World Atlas: Nepal

Information about Nepal

Here you can find online selected information about the geography, inhabitants, government, economy and history of Nepal. Included are selected statistics, an overview map and the detailed map of Nepal. But let's start with the flag of Nepal here:

Nepal - Overview:

What you should know about Nepal? Let's start with this: During the late 18th-early 19th centuries, the principality of Gorkha united many of the other principalities and states of the sub-Himalayan region into a Nepalese Kingdom. Nepal retained its independence following the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814-16 and the subsequent peace treaty laid the foundations for two centuries of amicable relations between Britain and Nepal. (The Brigade of Gurkhas continues to serve in the British Army to the present day.) In 1951, the Nepali monarch ended the century-old system of rule by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system that brought political parties into the government. That arrangement lasted until 1960, when political parties were again banned, but was reinstated in 1990 with the establishment of a multiparty democracy within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. An insurgency led by Maoists broke out in 1996. The ensuing 10-year civil war between Maoist and government forces witnessed the dissolution of the cabinet and parliament and the re-assumption of absolute power by the king in 2002. A peace accord in 2006 led to the promulgation of an interim constitution in 2007. Following a nationwide Constituent Assembly (CA) election in 2008, the newly formed CA declared Nepal a federal democratic republic, abolished the monarchy, and elected the country's first president. After the CA failed to draft a constitution by a May 2012 deadline set by the Supreme Court, then-Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai dissolved the CA. Months of negotiations ensued until March 2013 when the major political parties agreed to create an interim government headed by then-Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi with a mandate to hold elections for a new CA. Elections were held in November 2013, in which the Nepali Congress won the largest share of seats in the CA and in February 2014 formed a coalition government with the second place Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist and with Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala as prime minister. Nepal's new constitution came into effect in September 2015, at which point the CA became the Parliament. Khagda Prasad Sharma OLI served as the first post-constitution prime minister from October 2015-August 2016, when a new coalition led by Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal (aka "Prachanda") took over the premiership. The constitution provided for a transitional period during which three sets of elections – local, provincial, and national – needed to take place. The first local elections in 20 years occurred in three phases between May and September 2017, while state and federal elections proceeded in two phases in November and December 2017.

Geography of Nepal

Where on the globe is Nepal? The location of this country is Southern Asia, between China and India. Total area of Nepal is 147,181 sq km, of which 143,351 sq km is land. So this is not a large country. How could we describe the terrain of the country? This way: Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south; central hill region with rugged Himalayas in north. The lowest point of Nepal is Kanchan Kalan 70 m, the highest point Mount Everest 8,848 m (highest peak in Asia and highest point on earth above sea level). And the climate is varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south.

Inhabitants of Nepal

Let's take a look how many people live in Nepal. The number is: 29,384,297 (July 2017 est.). So quite a lot people live here. Who lives here? Chhettri 16.6%, Brahman-Hill 12.2%, Magar 7.1%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang 5.8%, Newar 5%, Kami 4.8%, Muslim 4.4%, Yadav 4%, Rai 2.3%, Gurung 2%, Damai/Dholii 1.8%, Thakuri 1.6%, Limbu 1.5%, Sarki 1.4%, Teli 1.4%, Chamar/Harijan/Ram 1.3%, Koiri/Kushwaha 1.2%, other 19%. What are the languages in Nepal? Nepali (official) 44.6%, Maithali 11.7%, Bhojpuri 6%, Tharu 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.2%, Magar 3%, Bajjika 3%, Urdu 2.6%, Avadhi 1.9%, Limbu 1.3%, Gurung 1.2%, other 10.4%, unspecified 0.2%. And the religions: Hindu 81.3%, Buddhist 9%, Muslim 4.4%, Kirant 3.1%, Christian 1.4%, other 0.5%, unspecified 0.2% (2011 est.). How old are the people in average? 24.1 years. We have to add that this number is the median - so one half of the people is older than this, one half is younger. And what is their life expectancy (at birth)? This: 71 years. Where the people live in Nepal? Here: most of the population is divided nearly equally between a concentration in the southern-most plains of the Tarai region and the central hilly region; overall density is quite low. The major urban areas of Nepal are: Kathmandu (capital) 1.183 million (2015).

Government and Economy of Nepal

The capital of Nepal is Kathmandu and the government type federal parliamentary republic. Let's take a look at the administrative divisions - 14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti. Regarding the economy of Nepal, important industrial products are tourism, carpets, textiles; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarettes, cement and brick production. Important agricultural products are pulses, rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, jute, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat. The most important export commodities are clothing, pulses, carpets, textiles, juice, jute goods and the most important export partners are India 56.6%, US 11.5%, Turkey 4% (2016). The most important import commodities are petroleum products, machinery and equipment, gold, electrical goods, medicine and the most important import partners are India 70.1%, China 10.3% (2016). How rich is Nepal and how rich are people in this country? The most important number here is GDP per capita (PPP): $2,700 (2017 est.). This is a very low number. Let's add that this means Gross Domestic Product per person, which is recalculated with respect to the relative cost of local goods and services. And one more important number - population below poverty line: 25.2% (2011 est.).

Map of Nepal