Nepal 
Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. With an area of 147,181 square kilometres (56,827 sq mi) and a population of approximately 27 million, Nepal is the world's 93rd largest country by land mass and the 41st most populous country. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India. Specifically, the Indian states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Sikkim border Nepal, while across the Himalayas lies the Tibetan. Nepal is separated from Bangladesh by the narrow Indian Siliguri corridor. Kathmandu is the nation's capital and largest metropolis.
Etymology
Ne Muni
local legends say that a Hindu sage named
"Ne" established himself in the valley of Kathmandu in prehistoric
times and that the word "Nepal" came into existence as the place
protected ("pala" in pali) by the sage "Ne". According to the Skanda Purana,
a rishi called "Ne" or "Nemuni" used to live in Himalaya. In
the Pashupati Purana, he is mentioned as a saint and a protector. He is
said to have practised meditation at the Bagmati and Kesavati rivers and to have taught there.
Nepali Language Origin
Nepal Bhasa words appeared in Sanskrit inscriptions in the Kathmandu Valley for the first time in the fifth century. Inscriptions in Nepal Bhasa emerged from the 12th century, the palm-leaf manuscript from
Uku Bahah being the first example. By the 14th century, Nepal Bhasa had
become an administrative language as shown by the official
proclamations and public notices written in it.
Brief History of Nepal
| Prithivi Narayan Shah |
Ancient
Nepal consisted of many small autonomous states. King Prithivi Narayan
Shah unified modern Nepal by bringing these small states together into
one nation in 1769. Since then, Kathmandu has been the capital of Nepal.
After the Anglo-Nepali War (1814-1816), Prime Minister Jung Bahadur
Rana greatly expanded his powers and established the Rana lineage of
hereditary Prime Ministers who ruled Nepal until 1951, when the late
King Tribhuvan led a popular revolution which put an end to the Rana
autocracy. In 1959, the first general election was held and the
parliamentary government was set up for a short period. Nepal
experienced the liberal Panchayat system for three decades.
The
popular people's movement welcomed the new era of democracy in 1990. A
new constitution was written to secure the sovereignty of the people and
a democratic political system with constitutional monarchy was
established.
| Map of old Nepal |
The
royal massacre on June 1, 2001 killed the royal family including their
relatives in which only the family of Gyanendra, brother of King
Birendra, survived. After the two days of incident Gyanendra was
established as new king of Nepal.
 |
| First president of Federal Republic of Nepal |
In
2005, when King Gyanendra suspended the parliament and enforced martial
law. A broad coalition called the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) was formed
opposing royal takeover. The SPA led Loktantra Andolan along with Nepal
communist Party (Moist) resulting massive and spontaneous
demonstrations and rallies. The movement succeeded in returning peoples’
rights back ending a decade long insurgency.
A
coalition government formed after the movement. An agreement was made
for the monarchy to be abolished and the country to become a federal
republic with the Prime Minister becoming head of the state. The
constituent assembly election held in April, 2008 and officially a
federal republic was established in Nepal in May 2008 by the assembly.
Dr.
Ram Baran Yadhav becomes the first president of Federal Republic of
Nepal. And currently, the peace keeping process, new constitution
drafting and reintegration of former moist combatants are underway.
(Nepal enjoys the glory of always being a sovereign and independent country. It has never been under foreign domination.)
Demographic
The Nepalese are descendants of three major migrations from India, Tibet, and North Burma and the Chinese province of Yunnan via Assam. Even though Indo-Nepalese migrants
were latecomers to Nepal relative to the migrants from the north, they
have come to dominate the country not only numerically, but also
socially, politically, and economically.
Among the earliest inhabitants were the Kirat of east mid-region, Newar of the Kathmandu Valley and aboriginal Tharu in the southern Terai region. The ancestors of the Brahmin and Chetri caste groups came from India's present Kumaon, Garhwal and Kashmir regions, while other ethnic groups trace their origins to North Burma and Yunnan and Tibet, e.g. the Gurung and Magar in the west, Rai and Limbu in the east (from Yunnan and north Burma via Assam), and Sherpa and Bhutia in the north (from Tibet).
