Kathmandu is the capital and largest metropolitan city of Nepal with a population of 949,486 (2009).

The city stands at an elevation of approximately 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) in the bowl-shaped valley in central Nepal surrounded by four major mountains.

The city's long history goes back more than 2000 years with dominantly Hindu religious affiliations, followed by Buddhism. Nepali is the common language of the city with English and Hindi understood by all of the educated population of the city.

Kathmandu, as the gateway to Nepal Tourism, is now the premier cultural and economic hub of Nepal. All the monuments in Kathmandu and its sister cities of Patan and Bhaktapur are recognised as one unit under the title “Kathmandu Valley" - UNESCO World Heritage Site.