Nepal is a beautiful country thanks to the huge mountains, checkout the interesting Curiosities And Facts About Nepal in details.
Namaste! Nepal is a beautiful country thanks to the huge mountains, the Himalayas , which lie within its borders. Visit Nepal and make no trekking is like going to Fiji and not to swim at any beach. If you are going to go to Nepal I recommend the trek known as the Annapurna Circuit . In addition to the mountains, southern Nepal has an extensive jungle area where you can also make excursions and see all kinds of animals, from crocodiles to rhinos. The rich Nepalese culture, a mixture of Hindusimo and Buddhism, will not disappoint you either.
1) There are the highest mountains in the world
In Nepal there are 8 of the 14 highest mountains in the world (over 8000 m.). It also contains 240 peaks of more than 6000 meters above sea level.
2) Everest, the highest mountain in the world, is in Nepal
Half of Mount Everest is in Nepal and the other half is in Tibet (now China).
3) The original names of Mount Everest are: Sagarmatha and Chomolungma
Andrew Waugh was an English surveyor who work in India when it was colonized by the British and put the current name of Mount Everest. Andrew Waugh wanted and pay tribute to his former predecessor: George Everest . However, Mount Everest already had a name. In Nepal it is known as Sagarmatha and in Tibet as Chomolungma.
4) It is not clear who first climbed Everest , but if you know who were the first to be raised and lowered to tell the tale.
It was not until 1953 that the Nepalese sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, along with New Zealander Edmund Hillary, reached the summit of Everest and came down to tell it. Nevertheless the mountain could have been climbed previously, in 1924, by two British mountaineers who died in her. It remains the great mystery of Everest if they died before or after reaching the top.
5) The legend of the Yeti, the snow monster that lives in the Himalayas
There are people who believe that the snow monster exists and there are even those who claim to have seen it. There is no scientific evidence of its existence but some climbers say they have seen giant footprints in the snow or even seen the animal coming down the mountain. In a Nepalese Buddhist temple they have in supposedly hair exhibition of a Yeti. They have also organized several expeditions to find it .
6) Nearly the entire Nepalese royal family was killed during the same night
On 1 June 2001, nine members of the Nepalese monarchy were murdered in their palace. The official version is that the Prince Dipendra killed because they would not let him marry the woman he wanted and then committed suicide. Among the dead were his parents, King Birendra and Queen Aiswarya . Prince’s uncle, Gyanendra on who relapse suspicion of the murder, became the new king of the country.
7) On May 28, 2008, Nepal ceased to be a monarchy and was declared a federal republic
At the end of 2007 the Nepalese political parties agreed to elect a constitutional assembly that would have to abolish the monarchy. The following year the Communist Party of Nepal won those elections and the Asamablea proclaimed the republic leaving behind 240 years of monarchy.
8) The present government of Nepal is formed by a communist party
The Nepali Unified Communist Party (Maoist) today governs the Nepalese government. The prime minister is the party and is called Baburam Bhattarai .
9) The Nepal flag is the only one in the world that is not rectangular
The current flag was adopted in December 1962, the two triangles of which the flag is formed symbolize the mountains of Nepal and the two main religions: Buddhism and Hinduism.
10) Economically and socially underdeveloped
According to the Human Development Report 2011 of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) , Nepal is considered the second least developed country in Asia after Afghanistan.
11) Buddha was born in Nepal
Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) was born in Lumphini publo today Nepal, in 543 BC
12) The country’s most important religion is Hinduism
Although Buddha was born in Nepal, 80% of Nepalese are Hindu. Only 10% are Buddhists. The remaining percentage is divided between Muslims, Kirant Mundhum and Christians.
13) The Nepalese soldiers known as Gurhkas have a reputation for fearsome and many are currently in the British Army
The Gurkhas Nepalese were part of the British Indian Army before India got its independence. Most of them continued to be part of the British army and earned the reputation of being tough and brave. In recent years they have been in places like Afghanistan or Iraq.
14) Eat lots of rice with lentils
Nepalis eat almost all day Dalbat (rice with lentils). I remember that we invited our guide and porters to pizza (they asked for it) and they could not finish it as the bread and cheese were very cloying. Yes, they can eat kilos and kilos of Dalbat .
15) Marijuana Grows Everywhere
In the Nepalese mountains it is normal to find marijuana plants growing everywhere. It’s a weed there. And yes, some young (and not so young) Nepalese smoke it and make their own hashish called shark.
16) There are many sadhus
In Nepal, as in India, there are many sadhus , wandering monks who have nothing more than take up and engage in religious life, traveling from temple to temple.
17) Receive more than 500,000 visitors per year
More than 500,000 tourists visit Nepal each year, although it may seem like a lot, it is not. You can check in this Ranking most tourist countries . If the political situation remains stable, this figure is sure to multiply in the coming years. Nepal is beautiful!
18) Permission to climb Everest costs $ 10,000 to $ 25,000 per person
Nepal’s oil is its mountains, and is that only the permit (a paper without any services) to climb to Everest costs from $ 10,000 to $ 25,000 per person. Permits to climb to other mountains are much cheaper and those of most trekking do not pass the 40 $.
19) Thousands of Tibetan refugees live in Nepal
An estimated 60,000 Tibetans currently living in Nepal and 125,000 in India . According to UNHCR, some 3,000 Tibetans annually escape from China to reach Nepal. The Dalai Lama was exiled in India in 1959 and lives in the capital of Tibet to exile, McLeod Ganj.