The Kathmandu Valley, with Nepal's capital city in the centre, is about 25 km long and 15 km wide with an average elevation of 1200m above sea level. There are more than 60 towns and villages within the valley, including Kathmandu itself. The Bagmati river drains the valley to the south to the Ganges river. Although for a long time isolated and accessible only by long treks, the Kathmandu Valley has been an important area for different kingdoms throughout the centuries due to its fertile soil, originating from a large lake which once covered the valley. The northern mountains affect the climate of the valley - the humid summer-monsoon can not clear the Himalaya range and this leads to an average precipitation of 1400 mm in the valley.

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