Nepal is a land-locked country nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas. It occupies an area from 26° 20′ to 30° 10′ north latitude and 80° 15′ to 88° 19′ east longitude. It shares its northern border with the Tibetan region of the People’s Republic of China, and its eastern, southern and western borders with India. Nepal is rectangular in shape and is approximately 128 kilometers wide and 880 kilometers long. The total land area of the country is 147,181 square kilometers.
However, in fact, although occupying 0.1 percentage of the Earth’s surface, Nepal is one of the richest country in the world in terms of bio-diversity due to its unique geographical position and altitudinal variation. The elevation of the country ranges from less than 100 meters above sea level in the Terai, to the highest point on earth, the summit of Mount Everest 8848 meters, all within a distance of 150 km, resulting in climatic conditions ranging from sub-tropical to Arctic.
An Overview of Nepal
Location: It lies in South Asia, between two largest countries, India and China. North Latitude is from 26° 20′ to 30° 10′ and east longitude is from 80° 15′ to 88° 19′.
Area: The total area of the country is 147,181 square kilometers.
Population: According to population census 2078, the population of Nepal is 291,64578 .
Capital city: Kathmandu with an area of 413.7 km2.
Topography: Himalaya to north, Mahabharat range and churiya hills in the middle and terai in south.
Climate: It ranges from sub-tropical to Arctic from south to north.
Seasons: Nepal has four seasons and they are: Winter (December to February), Summer (March to May), Monsoon (June to August) and Autumn (September to November).
Types and Features of Natural Resources of Nepal
Nepal may be a little country however it’s wealthy in Natural Resources. These natural resources are the gifts of the character. A number of the vital natural resources of Nepal are Forest, Mineral, Water, Soil, or Land. The typical natural resources found in our country are discussed below.
Minerals
Most of the terrain in the country, about 80%, is hilly. However, research into the country’s hilly terrain has shown that there are a few deposits of metallic, non–metallic minerals, fuel minerals, and decorative minerals. These minerals include the likes of gold, limestone, mica, iron ore, copper, and others. While there are suspected oil deposits in places such as Pyuthan, Nepalgunj, and Dailekh, there have been no confirmations on the matter. Natural gas deposits are suspected to be in places like Mustang, the Kathmandu Valley, and a few other districts.
Limestone is mined in places such as Surkhet, Hetauda, and Chovar and has always been used to produce cement in the country. Another mineral, magnesium, is mined in a number of places such as at the Kampughat mine. Despite the few mineral resources, the mine at Kampughat in the Sagarmatha Zone has deposits of about 20 million tons of ore, of which 30% is magnesium. These deposits make Nepal one of the leading global producers of magnesium.
A lack of modern technology and equally skilled labor means that the country has been unable to produce these minerals at maximum levels. Should the government make the proper investments, then the sector has the potential of creating new industries as well as create new employment opportunities. In addition, the government regulations are a discouraging factor to multinational companies wishing to invest in the sector.
Forest
Forest is one of all the vital natural resources. This natural resource covers a huge part (about 25.4%) of Nepal. The forest cover is classified into three types namely protected, production, and conserved forests. Forests serve several purposes such as the production of firewood as well as timber for industrial purposes. Industrial uses of trees include industries such as paper, timber, and furniture. Industries that deal with wood include the government-owned Timber Corporation of Nepal and a few others. Other people also depend on the forests to extract medicinal herbs. In addition to all of these benefits, the forest provides a habitat for animals and birds.
Revenue generation from the forests is realized in a number of ways. For example, Nepal exports its timber products to several countries although the main export destination is the nearby India. Tourism is also a source of revenue as visitors from all around the world go to Nepal for the scenery. In the hilly areas, forest cover has been helping in preventing the erosion of precious arable land. Unfortunately, deforestation is still a major problem, which is why temperatures are increasing while agricultural yields are going down.
Water
Nepal is one of the richest countries in the world terms of water resources. In fact, only Brazil has more water. The fact that the country is leading in terms of water resources despite being landlocked shows just how much water it has. The water in Nepal comes from several sources including melting snow and mountains. Nepal has a number of major rivers including Karnali, Bhotekoshi, Koshi, Sunkoshi, Gandaki, and many more. Lakes in the country include Tilicho, Rara, and Phewa.
Primarily, water is used for a number of functions namely drinking and household use, irrigation projects, and generation of hydroelectricity. Interestingly, the abundance of these resources has done nothing to alleviate a water shortage in the capital city and other major settlements. In addition, the country’s maximum potential for the production of hydroelectricity has not been met. Estimates place the country’s potential for electricity production at a whopping 83,000 MW. Currently, the country can only produce a measly 600 MW.
Soil
Nepal is divided into three portions namely Terai, Hilly, and Himalayan. The majority of the population in Nepal is poor and still depends on farming agriculture for sustenance. Of the total area of Nepal, about 17% is suitable for agriculture, which is mostly in Terai and Hilly. Rocky land covers about 38% of the country, which is mostly in Himalayan. In addition, the area around Himalayan has mountains that are covered by snow, which further makes that section unsuitable for agriculture.
Of the two arable sections, Terai is more suitable for farming due to higher levels of fertility. For this reason, this area is sometimes known as the Green Belt of Nepal. Most of the agricultural products produced by the country come from the belt and are then exported to the other two sections of Nepal. The farmers there cultivate a number of plants including wheat, rice, oilseed, sugarcane, paddy, jute, tobacco, maize, coconuts, and many other plants. Hilly regions are also used for some agricultural activities such as the production of rice, wheat, potatoes, maize, paddy, and a few other things. After supplying the other regions, Nepal usually has little left for exportation although some products such as rice are exported to other countries.
