Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked South Asian country. Nepal is renowned for its breathtaking Himalayan landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and warm hospitality. Nepal is sandwiched between the countries of China to the north and India to the east, west, and south. Nepal has three regions, mainly the Terai Region, the Hilly Region, and the Himalayan Region. Nepal is the only nation in the world that does not have a rectangular flag like all countries around the globe. The present flag of Nepal was endorsed under the Nepalese constitution adopted on December 16, 1962, which was a historic moment for Nepal.
Nepal is roughly 800 kilometers (500 miles) long and 200 kilometers (120 miles) wide, with a total size of 147,516 square kilometers. Nepal's population as of the 2021 census is 29,164,578 (about 29 million), growing at a rate of 0.92% per year. As of May 1, 2024, the population of Nepal is 31,183,418 (population growth rate per year: 1.62%), according to the current Nepal Population of 2024. Nepal is also a secular nation in terms of religion.
Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal. Kathmandu lies in the Kathmandu Valley, which consists of three cities: Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur. Nepal is the official home to eight of the world’s ten highest mountains, including the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest (8848 meters). The Himalayas of Nepal act as the natural borders to China, which is situated in the north. Similarly, the Himalayas can also be regarded as the crown of our mother, Nepal. Likewise, Nepal has 1310 climbing peaks of more than 6000 meters, which attracts thousands of trekkers and mountaineers to trek and climb these beautiful peaks and jaw-dropping mountains to conquer their life quest.
Nepal is a physically accessible real heaven, welcoming millions of tourists from every nook and cranny of the world. Keeping that aside, Nepal is also one of the richest nations on the globe regarding its biodiversity, ranging from sub-tropical rainforests to alpine deserts, because of its distinctive geographical location and altitude variation. Correspondingly, Nepal is home to rare flora and fauna as well. Also, Nepal is the second richest country in the water resources after Brazil.
Apart from Nepal's exotic natural beauty, Nepal is famous and rich for its culture, history, festivals, heritage, and beyond. There are seven UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization)-listed cultural heritage sites (Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Boudhanath, Swayambhu Nath, Changunarayan, and Pashupatinath) only in Kathmandu Valley. So, you can only assume how rich Nepal is in arts and crafts that were built centuries ago. Nepal has major Hindu and Buddhist temples, each of which has its own cultural and historical significance.
Lord Gautam Buddha was born in Nepal, which is an irrefutable fact. Buddha founded Buddhism, which is practiced by about 520 million people around the world. It is the world's fourth-largest religion. Another fact is that Nepal has never been colonized by another country in its history. Even the German Nazis dreaded our valiant, fearless Nepalese Gurkha Army during Hitler’s reign. Similarly, Nepal is the only country that worships the living goddess Kumari. Thus, Nepal is a holy land with many mysteries yet to be revealed.
Nepal is a must-visit holy country in the world once in your lifetime to experience the heavenly beauty of nature, ancient history, vibrant cultures, festivals, and many more you can ever imagine. Nepal offers lots of adrenaline-filled adventure activities such as rafting, mountaineering, bungee jumping, paragliding, safaris, and beyond to escape your daily life routine so that you can feel alive while refreshing thousands of unforgettable memories inside you.
Discover Nepal: A Brief Overview
- Official Name: Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
- Location: Situated between China to the north and India to the east, west, and south
- Latitude: 26° and 31°North
- Longitude: 80° and 89°East
- Area: 147,516 square kilometers
- Time Zone: GMT+5:45
- Population: At present, about 31 million
- Population Growth Rate: At present, 1.62% annually
- Capital City: Kathmandu
- Mother Tongue Language: Nepali
- Currency: Nepali Rupees (1 USD nearly equals RS 134)
- Water: About 2.7% of the available fresh water on Earth (2nd richest country in water resources in the world)
- Flag Shape: A nonrectangular flag consisting of two triangular shapes
- National flower: Red Rhododendron (Laligurash)
- National Animal: Cow
- National Bird: Dafe (Impeyan Pheasant)
- UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites: 4 Sites (Kathmandu Valley, Lumbini, Chitwan National Park, and Sagarmatha National Park)
- Seasons: 4 seasons (Winter-December to February, Spring-March to May, Summer-June to August, and Autumn-September-November)
- Weather: In the lowlands, the climate is tropical, while higher elevations have temperatures below freezing.
- The only fruit found in Nepal: "Lapsi" (Choerospondias axillaris), also known as the Nepali Hog Plum.
- Nepal's exclusive animal inhabitant: The spiny babbler.
- Number of international tourists arriving in Nepal in 2023: 1,014,885
- % change of international tourists arriving in Nepal from the previous year (2022): +65.1%
- Major cities of Nepal for tourism: Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Pokhara, Lumbini, Chitwan, Dharan, Itahari, Biratnagar, and so on.
- Major Festivals of Nepal: Dashain, Tihar, Buddha Jayanti, Maha Shivaratri, Holi, Gai Jatra, Bisket Jatra, Indra Jatra, Teej, Lhosar, etc.
