﻿ Kathmandu | Journeys International     The city stands at an
elevation of approximately 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) in the bowl-
shaped valley in central Nepal surrounded by four major
mountains, namely: Shivapuri, Phulchowki, Nagarjun, and
Chandragiri. It is inhabited by 949,486 people (2009). The
Kathmandu valley with its three districts including Kathmandu
District accounts for a population density of only 97 per km2
whereas Kathmandu metropolitan city has a density of 13,225 per
km2. It is by far the largest urban agglomerate in Nepal,
accounting for 20% of the urban population in an area of
5,067 hectares (12,520 acres) (50.67 square kilometres (19.56
sq mi)).  Kathmandu, as the gateway to Nepal Tourism, is the
nerve center of the country’s economy. With the most advanced
infrastructure among urban areas in Nepal, Kathmandu's economy
is tourism centric accounting for 3.8% of the GDP in 1995–96
(had declined since then due to political unrest but has picked
up again).  The city’s rich history is nearly 2000