The Nepalese are farmers who work hard to cultivate terraces on hillsides. Only the poorest families do not own land. Wet rice is grown during the monsoon season, whereas dry rice, maize, millet, and wheat are raised on the drier land during the summer and winter months. They also cultivate vegetable gardens to feed their families. Most of the farmers raise buffalo and goats for meat and cows for milk.
Nepalese villages consist of loosely grouped homes surrounded by farm land.
The villages are generally situated near rivers or springs, and the homes are connected by footpaths. Sometimes the paths meet together near a large tree that is used as a meeting place for the villagers as well as a resting place for travelers. There are also a number of larger towns where the important temples or monasteries are located. Houses are usually made of mud-brick with thatch or tin roofs. The houses usually have two or more stories.