Despite
the migration of a significant section of the population to the
southern plains or terai in recent years, the majority of the population
still lives in the central highlands. The northern mountains are
sparsely populated. Kathmandu, with a population of over 2.6 million
(metropolitan area: 5 million), is the largest city in the country.
| Data | Size |
|---|---|
| Population | 26,494,504 (2011) |
| Growth Rate | 1.35% |
| Population below 14 Years old | 34.19% |
| Population of age 15 to 59 | 54.15% |
| Population above 60 | 8.13% |
| The median age (Average) | 20.07 |
| The median age (Male) | 19.91 |
| The median age (Females) | 20.24 |
| Ratio (Male:Female) | 100:94.16 |
| Life expectancy (Average) (Reference:) | 66.16 Years |
| Life expectancy (Male) | 64.94 |
| Life expectancy (Female) | 67.44 |
| Literacy Rate (Average) | 65.9% |
| Literacy Rate (Male) | 75.1% |
| Literacy Rate (Female) | 57.4% |
Geography
Nepal is of roughly trapezoidal shape, 800 kilometres (497 mi) long and 200 kilometres (124 mi) wide, with an area of 147,181 km2 (56,827 sq mi). See List of territories by size for the comparative size of Nepal. It lies between latitudes 26° and 31°N, and longitudes 80° and 89°E. Nepal is commonly divided into three physiographic areas: Mountain, Hill and Terai.
Nepal
is topographically divided into three regions: the Himalaya to the
north, the middle hills consisting of the Mahabharat range and the
Churia Hills, and the Terai to the south. The Himalaya and its foothills
make up the northern border of the country and represent 16% of the
total land area. This is the least inhabited region of Nepal, with less
than 8% of the population living there. Most permanent settlements are
at less than 4000m altitude, although there are summer settlements as
high as 5000m.
The
middle hills cover about 65% of the total land area and are home to
around 45% of the population of the country. This area is the home of
the ancient ethnic people of Nepal. The climate is very good and most of
lakes and beautiful valleys are located in the middle hills. Areas in
the eastern hills receive most rainfall because of the monsoon clouds, which
come from the Bay of Bengal. The middle hills provide a very good
habitat for wild life, such as leopard, deer, bear, monkeys, butterflies
and over four hundred indigenous species of birds.
The
Terai is the southern part of Nepal. It covers 17% of the total land
area, providing excellent farming land as well as space for large
industrial areas. Until 1950, the Terai was predominantly an area of
heavily malarial sub-tropical forest, inhabited only by the Royal Bengal
tiger, leopard, wild boar, several species of deer, one-horned rhino,
wild elephant and gharial and mugger crocodiles. But after the
eradication of malaria in the 1960s, many people from the middle hills
migrated to the Terai in search of farming land. Today, about 48% of the
population occupies this region.
Nepal experiences five seasons: summer, monsoon, autumn, winter and spring. The Himalaya blocks cold winds from Central Asia in
the winter and forms the northern limit of the monsoon wind patterns.
In a land once thickly forested, deforestation is a major problem in all
regions, with resulting erosion and degradation of ecosystems.
Nepal
is popular for mountaineering, having some of the highest and most
challenging mountains in the world, including Mount Everest.
Technically, the south-east ridge on the Nepali side of the mountain is
easier to climb; so, most climbers prefer to trek to Everest through
Nepal.
Environment
The dramatic differences in elevation found in Nepal result in a variety of biomes, from tropical savannas along the Indian border, to subtropical broadleaf and coniferous forests in the Hill Region, to temperate broadleaf and coniferous forests on the slopes of the Himalaya, to montane grasslands and shrub lands and rock and ice at the highest elevations.
At the lowest elevations is the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion. These form a mosaic with the Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests, which occur from 500 to 1,000 metres (1,600 to 3,300 ft) and include the Inner Terai Valleys. Himalayan subtropical pine forests occur between 1,000 and 2,000 metres (3,300 and 6,600 ft).
Above these elevations, the biogeography of
Nepal is generally divided from east to west by the Gandaki River.
Ecoregions to the east tend to receive more precipitation and to be more
species-rich. Those to the west are drier with fewer species.
From 1,500 to 3,000 metres (4,900 to 9,800 ft), are temperate broadleaf forests: the eastern and western Himalayan broadleaf forests. From 3,000 to 4,000 metres (9,800 to 13,000 ft) are the eastern and western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests. To 5,500 metres (18,000 ft) are the eastern and western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows.
Government
Nepal
is a multi-party system federal republic. The Interim Constitution of
Nepal, 2063 has defined three organs of the government.
· Executive:
The executive power of Nepal is vested in the Council of Ministers. The
responsibility of issuing general directives, controlling and
regulating the administration of Nepal lies in the Council of Ministers.
