Nepal

Nepal Country Facts At-a-Glance

Geography: Nepal is located in Southern Asia, between Tibet (an autonomous region of China) to the north and India to the south. With Tibet, it shares the Himalayas, which feature some of Earth’s highest peaks. The highest is Mount Everest at 8,848 meters, or 29,029 feet.

Capital City: Kathmandu

Population: 30.03 million (2023 est.)

Languages: Nepali 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%. While Nepali is the official language, many people in government and business speak English.

Religions: Hindu 81.3%, Buddhist 9%, Muslim 4.4%, Kirant 3.1%, Christian 1.4%, other 0.5%, unspecified 0.2% (2011 est.)

Ethnic Groups: 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%

Life Expectancy: 71.5 years

Literacy Rate: 67.9% (2021 est.)

Government: Federal Parliamentary Republic

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Current Head of State: President Ram Chandra Poudel (since March 13, 2023)

Current Head of Government: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (since December 26, 2022)

Independence: 1768

Currency: Nepalese rupee (NPR)

GDP per Capita: $1,260 USD (2023 est.)

Unemployment Rate: 5.1% (2022 est.)

GDP – Composition by Sector:

• Agriculture 27.6% – pulses, rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, jute, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat
• Industry 14.2% – tourism, carpets, textiles; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarettes, cement and brick production
• Services 58.2%

Source: CIA World Factbook

Nepal Country Basics

Nepal is located in Southern Asia, between Tibet (an autonomous region of China) to the north and India to the south. With Tibet, it shares the Himalayas, which feature some of Earth’s highest peaks. The highest is Mount Everest at 8,848 meters, or 29,029 feet.

Brief History 

Modern Nepal can trace its roots to 1768 when Gorkha ruler Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered Kathmandu. The king and his successors had ambitious expansion plans that were halted by the Chinese in Tibet in 1792 and ultimately by the British when a rivalry between Nepal and the East India Company led to the Anglo-Nepalese War in 1814. That conflict ended with a treaty in 1816 that established Nepal’s permanent borders. Another treaty with Britain in 1923 affirmed Nepal’s independence.

In 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay of Nepal became the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest. It became an obsession among climbers trying to ascend the world’s tallest mountain (456 climbers summited Everest in 2016) and a major part of Nepal’s tourism industry.

Around that time, the Nepali government ended a century-old hereditary monarchy and instituted a cabinet system that created political parties, which lasted until 1960 when they were banned. Parties were reinstated in 1990. Maoist insurgents started a 10-year civil war in 1996, which dissolved the democratic government and returned the country to an absolute monarchy in 2002, though only briefly. The government reached a peace deal with the Maoists in 2006, paving the way for Nepal to become a Federal Democratic Republic. The country elected Ram Baran Yadav, its first president, in 2008.

Language 

Nepali is the country’s official language with almost 45-percent of the population speaking the language. 123 languages were  reported as mother tongue in 2021 national census. Many in government and business also speak English.

Greetings

• Hello: Namaste
• How are you?: Tapai lai kasto cha?
• Good morning: Bhihano ko namaste
• Good night: Shubh ratri
• Goodbye: Namaste

Etiquette

• Please: Krupya
• Thank you: Dhanyabad
• Excuse me: Maaf garnus
• Sorry: Maaf garnus

Pronouns

• I: Ma
• You: Tapai
• He/she: Yahan
• We: Hami
• They: Yahanharu

Conversational

• What is your name?: Tapaiko naam ke ho?
• My name is ___: Mero naam ___ ho.
• Where are you from?: Tapaiko gaon ke ho?
• I am from ___: Mero gaon ___ ho.
• How old are you?: Tapaiko kati varsha ho?
• I am ___ years old: Mero ___ varsha ho.
• Do you speak English?: Tapai angrezi bolnuhuncha?
• I speak a little Nepali: Ma ali ali Nepali bolchu.

Useful

• How do you say ___ in Nepali?: Nepali ma ___ kasto bolcha?
• I don’t understand: Thaa chaina.
• I want to go to ___: Ma ___ janu chaincha.
• Where is ___?: ___ kahan cha?
• I would like ___: Ma lai ___ chaincha
• How much is it?: Yo kati cha?

Present Tense

• To eat: Khanu
• I eat: Ma Khanchu
• You (informal) eat: Timmi khanuhos
• You (formal) eat: Tapai khanuhuncha
• He eats: Vahan khanuhunchaShe eats: Vahan khanuhuncha
• They eat: Vahanharu khanuhuncha

Feelings

I am ___: Ma ___ chu.

