22 interesting facts about Nepal

22 interesting facts about Nepal

We share the most interesting facts about Nepal collected during a two-week trek in the Nepalese Himalayas

During my recent trek to Everest Base Camp, the spectacular nation of Nepal instantly became my favorite country. In fact, I vowed to return as soon as possible to complete the Annapurna Circuit and Langtang Treks.

I hope to one day go a step further and attempt Everest myself as part of my quest to climb the Seven Peaks, the tallest mountain on all continents.

After 130km and 12 days of trekking between sky-high peaks, Sherpa villages, picturesque forests and cascading glaciers ending at the foot of the world's tallest mountain, I can safely say the experience was everything I had hoped for.

Needless to say, Nepal is a thoroughly fascinating country. I'm sharing the most interesting facts I learned during this eye-opening journey - the first of many to come.

alt="The hike to Everest Base Camp was spectacular">Atlas & BootsThe hike to Everest Base Camp was spectacular

Interesting facts about Nepal

1. Von 1846 bis in die 1950er Jahre war Nepal von der Außenwelt abgeschlossen. Unter dem Rana-Regime verfolgte das Land eine Politik der Abschottung von äußeren Einflüssen, um seine Unabhängigkeit während der britischen Kolonialzeit in Südasien zu wahren. (Quelle: BBC, History Today)
2. Seitdem hat das Land seine ersten Parlamentswahlen mit mehreren Parteien im Jahr 1991, einen maoistischen Aufstand zwischen 1995-2006 und die Abschaffung seiner Monarchie im Jahr 2008 erlebt. (Quelle: BBC)
3. Siddhartha Gautama – der Lord Buddha und religiöse Führer, auf dessen Lehren der Buddhismus gegründet wurde – wurde in Nepal geboren. Sein Geburtsort Lumbini gehört heute zum UNESCO-Weltkulturerbe. (Quelle: UNESCO)

alt=“Interesting facts about Nepal 3″>Casper1774 Studio/ShutterstockThe UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lumbini

1. Nepal ist ein Binnenstaat; Es ist von Land umgeben und hat keinen Zugang zum Meer. Derzeit gibt es 45 solcher Länder und fünf teilweise anerkannte Staaten. (Quelle: CIA World Factbook, The Economist)

2. A devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal in April 2015, killing nearly 9,000 people and injuring thousands more. (Source: Britannica)

3. In May 2014, no rhinos were poached in Nepal for 365 days. A year later, in 2015, the feat was repeated, marking two full years. Nepal is one of five Himalayan countries where the greater one-horned rhinoceros (Indian Rhino) can be found. (Source: WWF)

alt=“Interesting facts about Nepal 2″>Galyna Andrushko/ShutterstockThe great one-horned rhinoceros (Indian Rhino)

1. Nepal ist eines von wenigen Ländern, das nie vollständig unter europäischer Kontrolle stand. Von 1814 bis 1816 kämpften die nepalesischen Streitkräfte im anglo-nepalesischen Krieg und traten etwa 30 % ihres Territoriums an Großbritannien ab. Nepal blieb jedoch unabhängig und feiert daher keinen Unabhängigkeitstag wie so viele Länder auf der ganzen Welt. (Quelle: Vox, Weltatlas)

2. Impressed by the military capacity of the Gurkha troops, the British Indian Army, which recruited its soldiers from Nepal, founded the Brigade of Gurkhas in 1815. The brigade was transferred to the British Army in 1947. Known for their ferocity, the Gurkhas fought the British in several conflicts. In 2009, after a lengthy public campaign, all retired Gurkhas finally won the right to live in Britain. (Source: The Guardian)

3. Nepal is home to the highest mountain in the world. Mount Everest is 8,848 m high, one of only 14 eight-thousanders and a member of the Seven Summits. Not surprisingly, some of the most interesting facts about Nepal have to do with its mountains. (Source: Britannica)

