This article is about the country. For other uses, see litical deadlock.[14][15] The election was held success- Nepal (disambiguation). fully and the 2nd Nepalese Constituent Assembly was sworn in, with Sushil Koirala appointed as the new prime [16][17] Nepal ( i/nəˈpɔːl/ nə-PAWL;[8] Nepali: नेपाल [neˈpal] minister. ( )), officially the Federal Democratic Republic of In 2014, Nepal ranked 145th of 187 countries on the Nepal,[9] is a landlocked country located in . Human Development Index (HDI) and despite several With an area of 147,181 square kilometres (56,827 sq challenges, Nepal has been making steady progress and mi) and a population of approximately 27 million,[2] the have made commitment to help Nepal is the world’s 93rd largest country by land mass[10] the nation to graduate towards one of the more developed and the 41st most populous country. It is located in nations by 2022.[18][19] the and bordered to the north by the People’s Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of . Specifically, the Indian states 1 Etymology of , Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Sikkim border Nepal, whereas across the Himalayas lies the Tibet Autonomous Region. Nepal is separated Local legends say that a Hindu sage named “Ne” estab- from Bangladesh by the narrow Indian Siliguri Corridor. lished himself in the valley of in prehistoric Kathmandu is the nation’s capital and largest metropolis. times and that the word “Nepal” came into existence as the place protected (“pala” in pali) by the sage “Ne”. Ac- The mountainous north of Nepal has eight of the world’s cording to the Skanda Purana, a rishi called “Ne” or “Ne- ten tallest mountains, including the highest point on muni” used to live in Himalaya.[20] In the Pashupati Pu- Earth, , called Sagarmatha (सगरमाथा) in , he is mentioned as a saint and a protector.[21] He the . More than 240 peaks over 20,000 [11] is said to have practised meditation at the Bagmati and ft (6,096 m) above sea level are located in Nepal. The Kesavati rivers[22] and to have taught there.[23] southern region is fertile and humid. is practiced by about 81.3% of , mak- ing it the country with the highest percentage of . 2 History is linked historically with Nepal and is prac- ticed by 9%, Islam by 4.4%, Kiratism 3.1%, Christianity 1.4%,[2] and animism 0.4%. A large portion of the popu- Main article: lation, especially in the hill region, may identify them- selves as both Hindu and Buddhist, which can be at- tributed to the syncretic nature of Hinduism and Bud- dhism in Nepal.[12] 2.1 Ancient A monarchy throughout most of its history, Nepal was Nepal is first mentioned in the late Vedic text, Athar- ruled by the dynasty of kings from 1768 — when vaveda Parisista as a place exporting blankets, and in unified its many small kingdoms[1] the post-Vedic Atharva Siras Upanisad.[24] In Samu- until 2008. A decade-long Civil War involving the dragupta’s Allahabad inscription it is mentioned as a bor- Communist Party of Nepal and several weeks of mass dering country. The 'Skanda Purana' has a separate chap- protests by all major political parties led to the 12-point ter known as 'Nepal Mahatmya', which "explains in more agreement[13] of 22 November 2005. The ensuing elec- details about the beauty and power of Nepal." Nepal is tions for the 1st Nepalese Constituent Assembly on 28 also mentioned in Hindu texts such as the Narayana May 2008 overwhelmingly favored the abolition of the Puja.[24] monarchy and the establishment of a federal multiparty representative democratic republic. According to Gopal Vansawali, the genealogy of Nepalese monarchy, the earliest settlers in Nepal were The political parties of Nepal agreed to form an in- Gopalas, followed by Mahispala, followed by Kirata.[25] terim government under the leadership of Chief Justice Tibeto-Burman people probably lived in Nepal 2,500 Khil Raj Regmi in order to hold elections for the Con- years ago.[25] However, there is no archaeologic evi- stituent Assembly by 19 November 2013 to end a po- dence of Gopala, Mahispala or Kirata rulers other than

1 2 2 HISTORY

Former royal palace at Basantapur, Kathmandu

2.3

Main article: Kingdom of Nepal

In the mid-18th century, Prithvi Narayan Shah, a Gorkha king, set out to put together what would become present- day Nepal. He embarked on his mission after seeking arms and aid from India and buying the neutrality of bor- dering Indian kingdoms. After several bloody battles and , listed as the birthplace of Buddha by the UNESCO sieges, notably the Battle of Kirtipur, he managed to con- World Heritage Convention quer the in 1769. A detailed account of Prithvi Narayan Shah’s victory was written by Father Giuseppe who was an eyewitness to the war.[29] later documents (Lichchavi and Malla era) mentioning them.[26] There is a quite detailed description of the kingdom of Nepal in the account of the renowned Chinese Buddhist pilgrim monk Xuanzang, dating from c. 645 CE.[27][28] Stone inscriptions in the Kathmandu Valley are important sources for the history of Nepal. The dynasty went into decline in the late eighth century, probably due to Tibetan dominance, and was fol- lowed by era, from 879 CE (Nepal Samvat 1), although the extent of their control over the country is uncertain. In the 11th century it seems to have included the area.

2.2 Medieval Hindu temples in Patan, capital of one of the three medieval Newar kingdoms Main article: Malla (Nepal) In the early 12th century, leaders emerged in far western The Gorkha dominion reached its height when the north- Nepal whose names ended with the suffix malla ern India territories of Kumaon and Garhwal in the west (“wrestler”). These kings consolidated their power and to Sikkim in the east became under Nepal rule. ruled over the next 200 years, until the kingdom splin- At its maximum extent, Greater Nepal extended from the tered into two dozen petty states. Another Malla dy- Tista River in the east, to Kangara, across the Sutlej River nasty, beginning with Jayasthiti, emerged in the Kath- in the west as well as further south into the Terai plains mandu valley in the late 14th century, and much of central and north of the Himalayas than at present. A dispute Nepal again came under a unified rule. However, in 1482 with Tibet over the control of mountain passes and inner the realm was divided into three kingdoms: Kathmandu, Tingri valleys of Tibet forced the Chinese Qing Emperor Patan, and Bhaktapur. in Peking (now Beijing) to start the Sino-Nepalese War 2.3 Kingdom of Nepal 3

Nepalese royalty in the 1920s Janaki Mandir, one of the famous temples of , Nepal

