From tropical plains to perpetual snow, one nation contains eight distinct climate zones
In short: Nepal is a land of extreme verticality. Within its borders, the landscape shifts from the low-lying, malaria-prone plains of the Terai to the world's highest peaks, creating a dramatic continuum of eight climate zones and immense geographic diversity.
Nepal’s geography is defined by its extreme elevation changes, ranging from less than 100 metres in the tropical Terai to over 8,000 metres at the summit of Mount Everest. This verticality creates eight distinct climate zones, spanning from tropical warmth to perpetual snow. The majority of the population resides in the tropical and subtropical zones, where agriculture like rice and maize thrives. As elevation increases, the landscape transitions through temperate, subalpine, alpine, and nival zones, where human settlement and farming become increasingly scarce.
The country is divided into three primary longitudinal belts: the Terai, the Hilly region, and the Himal. The Terai, covering 17% of the area, consists of lowlands and some hill ranges. The Hilly region, the largest at 68%, features mountainous terrain without snow and is home to various indigenous ethnic groups. The Himal region, making up 15% of the land, contains the high mountain ranges and permanent snow. This division is mirrored by the country's river systems—the Koshi, Gandaki/Narayani, and Karnali—all of which are tributaries of the Ganges.
This diverse terrain presents significant challenges. The summer monsoon can trigger devastating floods and landslides, while the country's seismic activity and glacial lake formation make dam construction a controversial issue. Furthermore, while the mountains offer immense beauty, the region faces environmental pressures, including deforestation driven by illegal logging, urban expansion, and the harvesting of firewood. Despite these challenges, the landscape remains a vital repository of traditional cultures and extreme biological biomes, from tropical savannahs to montane grasslands.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Geography of Nepal
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