Nepal

Kathmandu (/ˌkætmænˈduː/;[2] Nepali: काठमाड ,ौं Nepal

Bhasa: य़े : Yei, Nepali pronunciation: [kaʈʰmaɳɖu]) is the capital and largest city of Nepal, with a
population of around one million. Kathmandu is also the largest metropolis in term of area in the
country.
Kathmandu, also known as "City of Temples" with one of the oldest Pagoda known as Pashupatinath
Temple, stands at an elevation of approximately 1,400 metres (4,600 feet) above sea level in the
bowl-shaped Kathmandu Valley in central Nepal. The valley is historically termed as "Nepal
Mandala" and has been the home of Newar people a cosmopolitan urban civilization in
the Himalayas foothills. The city was the royal capital of the Kingdom of Nepal and hosts palaces,
mansions and gardens of the Nepalese aristocracy. It has been home to the headquarters of
the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) since 1985. Today, it is the seat of
government of the Nepalese republic established in 2008; and is part of the Province No. 3 in
Nepalese administrative geography.
Kathmandu is and has been for many years the centre of Nepal's history, art, culture, and economy.
It has a multiethnic population within a Hindu and Buddhist majority. It is also the home of
the Newars. Religious and cultural festivities form a major part of the lives of people residing in
Kathmandu.
Tourism is an important part of the economy; in 2013, Kathmandu was ranked third among the top
ten upcoming travel destinations in the world by TripAdvisor, and ranked first in Asia. The city is the
gateway to the Nepalese Himalayas, and home to several world heritage sites: Durbar
Square, Swayambhunath, Boudhanath, and Pashupatinath.
Historic areas of Kathmandu were severely damaged by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on 25 April
2015. Some of the buildings have been restored and some are in the process of reconstruction.
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Rana rule over Nepal started with the Kot Massacre, which occurred near Hanuman Dhoka Durbar.
During this massacre, most of Nepal's high-ranking officials were massacred by Jang Bahadur
Rana and his supporters. Another massacre, the Bhandarkhal Massacre, was also conducted by
Kunwar and his supporters in Kathmandu. During the Rana regime, Kathmandu's alliance shifted
from anti-British to pro-British; this led to the construction of the first buildings in the style of Western
European architecture. The most well-known of these buildings include Singha Durbar, Garden of
Dreams, Shital Niwas, and the old Narayanhiti palace. The first modern commercial road in the
Kathmandu Valley, the New Road, was also built during this era.