Introduction

Nepal is a land of rare scenic splendor unrivaled in the Himalayas. Bordering the Tibetan Plateau, her territory stretches 800 km east to west, and some of the highest peaks in the world, including Mt. Everest, mark northernmost limits. The land cascades sharply downwards in a short 200-km span through rugged mountains, coniferous, temperate and tropical forests, terraces of paddy, millet and corn to the low-lying foothills, which form the southern borders, where they join with the plains of India. It is a land of cultural diversity, being the religious crossroads of Hinduism and Buddhism, and is the birthplace of Lord Buddha and Goddess Sita. Nepal is located in southern Asia and is couched between the two large countries, India and China. This small Hindu kingdom is a strategically important country and is surrounded by the Indian mainland on the east touching the Indian borders, south and western sides respectively lying between the latitudes 26°N and 30°N and longitudes 80°E and 88°E.