Unique in its bio-diversity and geographical variation, Nepal is at the elevations of 60 meters above sea level and the highest point on earth, Mt. Everest at 8,848 meters, and that too within a short span of 150 kilometers. Due to the geographical variation, Nepal has from sub-tropical to Arctic climate conditions.
- Nepal occupies 0.1% of the earth
- Has 2% of all the flowering plants in the world
- Has 8% of the world’s population of birds (more than 848 species)
- Has 4% of mammals on earth
- Has 11 of the world’s 15 families of butterflies (more than 500 species)
- Has 600 indigenous plant families
- Has 319 species of exotic orchids
Population: 29 million (2016)
Capital: Kathmandu
Area: 147,181 sq. km.
Language: Nepali (Over 100 ethnic groups and over 70 spoken languages)
Currency: Nepalese Rupee pegged with Indian currency
Dialing code: 977
Religion: Secular, Hindu (75%), Buddhists (20%), Others (5%)
Government Federal republic
President Vidhya Devi Bhandari
Prime Minister – K.P. Sharma Oli
Unification Kingdom declared (21 December 1768)
State declared 15 January 2007
Republic declared 28 May 2008
Water (%) 2.8
Census
| 2010 estimate | 29,331,000 (40th) |
| 2007 census | 28,952,000 |
| Density | 199.3/km2 |
| GDP Per capita | $ 729.53 (2016) |
| Currency | Nepalese rupee (NPR) |
| Time zone | NPT (UTC+5:45) |
| Drive | left |
| Internet TLD | .np |
| Location | Situated between China in the north and India in rest of the directions |
| Political System | Multi-party democracy |
| Climate | Nepal has four major seasons, namely:
(1) Winter: December-February (2) Spring: March-May (3) Summer: June-August (4) Autumn: September-November |
| Suitability to visit: | All year round |
Nepal has a rich geography and eight of the world’s ten tallest mountains, including the Mount Everest or Sagarmatha in Nepali, not to mention other 240 peaks over 20,000 ft above sea level.
Nepal is the only country in the world to principally practice Hinduism by a vast majority. However, people in Nepal do not distinguish between Hinduism and Buddhism as both the religions have some religious associations.
After king Prithvi Narayan Shah unified many small kingdoms (1768) into one solid Nepal, Shah Dynasty existed as Nepal’s ruler in most of its modern history. But that ended with a decade-long Civil War launched by all major political parties for several weeks of mass protests and that led to the 12 point agreement of November 22, 2005. Last Nepali monarch Gyanendra Shah relinquished his throne and kingship following elections for the constituent assembly on May 28, 2008 that favored the abdication of the centuries old monarchy and the establishment of a federal multiparty representative democratic republic. Ram Baran Yadav, as the first President of Nepal was sworn in on July 23, 2008. Later on 29th October 2015, Vidhya Devi Bhandari succeeded him as a second and the first ever woman president in the Nepalese history.