Nepal's diverse culture is inextricably connected to its unique geography, as a country squeezed into the mountains between the high plateau of Tibet and the vast low terrain of India. The first people in the historical records of Nepal were the Kiratis in the 6th to 8th century BC. The Kiratis were herders who brought their sheep from the east to graze in the lush temperate zones found in the middle hills and Katmandu Valley. Though many tribes dotted Nepal's landscape, Mongoloid groups from Tibet and Indo-Aryan clans from Northern India formed the initial major settlements, sparking the influx of a wide variety of cultures that characterize Nepal today.

Nepal's population is just over 28 million people, comprised of about 40 distinct ethnic groups. These range from cosmopolitans with well-paying jobs and nice cars in Kathmandu to farmers in the Himalayan hills using stone-age methods to raise their crops. Nepal has a cultural diversity greater than countries many times its size.

About 80% of Nepalese are Indo-Nepalese/Aryan, while Tibeto-Nepalese or Mongoloids, which trace their roots directly to Tibet, account for the other 20% of the indigenous population. Nepal is officially a Hindu kingdom with no legitimate decrees against other religions such as practicing Buddhists and Moslems, which comprise less than 20 percent of the populace. Along with the cultural and religious groupings that separate the people of Nepal, the extremely mountainous geography makes the separation of various groups more pronounced than would be expected for a country of only 53,000 square miles.

Nepal's unique geography divides the major Nepalese cultural groups. One of the most famous Nepalese groups is the Sherpas-or people of the east-from the High Himalayas. Though gentle Buddhist by nature, the Sherpas are renowned for their strength, ruggedness and their mountaineering skills. The Dolpa people are also part of the High Himalaya cultural group and are practicing Buddhists. The Dolpa people may be the highest living peoples in the world. Other High Himalayan ethnic groups are the Larke, Siar, Manang bas, and the Olangchung.

Two other geographical divisions in Nepal are the Middle Hills or Valleys Group and the Terai Region Groups, which also define Nepal's caste system. Nepal's caste system is derived from its Hindu associations. The group forming the highest caste among ethnic groups in Nepal is the Brahmin and Chhetris from the Middle Hills. The Kirati, Newars, Tamangs, Gurungs, and Magars are other lower caste groups, to name but a few. The Tharus are the oldest group in the Terai Region, speaking their own language derived from Sanskrit. The Terai Region also encompasses the Satars, Musalmans, and smaller subgroups.

The extraordinary geographic and cultural diversity of Nepal offers visitors a wide range of experiences, from the colorful exuberance of the various Hindu groups to the serene nature of the Buddhist mountain groups, and many others in between.