Location

South Asia, between China and India

Latitude

26⁰ 22’ – 30⁰ 27’ N

Longitude

80⁰ 04 – 88⁰ 12’ E

Elevation range

60m (Dhanusha) - 8850m (Mt. Everest)

Length and Breadth

Length – 800 Km (East to West), Breadth – 140-280 km (North – South).

Area

147,181 sq.km. (Terai – 23.1%, hill – 41.7%, mountains – 35.2%)

Land use

Cultivated land – 21%, forest – 29%, grassland – 12%, shrublands 10.6%, water – 2.6%, and other categories (rocks, snow lands, settlements, etc. – 24.8%

Cultivated land

Terai – 55.7%, mountains – 37.3%, mountains – 6.9%

Physiographic zones

5 (Terai, Churia/Siwaliks, midhills, high mountains, high Himalaya).

Population

23.15  million (Terai – 48.4%, hills – 44.3%, mountains – 7.3%.)

Ethnic groups / Casts

102 (Chhetri – 15.8%, Brahmin – 13.33%, Magar – 7.1%, Tharu – 6.75%, Tamang – 5.64%, Newar – 5.58%)

Languages (Dialects)

92 (Nepali – 48.98%, Maithali – 12.40%, Bhojpuri – 7.59%, Tharu – 5.90%, Tamang – 5.22%, Newari – 3.66%)

Vegetation types

75 (Tropical zone, Subtropical zone, Lower temperate, Upper temperate zone, Subalpine zone, Alpine zone, Nival zone, etc..)

Forest types

35 (Sal forest, Riverine forest, Schima-Castanopsis forest, Conifer forest, Oak-laurel forest, Birch-Rhododendron forest, etc., Juniper forest)

Forest (crown) cover

29%

Flora

Ca. 6,500 spp. (vascular plants), 4000 spp. (non-vascular plants)

     Flowering plants

Gymnosperms & Angiosperms – 5345 species (Press et al. 2000).

     Non-flowering plants

Fauna   

Insects – 5,000 spp., Butterflies – 656 spp., Fishes – 185 spp., Amphibians – 43 spp., Reptiles – 100 spp., Birds – 863 spp., Mammals – 181 spp. (BPP/UNDP, 2000)

Medicinal plants

1624 spp. (Shrestha et al. 2001)

    Flowering plants

1515 spp.

    Non-flowering plants

109 spp.