The Prime Minister of Nepal is the head of the Government. The Prime
Minister appoints the Ministers. While appointing Ministers, the Prime
Minister shall appoint them, on the recommendation of the concerned
political party, from amongst the members of the Legislature-Parliament.
· Legislative:
The Legislature-Parliament of Nepal is unicameral. Constituent assembly
is working as the legislature of Nepal at present. The legislature is
composed of 601 members. Among them, 240 members are directly elected by
the people from 240 constituencies. 335 members are elected through
proportional basis and 26 members are nominated by the cabinet. All the
bills are presented in the parliament. After passing the bills by the
majority. After his approval, it becomes the law. In this way, all the
laws are made in the parliament. The legislative controls over the
finance of the country. Legislative passes the annual budget according
to which the government spends money in various tasks. Legislative can
raise questions to any work of the government. If the government does
not work properly, legislative can withdraw its support and government
is dissolved. In this way the legislative has control over the
executive.
· Judiciary:
The Constitution provides three tiers of Court which include the
Supreme Court of Nepal, the Court of Appeal and the District Courts.
Supreme Court is the Apex Court. All courts and judicial institutions
except the constitutional assembly court, are under the Supreme Court.
There is no distinction between Criminal and Civil court except some
basic procedures. District Court is the Court of first instance upon
which Court of Appeal hear appeal. In addition to these regular courts
there is provision in constitution to establish special types of courts
or tribunals for the purpose of hearing special types of cases by the
law. According to these provisions there are four Revenue Tribunals, one
Administrative Court, one Labour Court, one Debt Recovery tribunal and
one Debt recovery Appeal Tribunal and one special court are functioning
under the respective laws. These institutions are under the judicial
control of the Supreme Court. There are 16 Court of Appeal and 15
Districts in Nepal. The Supreme Court is also the ultimate interpreter
of the constitution.
Economy
An isolated, agrarian society until the mid-20th century, Nepal entered
the modern era in 1951 without schools, hospitals, roads,
telecommunications, electric power, industry, or civil service. The
country has, however, made progress toward sustainable economic growth
since the 1950s and is committed to a program of economic
liberalization.
Nepal has used a series of five-year plans in
an attempt to make progress in economic development. It completed its
ninth economic development plan in 2002; its currency has been made
convertible, and 17 state enterprises have been privatized. Foreign aid
accounts for more than half of the development budget. Government
priorities over the years have been the development of transportation
and communication facilities, agriculture, and industry. Since 1975,
improved government administration and rural development efforts have
been emphasized.
Agriculture remains Nepal's principal economic activity, employing 70% of the population and providing 37% of GDP.
Only about 20% of the total area is cultivable; another 33% is
forested; most of the rest is mountainous. Rice and wheat are the main
food crops. The lowland Terai region produces an agricultural surplus,
part of which supplies the food-deficient hill areas.
Economic
development in social services and infrastructure has not made dramatic
progress due to GDP dependency on India. A countrywide primary
education system is under development, and Tribhuvan University has several campuses. Please see Education in Nepal for further details. Although eradication efforts continue, malaria had been controlled in the fertile but previously uninhabitable Terai region in the south. Kathmandu is linked to India and
nearby hill regions by road and an expanding highway network. The
capital was almost out of fuel and transport of supplies caused by a
crippling general strike in southern Nepal on February 17, 2008.
Major towns are connected
to the capital by telephone and domestic air services. The
export-oriented carpet and garment industries have grown rapidly in
recent years and together now account for approximately 70% of
merchandise exports.
The Cost of Living Index in
Nepal is comparatively lower than many countries but not the least. The
quality of life has declined to much less desirous value in recent
years. Nepal was ranked 54th worst of 81 ranked countries (those with
GHI > 5.0) on the Global Hunger Index in 2011, between Cambodia and Togo. Nepal's current score of 19.9 is better than in 2010 (20.0) and much improved than its score of 27.5 in 1990.
Education
Culture
Folklore
is an integral part of Nepalese society. Traditional stories are rooted
in the reality of day-to-day life, tales of love, affection and battles
as well as demons and ghosts and thus reflect local lifestyles,
cultures and beliefs. Many Nepalese folktales are enacted through the
medium of dance and music.
Most houses in rural lowland of Nepal are made up of a tight bamboo framework
and walls of a mud and cow-dung mix. These dwellings remain cool in
summer and retain warmth in winter. Houses in the hills are usually made
of unbaked bricks with thatch or tile roofing. At high elevations
construction changes to stone masonry and slate may be used on roofs.