and religious persecution.[31][32] compelling the Nepalese to retreat and pay heavy repara- In the late 1940s, newly emerging pro-democracy move- tions to Peking. ments and political parties in Nepal were critical of the Rivalry between Nepal and the British East India Com- Rana autocracy. Meanwhile, with the invasion of Ti- pany over the annexation of minor states bordering Nepal bet by China in the 1950s, India sought to counterbal- eventually led to the Anglo-Nepalese War (1815–16). ance the perceived military threat from its northern neigh- At first the British underestimated the Nepalese and bour by taking pre-emptive steps to assert more influence were soundly defeated until committing more military re- in Nepal. India sponsored both King Tribhuvan (ruled sources than they had anticipated needing. They were 1911–55) as Nepal’s new ruler in 1951 and a new gov- greatly impressed by the valour and competence of their ernment, mostly comprising the Party, adversaries. Thus began the reputation of “” as thus terminating Rana hegemony in the kingdom. fierce and ruthless soldiers. The war ended in the Treaty After years of power wrangling between the king and the of Sugauli, under which Nepal ceded recently captured government, King Mahendra (ruled 1955–72) scrapped portions of Sikkim and lands in Terai as well as the right the democratic experiment in 1959, and a “partyless” to recruit soldiers. Madheshis, though having supported system was made to govern Nepal until 1989, the British during the war, had their when the “Jan Andolan” (People’s Movement) forced lands gifted to Nepalese. King Birendra (ruled 1972–2001) to accept constitutional Factionalism inside the led to a period of in- reforms and to establish a multiparty parliament that stability. In 1846 a plot was discovered revealing that took seat in May 1991.[33] In 1991–92, Bhutan expelled the reigning queen had planned to overthrow Jung Ba- roughly 100,000 Bhutanese citizens of Nepali descent, hadur Kunwar, a fast-rising military leader. This led to most of whom have been living in seven refugee camps the Kot Massacre; armed clashes between military per- in eastern Nepal ever since.[34] sonnel and administrators loyal to the queen led to the ex- In 1996, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) started ecution of several hundred princes and chieftains around a bid to replace the royal parliamentary system with a the country. Jung Bahadur Kunwar emerged victorious people’s republic by violent means. This led to the long and founded the Rana Lineage and was later known as Nepal Civil War and more than 12,000 deaths. On 1 June . 2001, there was a massacre in the royal palace. King The king was made a titular figure, and the post of Prime Birendra, Queen Aiswarya, and seven other members of Minister was made powerful and hereditary. The Ranas the royal family were killed. The perpetrator was Crown were staunchly pro-British and assisted them during the Prince Dipendra, who committed suicide (he died three Indian Sepoy Rebellion in 1857 (and later in both World days later) shortly thereafter. This outburst was alleged to Wars). Some parts of the Terai Region populated with have been Dipendra’s response to his parents’ refusal to non-Nepalese peoples were gifted to Nepal by the British accept his choice of wife. Nevertheless there are specula- as a friendly gesture, because of her military help to sus- tion and doubts among Nepalese citizens about who was tain British control in India during the Sepoy Rebellion. responsible. In 1923, the United Kingdom and Nepal formally signed Following the carnage, King Birendra’s brother an agreement of friendship, which superseded the Sugauli Gyanendra inherited the throne. On 1 February Treaty signed in 1816. 2005, King Gyanendra dismissed the entire government Slavery was abolished in Nepal in 1924.[30] Nevertheless and assumed full executive powers to quash the violent debt bondage even involving debtors’ children has been Maoist movement,[33] but this initiative was unsuccessful a persistent social problem in the Terai. Rana rule was because a stalemate had developed in which the Maoists marked by tyranny, debauchery, economic exploitation were firmly entrenched in large expanses of countryside 4 3 GEOGRAPHY yet could not dislodge the military from numerous towns separation of powers, then Chief Justice Khila Raj Regmi and the largest cities. In September 2005, the Maoists was made the chairman of the caretaker government. Un- declared a three-month unilateral ceasefire to negotiate. der Mr. Regmi, the nation saw peaceful elections for In response to the 2006 democracy movement King Gya- the constituent assembly. The major forces in the earlier constituent assembly (namely CPN Maoists and Madhesi nendra agreed to relinquish sovereign power to the peo- [46][47] ple. On 24 April 2006 the dissolved House of Represen- parties) dropped to distant 3rd and even below. tatives was reinstated. Using its newly acquired sovereign In February 2014, after consensus was reached between authority, on 18 May 2006 the House of Representatives the two major parties in the constituent assembly, Sushil unanimously voted to curtail the power of the king and Koirala was sworn in as the new prime minister of declared Nepal a secular state, ending its time-honoured Nepal.[16][48] official status as a Hindu Kingdom. On 28 December 2007, a bill was passed in parliament to amend Article 159 of the constitution – replacing “Provisions regard- ing the King” by “Provisions of the Head of the State” – 3 Geography declaring Nepal a , and thereby abolish- ing the monarchy.[35] The bill came into force on 28 May Main articles: and Geology of Nepal 2008.[36] Nepal is of roughly trapezoidal shape, 800 kilometres 2.4 Republic (497 mi) long and 200 kilometres (124 mi) wide, with an area of 147,181 km2 (56,827 sq mi). See List of ter- The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) won the largest ritories by size for the comparative size of Nepal. It lies number of seats in the Constituent Assembly election between latitudes 26° and 31°N, and longitudes 80° and 89°E. held on 10 April 2008, and formed a coalition govern- ment which included most of the parties in the CA. Al- Nepal is commonly divided into three physiographic ar- though acts of violence occurred during the pre-electoral eas: Mountain, Hill and Terai. These ecological belts run period, election observers noted that the elections them- east-west and are vertically intersected by Nepal’s major, selves were markedly peaceful and “well-carried out”.[37] north to south flowing river systems. The newly elected Assembly met in Kathmandu on 28 The southern lowland plains or Terai bordering India May 2008, and, after a polling of 564 constituent Assem- are part of the northern rim of the Indo-Gangetic plains. bly members, 560 voted to form a new government,[36] They were formed and are fed by three major Himalayan with the monarchist Rastriya Prajatantra Party, which rivers: the Kosi, the Narayani, and the Karnali as well as had four members in the assembly, registering a dissent- smaller rivers rising below the permanent snowline. This ing note. At that point, it was declared that Nepal had be- region has a subtropical to tropical climate. The outer- come a secular and inclusive democratic republic,[38][39] most range of foothills called Shiwalik or Churia Range with the government announcing a three-day public - cresting at 700 to 1,000 metres (2,297 to 3,281 ft) marks day from 28 to 30 May. The King was thereafter given 15 the limit of the Gangetic Plain, however broad, low val- days to vacate the Narayanhiti Royal Palace, to re-open it leys called Inner Tarai (Bhitri Tarai Uptyaka) lie north of as a public museum.[40] these foothills in several places. Nonetheless, political tensions and consequent power- The Hill Region (Pahad) abuts the mountains and varies sharing battles have continued in Nepal. In May 2009, the from 800 to 4,000 metres (2,625 to 13,123 ft) in altitude Maoist-led government was toppled and another coali- with progression from subtropical climates below 1,200 tion government with all major political parties bar- metres (3,937 ft) to alpine climates above 3,600 metres ring the Maoists was formed.[41] Madhav Kumar Nepal (11,811 ft). The Mahabharat Range reaching 1,500 to of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist- 3,000 metres (4,921 to 9,843 ft) is the southern limit of Leninist) was made the Prime Minister of the coalition this region, with subtropical river valleys and “hills” al- government.[42] In February 2011 the Madhav Kumar ternating to the north of this range. Population density is Nepal Government was toppled and Jhala Nath Khanal high in valleys but notably less above 2,000 metres (6,562 of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist- ft) and very low above 2,500 metres (8,202 ft) where Leninist) was made the Prime Minister.[43] In August snow occasionally falls in winter. 2011 the Jhala Nath Khanal Government was toppled The Mountain Region (Parbat), situated in the Great and Baburam Bhattarai of the Communist Party of Nepal [44] Himalayan Range, makes up the northern part of Nepal. (Maoist) was made the Prime Minister. It contains the highest elevations in the world including The political parties were unable to draft a constitution in 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) height Mount Everest (Sagar- the stipulated time.[45] This led to dissolution of the Con- matha in Nepali) on the border with China. Seven other stituent Assembly to pave way for new elections to strive of the world’s eight thousand metre peaks are in Nepal for a new political mandate. In opposition to the theory of or on its border with China: Lhotse, , Cho Oyu, 5

