Nepal Country Overview
Where is Nepal located? The landlocked country of Nepal is located in South Asia. The time zone map divides the world into world time zones along lines of longitude. The time zone in which Nepal is located is called “Nepal Time” and is a standard difference of 5:45 hours from Coordinated World Time. Such an odd number of hours is unusual but does happen from time to time. Accordingly, clocks in Nepal indicate a time that is 5:45 hours later than that on the world clock (UTC+5:45). The time difference stays the same throughout the year as there is no daylight saving time change in Nepal.
Bordering Countries of Nepal
According to abbreviationfinder, Nepal is a landlocked country located in South Asia, bordered by India to the east, south and west and by the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north. The total area of Nepal is 147,181 square kilometers, with a population of around 28 million people. The majority of Nepalese people speak their native language, Nepali, while English is also widely spoken.
The bordering countries of Nepal are India and China. India borders Nepal on three sides (east, south and west). Indian states that border Nepal include Uttar Pradesh, and Sikkim. The two countries have close cultural ties as well as economic links due to their shared border.
China borders Nepal on its northern side through the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). It is one of the most remote parts of China with an area of 1.2 million square kilometers and a population around 3 million people. In recent years China has invested heavily in infrastructure projects in TAR such as roads and railways which has improved connectivity between China and Nepal.
Both India and China have had long-standing relationships with Nepal due to their proximity as well as shared culture and history. India has been providing economic aid to Nepal for many years while more recently China has become increasingly involved in infrastructure projects in the country due to its Belt And Road Initiative (BRI). Both nations are important trading partners for Nepal with exports such as textiles, carpets, tea leaves and medicinal herbs being sent from the country to both countries.
Population Distribution
As of 2023, the latest population of Nepal is 30,327,877, based on our calculation of the current data from UN (United Nations).
| Total population | 30,327,877 |
| Population growth rate | 0.98% |
| Birth rate | 19.50 births per 1,000 people |
| Life expectancy | |
| Overall life expectancy | 66.86 years |
| Men life expectancy | 65.57 years |
| Women life expectancy | 68.19 years |
| Age structure | |
| 0-14 years | 29.54% |
| 15-64 years | 65.12% |
| 65 years and above | 5.34% |
| Median age | 23.40 years |
| Gender ratio (Male to Female) | 0.96 |
| Population density | 206.06 residents per km² |
| Urbanization | 15.00% |
| Ethnicities | |
| approx. 75 Indo-Aryan and Tibeto-Myanmar groups: 30% Madhesi, 13% Chhetri, 13% Bahun, 7% Magar, 7% Tharu, 6% Tamang, 6% Newar; Gurung, Sherpa, Limbu, Rai and others | |
| Religions | |
| Hindus 86.2% Buddhists 7.8%, Muslims 3.8%, others 2.2% Note: only official Hindu state in the world (1995) | |
| Human Development Index (HDI) | 0.579 |
| HDI ranking | 147th out of 194 |
People in Nepal
More than 100 ethnic groups live in Nepal. Some of them speak their own language or at least a special dialect. Nepal is a very poor country and is one of the poorest countries in the world. Around 28 million people live here, made up of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan-Burmese ethnic groups.
The Indo-Aryans include 80 out of 100 Nepalese. They are divided into boxes and their language is Nepali, which is also the country’s official language. They also brought the religion of Hinduism to Nepal. Nepal is also the only country where Hinduism has been declared the state religion.
Tibeto-Burmese ethnic groups are descended from Mongols and Tibetans – 20 out of 100 Nepalese are descended from this ethnic group. They often live in the southern foothills of the Himalayas. This also includes the Sherpa from northeastern Nepal, who live at the foot of Mount Everest. They are known to be great mountaineers.
But there are other ethnic groups, for example, a very diverse people live in Nepal. This also includes many Tibetans who have fled China and found a new home in the mountains of the Himalayas. Many people have immigrated over the centuries and have settled in this mountainous country. The Chinese and Indian cultures meet in Nepal.
City life
More than a million people live in the capital of the country Kathmandu. Overall, however, only 20 out of 100 people in Nepal live in a city. In almost no other country on earth so few people live in cities.
But that is changing, more and more people are moving from the country to the city in the hope of finding work and a livelihood here. The cities are usually overwhelmed by this and problems such as housing shortages, pollution and poverty arise.
Women in Nepal
In the big cities, the country is breaking into the modern age. But the image of women in Nepal is very traditional. Girls are seen as less valuable and do not have the same opportunities as boys. This is only changing very slowly in Nepal.
Situation of the Nepalese
15 out of 100 people in Nepal have less than 1.90 dollars a day to live on. Many are undernourished and the health care is poor. Because of the high levels of air pollution in cities, many people have lung diseases and not a few even die from them.
But not all people are poor, there is a very small class that owns almost all property in the country and is very rich. There is a big difference between rich and poor.
Languages in Nepal
The official language of Nepal is Nepali.
Religions in Nepal
Most of the people who live in Nepal are Hindus, namely 86 out of 100. Eight out of 100 are Buddhists, mainly members of Lama Buddhism, and four out of 100 are Muslims. The most important deity of the Hindus is called Vishnu. The king is considered the rebirth of the god Vishnu. Religions have a great influence on people’s lives, on their traditions and their everyday lives. Hinduism and Buddhism can coexist quite well. In both religions the dead are cremated. Many people in Nepal are strict believers and live their religion. There are many religious festivals and documents from believers can be found everywhere. Cows are sacred in Nepal.
The Buddhist monasteries are well equipped. Many try to accommodate their sons there, as they receive board and lodging in the monastery, but can also go to school. It costs nothing and the parents have one less person to look after. A child can be admitted to a monastery from the age of five.
Incidentally, the society of Nepal is determined by the caste system. It is a system where people belong to different castes. The caste affiliation should determine their “value” within society.
What are aghori?
The Aghori are a religious community that descended from Indian Hinduism. However, the followers are quite radical and stand out from the Hindu society due to their unusual traditions. Their painted faces and hairstyles are striking.