Geographical status and structure
Nepal is diverse in terms of geographical layout, which consists of the Himalayan region, trans-Himalayan region, mid hill region and Terai or the plains region. The highest point of the country is Mount Everest (8848 m) and the lowest point is located in the Terai region in Kechana Kalan in Jhapa (60 m).
The flats of Terai can be considered to be the base and elevation can be witnessed traveling north. Further to north from the Terai region, the Siwalik zone (700m-1,500m) and the Mahabharata range (1500m-2700m) make ways for valleys such as Trijuga, Sindhuli, Chitwan, Dang, and Surkhet. The midlands (600m- 3500m), that lies north of Mahabharata range houses the two must popular valleys in Nepal- Kathmandu, and Pokhara. Above that, there are 90 peaks over 7000 meters and 8 over 8000 meters in height.
Geographical classification of Nepal
Himalayan Region
The Himalayan region covers almost 16% of the total landmass of Nepal. The mountainous region or Parbat starts where high ridges begin at 3000m that leads to alpine pastures and tree lines that are limited to 4000m and the snow line beginning at 5000m. Eight tallest mountains out of fourteen that are above 8000 meters lie in Nepal: Mount Everest (8848m), Kanchenjunga (8586m), Lhotse (8516m), Makalu (8463m), Cho Oyu (8201m), Dhaulagiri (8167m), Manaslu (8163m) and Annapurna (8091m). Places above 3000m like Mustang and Dolpo are cold deserts with harsh terrain that shares similarities with the Tibetan plateau. Most of the rivers seen throughout Nepal like; Mahakali, Karnali, Narayani and Koshi rivers originate in the Himalayas. This region is sparsely populated mainly due to the cold harsh climate and infertile land.
Trans-Himalayan Region
A watershed that divides Brahmaputra (called Yarlung in Tibetan) and the Ganges system lies in the north of the highest ranges. Alpine and sub-alpine valleys like Humla, Jumla, Dolpo, Mustang, Manang, and Khumbu cut between the Himalayan sun ranges. Some of these places were more accessible from Tibet than from Nepal and this region has witnessed a high level of migration of Bhotiyas and the famous Sherpas until Chinese hegemony on Tibet. Therefore, these places see high level of Tibetan influences in the culture and lifestyle of the natives.
Hilly Region
Hilly region makes up about 65% of the total landmass of Nepal. It begins at Mahabharata range where a fault system called the Main Boundry Thrust creates an escarpment of 1000 meters to 15000 meters high, to a crest between 1500 meters and 2700 meters. The steep southern slopes are nearly unhabituated thus creating a buffer between language and culture in the Hilly and Terai region. The mid-hill region is a little bit more populated as compared to the Himalayan region as it slightly overcomes the challenges of the harsh and unforgiving Himalayas. The Hilly region is mostly populated by ethnic groups like; Gurungs, Magars, Newars, Brahmins, and Chettris. Other indigenous ethnic groups- commonly known as Janajati in Nepal- speak highly localized Tibeto-Burman languages and dialects.
Terai
Terai is a low land that makes up 17% of total Nepal’s landmass. Terai region has a width that ranges from 26 km to 32 km and also varies in altitude from 60m to 305m. It constitutes a broad stretch of leveled land extending beyond the Mahakali River ion the west to the Mechi River on the east of NepalTerai shares border with India and influences can be seen in its culture and traditions as well as languages and dialects. The commonly used local languages are Maithili, Bhojpuri, and Tharu, Nepali being the official language. This region is the most populated because of easy lifestyles than compared to the Himalayas and Hilly regions. Due to the flat fertile lands and tropical climate, it is a haven for agriculture. Most of the nation’s food supplies are produced here in this region. The region mainly supports the sub-tropical forest with hard stem, broad leaves, and evergreen tall trees.
Climate of Nepal
Tropical Zone
The tropical zone below 1000 meters’ experiences frost very rarely. It can be sub-divided into lower tropical (below 300 meters) and upper tropical (below 1000 meters). It constitutes 18% of Nepal land area. This climate is most favorable for fruits like; lychee, mangoes, bananas, jackfruits, citrus, etc. Winter crops include grains and vegetables
Subtropical
The subtropical climate zone starts from 1000 meters to 2000 meters. It constitutes 22% of Nepal land area and it makes up the mid-hilly regions of Nepal. This region experiences frost up to 53 days per year. However, this varies with increased elevations and altitudes. Crops include rice, millet, maize, wheat, potato, stone fruits and citrus.
Temperature Climate
The temperature zone ranges from 2000 meters to 3000 meters. It occupies 12% of Nepal’s land area. This zone experiences 153 days of frost per year. Crops include rice, maize, wheat, barley, potato, apple, peach, buckwheat, etc.
Subalpine Zone
The subalpine zone ranges from 3000 meters to 4000 meters. It occupies 9% of Nepal’s total landmass. This zone experiences 229 annual days of frost. Crops include barley, potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, buckwheat, and apple. Medicinal plants can also be found in this region.
Alpine Zone
The alpine zone ranges from 4000 meters to 5000 meters. It only makes up to 8% of Nepal’s total landmass. There is no vegetation from here onwards and reliance on animal husbandry can be witnessed. Sheep, goats, yaks are pastured in warmer months.
Trans-Himalayan Climate
The population density here is very low and this region shared similarities with alpine and subalpine zones for cultivation and husbandry but depends on snowmelts and stream for irrigation.