Kanchenjunga, , and . montane grasslands and shrublands and rock and ice at Nepal has five climatic zones, broadly corresponding to the highest elevations. the altitudes. The tropical and subtropical zones lie be- At the lowest elevations is the Terai-Duar savanna and low 1,200 metres (3,937 ft), the temperate zone 1,200 grasslands ecoregion. These form a mosaic with the to 2,400 metres (3,937 to 7,874 ft), the cold zone 2,400 Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests, which occur to 3,600 metres (7,874 to 11,811 ft), the subarctic zone from 500 to 1,000 metres (1,600 to 3,300 ft) and in- 3,600 to 4,400 metres (11,811 to 14,436 ft), and the clude the Inner Terai Valleys. Himalayan subtropical pine Arctic zone above 4,400 metres (14,436 ft). forests occur between 1,000 and 2,000 metres (3,300 and Nepal experiences five seasons: summer, monsoon, au- 6,600 ft). tumn, winter and spring. The Himalaya blocks cold winds Above these elevations, the biogeography of Nepal is gen- from Central Asia in the winter and forms the northern erally divided from east to west by the Gandaki River. limit of the monsoon wind patterns. In a land once thickly Ecoregions to the east tend to receive more precipitation forested, deforestation is a major problem in all regions, and to be more species-rich. Those to the west are drier with resulting erosion and degradation of ecosystems. with fewer species. Nepal is popular for mountaineering, having some of the From 1,500 to 3,000 metres (4,900 to 9,800 ft), are highest and most challenging mountains in the world, in- temperate broadleaf forests: the eastern and western Hi- cluding Mount Everest. Technically, the south-east ridge malayan broadleaf forests. From 3,000 to 4,000 me- on the Nepali side of the mountain is easier to climb; so, tres (9,800 to 13,100 ft) are the eastern and western most climbers prefer to trek to Everest through Nepal. Himalayan subalpine conifer forests. To 5,500 metres (18,000 ft) are the eastern and western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows. 3.1 Neotectonics

The collision between the and the 4 Politics Eurasian continent, which started in Paleogene time and continues today, produced the Himalaya and the Tibetan Plateau, a spectacular modern example of the effects of Main article: plate tectonics. Nepal lies completely within this colli- sion zone, occupying the central sector of the Himalayan Nepal has seen rapid political changes during the last two arc, nearly one third of the 2,400 km (1,500 mi)-long decades. Up until 1990, Nepal was a monarchy under [49][50][51][52][53][54] Himalayas. executive control of the King. Faced with a communist The Indian plate continues to move north relative to movement against , King Birendra, in Asia at the rate of approximately 50 mm (2.0 in) per 1990, agreed to a large-scale political reform by creating year.[55] Given the great magnitudes of the blocks of a parliamentary monarchy with the King as the head of the Earth’s crust involved, this is remarkably fast, about state and a Prime Minister as the head of the government. twice the speed at which human fingernails grow. As the Nepal’s legislature was bicameral, consisting of a House strong Indian continental crust subducts beneath the rel- of Representatives called the Pratinidhi Sabha and a atively weak Tibetan crust, it pushes up the Himalayan National Council called the Rastriya Sabha. The House Mountains. This collision zone has accommodated huge of Representatives consisted of 205 members directly amounts of crustal shortening as the rock sequences slide elected by the people. The National Council had 60 one over another. As such Nepal is prone to frequent members: ten nominated by the king, 35 elected by the earthquakes, a major earthquake happening within every House of Representatives, and the remaining 15 elected [56] 100 years. by an electoral college made up of chairs of villages and Erosion of the Himalayas is a very important source of towns. The legislature had a five-year term but was dis- sediment, which flows via several great rivers (the Indus solvable by the king before its term could end. All Nepali to the Indian Ocean, and the Ganges and Brahmaputra citizens 18 years and older became eligible to vote. [57] river system) to the Bay of Bengal. The executive comprised the King and the Council of Ministers (the cabinet). The leader of the coalition or party securing the maximum seats in an election was ap- 3.2 Environment pointed as the Prime Minister. The Cabinet was ap- pointed by the king on the recommendation of the Prime The dramatic differences in elevation found in Nepal re- Minister. Governments in Nepal tended to be highly un- sult in a variety of biomes, from tropical savannas along stable, falling either through internal collapse or parlia- the Indian border, to subtropical broadleaf and coniferous mentary dissolution by the monarch, on the recommenda- forests in the Hill Region, to temperate broadleaf and tion of the prime minister, according to the constitution; coniferous forests on the slopes of the Himalaya, to no government has survived for more than two years since 6 4 POLITICS

1991. Khanal of CPN (UML) was elected the Prime Minister. The movement in April 2006 brought about a change in Khanal was forced to step down as he could not succeed the nation’s governance: an interim constitution was pro- in carrying forward the Peace Process and the constitu- mulgated, with the King giving up power, and an interim tion writing. On August 2011, Maoist Dr. Babu Ram House of Representatives was formed with Maoist mem- Bhattarai became third Prime Minister after the election of constituent assembly.[62] On 24 May 2012, Nepals’s bers after the new government held peace talks with the [63] Maoist rebels. The number of parliamentary seats was Deputy PM Krishna Sitaula resigned. On 27 May also increased to 330. In April 2007, the Communist 2012, the country’s Constituent Assembly failed to meet the deadline for writing a new constitution for the coun- Party of Nepal (Maoist) joined the interim government of Nepal. try. Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai announced that new elections will be held on 22 November. “We have In December 2007, the interim parliament passed a bill no other option but to go back to the people and elect a making Nepal a federal republic, with a president as head new assembly to write the constitution,” he said in a na- of state. Elections for the constitutional assembly were tionally televised speech. One of the main obstacles has held on 10 April 2008; the Maoist party led the results been disagreement over whether the states which will be but did not achieve a simple majority of seats.[58] The new created will be based on ethnicity.[64] parliament adopted the 2007 bill at its first meeting by an Nepal is one of the few countries in Asia to abolish the overwhelming majority, and King Gyanendra was given [65] 15 days to leave the Royal Palace in central Kathmandu. death penalty and the first country in Asia to rule in He left on 11 June.[59] favor of same-sex marriage. The decision was based on a seven-person government committee study, and enacted On 26 June, the prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala, through Supreme Court's ruling November 2008. The who had served as Acting Head of State since January ruling granted full rights for LGBT individuals, includ- 2007, announced that he would resign on the election of ing the right to marry[66] and now can get citizenship as a the country’s first president by the Constituent Assembly. third gender rather than male or female as authorized by The first round of voting, on 19 July, saw Parmanand Jha Nepal’s Supreme Court in 2007.[67] win election as Nepali vice-president, but neither of the contenders for president received the required 298 votes and a second round was held two days later. Ram Baran 4.1 Environmental policy Yadav of the Nepali Congress party defeated Maoist- backed Ram Prasad Singh with 308 of the 590 votes As a mountainous country with agriculture, hydropower cast.[60] Koirala submitted his resignation to the new pres- and tourism all important for its economy, Nepal is vul- ident after Yadav’s swearing-in ceremony on 23 July. nerable to the impacts of climate change, such as ris- ing temperatures, erratic rainfall patterns and incidents of drought. According to the Climate & Development Knowledge Network, this has prompted the government to introduce new initiatives and institutional reforms.[68]

4.2 Government

Prachanda speaking at a rally in Pokhara.

On 15 August 2008, Maoist leader Prachanda () was elected , the first since the country’s transition from a monarchy to a republic. On 4 May 2009, Dahal resigned over on-going conflicts with regard to the sacking of the Army chief. Since Dahal’s resignation, the country has been in a se- rious political deadlock with one of the big issues being Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepalese government the proposed integration of the former Maoist combat- ants, also known as the People’s Liberation Army, into Nepal is a multi-party system federal republic. The In- the national security forces.[61] After Dahal, Jhala Nath terim , 2063 has defined three or- 4.3 Subdivisions 7 gans of the government. 4.3 Subdivisions

Main articles: Development Regions of Nepal, List of • Executive: The executive power of Nepal is vested zones of Nepal and List of districts of Nepal in the Council of Ministers. The responsibility of Nepal is divided into 14 zones and 75 districts, grouped issuing general directives, controlling and regulat- ing the administration of Nepal lie in the Coun- cil of Ministers. The Prime Minister of Nepal is Karnali the head of the Government. The Prime Minister Mahakali

appoints the Ministers. While appointing Minis- Dhawalagiri ters, the Prime Minister shall appoint them, on the Gandaki recommendation of the concerned political party, Bagmati from amongst the members of the Legislature- Seti Parliament. Bheri Rapti