4. Mount Everest is known in Nepali as “Sagarmatha,” meaning “Goddess of Sky,” and in Tibetan as “Chomolungma,” meaning “Holy Mother.” (Source: Britannica)

alt="Everest Base Camp Trek to Everest Summit">Atlas & BootsEverest / Sagarmatha / Chomolungma

1. Acht der 10 höchsten Berge der Welt befinden sich in Nepal: Annapurna I, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri, Cho Oyu, Makalu, Lhotse, Kangchenjunga und Everest. Sie sind alle über 8.000 m (26.247 ft) hoch. (Quelle: NASA Earth Observatory)

2. Nepali citizen Kami Rita Sherpa holds the record for most Everest summits. He reached the summit for the 23rd and 24th times in May 2019 at the age of 49, having made his first ascent in 1994. (Source: Washington Post)

3. The mythical Yeti – or Abominable Snowman – is said to inhabit the Nepalese Himalayas. There have been several alleged sightings of the Yeti over the years from various sources, including legendary mountaineers Reinhold Messner, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. However, there has never been definitive proof of its existence. (Source: The Telegraph)

alt="interesting facts about Nepal Eric Shipton Yeti footprint">Public domainAlleged Yeti footprint found on the 1951 expedition with Edmund Hillary

1. 2015 wurde die Kuh offiziell zum Nationaltier Nepals. Das Schlachten von Kühen wurde verboten. (Quelle: Times of India)

2. The Nepali calendar (known as Magh) is different from the Gregorian (Western) calendar. New Year begins in mid-April, months can be up to 32 days long and vary from year to year. Nepal celebrated the arrival of the year 2076 in April 2019. (Source: Nepal Calendar, Nepcal.com)

3. Nepal is the only country in the modern world to have a non-rectangular national flag. Instead, it consists of two pennant banners. (Source: Britannica)

alt=“Interesting facts about Nepal 1″>suphanat/ShutterstockThe non-rectangular flag of Nepal

1. Der kleinste Mann der Welt kam aus Nepal. Bahadur Dangi war nur 54,6 cm groß. Im Jahr 2014 traf Chandra den anderen Rekordhalter Sultan Kosan, den größten Mann mit 251 cm und 4,5-mal so groß wie Chandra. Chandra starb 2015 im Alter von 75 Jahren. (Quelle: Guinness World Records)

2. Nepal is home to the longest lasting handshake. In March 2011, brothers Dinesh Timilsina and Pawan Timilsina shook hands for 42 hours and 35 minutes in Kathmandu. (Source: Guinness World Records)

3. Nepal has a unique and rather awkward time zone. Nepal Standard Time (NPT) has a deviation from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) of +5:45. It is one of only three time zones with a 45-minute offset from UTC. (Source: timeanddate.com)

4. Colorful prayer flags can be seen everywhere in Nepal, especially in the mountainous regions where the Tibetan influence is stronger. They traditionally come in blue, white, red, green and yellow and symbolize sky and space (blue), air and wind (white), fire (red), water (green) and the earth (yellow). (Source: Encyclopedia of the New World)

alt="The Everest Monument in Chukpi Lhara">Atlas & BootsPrayer flags in the Nepalese Himalayas

1. Nepal hat „lebende Göttinnen“, bekannt als Kumaris. Ein Kumari ist eine lebende Verkörperung der hinduistischen Göttin Taleju. Die etwas umstrittene Tradition sieht vor, dass ein junges Mädchen ihren Eltern mit deren Zustimmung entzogen wird, um als königliche Kumari in einem Tempelpalast in der nepalesischen Hauptstadt Kathmandu zu leben. Nachdem sie nach mehreren Jahren der Isolation volljährig geworden ist, tritt sie wieder in die Gesellschaft ein und wird ersetzt. (Quelle: Independent)

2. Nepal has the second highest average altitude on earth at 3,265 m (10,711 ft). Only Bhutan is higher at 3,280 m (10,761 ft). (Source: The Telegraph)

Lonely Planet Trekking in the Nepalese Himalayas provides a comprehensive overview of everything you need to know to have a safe and rewarding trek, as well as many other interesting facts about Nepal.

Main image: Daniel Prudek/Shutterstock

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