This article is about the country. For other uses, see Nepal (disambiguation).

Federal Democratic Republic of Nepalसङ्� घी�य लो�कता�न्त्रि �क गणता � ने�पा�लो

Sanghiya Loktāntrik Ganatantra Nepāl

Flag Coat of arms

Motto: जनन� जन्मभू�मिमश्च स्वर्गा �दपि� र्गारी�यसी� (Sanskrit)"Mother and Motherland are Greater than Heaven"

Anthem: Sayaun Thunga Phulka"Made of Hundreds of Flowers"

Menu0:00

Capitaland largest city

Kathmandu (Nepali: का ठम डौं�) 27°42′N 85°19′E

Official languages NepaliDemonym Nepali, Nepalese, Gurkhas

Government Federal parliamentary republic -  President Ram Baran Yadav -  Prime Minister Sushil Koirala

Legislature Constituent AssemblyUnification

 -  Kingdom declared 25 September 1768[1]  -  State declared 15 January 2007  -  Republic declared 28 May 2008 

Area

 -  Total 147,181 km2 (95th)56,827 sq mi

 -  Water (%) 2.8Population

 -  2011 census 26,494,504[2]

 -  Density 180/km2 (62nd)518/sq mi

GDP (PPP) 2013 estimate -  Total $62.384 billion[3] -  Per capita $2,310 [4]GDP (nominal) 2012 estimate -  Total $19.921 billion[5] -  Per capita $743[5]

Gini (2010)32.8[6]medium

HDI (2014)  0.540[7]low · 145th

Currency Nepalese rupee (NPR)Time zone NPT (UTC +5:45 )

DST not observedDrives on the leftCalling code +977

ISO 3166 code NPInternet TLD .np

Nepal ( i / n ə ̍ p ɔː l / nə- PAWL ;[8] Nepali: न�� ल [neˈpal] ( listen)), officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal,[9] is a landlocked country located in South Asia. With an area of 147,181 square kilometres (56,827 sq mi) and a population of approximately 27 million,[2] Nepal is the world's 93rd largest country by land mass[10] and the 41st most populous country. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India. Nepal is separated from Bangladesh by the narrow Indian Siliguri Corridor. Kathmandu is the nation's capital and largest metropolis.

The mountainous north of Nepal has eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including the highest point on Earth, Mount Everest, called Sagarmatha (सीर्गारीम था ) in the Nepali language. More than 240 peaks over 20,000 ft (6,096 m) above sea level are located in Nepal.[11] The southern Terai region is fertile and humid.

Hinduism is practiced by about 81.3% of Nepalis, the highest percentage of any country. Buddhism is linked historically with Nepal and is practiced by 9% of its people, followed by Islam at 4.4%, Kiratism 3.1%, Christianity 1.4%,[2] and animism 0.4%.[12] A large portion of the population, especially in the hill region, may identify themselves as both Hindu and Buddhist, which can be attributed to the syncretic nature of both faiths in Nepal.[13]

A monarchy throughout most of its history, Nepal was ruled by the Shah dynasty of kings from 1768 — when Prithvi Narayan Shah unified its many small kingdoms[1] — until 2008. A decade-long Civil War involving the Communist Party of Nepal, followed by weeks of mass protests by all major political parties, led to the 12-point agreement[14] of 22 November 2005. The ensuing elections for the 1st Nepalese Constituent Assembly on 28 May 2008 overwhelmingly favored the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of a federal multiparty representative democratic republic. Despite continuing political challenges, this framework remains in place, with the 2nd Nepalese Constituent Assembly elected in 2013 in an effort to create a new constitution. [15] [16] [17] [18]

Nepal is a developing country with a low income economy, ranking 145th of 187 countries on the Human Development Index (HDI) in 2014. It continues to struggle with high levels of hunger and poverty. Despite these challenges, the country has been making steady progress, with the government making a commitment to graduate the nation from least developed country status by 2022.[19] [20]