The Kingdom of Nepal, situated in the Himalayas, is the world's only Hindu kingdom. It is in South Asia, sharing borders with the People's Republic of China (Tibet Autonomous Region) and India. It is one of the world's poorest countries. Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ... In politics, a country (or in some cases, a group of countries) over which a king or queen reigns, is a kingdom, see: monarchy. ... The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) comprises most of the cultural, historic, and geographic area known as China. ... The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) (Tibetan: བོད་རང་སྐྱོང་ལྗོངས་, Pö Rangyongjong; Chinese: 西藏自治区, Xīzàng Zìzhìqū), is a province-level administrative subdivision of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... The Republic of India is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of more than one billion, and is the seventh largest country by geographical area. ...

(In Detail) (Full size)
National motto: जननी जन्मभूमिष्च स्वर्गादपि गरियसि (transliteration: Ja'nani Jan'mabhumis'hcha Swar'gadapi Gariya'si) Sanskrit: Mother and the Motherland are Worth More than the Kingdom of Heaven)
Official language	Nepali
Capital	Kathmandu
King	Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev
Prime Minister	office vacant since February 1, 2005
Area  - Total  - % water	Ranked 94th 147,181 km² 2.8%
Population  - Total (July 2005)  - Density	Ranked 40th 27,676,457 188/km²
Unification	1768
Currency	Nepalese Rupee (NPR)
Time zone	UTC +5:45
National anthem	Rastriya Gaan ("May Glory Crown You, Courageous Sovereign")
Internet TLD	.np
Calling Code	977

History

Main article: History of Nepal Ancient History Main article: Licchavi Between about 400 and 750 AD, Nepals present capital Kathmandu was ruled by the Licchavi kingdom. ...

Nepal has a long history  (http://www.dilliramanregmi.org/writings1.html) that has extended for millennia. The Kirati are one of the first Nepali groups known to historians, having migrated from the east in the 7th or 8th century BC. Lord Gautam Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal circa 563 BC and the Emperor Aśoka ruled over a vast empire including North India and southern Terai region of present day Nepal (though the hilly and mountainous regions were not a part of Aśoka's Empire) in the 1st century BC. By 200 AD, the Buddhist empire was displaced by resurgent Hindu fiefdoms such as the Licchavi dynasty. Kirant or Kirat refers to the Kiranti group or Kirat confederation that includes the Rai, Limbu and Sunuwar ethnic groups of Nepal. ... (8th century BC - 7th century BC - 6th century BC - other centuries) (700s BC - 690s BC - 680s BC - 670s BC - 660s BC - 650s BC - 640s BC - 630s BC - 620s BC - 610s BC - 600s BC - other decades) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) Events Scythians arrived in Asia Collapse... (9th century BC - 8th century BC - 7th century BC - other centuries) (800s BC - 790s BC - 780s BC - 770s BC - 760s BC - 750s BC - 740s BC - 730s BC - 720s BC - 710s BC - 700s BC - other decades) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) Events Golden age in Armenia Assyria... A stone image of the Buddha. ... Lumbini (Sanskrit; lit. ... Centuries: 7th century BC - 6th century BC - 5th century BC Decades: 610s BC 600s BC 590s BC 580s BC 570s BC - 560s BC - 550s BC 540s BC 530s BC 520s BC 510s BC Events and Trends 562 BC - Amel-Marduk succeeds Nebuchadnezzar as king of Babylon 560 BC - Neriglissar succeeds... Emperor Ashoka (a possible picturisation) Ashoka the Great (also Asoka, Aśoka, pronounced as Ashok-uh, not Ashokaa) was the ruler of the Mauryan empire from 273 BC to 232 BC. A convert to Buddhism, Ashoka reigned over most of the Indian subcontinent, from present day Afghanistan to Bengal and as... (2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century - other centuries) The 1st century BC starts on January 1, 100 BC and ends on December 31, 1 BC. An alternative name for this century is the last century BC. (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) Events The Roman... For other uses, see number 200. ...

