If you ask the average American to tell you about Nepal, you’re likely to get answers limited to the Himalayas and the yeti. If you’re really lucky, someone might mention that the country’s flag is the only one in the world that’s not a rectangle.
But there’s certainly more to Nepal than mountains and mythical monsters, including multiple UNESCO World Heritage sites and national parks. While we’re at it, here are 10 more things to know about Nepal.
Eight of the world’s 14 highest peaks — yes, including the very tallest, Mt. Everest — are located in Nepal. Although about 75 percent of the country is mountainous, you can also find temperate forests and flatland plains ecosystems.
Notable fauna in Nepal include Bengal tigers, one-horned rhinos, clouded leopards, red pandas, wild yaks, several species of monkeys and Himalayan wolves.
Siddhartha Gautama, more famously known as Buddha, was born in Lumbini, Nepal, between 623 and 480 B.C.
More than 80 percent of Nepalese identify with Hinduism, making it the country with the highest percentage of Hindus.
The largest temple in Nepal is Pashupatinath, which is dedicated to Hindu god Shiva. Located in Kathmandu and abundant with monkeys, Pashupatinath comprises 518 buildings and structures. The age of the temple is undetermined, but some say it goes back to 400 B.C. Open-air cremation ceremonies occur at Pashupatinath regularly, and the remains of the bodies are sent along the holy Bagmati River that runs through the compound.
Since cows are holy for Hindus, it is a crime to kill a cow in Nepal. However, eating beef is not illegal. Many people in Nepal drink milk, and milk from cows and buffaloes is used to make ghee (clarified butter), yogurt, and cheese. Heifer works with smallholder dairy farmers in Nepal – the Milky Way signature program is designed to transform the dairy sector, improve dairy farmers’ livelihoods and double milk production by 2030.
Nepali, a derivative of Sanskrit, is the official language of Nepal. You likely know at least one word of Nepali; the traditional greeting is “namaste,” a word familiar to yoga practitioners the world over.
In Nepal, people bestow blessings to guests and loved ones by putting a tika on their forehead. A mixture of vermillion powder, yogurt and rice — or sometimes just the powder and water, a tika gives health and good fortune to the wearer. Tikas are common during festivals like Dashain and Tihar.
Men in Nepal sometimes wear Dhaki topis, or brimless, fabric hats. A symbol of Nepalese nationality, the hat got its name from fabric that used to be imported from the capital of Bangladesh. They gained popularity in the 1950s, when King Mahendra insisted that men wear a Dhaki topi in photographs for official government documents like passports.
A linge ping is a giant swing constructed from bamboo and rope that is traditionally built during the festival Dashain. Although less common now, they can still be found during the festival in rural areas, where there’s more space to build and enjoy them.
Heifer has deep roots in Nepal going back decades – we’ve worked on projects in Nepal since 1997. Our goal is to train and support farmers — especially women — to reach new markets, raise better livestock and earn more money.
Our partner farmers in Nepal work with many agricultural products, including dairy, goats, poultry and eggs, fruits, vegetables, and grains.
In collaboration with local governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), Heifer Nepal connects self-help groups and cooperatives to strengthen communities.
Agriculture is central to Nepal’s economy, supporting a majority of households and employing about two-thirds of the population.
In Nepal’s lower-altitude zones, fertile land and abundant water provide the potential for agricultural development. But limited access to modern farming techniques reduces efficiency, and climate-driven weather changes threaten crops.
In addition to our agricultural work, we work to reduce flood risks, create disaster preparedness programs and build infrastructure to protect communities from weather effects. When the worst happens, we provide disaster rehabilitation for events like the August 2026 Nepal floods that devastated districts along the Nepal-Tibet border, which affected Heifer program areas.
Tulsi Thapa once depended on her husband for income. Now, she’s a founding member of Bihani Dairy: a women-led dairy business.
Bihani Dairy invests most of the money it earns back in the community, with the rest reserved for further improvements for the business.
Meet the members of the Bihani Dairy cooperative.
By Peter Goldstein | June 24, 2024
The Milky Way program is driving sustainable change in Nepal’s dairy sector, supporting smallholder farmer incomes, increasing milk production and advancing the local government’s goal of raising dairy standards.
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