milk.Exports: carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain.

Nepal Flag and Fast Facts
Population - 25,371,000
Capital - Kathmandu; 741,000
Area - 147,181 square kilometers(56,827 square miles)
Language- Nepali, English, many other languages and dialects
Religion- Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim
Currency- Nepalese rupee
Life Expectancy - 59 years
GDP per Capita U.S. $1,400
Literacy Percent - 45

MOUNTATIN film festival starts from TODAY

The Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (Kimff) 2006 begins in the capital from today. Nazir Sabir, Pakistani mountaineer and conservationist, will inaugurate the festival at 3 P.M. Some 73 films – documentaries, features, animation, shorts – would be screened in Russian Cultural Center, Kamal Pokhari; Gurukul, Purano Baneshwor and the Tourist Service Center, Exhibition Road from December 7 to 11.
Kimff 2006 would feature the best films on mountains, mountain people and mountain sports from around the globe. The films cover a wide array of subjects – including conflict, culture, climbing, wildlife, environment, globalization, gender, and lifestyles.
Kimff has over the years been part of the campaign to make the audio-visual medium come to aid of social and economic transformation of the Nepali human landscape. At a time when Nepal is just coming out of an era marked by extreme violence in public life overloaded with a period of autocracy, Kimff '06 is being organized with a specific focus on reviving hope and generating momentum for a post-conflict, democratic Nepal.
Kimff 2006 would feature four Nepali films. Dancing Kathmandu (premiere) a US/Nepal venture exploring the classical dance scene in Kathmandu while Chulo, Choli ra Banduk (premiere) looks at women in the Maoist movement. Hami Kunako Maanche is about a remote Tamang village that gets a bridge. The Last Race is a tale of friendship of two boys in the picturesque mountain valley of Manang.
Kimff 2006 would also present a retrospective of films by the late Narain Singh Thapa, an Indian filmmaker of Nepali origin who specialized in films on Himalayan Valleys and mountains.
The main purpose of Kimff is to showcase films that attract peer review and critiques that lead to a better documentation of mountain issues, particularly of highland regions of the developing world, the organisers said.

How to go LANGTANG Valley

Bus Ticket Counter at SyabrubesiRasuwa is connected to Kathmandu by the 168 km Kathmandu ‑ Trishuli ‑ Dhunche ‑ Somdang road. This road from Kathmandu to Bidur, the headquarter of Nuwakot district is blacktopped and in good condition. However, the road from Trishuli to Dhunche is graveled and landslides / road blockages are common during the rainy season particularly in the Mulkharka area. Rasuwa district as a whole has 97 km road from Betrawati in the Nuwakot border to Somdang via Syabrubesi. There are regular bus services from Kathmandu in Syabrubesi. Dhunche and Syabrubesi are the two major bus stops. Travel to Dhunche takes about 8 hours from Kathmandu. Trekkers heading for the Langtang circuit go all the way to Syabrubesi. Pilgrims to Gosaikunda also usually go via Syabrubesi.

Langtang - a beautiful mountain region

Langtang Valley of Rasuwa

Rasuwa with the total district area of 1544 sq. km lies 120 km north of Kathmandu bordering the Tibet region of China. About 63 percent of the district area falls in the Langtang National Park (total area of 1710 sq. km but only 974.5 sq. km in Rasuwa), the first national park established in the mountain region in 1976. Less than 5 percent of the area is under cultivation and about 35 percent is under forests. Scoping for expanding agricultural land is limited and the district is food deficit. Potato is the main cash crop. In 2001 the district population was about 45,000 with a density of 29 per sq. km. Densities are lower in the northern areas. Tamang comprise about two-thirds of the district population. Only about one third of the population is literate. Rasuwa is connected to Kathmandu by the 168 km Kathmandu-Trishuli-Dhunche-Somdang road and is the nearest major trekking region from the Kathmandu Valley. Because of the altitudinal variation (from 845 masl to 7245 masl in Lantgang Lirung Himal), the climatic conditions of the district range from subtropical to arctic. For this, Rasuwa has extremely diversified species of vegetation. Langtang National Park lying as it is in the Central Himalayas is a meeting point for eastern and western species of flora.
Langtang National Park is the main tourist destination and trekking area in Rasuwa. It was the establishment of the park that laid the foundation for the growth of trekking tourism in the district. Langtang National Park has a high level of bio-diversity with 15 forest types that include over 3000 species of flowering plants, variety of faunal species including musk deer, Himalayan tahr, Snow leopard and Red pandas among others. The mountain peaks of Langtang and the Ganesh Himal ranges, the multitude of glaciers and the snow-fed rivers are other natural assets of Rasuwa. The Langtang Valley provides a unique fusion of Tamang and Tibetan culture. Rasuwa is home to the Tamangs, Buddhist highlanders with unique lifestyles and cultures. Gosaikunda is a regionally and nationally important centre of pilgrimage and attracts a large number of pilgrims.
Source: Adapted from Participatory District Tourism Development and Management Plan 2004 - 2008 RASUWA DISTRICT. Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Programme

