  In this study, a new Galactic novae catalogue is introduced collecting
important parameters of these sources such as their light curve parameters,
classifications, full width half maximum (FWHM) of H$_\alpha$ line, distances
and interstellar reddening estimates. The catalogue is also published on a
website with a search option via a SQL query and an online tool to re-calculate
the distance/reddening of a nova from the derived reddening-distance relations.
Using the novae in the catalogue, the existence of a maximum magnitude-rate of
decline (MMRD) relation in the Galaxy is investigated. Although an MMRD
relation was obtained, a significant scattering in the resulting MMRD
distribution still exists. We suggest that the MMRD relation likely depends on
other parameters in addition to the decline time, as FWHM H$_\alpha$, the light
curve shapes. Using two different samples depending on the distances in the
catalogue and from the derived MMRD relation, the spatial distributions of
Galactic novae as a function of their spectral and speed classes were studied.
The investigation on the Galactic model parameters implies that best estimates
for the local outburst density are 3.6 and 4.2 $\times 10^{-10}$ pc$^{-3}$
yr$^{-1}$ with a scale height of 148 and 175 pc, while the space density
changes in the range of $0.4 - 16 \ \times 10^{-6}$ pc$^{-3}$. The local
outburst density and scale height obtained in this study infer that the disk
nova rate in the Galaxy is in the range of $\sim20$ to $\sim100$ yr$^{-1}$ with
an average estimate $67^{+21}_{-17}$ yr$^{-1}$.
