Nepal is an independent state in Southern Asia, and a member of the United Nations. Treaties and official documents call it Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. Government sits in Kathmandu.
It covers 147,181 km², which ranks it 96th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Bangladesh and just ahead of Tajikistan. Put next to a country most people can picture, it is almost exactly the same size as Bangladesh.
It is home to roughly 29.7 million people, placing it 51st of 250 by population — between Ivory Coast above it and Cameroon below. Measured only against its own subregion, it is 6th of 9 in size and 6th in population.
Nepal on the map
The coordinates the dataset gives are 28.0° N, 84.0° E, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 3,117 km from the equator, in what geographers would call subtropical latitudes.
Algeria, Egypt and Kuwait sit at almost exactly the same latitude on other parts of the globe.
It borders 2 neighbours: China and India. The largest of them by area is China, while the most populous is India. Together those neighbours hold about 2.86 billion people.
This is one of the world's landlocked countries. That is true of 45 of the 250 entries here, so all seaborne trade runs through a neighbour's ports. You can see the full picture on the landlocked countries page.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
How crowded Nepal is, and what is spoken there
Spread across 147,181 km², that works out at about 201 people per square kilometre, which makes it densely populated. For comparison, the median entry on this list sits near 90 per square kilometre.
People from Nepal are called Nepalese.
Officially it is monolingual: Nepali. No other entry in this dataset lists Nepali, so on this list it stands alone.
Against Asia as a whole it is the 20th most populous of 50 entries, and it accounts for 1.4% of everyone living in Southern Asia.
Money, codes and practical details
Money there is the Nepalese rupee (₨, NPR). It is issued for Nepal alone.
Kathmandu is the seat of government and the answer most quizzes are looking for.
Websites there use the .np domain. To phone it from abroad you dial +977. Its ISO codes are np and NPL, which is what most databases and flag files use.
As a sovereign state it is among the 193 UN members listed here. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Nepal shares borders with 2 countries:
Fun facts about Nepal
- It lies about 3,117 km from the equator, in subtropical latitudes.
- Population density works out at roughly 201 people per square kilometre.
- It is 51st of 250 by population, with about 29.7 million residents.
- Ranked by land area, Nepal is 96th out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.
- Websites based there use the .np domain.
- Within Southern Asia it is the 6th largest of 9.
- In land area it is almost exactly the same size as Bangladesh.
- Algeria and Egypt sit at almost the same latitude, on the far side of the globe.
Nepal — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Nepal?
- The capital of Nepal is Kathmandu.
- How big is Nepal?
- Nepal covers 147,181 km², ranking 96th of 250 by land area. That makes it almost exactly the same size as Bangladesh.
- Which countries border Nepal?
- Nepal borders 2 countries: China and India. China is the largest of them by area.
- What language is spoken in Nepal?
- The official language of Nepal is Nepali. No other entry on this list gives it official status.
- Where is Nepal located?
- Nepal is in Southern Asia, part of Asia. Its reference coordinates are 28.0° north and 84.0° east, roughly 3,117 km from the equator in subtropical latitudes.
- Is Nepal landlocked?
- Yes. Nepal has no sea coast, which makes it one of 45 landlocked entries in this dataset. Everything it imports or exports by sea has to cross a neighbour's territory first, and that transit dependency is a well-documented drag on trade costs.
- What is the population of Nepal?
- Nepal has a population of about 29.7 million, which makes it the 51st most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Ivory Coast sits just above it and Cameroon just below.
- Is Nepal a country?
- Yes. Nepal is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- What currency does Nepal use?
- Nepal uses the Nepalese rupee, written ₨ (currency code NPR). No other entry in this dataset uses it.