Around 900, the Thakuri dynasty succeeded the Licchavi era and was eventually superseded by the Malla dynasty that ruled until the 18th century. In 1768, the Gorkha king, Prithvi Narayan Shah, captured Kathmandu. In 1814, Nepal fought the Anglo-Nepalese War with the British East India Company that ended with the 1816 Sugauli Treaty, in which Nepal gave up Sikkim and the southern Terai and the British retreated. After Nepali Gurkhas aided the British in quashing the Indian Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, most of the Terai territories were returned to Nepal. For other uses, see number 900. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Events January 9 - Philip Astley stages the first modern circus (London) May 10 - John Wilkes is imprisoned for writing an article for the North Briton severely criticizing King George III. This action provokes rioting in London Secretary of State for colonies appointed in Britain Massachusetts Assembly dissolved for refusing to... 1814 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Gurkha War (1814-1816), also known as the Anglo-Nepalese War, was fought between the British Empire and the Kingdom of Nepal. ... The British East India Company, sometimes referred to as John Company, was a joint-stock company of investors, which was granted a Royal Charter by Elizabeth I on December 31, 1600, with the intent to favor trade privileges in India. ... Events March 25 - Friedrich Karl Ludwig, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck dies and is succeeded by the later Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, his son and founder of the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. ... The Sugauli Treaty (also spelled Segowlee) was signed on December 2, 1815 and ratified by March 4, 1816, between the British East India Company and The Kingdom of Nepal, ending the second British invasion of the Himalayan kingdom during the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–16). ... Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. ... Gurkha Soldiers (1896) Wives and children of Gurkha Soldiers (1896) Gurkha (or Gorkha) are a people from Nepal who take their name from the former city-state of Gorkha, which went on to found the Kingdom of Nepal later on. ... An engraving titled Sepoy Indian troops dividing the spoils after their mutiny against British rule gives a contemporary view of events from the British perspective. ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

The Shah dynasty was cut short in 1846 when Jung Bahadur Rana seized control of the country after assassinating several hundred princes and chieftans in Kathmandu's Kot Massacre. Ranas ruled as hereditary prime ministers until 1948 when the British colony of India achieved independence. India propped up King Tribhuvan as Nepal's new ruler in 1951 and sponsored the Nepali Congress Party. Tribhuvan's son, King Mahendra dissolved the democratic experiment and declared a "partyless" panchayat system would govern Nepal. His son, King Birendra inherited the throne in 1972 and continued the panchayat policy until 1989's "Jana Andolan" (People's Movement or Democracy Movement) forced the monarchy to accept constitutional reforms. In May 1991, Nepal's held its first election in nearly 50 years. The Nepali Congress Party and the Communist Party of Nepal received the most votes. No party has held power for more than two consecutive years since. Critics argue that the governmental reforms did not appreciably improve the political order because the new government was also characterised by extreme corruption bordering on kleptocracy. 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah Dev (30 June 1906–13 March 1955) was King of Nepal from 1911 to 1950 and from 1951 until his death. ... Global Metrics Human security Major Armed Conflicts: Total Deaths in Battle: 700,000 people Violent Deaths caused by Government (Other than War): Violent Deaths caused by other humans: Juvenile Violent Crime: Political security Nations Holding Multi-party Elections: Percentage Living under a Fully Democratic System of Governance: Free Countries: Percentage... Mahendra could refer to Mahendra of Nepal - king of Nepal from 1955 to 1972 the son of Emperor Ashoka and a promoter of Buddhism ... This article needs cleanup. ... Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (December 28, 1945 - June 1, 2001) was king of Nepal from 1972 until 2001, and the son of King Mahendra, whom he succeeded. ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... The Democracy Movement is a crossparty Eurosceptic pressure group in the UK with around 150 local branches. ... Kleptocracy (sometimes Cleptocracy) (root: Klepto+cracy) literally means rule by thieves. ...

In February 1996, one of the Maoist parties started their bid to replace the parliamentary system with a socialist republic through a Maoist revolutionary strategy known as People's war. This has since grown to a civil war and resulted in the deaths of 10,000 people. Maoism or Mao Zedong Thought (Chinese: 毛澤東思想, pinyin: Máo Zédōng Sīxiǎng), also called Marxism-Leninism–Mao Zedong Thought or Marxism-Leninism-Maoism (MLM), is a variant of communism derived from the teachings of Mao Zedong (1893–1976). ... A parliamentarian is a specialist in parliamentary procedure. ... The color red and particularly the red flag are traditional symbols of Socialism. ... In a broad definition a republic is a state or country that is led by people that dont found their power status on any principle beyond the control of the people living in that state or country. ... Peoples war (also called protracted peoples war) is a military strategy invented by Mao Zedong. ... A civil war is a war in which the competing parties are segments of the same country or empire. ...

