Nepal

Where the name comes from

Nepal continues Nepa, long linked with the Kathmandu Valley and its Newar people; suggested meanings differ, and the origin is uncertain.

First people

Communities speaking Indo-Aryan and Tibeto-Burman languages lived here, and the Buddha was born at Lumbini around 2,500 years ago.^1,2

Known for

Nepal is known for the Himalayas, including Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain, on its border with China.³

Outside rule

Nepal was never colonized, but after war with Britain in 1814–1816 it lost land and accepted British influence.⁴

The modern country

Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha conquered the Kathmandu Valley kingdoms in the 1700s and moved his capital there; the monarchy that united its many peoples lasted until 2008.^5,6