Tourism has been a way of life along the trekking routes of Rasuwa for over two decades. Trekking tourism was initiated in Rasuwa in 1979. Since then Langtang - Helambu trek has emerged as the third most important trekking destination in Nepal. In 2003, 3114 trekkers visited Rasuwa. Trekking tourism is distinctly seasonal with about 60 percent coming in the months of October - November and March - April. Tourism development has contributed to the development of infrastructure in established destinations like Dhunche, Syabru etc. Even the operation of lodges within the Langtang National Park under specific conditions and guidelines help tourist to satisfy their needs.
Rasuwa, particularly the Langtang National Park receives substantial number of tourist, including the pilgrims. Environmental impact of tourist relate mainly to illegal use of fuel wood, use of timber in lodge construction, improper disposal of waste, and improper campsite location. Households along major trekking routes and destinations derive economic benefits through sale of local products, and some local employment in lodges as well as porters. But dependency on tourism has also increased, traditional resource use practices are loosing relevance and there is also unhealthy competition among lodges. Socio-cultural impacts related mainly to the demonstration effect of tourism, commercialization of cultures, inflation and its impact on the poor, and changes in vernacular architecture particularly in major destinations.
Six potential market segments are recognized for tourism in Rasuwa. They include organized group trekkers, adventure groups (glacial trekking), mountaineering, special interest groups (cultural heritage and bio-diversity), pilgrims (Nepalese and some Indians), and Free Independent Travelers. Though there are certain constraints to the development of these market segments, Rasuwa has been the beneficiary of a number of initiatives in promoting quality tourism.
Langtang National Park Regulations:
\ An entry fee of NRs. 1000 should be paid at the National Parks ticket counter before preceding the journey.
\ Camping inside the park should be made only at the designated areas.
\ Purchase of wildlife trophies or religious artifacts are against the law and can cause heavy penalties.
\ Travel within the park between sunset and sunrise is prohibited.
\ Visitors should be self sufficient in fuel supply (kerosene). The use of firewood is strictly prohibited.
\ Flora and fauna are fully protected and must not be disturbed.
\ Rubbish must be packed out, buried or disposed off in designated areas.
\ Carry out non-biodegradable items such as plastic bags and bottles along with you.
Langtang Valley Trek (Dhunche - Kyangjin)
Starting Point Destination Hours Altitude
Kathmandu Dhunche 8 - 10 1960 m
(Car / Bus) Syabrubesi
Dhunche Thulo Syabru 4 -5 2120 m
Thulo Syabru Bamboo 3 -4 1975 m
Syabrubesi Bamboo 4 - 5 1975 m
Bamboo Lama Hotel 3 - 4 2840 m
Lama Hotel Ghora Tabela 3 - 4 3000 m
Ghora Tabela Langtang 3 - 4 3420 m
Langtang Kyangjin 2 - 3 3900 m
Source: Adapted from Langtang National Park Brochure. Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation 2004