According to official Nepal government accounts, on June 1, 2001, the Heir Apparent Crown Prince Dipendra went on a killing spree in the royal palace in a violent response to his parents' refusal to accept his choice for a wife. He apparently shot and killed his parents, King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya, as well as his brother, sister, two uncles and three aunts, before turning the gun on himself. His suicide attempt was not immediately successful, however, and although in a comatose state, he was proclaimed the king (in accordance with Nepalese tradition) in his hospital bed. He died three days later. See Dipendra of Nepal. June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ... His Majesty King Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev of Nepal (June 27, 1971 - June 4, 2001) was the reigning monarch of Nepal from June 1 to June 4, 2001. ... Suicide (from Latin sui caedere, to kill oneself) is the act of intentionally ending ones own life. ... For other meanings of the word coma, especially in astronomy, see coma (disambiguation) In medicine, a coma is a profound state of unconsciousness, which may result from a variety of conditions including intoxication (drug, alcohol or toxins), metabolic abnormalities (hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis, etc. ... His Majesty King Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev of Nepal (June 27, 1971 - June 4, 2001) was the reigning monarch of Nepal from June 1 to June 4, 2001. ...

Following King Dipendra's death, his uncle (King Birendra's brother) King Gyanendra was proclaimed king on June 4. Shortly afterward, he declared martial law, and dissolved the government. Gyanendra deployed Nepal's military in the grinding civil war, the Nepalese People's War, with the Maoist insurgents. King Gyanendra King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev of Nepal (born July 7, 1947) has been the king of Nepal since June 2001. ... June 4 is the 155th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (156th in leap years), with 210 days remaining. ... A civil war is a war in which the competing parties are segments of the same country or empire. ... Note: This article needs additional contributors badly. ...

King Gyanendra took control once again on February 1, 2005. See Gyanendra of Nepal for more details. King Gyanendra King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev of Nepal (born July 7, 1947) has been the king of Nepal since June 2001. ...

Zones

Main article: Zones of Nepal There are 14 zones in Nepal. ...

Nepal is divided into 14 zones (anchal, singular and plural): Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Koshi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti Bagmati is a zone in Nepal which contains the capital Kathmandu. ... Lumbini (Sanskrit; lit. ... Narayani Zone of Nepal borders India on the south. ... Rapti is also a village in Arcadia, see Rapti, Greece Rapti is a mid-western region of Nepal. ... This article is about the Alpine mountain. ... See: seti_at_home boinc Seti is a part of Boinc Set (mythology) SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) Pharaohs of Egypt: Seti I Seti II Seti (Nepal) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Geography and Climate

Main article: Geography of Nepal This article describes the geography of Nepal. ...

Map of Nepal

Nepal is landlocked between China and India; total land area 147,181 km² (56,827 mi²). The terrain is mountainous and hilly, although with physical diversity. Three broad physiographic areas run laterally — lowland Terai Region in the south; central lower mountains and hills constituting the Hill Region; the high Himalaya, with 8,850-metre (29,035-foot) high Mount Everest and other peaks forming Mountain Region in north. Of Nepal's total land area, only 20 percent is cultivatable. Deforestation is a severe problem. Small map of Nepal with cities from de-wiki/CIA World Factbook File links The following pages link to this file: Geography of Nepal Nepal Categories: CIA World Factbook images ... Small map of Nepal with cities from de-wiki/CIA World Factbook File links The following pages link to this file: Geography of Nepal Nepal Categories: CIA World Factbook images ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... This article is about the unit of measure. ... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... metre or meter, see meter (disambiguation) The metre is the basic unit of length in the International System of Units. ... This article is about a foot as a unit of length. ...

Mount Everest (also known as Sagarmatha in Nepali and Chomolongma in Tibetan), the highest mountain in the world, straddles the Nepal - China border. The vista and majesty of Everest and the Himalayan range, including eight of the world's top ten peaks, (the eight-thousanders -- mountains over 8,000 metres), are major tourist attractions and are cited as wonders of the natural world. This article is about the Alpine mountain. ... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Makalu and Mount Everest as seen from the International Space Station. ... The seven wonders of the world are usually taken to be the seven wonders of the ancient world, the name of a list of the most impressive achievements of ancient civilizations in the east of the Mediterranean world. ...

Nepal has five climatic zones based on altitude that range from subtropical in the south, to cool summers and severe winters in the north. There is annual rainfall with seasonal variations depending on the monsoon cycle, which provides 60 to 80 percent of the total annual rainfall: 2,500 mm (98.5 in) in eastern part of country; 1,420 mm (56 in) around Kathmandu; 1,000 mm (39 in) in western Nepal. In some areas of Nepal annual rainfall totals over 4,000 mm, sometimes even 6,000 mm p. a. A monsoon is a periodic wind, especially in the Indian Ocean and southern Asia. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter), symbol mm is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial unit of length. ...

