Nepal is a land of ethnic diversity. The proper understanding of Nepal's ethnic diversity is not possible without understanding the role of international migration. The population of Nepal represents waves of migration from the north and the south at different periods of history. As such, Nepal contains both the Mongoloid and the Indo-Aryan races as well as their admixture. The legend of Manjusri coming from China and the draining away of the Kathmandu Valley lake and the subsequent rehabilitation provides some clues as to the earliest settling of the people from the north. Nepalese hills became a pleasant habitat for the people coming from the harsher climatic conditions of the Tibetan plateau. Later on, however, the geographical and historical compulsions brought India and Nepal closer together.