Lumbini

Narayani

• Legislative: The Legislature-Parliament of Nepal Janakpur Sagarmatha is unicameral. Constituent assembly is working as Koshi Mechi the legislature of Nepal at present. The legislature is composed of 601 members. Among them, 240 Administrative subdivisions of Nepal members are directly elected by the people from 240 constituencies. 335 members are elected through into five development regions. Each district is headed by proportional basis and 26 members are nominated a permanent chief district officer responsible for main- by the cabinet. All the bills are presented in the par- taining law and order and coordinating the work of field liament. After passing the bills by the majority. Af- agencies of the various government ministries. The five ter his approval, it becomes the law. In this way, all regions and 14 zones are: the laws are made in the parliament. The legisla- tive controls over the finance of the country. Leg- • islative passes the annual budget according to which Eastern Region (Purwanchal) the government spends money in various tasks. Leg- • Koshi islative can raise questions to any work of the gov- ernment. If the government does not work properly, • Mechi legislative can withdraw its support and government • Sagarmatha is dissolved. In this way the legislative has control over the executive. • Central Region (Madhyamanchal)

• Bagmati • Judiciary: The Constitution provides three tiers of Court which include the Supreme Court of • Janakpur Nepal, the Court of Appeal and the District Courts. • Narayani Supreme Court is the Apex Court. All courts and judicial institutions except the constitutional assem- • Western Region (Pashchimanchal) bly court, are under the Supreme Court. There is no distinction between Criminal and Civil court except • Dhawalagiri some basic procedures. District Court is the Court • Gandaki of first instance upon which Court of Appeal hear appeal. In addition to these regular courts there is • Lumbini provision in constitution to establish special types of courts or tribunals for the purpose of hearing special • Mid-Western Region (Madhya Pashchimanchal) types of cases by the law. According to these provi- sion there are four Revenue Tribunals, one Adminis- • Bheri trative Court, one Labor Court, one Debt Recovery • Karnali tribunal and one Debt recovery Appeal Tribunal and • one special court are functioning under the respec- Rapti tive laws. These institutions are under the judicial • control of the Supreme Court. There are 16 Court Far-Western Region (Sudur Pashchimanchal) of Appeal and 15 Districts in Nepal. The Supreme • Mahakali Court is also the ultimate interpreter of the consti- tution. • Seti 8 6 ECONOMY

5 Foreign relations and military lowed to be a part of the army in sections like intelligence, headquarters, signals and operations.[74] Main articles: Nepalese Armed Forces and Foreign relations of Nepal 6 Economy Nepal has close ties with both of its neighbors, India and China. In accordance with a long-standing treaty, Indian Main article: Economy of Nepal and Nepalese citizens may travel to each other’s coun- Nepal’s gross domestic product (GDP) for 2012 was tries without a passport or visa. Nepalese citizens may work in India without legal restriction. The Indian Army maintains seven Gorkha regiments consisting of Gorkha troops recruited mostly from Nepal.

Terraced farming on the foothills of the Himalayas.

Khukuri symbolic weapon of the Nepalese Army and

However, since the Government of Nepal has been domi- nated by Socialists and India’s by more right-wing parties, India has been remilitarizing the “porous” Indo-Nepali border, to stifle the flow of Islamist groups.[69] Nepal established relations with the People’s Republic of China on 1 August 1955, and relations since have been based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexis- tence. Nepal has aided China in the aftermath of the Kathmandu street vendors 2008 Sichuan earthquake, and China has provided eco- nomic assistance for Nepali infrastructure. Both coun- estimated at over $17.921 billion (adjusted to Nominal tries have cooperated to host the 2008 Summer Olympics [5] [70] GDP). In 2010, agriculture accounted for 36.1%, ser- summit of Mt. Everest. Nepal has assisted in curbing vices comprise 48.5%, and industry 15.4% of Nepal’s anti-China protests from the Tibetan diaspora.[71] GDP.[75] While agriculture and industry is contracting, Nepal’s military consists of the Nepalese Army, which the contribution by service sector is increasing.[75][76] includes the Nepalese Army Air Service. The Nepalese Agriculture employs 76% of the workforce, services 18% Force is the civilian police and the Armed Police and manufacturing/craft-based industry 6%. Agricultural Force Nepal[72] is the paramilitary force. Service is vol- produce – mostly grown in the Terai region bordering untary and the minimum age for enlistment is 18 years. India – includes tea, rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root Nepal spends $99.2 million (2004) on its military— crops, milk, and water buffalo meat. Industry mainly 1.5% of its GDP. Much of the equipment and arms are involves the processing of agricultural produce, includ- imported from India. Consequently, the US provided ing jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Its workforce of M16s M4s and other Colt weapons to combat commu- about 10 million suffers from a severe shortage of skilled nist (Maoist) insurgents. The standard-issue battle rifle labor. [73] of the Nepalese army is the Colt M16. Nepal’s economic growth continues to be adversely af- In the new regulations by Nepalese Army, female soldiers fected by the political uncertainty. Nevertheless, real have been barred from participating in combat situations GDP growth is estimated to increase to almost 5 percent and fighting in the frontlines of war. However, they are al- for 2011/2012. This is a considerable improvement from 9

The spectacular landscape and diverse, exotic cultures of Nepal represent considerable potential for tourism, but growth in this hospitality industry has been stifled by po- litical instability and poor infrastructure. Despite these problems, in 2012 the number of international tourists visiting Nepal was 598,204, a 10% increase on the previ- ous year.[82] The tourism sector contributed nearly 3% of national GDP in 2012 and is the second biggest foreign income earner after remittances.[83] The rate of unemployment and underemployment ap- proaches half of the working-age population. Thus many Nepali citizens move to other countries in search of work. Top destinations include India, Qatar, the United States, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Brunei Darussalam, Australia, and Canada.[84][85] Nepal receives $50 million a year through the Gurkha soldiers who serve in the Indian and British armies and are highly esteemed for their skill and bravery. As of 2010, the total remittance value is worth around $3.5 billion.[85] In 2009 alone, the remittance contributed to 22.9% of the nation’s GDP.[85] A long-standing economic agreement underpins a close relationship with India. The country receives for- eign aid from India, Japan, the UK, the US, the EU, The trading of wool. China, Switzerland, and Scandinavian countries. Poverty is acute; per-capita income is around $1,000.[86] The distribution of wealth among the Nepalese is consistent the 3.5 percent GDP growth in 2010/2011 and would be with that in many developed and developing countries: the second highest growth rate in the post-conflict era.[77] the highest 10% of households control 39.1% of the na- Sources of growth include agriculture, construction, fi- tional wealth and the lowest 10% control only 2.6%. nancial and other services. The contribution of growth The government’s budget is about $1.153 billion, with ex- by consumption fueled by remittances has declined since penditure of $1.789 billion (FY05/06). The Nepalese ru- 2010/2011. While remittance growth slowed to 11 per- pee has been tied to the Indian Rupee at an exchange rate cent (in Nepali Rupee terms) in 2010/2011 it has since of 1.6 for many years. Since the loosening of exchange increased to 37 percent. Remittances are estimated to be rate controls in the early 1990s, the black market for for- equivalent to 25–30 percent of GDP. Inflation has been eign exchange has all but disappeared. The inflation rate reduced to a three-year low to 7 percent.[77] has dropped to 2.9% after a period of higher inflation The proportion of poor people has declined substan- during the 1990s. tially in recent years. The percentage of people liv- Nepal’s exports of mainly carpets, clothing, hemp natural ing below the international poverty line (people earn- fiber, leather goods, jute goods and grain total $822 mil- ing less than US$1.25 per day) has halved in only lion. Import commodities of mainly gold, machinery seven years.[77] At this measure of poverty the percent- and equipment, petroleum products and fertilizer total age of poor people declined from 53.1% in 2003/2004 US$2 bn. EU (46.13%), the US (17.4%), and Ger- to 24.8% in 2010/2011.[77] With a higher poverty line many (7.1%) are its main export partners. Recently, the of US$2 per-capita per day, poverty declined by one European Union has become the largest buyer of Nepali quarter to 57.3%.[77] However, the income distribution ready made garments (RMG). Exports to the EU ac- remains grossly uneven.[78] In a recent survey, Nepal counted for “46.13 percent of the country’s total gar- has performed extremely well in reducing poverty along ment exports”.[87] Nepal’s import partners include In- with Rwanda and Bangladesh as the percentage of poor dia (47.5%), the United Arab Emirates (11.2%), China dropped to 44.2 percent of the population in 2011 from (10.7%), Saudi Arabia (4.9%), and Singapore (4%). 64.7 percent in 2006–4.1 percentage points per year, Besides having landlocked, rugged geography, few tan- which means that Nepal has made significant improve- gible natural resources and poor infrastructure, the in- ment in sectors like nutrition, child mortality, electricity, effective post-1950 government of uneducated old self- improved flooring and assets. So if the progress of reduc- centered Politicians and the long-running civil war is ing poverty continues in this rate, then it’s predicted that also a factor in stunting the economic growth and Nepal will halve the current poverty rate and eradicate it development.[88][89][90] within the next 20 years.[79][80][81] 10 7 INFRASTRUCTURE

