Nepal 🇳🇵
Nepal is a country in Asia with a population of 30,547,580. Its capital is Kathmandu. The official currency is NPR, and the main languages are Nepali.
Quick facts
- Capital: Kathmandu
- Continent: Asia
- Population: 30,547,580
- Area: 147,181 km²
- Density: 208 people per km²
- Currency: NPR
- Languages: Nepali
- ISO code: NP
Where Nepal sits
Nepal 🇳🇵 is one of 48 countries in Asia, with its capital at Kathmandu. It covers 147,181 square kilometres — 93rd in the world — and is home to about 30,547,580 people, 49th globally.
The countries it shares a continent with include China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh. If you are learning geography region by region — which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial — those are the ones to learn alongside it.
How Nepal compares
Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, Nepal sits closest to Madagascar and Venezuela. In land area, its nearest counterparts are Bangladesh and Tajikistan.
At 208 people per square kilometre it is about 3.5 times the world average of 59.4. It ranks higher by population than by area, so it is more crowded than its size alone suggests.
Nepali is listed as official in Nepal alone. The NPR is used by Nepal and no one else.
To see Nepal next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.
How to remember Nepal
Kathmandu is in the Kathmandu Valley, in the middle of the country: say it as 'Kath-man-DO'. For the flag, look for two red pennants stacked on top of each other, with the moon in the upper one and the sun in the lower one.
The flag of Nepal: crimson red, blue and white
🇳🇵 The flag is two stacked triangular pennants in crimson with a blue border, a white moon in the upper one and a white 12-pointed sun in the lower one. Red stands for the rhododendron, the national flower, and for bravery; the blue border for peace. The two triangles once stood for the Himalayas and now for Hinduism and Buddhism. The moon and sun stand for the cool mountains and the warmer lowlands.
Region and neighbours
Nepal is a landlocked country in South Asia, mainly in the Himalayas, between China to the north and India to the south. It shares land borders with 2 countries: China and India. Nepal is landlocked, with no coast on the open ocean.
- China 🇨🇳 — capital Beijing
- India 🇮🇳 — capital New Delhi
Three facts about Nepal
- Nepal has eight of the world's ten highest mountains, including Mount Everest.
- Nepal's flag is the only non-rectangular national flag in the world, and the only one that is taller than it is wide.
- Lumbini in Nepal is the Buddha's birthplace according to Buddhist tradition.
Sources: Wikipedia: Nepal, Wikipedia: Flag of Nepal, Wikipedia: Kathmandu, CIA World Factbook.
Quiz yourself on Nepal
- Asian capitals quiz — match Nepal to Kathmandu
- Asian flags quiz — spot the Nepal flag among its neighbours
- Landlocked countries quiz — Nepal has no sea coast
Quizzes that include Nepal
Three angles are worth covering for any country — where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For Nepal those are:
- Asia map quiz — place it on a blank map
- Asia flags quiz — identify its flag among its neighbours
- Asia capitals quiz — match it to Kathmandu
- Nepal capital quiz — five quick questions starting with Nepal
- Daily Map Challenge — five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day
Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.
Read more about Nepal
- Capital of Nepal: Kathmandu — the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
- All 48 countries of Asia
Nearby countries
- Afghanistan 🇦🇫 — capital Kabul
- Armenia 🇦🇲 — capital Yerevan
- Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 — capital Baku
- Bahrain 🇧🇠— capital Manama
- Bangladesh 🇧🇩 — capital Dhaka
- Bhutan 🇧🇹 — capital Thimphu
- Brunei 🇧🇳 — capital Bandar Seri Begawan
- Cambodia 🇰🇠— capital Phnom Penh
- China 🇨🇳 — capital Beijing
- Georgia 🇬🇪 — capital Tbilisi
- India 🇮🇳 — capital New Delhi
- Indonesia 🇮🇩 — capital Jakarta
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of the Nepal flag?
The flag of Nepal is two stacked triangular pennants in crimson with a blue border, a white moon in the upper one and a white 12-pointed sun in the lower one. Red stands for the rhododendron, the national flower, and for bravery; the blue border for peace. The two triangles once stood for the Himalayas and now for Hinduism and Buddhism. The moon and sun stand for the cool mountains and the warmer lowlands.
Which countries border Nepal?
Nepal shares land borders with China and India.
How can I remember the capital of Nepal?
Kathmandu is in the Kathmandu Valley, in the middle of the country: say it as 'Kath-man-DO'. For the flag, look for two red pennants stacked on top of each other, with the moon in the upper one and the sun in the lower one.