Nepal Profile

Location:
Between India & Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China.

Area:  1, 47, 181 sq. km, stretching 885 km from east to west and 193 km north to south.

Population: Approx. 29 million with absent population of 2.2 million and growth rate of 0.92% per annum (As per census 2021)

Latitude & Longitude: 26’22’ and 30’27’ North & 80′ 4′ and 88′ 12′ East

Capital city: Kathmandu — Population of about 2041578 (As per census 2021) in the District itself. Believed to be approximately 3.1 million in the entire Kathmandu valley.

Peoples: There are 125 caste/ethnic groups reported in the census 2011. Chhetri is the largest caste/ethnic groups having 16.6% (4,398,053) of the total population followed by Brahman-Hill (12.2%; 3,226,903), Magar (7.1% ; 1,887,733), Tharu (6.6% ; 1,737,470), Tamang (5.8% ; 1,539,830), Newar (5% ; 1,321,933), Kami (4.8% ; 1,258,554), Musalman (4.4% ; 1,164,255), Yadav (4% ; 1,054,458) and Rai (2.3% ; 620,004).

Language(s):  There are 123 languages spoken as mother tongue reported in census 2011. Nepali is spoken as mother tongue by 44.6 percent (11,826,953) of the total population followed by Maithili (11.7% 3,092,530), Bhojpuri (5.98%; 1,584,958), Tharu (5.77%; 1,529,875), Tamang (5.11%; 1,353,311), Newar (3.2%; 846,557), Bajjika (2.99%; 793,418), Magar (2.98%; 788,530), Doteli (2.97%; 787,827), Urdu (2.61%; 691,546).

Religion(s): There are ten religious categories reported in the census 2011. Hindu is followed by 81.3 percent (21,551,492) of the population followed by Buddhism (9%; 2,396,099), Islam (4.4%; 1,162,370), Kirat (3.1%; 807,169), Christianity (1.4%; 375,699), Prakriti (0.5%; 121,982), Bon (13,006), Jainism (3,214), Bahai (1,283) and Sikhism (609).

Topography: From the World’s Deepest gorge ‘Kali-Gandaki’ to the highest point on earth, the Mt. Everest at 8848.86m.

Vegetation: Nepal possesses some of the most outstanding bio-diversity in the world, ranging from sub-tropical Rain-forests to Alpine Deserts.

Climate: Climate ranges from sub-tropical in the low lands to Arctic higher altitudes.

Seasons:
Winter (December – February)
Summer (March – May )
Monsoon (June – August)
Autumn (September – November)

National Bird & National Flower:
Impean Pheasant (Danfe) & Rhododendron Arboreum (Lali Gurans)

National Festivals:
Dashain, Tihar, Shivaratri, Nepali new year (Baishak first), Teej, Chhath etc.

World Heriatge Sites:
In Nepal, there are two UNESCO world heritage site respectively cultural world heritage site and another is natural world heritage. UNESCO cultural world heritage site have eight site respectively Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, Boudhanath, Pashupatinath, Changunarayan and Lumbini. Seven Cultural World Heritage Sites are situated within 20 km of radius, in the Kathmandu Valley except Lumbini. Another UNESCO natural world heritage site including two site respectively Sagarmatha National Park (Mt. Everest National Park) and Chitwan National Park.

Flora and Fauna:
840 different species of wet-land, migratory and residential bird, 8% of the world’s population of birds.

Home to Endangered Species Like:
Royal Bengal Tiger, One horned rhino, Snow – Leopard, Red Panda, Brown Bear, Assamese Macaque, Gangetic Dolphin, Wolf, Wild Elephant, Great Hornbill, Swamp Deer, Wild Yak, Tibetan Antelope, Black Buck, Four Horned antelope, Musk Deer, Pigmy Hog, Haspid Hare, Pangolin, Gharial, Indian Bustart, Saras Crane, Impean Pheasant, Python etc.

A Living Cultural Heritage:
Nepal’s Heritage is alive and dynamic. Shamanism, Pan-animism & Witch-craft are still practiced in remote regions. Temples, shrines, monuments and monasteries are extremely active with devotees burning butter-lamps, singing hymns, chiming temple bells and playing drums. The only country that has living goddess “Kumari”

Currency: Nepalese Rupee (NPR).

Political-System: Federal Democratic Republic.

Government: Constitutionally, Nepal is a parliamentary democracy with ceremonial President as Head of State and a Prime Minister as Head of Government.

Head of State: Rt. Hon. President Mr. Ramchandra Paudel (elected on March 13, 2023)

Head of Government:  Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Mr. Pushpa kamal dahal ‘Prachanda’ (elected on December 25, 2022)

Membership International/Regional Organisations/Groups: United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement, South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC), Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD)