Nepalis

According to the requirements of Nepali nationality legislation, the people of Nepal who are born and raised in Nepal are the country's citizens. The country is home to individuals whose ancestors came from a wide variety of countries, including India, Kashmir, Central Asia, and Tibet, amongst other places. People who do not have Nepalese citizenship but have roots in Nepal, such as Indian Gorkhas and Nepalese Americans, are strictly referred to as Nepali Speaking Foreigners. These individuals are speakers of Maithili, Nepali, or any of the other 128 Nepalese languages, but they are now citizens of a different nation and bear the passports and citizenship of that nation. The term Nepalis (Nepalese) typically refers to the nationality of people who have citizenship in Nepal It is also not often used to refer to non-citizen residents, dual citizens, or those who have lived outside of the country for an extended period of time.

Nepal is a multicultural and multiethnic nation with a majority population that adheres to the Hindu religion (including Buddhists and Kirat), while Islam and Christians who trace their ancestry back to Hinduism are considered to be minorities. The Kathmandu Valley, which is located in the central hill region and the Madhesh Province, only takes up a tiny portion of the total land area of Nepal, but it has the highest population density of any region in the country, with approximately 37 percent of the total population.

The Gopala and Mahishpala dynasties are recognised as the oldest documented instance of humans living in Nepal.