Perched atop the Himalayas, and wedged between the world’s most populous nations, Nepal has always been of strategic importance that belies its small size.
Home to one-third of the Himalayan mountains, also known as Asia’s water tower thanks to the rivers that flow down both sides of the range, Nepal has served as a buffer state for India since China gained control of Tibet. For the Chinese, Nepal is part of the “New Silk Road” project that aims to connect Asia with Europe, and a key ally in China’s crackdown on the Tibetan independence movement.