Nepal's history dates back to the 9th century BC. The Kits ruled the country first. Nepal remained divided into many realms. The Newars ruled in Kathmandu valley, Kirats ruled in the east, and the Gurungs & Magars were in the midwest. 

In the first century AD, the Lichchhavis conquered Kirats and ruled until the 9th century AD. During the ruling of Lichchhavis, art, woodcarvings, and sculptures thrived in Nepal. Moreover, many architectures today found in Nepal are from this period. 

After Lichchhavis came Thakhuris, who ruled until the 13th century. In 1200 AD, the Malla began their ruling in Nepal. During their regime, art and culture flourished too. Mallas were the main rulers of the Kathmandu valley.

The Shah dynasty then took over Mallas. King Prithvi Narayan Shah- the king of Gorkha, conquered Mallas rulers. He understands the British Colonization in India and began connecting other small realms to make a unified Nepal. 

Jung Bahadur Rana then exercised absolute power in the mid-19th century and became the first prime minister of Nepal. Then, the Rana's ruled the country for over one century and were overthrown in a democracy movement in the early 1950s. After that, there was multiparty democracy for about ten years and it became a one party (Panchayat) system in 1990.

Nepal is now a Federal Democratic Republic state, since May 28, 2008, declared in the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly.

Nepal in brief

  • Location: Located between India and the Tibetan autonomous region of the Republic of China
  • Area: 147,181 square kilometer
  • Capital: Kathmandu
  • National Bird: Impeyan Pheasant (Danfe)
  • National Flower: Rhododendron-Arboreum (Lali Gurans)
  • National Animal: Cow
  • National Color: Crimson red
  • People: 125 ethnic groups, 123 languages, and 10 different religions
  • Political System: Multi-party democracy, Federal Republic democratic country
  • Vegetation: Sub-tropical rainforests to Alpine deserts
  • Weather: Climate ranges from Tropical in the lowlands to the Arctic in higher altitudes
  • Season: 4-seasons; Winter (December to February), Summer/Spring (March to May), Monsoon (June to August), Autumn (September to November)