Examples for the highest monthly rainfall at the peak of monsoon (generally July, in Mustang August).

Economy

Main article: Economy of Nepal 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. ...

Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with nearly half of its population living below the poverty line (with, as of 2001, a per capita income of just over US$240). Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over 80% of the population and accounting for 41% of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Production of textiles and carpets has expanded recently and accounted for about 80% of foreign exchange earnings in the past three years. Most industrial activity is focussed around the Kathmandu valley and the Terai cities such as Biratnagar and Birgunj. Agricultural production is growing by about 5% on average as compared with annual population growth of 2.3%. The per capita income for an area may be defined as the total personal income in an area, divided by the number of people in that area. ... The dollar is the name of the official currency in several countries, dependencies and other regions (see list below), including the US dollar, the worlds most widely circulated currency (see list below). ... GDP is an acronym which can stand for more than one thing: (in economics) an abbreviation for Gross Domestic Product. ... Jute is also occasonally used to refer to Jutes, a Germanic people of Europe. ... Species Ref: ITIS 42058 as of 2004-05-05 Sugarcane is one of six species of a tall tropical southeast Asian grass (Family Poaceae) having stout fibrous jointed stalks whose sap at one time was the primary source of sugar. ... Species N. alata N. bigelovil N. debneyi N. excelsior N. exigua N. glauca N. glutinosa N. kawakamii N. knightiana N. longiflora N. sylvestris N. tabacum Ref: ITIS 30562 as of 2002-08-28 Tobacco () is a broad-leafed plant of the nightshade family, indigenous to North and South America, whose... An assortment of grains The word grain has a great many meanings, most being descriptive of a small piece or particle. ... This article is about the type of fabric. ... Biratnagar is one of the major cities in Nepal and the administrative centre of Morang district. ...

Since May 1991, the government has been moving forward with economic reforms, particularly those that encourage trade and foreign investment, e.g., by reducing business licenses and registration requirements in order to simplify investment procedures. The government has also been cutting expenditures by reducing subsidies, privatizing state industries, and laying off civil servants. More recently, however, political instability - five different governments over the past few years — has hampered Kathmandu's ability to forge consensus to implement key economic reforms. Nepal has considerable scope for accelerating economic growth by exploiting its potential in hydropower and tourism, areas of recent foreign investment interest. Prospects for foreign trade or investment in other sectors will remain poor, however, because of the small size of the economy, its technological backwardness, its remoteness, its landlocked geographic location, and its susceptibility to natural disaster. The international community's role of funding more than 60% of Nepal's development budget and more than 28% of total budgetary expenditures will likely continue as a major ingredient of growth. Hydropower (or waterpower) harnesses the energy of moving or falling water. ... A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ...

Demographics and Culture

Main article: Demographics of Nepal Perched on the southern slopes of the Himalayan Mountains, the Kingdom of Nepal is as ethnically diverse as its terrain of fertile plains, broad valleys, and the highest mountain peaks in the world. ...

Nepal is a multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-ethnic society. The data below are derived from the 2002 Nepal Population Report. [1]  (http://www.mope.gov.np/population/chapter5.php)

