Nepal is a country of amazing extremes. Gigantic mountains give way to towering hills above lush valleys that gently roll down to the forested plains in which the stately tiger and the unique rhinoceros' roam freely. All this in a country that is, on an average, 120 miles wide.

Bound by Tibet in the north and India on the other three sides, Nepal lies in the temperate zone, but the weather and terrain are greatly influenced by the altitude, which in Nepal, ranges from almost sea level in the south to the highest point on earth.

Nepal's population of about 26 million consists of 36 different races and tribes, each wearing their own traditional costumes and speaking a different language or dialect. All these races and tribes coexist peacefully by embracing Hinduism or Buddhism, the country's two major religions. The harmony and in which these various races and tribes exist is one of the remarkable features of Nepal.