Nepal

Nepal is a landlocked country in southern Asia, between the Tibet autonomous region of China and India. With an area of 147,181 square kilometers (56,827 sq mi), Nepal is slightly larger than the U.S. state of Arkansas. It has a population of approximately 27 million. Kathmandu is the nation's capital and the largest city. Nepal is a multiethnic nation with Nepali as the official language. The mountainous north of Nepal has eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. Nepal is the world's 103rd largest country by land area. It is landlocked, and borders Tibet, an autonomous province of China, and India. Nepal has a diverse geography, including fertile plains, subalpine forested hills, and eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. The Himalayas block Nepal's northern border with China. Nepal is a republic governed by a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and his cabinet, while legislative power is vested in the Constituent Assembly. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Nepal is a member of the United Nations, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, and the Non-Aligned Movement. Nepal is a developing country with a low income economy, ranking 145th on the Human Development Index in 2014. It continues to face the challenges of poverty, illiteracy, and child mortality. Despite these challenges, Nepal is making progress in human development, with the government committing to a new constitution, and increasing access to education and health care. Nepal is rich in water resources, with an estimated 84,000 MW of hydropower potential. However, only about 1% of this potential has been developed. Nepal has been working to increase its electricity generation capacity, and its electricity consumption has been growing steadily. The majority of Nepal's electricity is generated by hydropower, with thermal and diesel power plants providing a small percentage of the total. Nepal is a predominantly Hindu country, with 81.3% of the population identifying as Hindu. Buddhism is also practiced, by 9.0% of the population. Islam, Christianity, and other religions are practiced by smaller percentages of the population.