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Nepal has a wide range of elevation and rough terrain. More than 25 percent of the land surface is about 3,000m and then 20 percent is lower than 300m. Its rugged topography has a maze of spurs and valleys. Nepal is divided into three physical divisions: (a) Lowland including Terai, Bhabhar, Churia (Siwalik) and Mahabharat up to 915m. (b) Midland including Mahabharat range upto 916m as well as middle hills which extend upto 2,745m. (c) Highlands include the remaining regions over 2,745m. Terai, which is about 25 to 32 km wide, occupies about 17 percent of the total land area. It forms the northern part of the Indo-Gangetic basin and is fertile with alluvial soil. Terai, Nepal’s granary, produces about 60 percent of total grain output and is rich in forest and agricultural resources. The northern part is a little more elevated and the rugged area called Bhabhar is ideal for growth of forests. Churia hills in the north rise suddenly from gentle slopes and are intersected by gorges and streams. Hills crisscross the Mahabharat range in several places except in areas where valleys are formed. The Mahabharat range lies between Churia hills near Terai and the low areas of the midland and the rises up to 3,500 m altitude. It is covered with thick forests. The midland consists of valleys between snow-clad Himalayan peaks and the south side of the Mahabharat range. This zone is about 30 Km wide and the average altitude is 2,000m. The climate here is temperate and comfortable about 52 percent of the total population of the country live in this zone. Some of the beautiful valleys ar Kathmandu, Pokhara, Trishuli and Banepa.
