10 Interesting Facts About Nepal
Nepal Is Home To Mount Everest, The Highest Mountain In The Entire World
Mount Everest rises to a breathtaking height of 29,029 feet. It is located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of Asia’s Himalayan Mountains. In the Nepali language this towering mountain is known as Sagarmatha which translates to “Forehead of the Sky” while in the Tibetan tongue it is called Chomolungma or “Goddess Mother of the World”.
It Has Been Inhabited For A Very, Very Long Time
After the discovery of tools in Nepal which date back to the Neolithic Period experts believe that human beings first settled in this Asian country as long as eleven thousand years ago.
Nepal Is The Birthplace Of Siddhartha Gautam (Buddha)
Followers of the Buddhist religion believe that Buddha was born in Kapilvastu, Lumbini in Nepal. According to tradition the exact birth date of Buddha (also known as Siddhartha Gautama, Siddhattha Gotama, and Shakyamuni) isn’t known but is presumed to have occurred either in 563 or 480 BCE.
Nepal Is The Only Nation With A Non-quadrilateral Flag.
Unlike the flags of other countries across the globe Nepal’s official flag is only one that is not rectangular. Instead, it is made up of two triangles each symbolizing the Himalayans and the countries two major religions; Buddhism and Hinduism.
No Handshakes
The people of Nepal greet one another not with handshakes, kisses, or hugs but rather by placing their palms against one another’s, bowing their foreheads, and saying “Namaste” which translates to “I salute the God in you”.
Exotic Wildlife
The country is home to both the one-horned rhinoceros as well as the Bengal tiger. The one-horned rhino is considered to be a vulnerable species according to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Nepal ranks third (behind India and Bangladesh) in terms of having the highest concentrations of Royal Bengal Tigers on the planet.
Rich biodiversity
In terms of both plants and animals Nepal flourishes with biodiversity. In terms of plants the country is home to 360 orchid species, six per cent of the planet’s rhododendron species, 39 % of the world’s Meconopsis poppy, and 5980 flower species. As for animals Nepal’s Nepalese river serves as the one and only natural breeding ground for Long Snouted Gharial crocodiles. The country is also home to 870 species of birds and 650 types of butterflies.
Historical Kathmandu
Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, has a metropolitan population of 2,500,000 people with a population density of 16,350 inhabitants per square mile. But what makes the city so extraordinary is the existence of seven UNESCO’s World Heritage Cultural sites located within a fifteen mile radius of Kathmandu valley. These sites include Kathmandu Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar, Changunarayan, Patan Durbar, Pashupatinath Swayambhunath, and Boudhanath.
A Living Goddess
Nepal is home to the world’s only living goddess named Kumari. In the Nepali language Kumari means “virgin”.
Yeti Legend
Like other regions in Asia such as Tibet and Bhutan, Nepal is a popular setting for tales relating to the legendary creature known as the yeti which is said to stalk the Himalayas. In the west this folk character is also referred to as the "Abominable Snowman" a creature who takes the form of an ape like being. Back in 1958 noted explorer and mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary embarked on an unsuccessful expedition to find the mysterious being but alas came back empty handed.
