The Kingdom of Nepal, situated in the Himalaya, is the
world's only Hindu kingdom. It is in South Asia, sharing borders with
China (Tibet Autonomous Region) and India.
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Nepal is landlocked between
China and India; total land area 147,181 km² (56,827 mi²). The terrain is mountainous and hilly, although with physical diversity. Three broad physiographic areas run laterally — lowland Terai Region in the south; central lower mountains and hills constituting the Hill Region; the
high Himalaya, with 8,850-metre (29,035-foot)
high Mount Everest and other peaks forming Mountain Region in north. Of Nepal's total land area, only 20 percent is cultivatable. Deforestation is a severe problem.
Sagarmatha (also known as Mt. Everest in
English and Chomolongma in Tibetan), the highest mountain in the
world, straddles the Nepal -
China border. The vista and majesty of Sagarmatha and the Himalayan range, including eight of the world's top ten peaks, (the eight-thousanders (mountains over 8,000 metres), are major tourist attractions and are cited as wonders of the natural world.