7 Infrastructure ation is in a better state, with 47 airports, 11 of them with paved runways;[95] flights are frequent and support 7.1 Energy a sizable traffic. The hilly and mountainous terrain in the northern two-thirds of the country has made the build- ing of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expen- The bulk of the energy need is dominated by fuel wood sive. In 2007 there were just over 10,142 km (6,302 mi) (68%) agricultural waste (15%), animal dung (8%), and of paved roads, and 7,140 km (4,437 mi) of unpaved imported fossil fuel (8%).[91][92] Except for some lignite road, and one 59 km (37 mi) railway line in the south.[95] deposits, Nepal has no known oil, gas or coal deposits. There is a single reliable road route from India to the All commercial fossil fuels (mainly oil and coal) are ei- Kathmandu Valley. More than one-third of its people live ther imported from India or from international markets at least a two hours walk from the nearest all-season road; routed through India and China. Fuel imports absorb over 15 out of 75 district headquarters are not connected by one-fourth of Nepal’s foreign exchange earnings.[92] Only road. In addition, some 60% of road network and most about 1% energy need is fulfilled by electricity. Para- rural roads are not operable during the rainy season.[96] doxically, the perennial nature of Nepali rivers and the The only practical seaport of entry for goods bound for steep gradient of the country’s topography provide ideal Kathmandu is Calcutta in India. Internally, the poor state conditions for the development of some of the world’s of development of the road system makes access to mar- largest hydroelectric projects in Nepal. Current estimates kets, schools, and health clinics a challenge.[88] put Nepal’s economically feasible hydropower potential to be approximately 83,000 MW from 66 hydropower [92][93] project sites. However, currently Nepal has been 7.3 Communication able to exploit only about 600 MW from 20 major hy- dropower plants and a number of small and micro hy- dropower plants.[91] There are 9 major hydropower plants under construction, and additional 27 sites considered for potential development.[91] Only about 40% of Nepal’s population has access to electricity.[91] Even in this sce- nario there is a great disparity between urban and rural areas. The electrification rate in urban areas is 90%, whereas the rate for rural areas is only 5%.[92] Power cuts of up to 22 hours a day takes place in peak demand pe- riods of winter and the peak electricity demand is almost the double the capability or dependable capacity.[94] The position of the power sector remains unsatisfactory be- cause of high tariffs, high system losses, high generation costs, high overheads, over staffing, and lower domestic demand.[92]

7.2 Transport

Mahabir Pun hand-making a satellite dish in Nepal

According to the Nepal Telecommunication Authority MIS May 2012 report,[97] there are 7 operators and the total voice telephony subscribers including fixed and mo- bile are 16,350,946 which give the penetration rate of 61.42%. The fixed telephone service account for 9.37%, mobile for 64.63%, and other services (LM, GMPCS) for Means of transport in mountain area 3.76% of the total penetration rate. Similarly, the num- bers of subscribers to data/internet services are 4,667,536 Nepal remains isolated from the world’s major land, air which represents 17.53% penetration rate. Most of the and sea transport routes although, within the country, avi- data service is accounted by GPRS users. Twelve months 7.5 Health 11 earlier the data/internet penetration was 10.05%, thus this 5 years and above) has increased from 54.1% in 2001 to represents a growth rate of 74.77%.[97] 65.9% in 2011. Male literacy rate is 75.1% compared Not only has there been strong subscriber growth, es- to female literacy rate of 57.4%. The highest literacy rate is reported in (86.3%) and low- pecially in the mobile sector, but there was evidence of [2] a clear vision in the sector, including putting a reform est in Rautahat (41.7%). While the net primary enroll- ment rate was 74% in 2005;[104] in 2009, that enrollment process in place and planning for the building of nec- [105] essary telecommunications infrastructure. Most impor- rate was at 90%. However increasing access to sec- tantly, the Ministry of Information and Communications ondary education (grades 9-12) remains a major chal- lenge, as evidenced by the disturbingly low net enrollment (MoIC) and the telecom regulator, the National Telecom- munications Authority (NTA), have both been very active rate of 24% at this level. More than half of primary stu- dents do not enter secondary schools, and only one-half of in the performance of their respective roles.[98] Despite all the effort, there remained a significant disparity between them complete secondary schooling. In addition, fewer girls than boys join secondary schools and, among those the high coverage levels in the cities and the coverage [106] available in the underdeveloped rural regions. Progress who do join, fewer complete the 10th grade. Nepal Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu on providing some minimum access had been good, how- has six universities: ever. Of a total of 3,914 Village Development Commit- University, Pokhara University, Purbanchal University, Mahendra Sanskrit University, and the Agriculture and tees across the country, only 306 were unserved by De- [107] cember 2009.[98] In order to meet future demand, it was Forestry University of Nepal (AFU). Some newly estimated that Nepal needed to invest around US$135 proposed universities are Lumbini Bouddha University, million annually in its telecom sector.[98] In 2009, the Mid-Western University, and Far-Western University. Some fine scholarship has emerged in the post-1990 telecommunication sector alone contributed to 1% of the [108] nation’s GDP.[99] As of 30 September 2012, Nepal has era. 1,828,700 Facebook users.[100] In the broadcast media, as of 2007, the state operates 7.5 Health 2 television stations as well as national and regional ra- dio stations. There are roughly 30 independent TV chan- Main article: nels registered, with only about half in regular operation. Public health and health care services in Nepal are pro- Nearly 400 FM radio stations are licensed with roughly 300 operational.[95] According to 2011 census, the per- centage of households possessing radio was 50.82%, tele- vision 36.45%, cable TV 19.33%, computer 7.23%.[2] According to the Press Council Nepal, as of 2012 there are 2038 registered newspapers in Nepal, among which 514 are in publication.[101] In 2013, the Reporters With- out Borders ranked Nepal at 118th place in the world in terms of press freedom.[102][103]

