Nepal

Nepal is a landlocked country located in Southern Asia between China and India, covering an area of approximately 147,181 square kilometers. As of 2025, Nepal has a population of over 31.3 million, with Nepali as the official language spoken by 44.9% alongside Maithali, Bhojpuri, Tharu, and numerous other languages. The country features the Tarai flat river plain in the south, a central hill region, and the rugged Himalayas in the north, containing eight of the world’s ten highest peaks including Mount Everest. Kathmandu serves as the capital, and the government operates as a federal parliamentary republic.

Nepal has a low-income economy with a GDP of $42.91 billion and a GDP per capita of $5,000, driven by tourism, carpets, textiles, small rice mills, jute, sugar, oilseed, cigarettes, cement, and brick production. Key agricultural products include rice, vegetables, potatoes, sugarcane, maize, and wheat, while natural resources include quartz, water, timber, hydropower, and scenic beauty. The unemployment rate is 10.5% as of 2025, with a literacy rate of 68.7% and life expectancy of 70.6 years. Nepal continues to develop following its post-conflict transition, though it faces challenges from environmental fragility and earthquake vulnerability.