Languages

Nepal's diverse linguistic heritage evolved from three major language groups: Indo-Aryan, Tibeto-Burman, and indigenous. According to the 2001 national census, 92 different living languages are spoken in Nepal (a 93rd category was "unidentified"). The major languages of Nepal (percent spoken as mother tongue) are Nepali (49%), Maithili (12%), Bhojpuri (8%), Tharu (6%), Tamang (5%), Newari/Nepal Bhasa (4%), Magar (3%), Awadhi (2%), Bantawa (2%), Limbu (1%), and Bajjika (1%). The remaining 81 languages are each spoken as mother tongue by less than one percent of the population. The Indo-Aryan languages form a subgroup of the Indo-Iranian languages, thus belonging to the Indo-European family of languages. ... The Tibeto-Burman linguistic subfamily of the proposed Sino-Tibetan language family is spoken in various central and south Asian countries: Myanmar (Burmese language), Tibet (Tibetan language), northern Thailand (Mong language), Nepal, Bhutan, India (Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and the Ladakh region of... The word indigenous is derived from the latin word indigena, meaning nativ, indigenous, aboriginal, and has several, related meanings: The native people of a place; see the article indigenous people. ... Nepali could mean: Nepali — A citizen of the country of Nepal. ... Maithili is of the family of Indo-Aryan languages, which are part of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. ... Categories: Indo-Aryan languages | Languages of India | Language stubs ... The Tharu are one of the major and indigenous ethnic groups of Nepal. ... The Tamang (also known as Murmi) are one of the several ethnic groups living in Nepal descended from Tibeto-Burman origins. ... The Newar are the indigenous ethnolinguistic group of Nepals Kathmandu valley. ... Nepal Bhasa (also known as Newari) is a language spoken by Newar community in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. ... Magar is an ethnic group of Nepal and northern India whose homeland extends along the western and southern edges of the Dhaulagiri mountain range. ... Awadhi is a dialect of Hindi, spoken in the Awadh (Oudh) region of Uttar Pradesh. ... The Limbu (meaning: archer) are an ethnic group belong to the Kiranti group or Kirat confederation that includes the Rai and Sunuwar ethnic groups. ...

Nepali, written in Devanagari script, is the official, national language and serves as lingua franca among Nepalis of different ethnolinguistic groups. In the southern Terai Region (5 to 10 mile wide stretch of flat plains in the south which is a northern continuation of Gangetic plains of India), Hindi is also spoken. Nepali is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in Nepal, India and Bhutan. ... Rigveda manuscript in Devanagari (early 19th century) Devanāgarī (देवनागरी — in English pronounced ) (ISCII – IS13194:1991) [1] is a script used to write several Indian languages, including Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, Kashmiri, Sindhi, Bihari, Bhili, Konkani, Bhojpuri and Nepali from Nepal. ...

Media

Nepal had no free media till 1990. After restoration of democracy 1990 constitution has established all fundamental freedom and press became free. After 14 years the King Gyanendra took over the power in hand and now all media is subjected to censorship by the army. The Government has given notice to the press not to publish any matter against the King, Government, and court, and to avoid news related to terrorism without prior consent of the army. Journalists are struggling to practice free media. Protest is banned for the present even though journalists have demonstrated peace rally with playcard "Full Fledge Press Freedom for Peace and Democracy". There are 2 government owned TV channels and 3 private TV studios.

There is one state owned Publication of Gorkhapatra and The Rising Nepal Other Daily Broadsheet Newspapers: Kantipur (Nepali)http://www.kantipuronline.com The Kathmandu Post (English)http://www.kantipuronline.com The Himalayan Times (English)http://www.thehimalayantimes.com Nepal Samacharpatra (Nepali)http://www.newsofnepal.com Rajdhani (Nepali)http://www.rajdhani.com.np Annapurna Post (Nepali)http://www.annapost.com Himalaya Times (Nepali) Space Time (Nepali) Closed after Iraq riot on Bhadra 16, 2061 Radio broadcast stations: AM 6(govt. owned Radio Nepal), FM 56, shortwave 1(govt. owned, Radio Nepal) (March 2005) Television Nepal TV (Brodcast from Satellite, Govt. owned) NTV 2 Metro (Broadcast within KTM valley only, Govt. owned) Channel Nepal (Broadcast from satellite, Private) Kantipur Television Network(Broadcast within KTM valley only, Private) Image Metro (Broadcast within KTM valley only, Private) Nepal 1 (Broadcast from India from satellite, Private, banned in Nepal since February 1st, 2005) Avenues TV (Yet to broadcast)

Religions

Nepal, constitutionally a Hindu kingdom with long-standing legal provisions prohibiting discrimination against other religions and proselytization, is the only official Hindu country in the world. The 2001 census identified 80.6% of the population as Hindu and Buddhism was practiced by about 11% of the population (although many people labelled Hindu or Buddhist often practice a syncretic blend of Hinduism, Buddhism and/or animist traditions). About 4.2% of the population is Muslim and 3.6% of the population follows the indigenous Kirant religion. Christianity is practiced officially by less than 0.5% of the population but by many accounts has over 600,000 practicers as of early 2005. Hinduism is the state religion of the kingdom of Nepal. ... Hinduism is the state religion of the kingdom of Nepal. ... This article needs copyediting (checking for proper English spelling, grammar, usage, etc. ... This article is in need of attention. ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... Kirant or Kirat refers to the Kiranti group or Kirat confederation that includes the Rai, Limbu and Sunuwar ethnic groups of Nepal. ...