7.4 Education

Main article: Currently the overall literacy rate (for population aged

Kunde Hospital in remote Himalayan region

vided by both the public and private sector and fares poorly by international standards. According to 2011 Nepalese teacher and schoolchildren in Pokhara census, more than one third (38.17%) of the total house- 12 8 CRIME AND holds do not have toilet in their houses.[2] Tap/Piped ized groups. Lessons for replication emphasize expe- water is the main source of drinking water for 47.78% riential learning, establishment of a strong civil society of the total households. Tube well/hand pump is the network, flexible regulation to encourage diverse institu- main source of drinking water for about 35% of the total tional modalities, and responsiveness of government and households, while spout, uncovered well/kuwa and cov- policymakers to a multistakeholder collaborative learning ered well/kuwa are the main source for 5.74%, 4.71% process.[121][122] and 2.45% respectively.[2] Based on 2010 World Health Organization (WHO) data, Nepal ranked 139 in life ex- pectancy in 2010 with the average Nepalese living to 65.8 years.[109][110] 8 Crime and law enforcement Disease prevalence is higher in Nepal than it is in other Main article: Law enforcement in Nepal South Asian countries, especially in rural areas. Leading See also: Directorate of Military Intelligence, Nepal, diseases and illnesses include diarrhea, gastrointestinal National Investigation Department of Nepal and Human disorders, goiter, intestinal parasites, leprosy, visceral trafficking in Nepal leishmaniasis and tuberculosis.[111] About 4 out of 1,000 adults aged 15 to 49 had human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and the HIV prevalence rate was 0.5%.[112][113] Law enforcement in Nepal is primarily the responsibil- Malnutrition also remains very high: about 47% of ity of the Nepalese Police Force which is the national children under 5 are stunted, 15 percent wasted, and police of Nepal.[123] It is independent of the Nepalese 36 percent underweight, although there has been a de- Army. In the days of its establishment, Nepal Police clining trend for these rates over the past five years, personnel were mainly drawn from the armed forces of they remain alarmingly high.[114] In spite of these fig- the Nepali Congress Party which fought against feudal ures, some improvements in health care have been made, Rana autocracy in Nepal. Central Investigation Bureau most notable is the significant progress in maternal-child (CIB) and National Investigation Department of Nepal health.[115][116] Overall Nepal’s HDI for health was 0.77 (NID) are the investigation agencies of Nepal. They in 2011, ranking Nepal 126 out of 194 countries, up from have offices in all 75 administrative districts including 0.444 in 1980.[117][118] region offices in five regions and Zonal offices in four- teen Zones. Numbers varies from three to five mem- bers at each district level in rural districts and numbers 7.6 Community forestry can be higher in urban districts. They have both Do- mestic and International surveillance unit which mainly The Community Forestry Program in Nepal is a par- deals with cross border terrorists, drug trafficking, money ticipatory environmental governance that encompasses laundering.[124][125][126][127] well-defined policies, institutions, and practices. The program addresses the twin goals of forest conserva- A 2010 survey estimated about 46,000 hard drug users in the country, with 70% of the users to be within the tion and poverty reduction. As more than 70 per- [128] cent of Nepal’s population depends on agriculture for age group of 15 to 29. The same survey also reported that 19% of the users had been introduced to hard drugs their livelihood, community management of forests has been a critically important intervention. Through legisla- when they were less than 15 years old; and 14.4% of drug users were attending school or college.[128] Only 12 of tive developments and operational innovations over three decades, the program has evolved from a protection- the 17 municipalities studied had any type of rehabilita- tion center.[128][129] There has been a sharp increase in the oriented, conservation-focused agenda to a much more broad-based strategy for forest use, enterprise develop- seizure of drugs such as hashish, heroin and opium in the past few years; and there are indications that drug traf- ment, and livelihood improvement. By April 2009, one- [130] third of Nepal’s population was participating in the pro- ficker are trying to establish Nepal as a transit point. gram, directly managing more than one-fourth of Nepal’s Human trafficking is a major problem in forest area.[119][120] Nepal.[131][132][133] Nepali victims are trafficked within The immediate livelihood benefits derived by rural house- Nepal, to India, the Middle East, and other areas such holds bolster strong collective action wherein local com- as Malaysia and forced to become prostitutes, domestic munities actively and sustainably manage forest re- servants, beggars, factory workers, mine workers, circus sources. Community forests also became the source of performers, child soldiers, and others. Sex trafficking is diversified investment capital and raw material for new particularly rampant within Nepal and to India, with as many as 5,000 to 10,000 women and girls trafficked to market-oriented livelihoods. Community forestry shows [134][135][136] traits of political, financial, and ecological sustainabil- India alone each year. ity, including emergence of a strong legal and regulatory With wider availability of information technology, cy- framework, and robust civil society institutions and net- ber crime is a growing trend. The police handled 16 works. However, a continuing challenge is to ensure eq- cases of cyber crime in fiscal year 2010/2011, 47 cases in uitable distribution of benefits to women and marginal- 2011/2012 and 78 in the current fiscal year.[137] In 2013, 9.1 Languages 13

out of 78 cases of cyber crime this year 57 are related to social networking sites.[137] Capital punishment was abolished in Nepal in 1997.[138] In 2008, the Nepalese government abolished the Haliya system of forced labour, freeing about 20,000 people.[139] How effective this has been has been questioned.[140]

9 Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Nepal According to 2011 census, Nepal’s population grew from A mountain village in Nepal

Population density map of Nepal Nepalese women dancing in 9 million people in 1950 to 26.5 million in 2011. The population was 23 million in 2001 with a subsequent fam- ily size decline from 5.44 to 4.9 from 2001 to 2011. Some by the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, 1.9 million absentee population was noted in 2011, over Nepal hosted a population of refugees and asylum seek- a million more than in 2001, most being male workers. ers in 2007 numbering approximately 130,000. Of This correlated with the drop in sex ratio from 94.41 this population, approximately 109,200 persons were as compared to 99.80 for 2001. The annual population from Bhutan and 20,500 from People’s Republic of growth rate is 1.35%.[2] China.[141][142] The government of Nepal restricted The Nepalese are descendants of three major migrations ethnic Nepalese expelled from Bhutan to seven camps in the Jhapa and Morang districts, and refugees were not from India, Tibet, and North Burma and the Chinese [141] province of Yunnan via Assam. permitted to work in most professions. At present, the United States is working towards resettling more than Among the earliest inhabitants were the Kirat of east mid- 60,000 of these refugees in the US.[34] region, Newar of the Kathmandu Valley and aboriginal Tharu in the southern Terai region. The ancestors of the and Chetri caste groups came from India’s 9.1 Languages present Kumaon, Garhwal and Kashmir regions, while other ethnic groups trace their origins to North Burma Main article: and Yunnan and Tibet, e.g. the Gurung and Magar in the west, Rai, Sunuwar and Limbu in the east (from Yunnan Nepal’s diverse linguistic heritage evolved from four and north Burma via Assam), and Sherpa and Bhutia in major language groups: Indo-Aryan, Tibeto-Burman, the north (from Tibet). Mongolian and various indigenous language isolates. Despite the migration of a significant section of the pop- The major languages of Nepal (percent spoken as na- ulation to the southern plains or terai in recent years, tive language) according to the 2011 census are Nepali the majority of the population still lives in the central (44.6%), Maithili (11.7%), Bhojpuri (6.0%), Tharu highlands. The northern mountains are sparsely popu- (5.8%), Tamang (5.1%), Nepal Bhasa (3.2%), Bajjika lated. Kathmandu, with a population of over 2.6 million (3%) and Magar (3.0%), Doteli (3.0%), Urdu (2.6%) and (metropolitan area: 5 million), is the largest city in the Sunwar. In addition, Nepal is home to at least four indige- country. nous sign languages. According to the World Refugee Survey 2008, published Derived from Sanskrit, Nepali is written in Devanagari 14 9 DEMOGRAPHICS script. Nepali is the official national language and serves main branches of Buddhism exist in Nepal and the Newa as lingua franca among Nepalis of different ethnolinguis- people have their own branch of the faith.[146] Buddhism tic groups. The regional languages Awadhi, Bhojpuri, is also the dominant religion of the thinly populated Maithili and rarely are spoken in the southern Terai northern areas, which are mostly inhabited by Tibetan- Region. Many Nepalis in government and business speak related peoples, such as the Sherpa. English as well. Varieties of Tibetan are spoken in and The Buddha, born as a Hindu, is also said to be a descen- north of the higher Himalaya where standard literary Ti- dant of Vedic Sage Angirasa in many Buddhist texts.[147] betan is widely understood by those with religious edu- The Buddha’s family surname is associated with Gautama cation. Local dialects in the Terai and hills are mostly Maharishi.[148] Differences between Hindus and Bud- unwritten with efforts underway to develop systems for dhists have been minimal in Nepal due to the cultural writing many in Devanagari or the Roman alphabet. and historical intermingling of Hindu and Buddhist be- liefs. Moreover traditionally Buddhism and Hinduism 9.2 Religion were never two distinct religions in the western sense of the word. In Nepal, the faiths share common tem- Main article: ples and worship common deities. Among other na- The overwhelming majority of the Nepalese population tives of Nepal, those more influenced by Hinduism were the Magar, Sunwar, Limbu and Rai and the Gurkhas.[25] Hindu influence is less prominent among the Gurung, Bhutia, and Thakali groups who employ Buddhist monks for their religious ceremonies.[25] Most of the festivals in Nepal are Hindu.[149] The Machendrajatra festival, dedi- cated to Hindu Shaiva Siddha, is celebrated by many Bud- dhists in Nepal as a main festival.[150] As it is believed that Ne Muni established Nepal,[151] some important priests in Nepal are called “Tirthaguru Nemuni”. Islam is a mi- nority religion in Nepal, with 4.2% of the population be- ing Muslim according to a 2006 Nepalese census.[152] Mundhum, Christianity and Jainism are other minority faiths.[153]

