Home to Mt. Everest and a wide range of ethnic groups speaking almost 100 languages and dialects, Nepal is a study in diversity. Climate ranges from sub-tropic to arctic, offering an unparalleled variety of ecosystems – humid plains, tropical jungles, forested hills, frozen valleys, and of course the Himalayas. Hinduism is the major religion although Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, was born in the south of the country and Buddhism has a strong tradition in Nepal as well.