Nepal is a place.
Nepal . Nepal ( [ Nepālhelp = no ] } } [ neˈpal ] ) , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal , is a landlocked central Himalayan country in South Asia . Bordering China in the north and India in the south , east , and west , it is the largest sovereign Himalayan state . Kathmandu is the nation 's capital and largest city . Nepal is a developing nation , ranking 144th on the Human Development Index ( HDI ) in 2016 . Despite these challenges , Nepal is making steady progress , with the government declaring its commitment to elevate the nation from least developed country status by 2022 .