A tiny nation in South Asia, Nepal is bordered to the south and

west by India and the north by China. Nepal has a lengthy and
diversified cultural heritage that dates back thousands of years,
making for a rich and complex history.

The Kirat people, who arrived in the area around 800 BCE, were
Nepal's first recorded settlers. The Indian Mauryan Empire
expanded its control over Nepal in the third century BCE, and
the Gupta Empire took it in the fourth.

The Licchavi Dynasty rose to power in the sixth century CE,

ushering in a time of outstanding artistic and cultural
accomplishments that included the construction of a number of
magnificent temples and palaces. The Malla emerged in the
12th century.