Nepal

Nepal is a sovereign state located in South Asia.

It is a landlocked country, meaning it has no direct access to an ocean. The nation sits primarily within the massive Himalayan mountain range. It also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. To the north, Nepal shares a border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. India borders the country to the south, east, and west. Nepal is separated from Bangladesh by the Siliguri Corridor. It is also near the nation of Bhutan.

The geography of Nepal is incredibly diverse. It contains fertile plains and subalpine forested hills. Most notably, the country contains eight of the world's ten highest mountains. This includes Mount Everest, which is the highest point above mean sea level on Earth. The capital city is Kathmandu, which is also the nation's largest city.

The country is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural state. It is also multi-lingual and multi-religious. While many languages are spoken, Nepali is the official language.

The exact origin of the name "Nepal" remains uncertain. It appears in ancient Indian literary texts from the fourth century AD. Some Hindu myths suggest the name comes from an ancient sage named Ne. According to the Pashupati Purana, the country was named Nepāl because it was protected by Ne. Buddhist mythology offers a different story. It says the Bodhisattva Manjushri drained a lake to create the Kathmandu Valley. He proclaimed that Adi-Buddha Ne would care for the new community. Other theories suggest the name comes from Tibeto-Burman roots. One idea is that it means "abode at the foot of the mountain."

Human history in this region goes back tens of thousands of years. The earliest known modern human remains in South Asia date to 30,000 years ago. Archaeological evidence shows human settlements in Nepal from around that same time. The earliest inhabitants may have been people from the Indus Valley Civilisation. These people likely lived in the area before Tibeto-Burmans and Indo-Aryans arrived. By 4000 BC, Tibeto-Burmese people had reached Nepal. In the southern regions, the Shakya polity arose. This was the group that produced Gautama Buddha. He was the founder of Buddhism and was born in Lumbini.

Ancient and medieval periods saw many different ruling groups. The Licchavi dynasty held power in the Kathmandu Valley around 400 AD. Later, the Khas people formed a powerful empire in western Nepal. By the 14th century, this empire split into 22 states called Baise rajyas. In the Kathmandu Valley, the Malla dynasty ruled for several centuries. The Malla princes eventually divided their kingdom into four parts. These included Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur. This competition between kingdoms actually helped local art and architecture flourish. This era produced the famous Durbar Squares seen today.

Nepal's political structure has changed many times. In the 18th century, the Gorkha Kingdom achieved the unification of the country. The Shah dynasty later established the Kingdom of Nepal. The country served as a buffer state between British India and Imperial China. It was never colonised by foreign powers. Parliamentary democracy was introduced in 1951. However, monarchs suspended it in 1960 and 2005. A civil war in the 1990s and early 2000s led to major changes. In 2008, Nepal became a secular republic. This ended the world's last Hindu monarchy.

Today, Nepal is a federal parliamentary republic. The Constitution of 2015 divided the country into seven provinces. The nation focuses its foreign policy on neutrality and sovereignty. Nepal joined the United Nations in 1955. It is a founding member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Nepal also belongs to the Non-Aligned Movement. The country works to promote peace and stability in South Asia. It also emphasizes trade partnerships and development assistance with other nations.