Nepal is a country in Asia, with about 29.6 million people (2025) and an area of 147,180 square kilometres. Its capital is Kathmandu, and it shares land borders with 2 countries.
By Team Geography·Last reviewed
Flag of NepalNepal in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.
The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Nepal's 4, in full.
PLACELens 1 of 4
The world's most dramatic altitude gradient in a country the size of Arkansas
Nepal rises from the subtropical Terai plains at 60 meters to Everest at 8,849 meters, the greatest altitude range of any country, compressed into a strip averaging 200 kilometers wide. That gradient sorts the country into bands: the Terai lowlands, where agriculture and industry concentrate; the middle hills, where Kathmandu sits in a valley at 1,400 meters; and the high Himalaya, sparsely populated, heavily touristed, holding the world's highest peaks. Roads, electricity, governance and connectivity all cost more when the terrain fights back.
More on Terai
The Terai is a belt of flat, fertile land along Nepal's southern border with India. It produces most of the country's food and has absorbed migration from the hills, making it Nepal's most densely populated and economically productive zone, and culturally distinct from the hill-dwelling Pahadi population.
3 more lenses on Nepal in the app
STORY A Hindu monarchy that became a federal republic in a single generation
NOW Nepal's hydropower potential could transform its economy, or remain untapped
THREAD Squeezed between India and China with no room to maneuver
Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.
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Opens the country comparison tool with population, area, income and more side by side, every figure dated.
Common questions
What is the capital of Nepal?
The capital of Nepal is Kathmandu. Kathmandu lies at about 27.7 degrees north and 85.3 degrees east. Nepal is in Asia. It is home to about 29.6 million people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of Nepal?
About 29.6 million people live in Nepal, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 52nd most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 147,180 square kilometres, that is about 201 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Nepal?
Nepal shares land borders with 2 countries: China and India. The map on this page outlines each of them around Nepal. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake. Borders here follow Natural Earth at the 1:50 million scale, with Crimea shown as part of Ukraine and Western Sahara as a separate territory.
How big is Nepal?
Nepal covers 147,180 square kilometres, or about 56,826 square miles. That makes it the 93rd largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 29.6 million gives a density of 201 people per square kilometre.
Nepal is a country in Asia, with about 29.6 million people (2025) and an area of 147,180 square kilometres. Its capital is Kathmandu, and it shares land borders with 2 countries.
Capital
Kathmandu
Continent
Asia
Population
29,618,118 2025, World Bank. 52nd of 195.
Area
147,180 km² (56,826 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 93rd largest of 195.
Population density
201 people per km²
Land neighbours
2: China, India
Official name
Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
UN status
Member state
PLACE · from the Geography app
The world's most dramatic altitude gradient in a country the size of Arkansas
Nepal rises from the subtropical Terai plains at 60 meters to Everest at 8,849 meters, the greatest altitude range of any country, compressed into a strip averaging 200 kilometers wide. That gradient sorts the country into bands: the Terai lowlands, where agriculture and industry concentrate; the middle hills, where Kathmandu sits in a valley at 1,400 meters; and the high Himalaya, sparsely populated, heavily touristed, holding the world's highest peaks. Roads, electricity, governance and connectivity all cost more when the terrain fights back.
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/nepal/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
Geography · Country report
Nepal
NameDate
Draw the flag
Colour Nepal on the map, then fill in what you find.
Capital
Continent
Population
Area
Languages
Currency
Neighbours
Landmarks
Rivers or mountains
Three things I learned
1
2
3
One question I still have
?
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/nepal/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