9.3 Largest cities

Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal. follows Hinduism. Shiva is regarded as the guardian deity of the country.[145] Nepal is home to the famous Lord Shiva temple, the Pashupatinath Temple, where Hindus from all over the world come for pilgrimage. According to theology, Sita Devi of the epic Ramayana, was born in Narayanhiti Palace Museum the Kingdom of King Janaka Raja. Lumbini is a Buddhist pilgrimage site and UNESCO The 14 largest cities in 2011 by population as per cen- World Heritage Site site in the Kapilavastu district. Tra- sus 2011[2] ditionally it is held to be the birthplace in about 563 B.C. of Siddhartha Gautama, a Kshatriya caste prince of the Main article: List of cities in Nepal Sakya clan, who, as the Buddha Gautama, gave birth to the Buddhist tradition. The holy site of Lumbini is bordered by a large monastic • Kathmandu (Pop.: 975,453) the largest city and cap- zone, in which only monasteries can be built. All three ital of Nepal. 10.1 Cuisine 15

• (Pop.: over 700,000 including sub urban areas) the second largest City of Nepal • Pokhara (Pop.: 264,991) • Lalitpur (Pop.: 220,802) • Bharatpur (Pop.: 143,836) • Birganj (Pop.: 135,904) • (Pop.: 118,462) • (Pop.: 116,181) • Bhim Datta (Pop.: 104,599)

• (Pop.: 101,970) singing devotional • Janakpur (Pop.: 97,776) • (Pop.:84,671) • Madhyapur Thimi (Pop.:83,036) • Bhaktapur (Pop.: 81,748)

10 Culture

Main articles: and of Nepal Folklore is an integral part of Nepalese society. Tradi-

Momo

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[154] and is considered to be the Traditional - (Dal bhat) most mathematical flag in the world.[155] According to its official description, the red in the flag stands for victory in tional stories are rooted in the reality of day-to-day life, war or courage, and is also color of the rhododendron, the tales of love, affection and battles as well as demons and national flower of Nepal. Red also stands for aggression. ghosts and thus reflect local lifestyles, cultures and beliefs. The flag’s blue border signifies peace. The curved moon Many Nepalese folktales are enacted through the medium on the flag is a symbol of the peaceful and calm nature of of dance and music. Nepalese, while the sun represents the aggressiveness of The Nepali year begins in mid-April and is divided into Nepalese warriors. 12 months. Saturday is the official weekly holiday. Main annual holidays include the National Day, celebrated on the birthday of the king (28 December), Prithvi Jayanti 10.1 Cuisine (11 January), Martyr’s Day (18 February), and a mix of Hindu and Buddhist festivals such as in autumn, Main articles: Nepalese cuisine and Newa cuisine and in late autumn. During , the Newars per- See also: List of Nepalese dishes form the ceremony to celebrate ’s Day of the lunar calendar Nepal Sambat. A typical Nepalese meal is Dal bhat. Dal is a spicy 16 13 CITATIONS lentil soup, served over bhat (boiled rice), served with fier. They have also qualified for the 2014 ICC World tarkari (curried vegetables) together with achar (pickles) Twenty20 which is currently taking place in Bangladesh. or chutni (spicy condiment made from fresh ingredients). Phapla Cricket Stadium is the national cricket stadium in It consists of non-vegetarian as well as vegetarian items Nepal. It is located in Dhangadhi Kailali. served with non-alcoholic beverages. Mustard oil is the cooking medium and a host of spices, such as cumin, coriander, black pepper, sesame seeds, turmeric, garlic, ginger, methi (fenugreek), bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, 12 See also chilies, mustard seeds, etc., are used in the cooking. The cuisine served on festivals is generally the best. Momo • List of Nepal-related topics is a type of steamed bun with or without fillings. Momo • have become a traditional delicacy in Nepal. They are Outline of Nepal one of the most popular fast foods in many regions of the Nepal. 13 Citations

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[6] “Gini Index”. World Bank. Retrieved 2 March 2011.

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[10] “The World Factbook: Rank order population”. CIA. Re- trieved 14 February 2014.

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[12] Shrestha, Khadga Man (2005). “Religious Syncretism and Context of Buddhism in Medieval Nepal”. Voice of His- tory 20 (1): 51–60.

[13] Nepal, UN. “12-point understanding reached between the Seven Political Parties and Nepal Communist Party (Maoists)". http://www.un.org.np/. Retrieved 3 July 2014. Halchowk Studium [14] Bhusal, Thira (14 March 2013). “Major parties ink 11- Association football is the most popular sport in point agreement”. Republica. Retrieved 13 March 2013. Nepal[156] and was first played during the in 1921.[157] Also, cricket has been gaining popularity [15] "बाधा अड्काउ फुकाउनेसहित राजनीतिक सहमतिमा since the last decade. Cricket in Nepal is making quick हस्ताक्षर, शपथ भोलि बिहान ९ बजेमात्रै". Nagarik. 23 November 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2013. progress as the Nepal cricket team has won the 2012 ICC World Cricket League Division Four and the 2013 ICC [16] “Sushil Koirala wins vote to be Nepal’s prime minis- World Cricket League Division Three[158] simultaneously ter”. BBC. Retrieved 14 February 2014. |first1= missing hence qualifying for 2014 Cricket World Cup Quali- |last1= in Authors list (help) 17

[17] “Nepal Peace Reports”. The Carter Foundation. Re- [36] “Nepal votes to abolish monarchy”. BBC News. 28 May trieved 14 February 2014. |first1= missing |last1= in Au- 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2011. thors list (help) [37] The Carter Center. “Activities by Country: Nepal”. Re- [18] “The 2013 Human Development Report – “The Rise of trieved 17 July 2008. the South: Human Progress in a Diverse World"". HDRO (Human Development Report Office) United Nations De- [38] “Nepal abolishes its monarchy”. Al Jazeera. 28 May velopment Programme. pp. 144–147. Retrieved 15 Jan- 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2008. uary 2014. [39] Timsina, Monika. “They're more violent”. Ekantipur. [19] Planning Commission, Nepal. “An Approach to the Grad- uation from the Least Developed Country by 2022”. http: [40] “Nepal King gets 15 days to leave palace”. Outlookin- //www.npc.gov.np/. Retrieved 3 July 2014. dia.com. 28 May 2008. Retrieved 25 October 2012.

