Nepal is a landlocked country roughly the size of Arkansas, lying between India and the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China, Nepal contains Mount Everest (29,035 ft; 8,850 m), the tallest mountain in the world. Along its southern border, Nepal has a strip of level land that is partly forested, partly cultivated. North of that is the slope of the main section of the Himalayan range, including Everest and many other peaks higher than 8,000 m.

Location:                                   Southern Asia, between China and India

Geographic coordinates:          28 00 N, 84 00 E

Map references:                         Asia

Area

• Total:        140,800 sq km      
• Water:          4,000 sq km                                                   
• Land:        136,800 sq km

Area - comparative:              Slightly larger than Arkansas

Land boundaries

• 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:

• Lowest point:                Kanchan Kalan 60 m.
• Highest point:               Mount Everest 8,850 m (1999)

Natural resources:                

• Quartz, Water, Timber, Hydropower, Scenic beauty, Small deposits of lignite, Copper, Cobalt, Iron ore.

Land use:

• Arable land:                 21.68%
• Permanent crops:          0.64%
• Other:                           77.68% (2001)

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:

• Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation.

Geography - Note:

• Landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest - the world's tallest