• Cold: Ma lai jhado bhairacha.
• Hot: Ma lai garami bhairacha.
• Sleepy: Ma lai thakai lagekocha.
• Hungry: Ma lai bhook lagekocha.
• Thirsty: Ma lai thirka lagekocha.
• Angry: Ma lai rish utekocha.
• Happy: Ma kushi chu.
• Sad: Ma dukhi chu.

Food in Nepal

When in Nepal, you can expect to feast on momo. These steamed Nepalese dumplings filled with meat, vegetables, or cheese have become a delicacy in Nepal. Local foods vary by region, but many were influenced by Chinese, Indian, and Tibetan cuisine such as Nepalese chow mein. Dal bhat is the national dish made up of rice and lentils. If you’re lucky enough to travel during a festival or holiday, you’ll try sel roti. And when eating in Nepal, remember to use only your right hand.

Religion

Over 81%, of the population follow Hinduism. The remaining population breakdown is as follows: 8.2 percent Buddhist, 5.1 percent Muslim, 3.2 percent Kirat, 1.8 percent Christian and 0.5 percent other.

Ethnic Groups in Nepal

141 caste/ethnic groups were reported in the 2021 national census.

The country breakdown is as follows: 16.5-percent Chhettri, 11.3-percent Brahman-Hill, 6.9-percent Magar, 6.2-percent Tharu, 5.6-percent Tamang, 5-percent Bishwokarma, 4.9-percent Musalman, 4.6-percent Newar, 4.2-percent Yadav and many ethnicities.

Cultural Expectations

 While in Nepal, you can expect…  

to eat LOTS of dal bhat, the national dish of rice and lentils, and chai, a sweet tea served black or with milk. Expect to be welcomed with smiling faces and big “Namaste”s when interacting with Nepalis— from street vendors to professional rafting guides—and to bargain at street markets.

While in Nepal, locals will expect you…  

to respect their customs and values. Ask questions, smile, say “Namaste” and be open to talking about a variety of topics. Be curious and interested in their country. Also, remember to use two hands when giving and receiving anything and to keep your knees and shoulders covered.

Hot Topics in Nepal

• A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on April 25, 2015, followed weeks later by a 7.3-magnitude aftershock. The earthquakes killed nearly 9,000 people, injured 22,000, and destroyed approximately 800,000 homes. Over eight years later, the country is still rebuilding, with many families having endured multiple winters in makeshift housing. While $4.1 billion was raised for relief efforts—less than half of the estimated $10 billion in damages—only a nominal percentage has been disbursed, slowing reconstruction and recovery.
• Mount Everest remains a significant contributor to Nepal’s tourism industry, generating millions in climbing fees and supporting local businesses. However, the influx of climbers has resulted in severe pollution on the mountain’s trails and campsites. Discarded oxygen canisters, camping equipment, garbage, and human waste pose health and environmental risks. In response, the government requires climbers to bring down 18 pounds of trash or face hefty fines. Recent initiatives include sending climbers with large plastic bags capable of holding 176 pounds, which are then collected by helicopter to mitigate the pollution problem.
• In 2015, Bidhya Devi Bhandari was elected the second president of Nepal and the first woman to hold the office. She is a member of the Communist Party of Nepal and served as vice-chairperson of the party before her election. Bhandari was also the first female Minister of Defense, serving from 2009 to 2011, and was twice elected to parliament, in 1994 and 1999. In 2023, Ram Chandra Poudel succeeded her as president, continuing the country’s progress in political leadership.

Did You Know? 

• Nepal’s flag is the world’s only national flag that isn’t four-sided. Instead, it is a combination of two red triangles with blue borders meant to signify the Himalayas.
• Nepal has its own time zone: Nepal Standard Time. It is 5:45 from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which means that its time is 15 minutes ahead of India, its neighbor to the south. Nepal is one of three countries with that time designation and adopted it in 1956.
• Nepal, with land in excess of 143,000 square miles, is roughly the size of the USA state of Arkansas.
• Siddhartha Gautama, or Buddha, as he’s more commonly known, was born in Lumbini, Nepal, in 623 B.C. The city is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Nepal’s varied topography means the country has wildly different climates, from cool summers and severe winters in the north to subtropical summers and mild winters in the south.
• The Royal Geographical Society named Mount Everest for Sir George Everest, the Surveyor General of India from 1830 to 1843, in spite of his objections.
• Since the first ascent of Everest in 1953, more than 6,000 climbers have successfully summited the world’s highest peak. More than 300 others have died trying.
• Only 12% of Nepal’s population is older than 54.