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• “Nepal: A state under siege”. The South Asian: Fea- • Glacial Lakes and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in tured Articles. Archived from the original on 31 De- Nepal. – International Centre for Integrated Moun- cember 2004. Retrieved 23 September 2005. tain Development, Kathmandu, March 2011 21

15 External links

• Official website of the Government of Nepal

• Nepal entry at The World Factbook • Nepal from UCB Libraries GovPubs

• Nepal at DMOZ

• About Nepal • Nepal at Encyclopædia Britannica

• Nepal profile from the BBC News • Wikimedia Atlas of Nepal

• Planet Nepal Nepal Encyclopedia Project • Cost of Living Index in Nepal - Statistics & Graphs of Nepalese Citizen’s Economic Power • People missing in connection with the conflict in Nepal database on ICRC’s Restoring family links website

• Glacial Lakes and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in Nepal. – International Centre for Integrated Moun- tain Development, Kathmandu, March 2011 • World Bank Summary Trade Statistics Nepal

Coordinates: 26°32′N 86°44′E / 26.533°N 86.733°E 22 16 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

16 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

16.1 Text

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Stephen and Franklin and Roger and James, Perfect Proposal, Bernardmax, Ramitmaha- jan, Achangeisasgoodasa, Gogo Dodo, JFreeman, Corpx, Corcorda, Llort, Vampiric.Media, Wikincs, Socom49, Avashnirvana, Falca- nary, Christian75, Chrislk02, JCO312, Asenine, Biblbroks, Kozuch, Omicronpersei8, Gyudon, EvocativeIntrigue, Joowwww, Mattisse, Thijs!bot, Leo das, Wikiwow, Epbr123, Subcontinental, Biruitorul, Tozznok, Armanaziz, NumaNumaYay, [email protected], Mojo Hand, Anupam, Jp07, RevolverOcelotX, Adhikar1, SGGH, Heelop, Merbabu, Franklee, RFerreira, Rabin06, NigelR, Suraj11024, I nepali, Jws42, Pdhakal, Therequiembellishere, Tonyseeker, Tocino, Big Bird, DeusMP, Haha169, Natalie Erin, AlefZet, Northumbrian, Escarbot, Oreo Priest, Mentifisto, KrakatoaKatie, AntiVandalBot, Luna Santin, Gaviidae, 33066, EarthPerson, Quintote, Dr. Blofeld, DarkAu- 16.1 Text 23

dit, Websuraj, Scepia, Vanjagenije, Modernist, Superzohar, Danger, Credema, Jhsounds, Gdo01, Yellowdesk, Alphachimpbot, Rcduggan, Ventriloquist, Djackmanson, E.James, MikeLynch, JAnDbot, Dagayute, Uunter, Fellix, Deflective, MER-C, Nepal avish, Smallbighorn, Kshitize, Scythian1, Jackieboy87, Hello32020, Db099221, OhanaUnited, Andonic, Hut 8.5, B cubed, Leolaursen, PhilKnight, Joshua, Dipenda, .anacondabot, SiobhanHansa, Acroterion, Aekbal, Akuyume, HempalShrestha, Magioladitis, Bongwarrior, VoABot II, Mar- tinDK, MJD86, Weser, JNW, Bibhu heaven 123, Bigdan201, Jim Douglas, Sindhutvavadin, Pokhrel nabaraj, The Anomebot2, Brian Hickey, Indon, MED12345678, Mrbobmac, Teddythtam2003, Tuncrypt, IkonicDeath, Superbwiktim, Nposs, Jeb8828, 28421u2232nfenfcenc, Sudyp, Rif Winfield, DerHexer, JaGa, Philg88, Edward321, Vsubedi, Lenticel, Karan.ag, Inclusivedisjunction, Samratchand, Flami72, Dvalerio, Wikinger, Gwern, S3000, Misarxist, RoTi38, MartinBot, Donarst, NAHID, ARC Gritt, Paracel63, Kevinsam, Rettetast, R'n'B, CommonsDelinker, AlexiusHoratius, AgarwalSumeet, Jobbus McKnockey, Fconaway, Lilac Soul, Johnluisocasio, What the fuck?, Wilhite A, WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWIKIPEDIA, Element6968, Zhiqiang, Jphism, Echeesekid, J.delanoy, Jahanas, Rgoodermote, Lpark- erjedi, Pharos04, JamesR, Smartguy0, UBeR, Numbo3, Himguard, Pjottermans, Qatter, Riteshlamsal, Textangel, Barts1a, BrokenSphere, Mayaisastar, Yifan1982, Shrivastav, Jhattara, Naniwako, Berkeleybernie, Mjb1981, Ajcfreak, Rockmandu, AntiSpamBot, Youwinjack, Junafani, Plasticup, Nepalikukur, Airpeters01, Sundar1, In Transit, Cynthia0725, SJP, Ahuskay, Sahyogi, Flatterworld, Jamminguy2, Rumpelstiltskin223, Mikeonatrike, Angular, Eljusto1, Cometstyles, Tweisbach, LordCo Centre, Ostentatious, Nimora, Bonadea, Doctorox- enbriery, Jarry1250, Andy Marchbanks, Empty cognizance, Conte di Cavour, Idioma-bot, Montchav, Signalhead, Vranak, G2bambino, Chinneeb, Deor, VolkovBot, That-Vela-Fella, CWii, Safemariner, Dragoonkain, Jeff G., Achbha, Cmkz, Partha lal, RabinK007, Sm- cilreavy, Barneca, Maxtremus, Philip Trueman, Kundadixit, BirmanM, TXiKiBoT, Joopercoopers, Pahari Sahib, GimmeBot, Jalwikip, Bigvibes, Ietsov, Johnb01, Rei-bot, Aymatth2, Someguy1221, Jack of All, Master of None, Iamnepali, Kushalzone, Vanished user iki- jeirw34iuaeolaseriffic, Steven J. 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W. Dodson, Webclient101, Sikkimmadurai, Mogism, Retrospector87, Cerabot, Ssbbplayer, Samudrakula, Frosty, SFK2, Jamesx12345, Nepalmandal, Google9999, Ashim nep, MWMKdu, Abhisek365, Masterpasa, Jonathan.yap, PinkAmpersand, SomeFreakOnTheInternet, Rajudawadi, CsDix, Ruby Murray, BreakfastJr, AmericanLemming, Androdin, My name is not ,1عراقي ,Jakec, Advocatejake, EvergreenFir, AnuSingh855, Budhathokyp, Abcrg2, SupernovaeIA, Flat Out, ServiceGhost 24 16 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

dave, Sam Sailor, Paudelpanchayat, SujanDon, Yoonadue, Blondeguynative, Amrit Ghimire Ranjit, Mr.neel, Bladesmulti, Elatestnews, SigdelVinay, Khijee2, Animal720, Wikiamitmalla, Navyo.eller, Bijayabuddha, Signedbo, Bishal258, Jacstha, Star7899, Sushant Rijal, Akash Simkhada, Theparties, Arjanpara, Spiritclaymore, Naver.np, Rabindahal, Orangoottan, Owais Khursheed, Monopoly31121993, Dirgahyu, Ayuan1110, Romanriwaj, Ditttti, Dangerdipesh, Ascii002, Pajiyarrc, Ojha.dinesh4u, Azkord, Krishna418, Nepalhero, Noxboy, WikiImprovment78 and Anonymous: 1317

16.2 Images • File:Asia_(orthographic_projection).svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Asia_%28orthographic_ projection%29.svg License: ? Contributors: Map by Ssolbergj Aquarius.geomar.de Original artist:Koyos + Ssolbergj (talk) • File:Basantapurpalace.JPG Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Basantapurpalace.JPG License: CC-BY-SA- 3.0 Contributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia; Transfer was stated to be made by User:Jalo. Original artist: Original uploader was Artha at en.wikipedia • File:Coat_of_arms_of_Nepal.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Coat_of_arms_of_Nepal.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Original artist: Defined by the Government of Nepal as the National emblem. • File:Commons-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: ? Contributors: ? 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