Nepal is a landlocked rectangular shaped country with an area of 147,181 square kilometers. Its 120 to 240 Kilometers length is wedged between the world's two most populous countries; China in the north and India in east, west and south.

Nepal is one of the most diverse topographies in the world where the land rises from 67 meters above sea level to the top of Mount Everest at 8848 meters. It is famous for its natural beauty and cultural heritage.

According to National Census of year 2003, the total population of Nepal is 23,151,423. Nepal is a country with very poor social and economic status. The present per capita income of an average Nepali is US $ 240 and is ranked 142 nd out of 173 countries in terms of the Human Development Index.

Poverty in Nepal is widespread, with an incidence close to 42 percent. Between 1976 and 1996, the number of poor increased by approximately 3.5 million people. Many basic services are still underdeveloped. Only 6 percent of the population has access to sanitation (compared to 30 percent in Bangladesh and India); only 44 percent has access to safe drinking water (compared to an average of 77 percent for South Asia region); and the illiteracy rate is nearly 70 percent (compared to an average of 51 percent in South Asia region).Poverty is more widespread in the rural areas than in the urban areas.