Nepal Geography - 2024

Location

Southern Asia, between China and India

Geographic coordinates

28 00 N, 84 00 E

Map references

Asia

Area

total: 147,181 sq km

land: 143,351 sq km

water: 3,830 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than New York state

Area comparison map:

Land boundaries

total: 3,159 km

border countries (2): China 1,389 km; India 1,770 km

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Climate

varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south

Terrain

Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south; central hill region with rugged Himalayas in north

Elevation

highest point: Mount Everest (highest peak in Asia and highest point on earth above sea level) 8,849 m

lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m

mean elevation: 2,565 m

Natural resources

quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore

Land use

agricultural land: 28.8% (2018 est.)

arable land: 15.1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 1.2% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 12.5% (2018 est.)

forest: 25.4% (2018 est.)

other: 45.8% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

13,320 sq km (2012)

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Indian Ocean drainage: Brahmaputra (651,335 sq km), Ganges (1,016,124 sq km), Indus (1,081,718 sq km)

Major aquifers

Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin

Population distribution

most of the population is divided nearly equally between a concentration in the southern-most plains of the Tarai region and the central hilly region; overall density is quite low

Natural hazards

severe thunderstorms; flooding; landslides; drought and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons

Geography - note

landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga - the world's tallest and third tallest mountains - on the borders with China and India respectively