Nepal's flag is the only national flag in the world that is not rectangular in shape and
is considered to be the most mathematical flag in the world. According
to its official description, the red in the flag stands for victory in
war or courage, and is also color of the rhododendron,
the national flower of Nepal. Red also stands for aggression. The
flag's blue border signifies peace. The curved moon on the flag is a
symbol of the peaceful and calm nature of Nepalese, while the sun
represents the aggressiveness of Nepalese warriors.
Religion
Nepal was declared a secular country by the Parliament on May 18, 2006. Religions practiced in Nepal are: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Jainism, Sikhism, Bon, ancestor worship and animism. The majority of Nepali are either Hindus or Buddhism. The two have co-existed in harmony through centuries.
Hindu
Nepali worship the ancient Vedic gods. Bramha the Creator, Vishnu the
Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer, are worshipped as the
Supreme Hindu Trinity. People pray to the Shiva Linga or the phallic
symbol of Lord Shiva in most Shiva temples. Shakti, the dynamic element
in the female counterpart of Shiva, is highly revered and feared.
Mahadevi, Mahakali, Bhagabati, Ishwari are some of the names given.
Kumari, the Virgin Goddess, also represents Shakti.Other popular deities
are Ganesh for luck, Saraswati
for knowledge, Lakshmi for wealth and Hanuman for protection. Krishna,
believed to be the human incarnation of Lord Vishnu is also worshipped
widely. Hindu holy scripts Bhagawat Gita, Ramayan and Mahabharat are
widely read in Nepal. Vedas, Upanishads and other holy scriptures are
read by well learned Brahmin Pundits during special occasions.
Customs
The diversity in Nepal in terms of ethnicity again makes room for various sets of customs. Most of these customs go back to the Hindu, Buddhist or other religious traditions. Among them, the rules of marriage are particularly interesting. Traditional marriages call for deals arranged by parents after the boy or girl come of age.
Nepalis do not eat beef. There are several reasons for this, one being that the Hindus worship cow. Cow is also the national animal of Nepal. Another interesting concept among Nepalis is division of pure and impure. “Jutho” referring to food or material touched by another’s mouth directly or indirectly, is considered impure by Nepalis. Nepalis consider cow dung to be pure for cleansing purposes. During menstruation women are considered impure and hence, are kept in seclusion until their fourth day purification bath.Nepal is a patriarchal society. Men usually go out to work while women are homemakers. However, in cities, roles can differ. Most Nepalis abide by the caste system in living habits and marriage. Rural Nepal is mostly agrarian, while some aspects of urban life carry glitz and glamour of the ultra-modern world.
Languages
Nepal's diverse linguistic heritage evolved from four major language groups: Indo-Aryan, Tibeto-Burman, Mongolian and various indigenous language isolates. The major languages of Nepal (percent spoken as mother tongue) according to the 2011census are Nepali (44.6%), Maithili (11.7%), Bhojpuri (6.0%), Tharu (5.8%), Tamang (5.1%), Nepal Bhasa (3.2%), Bajjika (3%) andMagar (3.0%), Doteli (3.0%), Urdu (2.6%) and Gurung(1%). In addition, Nepal is home to at least four indigenous sign languages.
Derived from Sanskrit, Nepali has roots in Sanskrit and is written in Devanagari script.
Nepali is the official national language and serves as lingua
franca among Nepalese of different ethno linguistic groups. Regional
dialects Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Maithili and rarely Hindi are spoken in the
southern Terai Region.
Many Nepalese in government and business speak English as well.
Dialects of Tibetan are spoken in and north of the higher Himalaya where
standard literary Tibetan is widely understood by those with religious
education. Local dialects in the Terai and hills are mostly unwritten
with efforts underway to develop systems for writing many in Devanagari
or the Roman alphabet.
Food
Nepal does not have a distinct cooking style. However, food habits differ depending on the region. Nepali food has been influenced by Indian and Tibetan styles of cooking. Authentic Nepali taste is found in Newari and Thakai cuisines. Most Nepalis do not use cutlery but eat with their right hand.The regular Nepali meal is dal (lentil soup), bhat (boiled rice) and tarkari (curried vegetables), often accompanied by achar (pickle). Curried meat is very popular, but is saved for special occasions, as it is relatively more expensive. Momos (steamed or fried dumplings) deserve a mention as one of the most popular snack among Nepalis. Rotis (flat bread) and dhedo (boiled flour) also make meals in some homes.
Sports
| Nepal cricket team |
References
Wikipedia
wikibooks.org
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