Nepal
Location: Southern Asia, between China and India
Geographic coordinates: 28 00 N, 84 00 E
Area: total: 140,800 sq km
water: 4,000 sq km
Land boundaries: total: 2,926 km(landlocked)
border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
Geography note: landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest - the world's tallest - on the border with China
Population: 27,070,666 (July 2004 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.23% (2004 est.)
Birth rate: 31.96 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate: 9.66 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Ethnic groups: Brahman, Chetri, Newar, Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Sherpa, Tharu, and others (1995)
Religions: Hinduism 86.2%, Buddhism 7.8%, Islam 3.8%, other 2.2%
note: only official Hindu state in the world (1995)
Languages: Nepali (official; spoken by 90% of the population), about a dozen other languages and about 30 major dialects; note - many in government and business also speak English (1995)
Constitution: 9 November 1990
One can probably say that Nepal is as old as the Himalayas, when a great lake filled the Kathmandu Valley. One legend holds that this lake was drained by a thunderbolt thrown against the walls of the Valley by the Hindu god Krishna. Another claims it was drained by the patriarch Manjushri as he wanted to get a closer look at a Swayambhu or Adhi-buddha, the beautiful lotus flower resting on the lake.
But the recorded history of Nepal does not start until around 800 BC, with the beginning of the Kirat Period. After that was the Lichhavi and Thakuri Period, followed by the Malla Period and finally the Shah Period.