Nepal is a landlocked country in South Asia, located mainly in the Himalayas but also including parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It is bordered by China to the north and India to the south, east, and west. Its capital, Kathmandu, is situated in a high-altitude bowl-shaped valley. Nepal contains eight of the world's ten highest mountains, including Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth at 8,848 meters. The country is divided into three geographical belts: the Mountain Region in the north, the Hill Region in the middle, and the Terai (lowland plains) in the south. This drastic change in elevation—from near sea level to the roof of the world—gives Nepal extreme climatic diversity, from tropical to arctic. It is the birthplace of Gautama Buddha, born in Lumbini in the Terai region. Despite its small size, Nepal is incredibly rich in biodiversity and is home to the rare one-horned rhinoceros and Bengal tigers.