^{Photo by Didrik Johnck © 1997}

Lesson 7 // Climate of Nepal

Climate of Nepal (Click here to get a daily weather report on Mt. Everest and Nepal.)
Further Reference Microsoft Encarta 99 – Find: Map of Nepal

Objective:

The student will describe three different climates that are found in Nepal. The student will list the three most influential factors that contribute to the climate of Nepal.

Guided Practice:

1. Have the students read the information regarding the climate of Nepal either orally or silently.
2. Define the climate terms with the class. Discuss places in the United States that might have similar climates (Hawaii, Georgia, and Alaska).
3. Recap the important facts by questioning the students orally.

a. The three different climates found in Nepal are:
1. a tropical climate
2. a sub-tropic climate
3. an alpine climate
b. The rains, exposures to the sun, and the latitude of Nepal are the three most influential factors in the climate of the country.

Independent Practice:

1. The student will read the selection on the climate of Nepal and will answer the comprehension questions.
2. The students will color the three different climates of Nepal on a map using a different color for each zone.

Optional Extensions:

1. The students will choose another latitudinal location for the country of Nepal, and write how the weather conditions would be affected.
2. The students will research any natural disasters that have hit Nepal in the last 100 years, and share this information with the class.

Reading and Questions:

For a country that is roughly the size of North Carolina, the variety of Nepal's weather is truly amazing. One could experience a tropical, subtropical, and an alpine climate all within the same border. The southern Tarai region has a tropical climate with warm and humid weather. In the eastern part of the Tarai region, rainfall measures between 70 to 75 inches a year, with the monsoon season starting in May and ending in June.

The central part of the country has a subtropic climate. The presence of the numerous valleys makes the climate quite pleasant. When you go up into the Himalaya Mountains, you enter into an alpine climate. The temperature is very cold (below freezing at 16,000 feet) and the ground is covered with snow and ice.

There are three factors unique to Nepal that affect its climate. The first is that Nepal is located between 20 and 30 degrees latitude, which accounts for the intense exposure to the sun. This region is called the subtropical latitudes. The second factor is the altitude of the mountains. The higher one travels from sea level, and the weather effects become intensified. The last factor contributing to the climate of Nepal is the amount of rainfall. The rainfall can be as much as 100 inches per year in the Pokhara Valley or as little as 30 inches per year in Mahendranagar.

1. Name the three different climates in the country of Nepal.
2. What are the three biggest factors that contribute to the weather in Nepal and how?
3. On a map of Nepal, color the three different climates using a different color for each area.

References:

1. Lisa Choegyal, Insight Guides Nepal, Langenscheidt Publishers Inc., New York, 11378, p. 326.
2. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Copyright 1994-1999, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.

*** Attach a weather map of Nepal that includes the tropic, subtropic, and alpine climate. If this is unavailable, just provide a map of Nepal that the students could add information on climates. ***

6SC-E6. Describe the distribution and circulation of the world’s water through ocean currents, glaciers, rivers, ground water and atmosphere.

6SC-E8. Describe and model large-scale and local weather systems.

SS3 E5 Describe natural and human characteristics of places and use this knowledge to define regions, their relationships with other regions and their patterns of change, with emphasis on:

PO 1 common characteristics of regions at local, national and international scales on the basis of climate, landforms, ecosystems and culture.

PO 2 patterns of climate, landforms and ecosystems in a region.

PO 4 the concept of region and how and why regions change.

PO 5 relationships and interactions among regions.