स्वागतम् / Welcome to the Nepal Portal

Mount Everest,Koshi,Nepal

Nepal, officially theFederal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is alandlocked country inSouth Asia. It is mainly situated in theHimalayas, but also includes parts of theIndo-Gangetic Plain. It borders theTibet Autonomous Region of Chinato the north, and Indiato the south, east, and west, while it is narrowly separated fromBangladesh by theSiliguri Corridor, and fromBhutan by theIndian state ofSikkim. Nepal has adiverse geography, includingfertile plains, subalpine forested hills, and eight of the world's tenhighest mountains, includingMount Everest, the highest point above mean sea level on Earth.Kathmandu is the nation's capital andits largest city. Nepal is a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious, and multi-cultural sovereign state, withNepali as the official language.

The name "Nepal" is first recorded in texts from theVedic period of theIndian subcontinent, the era inancient Nepal whenHinduism was founded, the predominant religion of the country. In the middle of the first millennium BC,Gautama Buddha, the founder ofBuddhism, was born inLumbini in southern Nepal. Parts of northern Nepal were intertwined with the culture ofTibet. The centrally locatedKathmandu Valley is intertwined with the culture ofIndo-Aryans, and was the seat of the prosperousNewar confederacy known asNepal Mandala. The Himalayan branch of the ancientSilk Road was dominated by thevalley's traders. The cosmopolitan region developed distinct traditionalart andarchitecture. By the 18th century, theGorkha Kingdom achieved theunification of Nepal. TheShah dynasty established theKingdom of Nepal and later formed an alliance with theBritish Empire, under itsRana dynasty ofpremiers. The country was never colonised but served as a buffer state betweenImperial China andBritish India.Parliamentary democracy was introduced in 1951 but was twice suspended by Nepalese monarchs, in 1960 and 2005. TheNepalese Civil War in the 1990s and early 2000s resulted in the establishment of asecularrepublic in 2008, ending the world's lastHindu monarchy. TheConstitution of Nepal, adopted in 2015, affirms the country as a federalparliamentary republic divided intoseven provinces. In September 2025,protests against social media ban, economic inequality and corruption caused riots, resulting in casualties and the resignation of the prime minister.

Nepal's foreign policy focuses on neutrality, sovereignty, and multilateral cooperation. Nepal was admitted to theUnited Nations in 1955, and friendship treaties were signed with India in 1950 and China in 1960. Nepal hosts the permanent secretariat of theSouth Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), of which it is a founding member. Nepal is also a member of theNon-Aligned Movement and theBay of Bengal Initiative. Nepal's foreign relations also emphasise development assistance, trade partnerships, and promoting peace and stability inSouth Asia. (Full article...)

More Did you know(auto generated)

• ... that the Nepali term "sukumbasi" refers to squatters, who typically avoid using the word because of its negative connotations?
• ... that white moths are suspected to causeseasonal hyperacute panuveitis in Nepal?
• ... thatAnjali Lama, Nepal's first transgender model, worked withCalvin Klein in 2019?

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Oxford–AstraZeneca (Covishied), the most commonly used vaccine in Nepal

Nepal began administration ofCOVID-19 vaccines on 27 January 2021. 1 millionOxford-AstraZeneca vaccines were provided byIndia as a grant while Nepal brought 2 million doses fromSerum Institute of India (SII) and was one of the first to receive COVID-19 vaccines. The delivery of the first 1 million doses arrived on 21 February. In March, India's decision to ban exports of vaccines created uncertainty over whether Nepal would be able to continue its vaccinations. By April, SII had only provided half of the 2 million doses for which Nepal had paid in full. A spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs rejected the notion of an export ban and said "We will export vaccines taking into account the domestic demand." By late July, there was still uncertainty in Nepal over when SII would deliver the vaccines that were purchased, although Prime MinisterNarendra Modi said India would "resume the supply of vaccines soon."

Nepal approvedChina'sSinopharm BIBP vaccine (BBIBP-CorV) for emergency use on 15 February. The first doses arrived in Nepal on 29 March. By July, China, had provided 1.8 million doses of the Sinopharm BIBP vaccine under grant assistance, and committed to providing another 1.6 million doses. Separately, the government purchased 4 million doses in June for which delivery was expected to be complete in a few days and was expected to purchase another 6 million doses in July. (Full article...)

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Nepal competed at the2012 Summer Olympics inLondon, which was held from 27 July to 12 August 2012. The country's participation at London marked its twelfth appearance in the Summer Olympics since its début at the1964 Summer Olympics. The delegation included two track and field athletes;Tilak Ram Tharu andPramila Rijal, one shooterSneh Rana and two swimmers;Prasiddha Jung Shah andShreya Dhital; all five competitors qualified for the Games throughwildcard places from their respective sporting governing bodies. It was the smallest delegation sent by Nepal since the1992 Summer Olympics. Shah was selected as the flag bearer for theopening andclosing ceremonies. Four of the five athletes were unable to progress beyond the first stages of their respective events while Rana finished 54th in the women's10 metre air rifle shooting competition. (Full article...)

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Prithvi Narayan Shah, 18th century

Prithvi Narayan Shah (Nepali:श्री ५ बडामहाराजाधिराज पृथ्वीनारायण शाह देव,romanized: Shri Panch Badamaharajadhiraj Prithvi Narayan Shah Dev; 11 January 1723 – 11 January 1775) was the last king of theGorkha Kingdom and the first monarch of the unifiedKingdom of Nepal, also referred to as theKingdom of Gorkha. He is credited with initiating theunification of Nepal and relocating the royal seat of power toKathmandu. His reign marked the end of the medieval period and the beginning of the modern history ofNepal.

Prithvi Narayan Shah played a central role in the formation of modern Nepal through his campaigns of territorial consolidation. He is considered a prominent figure in Nepalese history, and his efforts at political unification and national identity continue to be recognized in contemporary narratives. (Full article...)

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Samay baji (Nepal Bhasa: समय् बजि) is an authentic traditional dish of theNewar community in Nepal. In recent years, it has become one of the main attractions of Nepalese cuisine. It is considered a typical dish of the Newar community and has been passed down through generations, remaining highly appreciated by the people.

There are no specific seasons for serving Samay Baji, but it is most commonly served during auspicious occasions, family gatherings, andNewar festivals. It is eaten as a starter during every festival,religious activity, andpuja, and is also served duringSharada (death anniversary rituals). Due to its simplicity, it is enjoyed throughout the year, as it is easy to make and can be stored for a long time. (Full article...)

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• InNepal there are 8 of the world’s 14 highest mountains above 8000 meters, includingMount Everest.
• Nepal has not been occupied by any other country.
• The highest lake on Earth, Tilicho, is in Nepal. It rests at 4800 meters.

Wiki Loves Nepal

Wiki Loves Earth is an international photographic competition to promote natural heritage sites around the World through Wikimedia projects (mainlyWikipedia andWikimedia Commons).

• 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • More information • Main category page

Wiki Loves Monuments is an international photographic competition to promote cultural monuments around the World through Wikimedia projects (mainly Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons.

• 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • More information • Main category page

Provinces

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The following are images from various Nepal-related articles on Wikipedia.