BHAKTAPUR : Historical & Holly City

Bhaktapur—locally known by Khwopa—is world renowned for its elegant art, fabulous culture and indigenous lifestyle. For its majestic monuments, colorful festivals and the native Newars best known for their long history of craftsmanship, the ancient city is also variously known as the "City of Culture", the "Living Heritage" and "Nepal’s Cultural Gem". Given such unequaled opulence in ancient art and culture, Bhaktapur is more like an open museum, and the ambiance here is such that it instantly transports visitors back by centuries the moment they step into its territory.
Bhaktapur has its gem in the Durbar Square—a World Heritage site listed by the UNESCO. Strewn with unique palaces, temples and monasteries best admired for their exquisite artworks in wood, metal and stone, the palatial enclave has bewitched pilgrims and travelers for centuries. Yet, they are not all though. Adding to the mesmerizing environs is the holy Himalaya that makes the backdrop of the city. Stretching all along the township, the panoramic Himalaya levitates in the skyline as if to keep vigilance on the city’s enviable beauty and splendor.
Bhaktapur, at 1,401 meters above sea level, spreads over an area of 6.88 square kilometers. It grows from a collection of villages strung along the old trade route between India and Tibet. The capital city of the Greater Malla Kingdom till the 15th century AD, Bhaktapur was founded in the 12th century by King Ananda Malla, but it was only in the early 18th century that this city took its present shape. It was at that time that many of Bhaktapur’s greatest monuments were built by the then Malla rulers.

Nepal

NEPAL

Situated in the lap of the Himalayas, Nepal is located between the latitude 26*22' to 30*27' North and longitude 80*4' E to 88*12' East, and elevation ranges from 90 to 8848 meters. The average length being 885 km east to west and the average breadth is 193 km from north to south. The country is bordering between the two most populous countries in the world, India in the East, South, and West, and China in the North. Nepal is a land locked country and home place of natural beauty with traces of artifacts. The Northern range (Himalayas) is covered with snow over the year where the highest peak of the world, the Mount Everest, stands. The middle range (Hill) is captured by gorgeous mountains, high peaks, hills, valleys and lakes. Southern range (Terai) is the gangaitic plain of alluvial soil and consist of dense forest area, national parks, wildlife reserves and conservation areas. The temperature and rainfall differ from place to place. In the geographic diversity and varied climatic conditions 23.2 million people of more than 60 caste/ethnic groups are accommodated in the country. Nepal presents an example of being united in diversity over the history and has maintained it's pride as being an independent sovereign state. There is constitutional monarchy where people exercise right of adult franchise. The executive, legislative and judiciary bodies function and exercise their rights independently. There is two tier system of legislation, the upper house, called the Rastriya Sabha, consists of 60 members and the Lower House, called the Pratinidhi Sabha is the house of Representatives for which members are elected from 205 electoral constituency distributed in 75 districts of the country. The elected Prime Minister heads the government. Geographically, the country is divided in three regions; Mountain, Hill and Terai accommodating 7.44 and 49 % of the population respectively. Based on area of districts these regions constitute 35, 42 and 23% of the total land area. There are 5 development regions and 75 administrative districts. Districts are further divided into smaller units, called Village Development committee (VDC) and Municipality. Currently, there are 3914 VDCs and 58 Municipalities in the country. Each VDC is composed of 9 wards, Municipality ward ranges from 9 to 35. Kathmandu is the capital city.There are number of peaks, rivers and lakes in the country. Nepal is the member of the United Nations and has established diplomatic relation with 113 (Jun 2001) countries of the world. Major export commodities are paste, Pulses, oil Cake, Catechu, Jute good Sacking, Twins, Carpets (Hand knitted wollen), Readymade garments, handicrafts, ginger. Economic growth of the country has not improved markedly over time to over take population growth. As the country estimated population growth is 2.3 per annum, the gain achieved by developmental activities has been concealed by growing population. Little over half (57%)of the population of working age reported economically active in 1991 and among them 81% were engaged in agricultural activities. Contribution of non-agricultural activities are gradually increasing in the GDP. Per capita GDP is estimated in the order of US $ 240 (preliminary estimate) for 2000/01. The currency is Nepalese Rupee.

Bhaktapur : Historical Photo