Geography of Nepal
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This article describes the geography of Nepal.
- Location
- Southern Asia, between China and India
- Geographic coordinates
- Template:Coor dm
- Map references
- Asia
- Area
-
- Total: 140,800 km²
- Land: 136,800 km²
- Water: 4,000 km²
- Area - comparative
- Slightly larger than Arkansas
- Land boundaries
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- Total: 2,926 km
- Border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
- Coastline
- 0 km (landlocked)
- Maritime claims
- None (landlocked)
- Climate
- Varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south
- Terrain
- Terai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north
- Elevation extremes
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- Lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m
- Highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m (1999 est.), the highest mountain on Earth as measured from sea level
- Natural resources
- Quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore
- Land use
-
- Arable land: 20.27%
- Permanent crops: 0.49%
- Other: 79.24% (1998 est.)
- Irrigated land
- 11,350 sq km (1998 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons
- Environment - current issues
- Deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives); contaminated water (with human and animal wastes, agricultural runoff, and industrial effluents); wildlife conservation; vehicular emissions
- Environment - international agreements
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- Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
- Signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
- Geography - note
- Landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks
References
Some information in this article has been taken from the CIA World Factbook, 2003 edition.