Ethnicity

Nepal’s 2001 census enumerated 103 distinct caste/ethnic groups including an "unidentified group". The caste system of Nepal is rooted in the Hindu religion while the ethnic system is rooted in mutually exclusive origin myths, historical mutual seclusion and the occasional state intervention. The major caste/ethnic groups identified by the 2001 census are Chhetri (15.8%) Hill Brahmin (12.7%), Madheshi (33%), Magar (7.1%), Tamang (5.6%), Newar (5.5%), Muslim (4.3%), Kami (3.9%), Rai (3.9), Gurung (2.8%), and  Damai/Dholi (2.4%). The remaining 92 caste/ethnic groups (including the world-famous Sherpa), each constitute less than 2 percent of the population. The word Caste is derived from the Portuguese word casta, meaning lineage, breed or race. ... A Kshatriya is a member of the military or reigning order, according to the law-code of Manu the second ranking caste of the Indian varna system of four castes, the first being the Brahmin or priestly caste, the third the Vaishya or mercantile caste and the lowest the Shudra. ... Young Indian brahmachari Brahmin A Brahmin (less often Brahman) is a member of the Hindu priestly caste. ... Magar is an ethnic group of Nepal and northern India whose homeland extends along the western and southern edges of the Dhaulagiri mountain range. ... The Tamang (also known as Murmi) are one of the several ethnic groups living in Nepal descended from Tibeto-Burman origins. ... The Newar are the indigenous ethnolinguistic group of Nepals Kathmandu valley. ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... The Rai, also known as the Khambu, are one of Nepal’s most ancient indigenous ethnolinguistic groups. ... The Gurung are one of the many ethnic groups living in Nepal descended from Tibeto-Burman origins. ... See at the bottom of this page for other meanings of the word Sherpa. ...

Urban Population

¹ by 1991 only 36 municipalities were established

Music

See Music of Nepal

Nepal has some thirty-six different ethnic groups and multiple religions and languages. ...

Holidays

Nepal uses three calendars: the Western (Gregorian), the official solar Bikram Sambat, and the lunar calendar. Dates for many religious Nepalese holidays are set according to the lunar calendar (somewhat like Easter is for Christians), so there are no fixed dates for Nepalese holidays in either the Western or the official calendar. Generally, the two major holidays, Dashain and Tihar, fall in October and November. Bikram Sambat (abbreviated B.S.) is the official calendar of Nepal. ...

Miscellaneous topics

• History of Nepal
• Politics of Nepal
• List of political parties in Nepal
• Communications in Nepal
• Foreign Relations of Nepal
• Military of Nepal
• Nepal Civil War
• Nepalese People's War
• Nepali cricket team
• Transportation in Nepal

Ancient History Main article: Licchavi Between about 400 and 750 AD, Nepals present capital Kathmandu was ruled by the Licchavi kingdom. ... Nepal is a constitutional monarchy that is multiethnic, multilingual, Hindu, that retains the king in the role of head of state. ... Political parties in Nepal lists political parties in Nepal. ... Telephones - PSTN only : 422,456 (December 2004) Telephones - 1 cellular service available by Nepal Telecom, formerly known as Nepal Telecommunications Corporation (NTC) and 1 WLL telephone service by United Telecom Limited (UTL). ... As a small, landlocked country wedged between two larger and far stronger powers, Nepal seeks good relations with both India and the Peoples Republic of China. ... Nepals military consists of an army of about 40,000 troops formerly organized into seven infantry brigades including a Royal Palace brigade. ... Note: This article needs additional contributors badly. ... Note: This article needs additional contributors badly. ... The Nepali cricket team is the cricket team representing the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal. ... Railways: total: 59 km; between Janakpur and Jainagar, close to Indian border narrow gauge: 59 km 0. ...

References

• His Majesty's Government of Nepal (http://www.nepalhmg.gov.np)
• CIA World Factbook Nepal entry (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/np.html) (2000)
• Nepal Population Report (http://www.mope.gov.np/population/chapter5.php) (2002)
• Nepal News (http://www.nepalnews.com)
• Nepal Times (http://www.nepalitimes.com)
• Newa Post (http://www.newapost.com.np)
• NepalOnline.com (http://www.nepalonline.com)
• Free Expression in Nepal (http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/155/)
• Kantipur Online (http://www.kantipuronline.com)
• City Times (http://www.citytimes.com.np)
• United We Blog! (http://www.blog.com.np)
• International Nepal Solidarity Network (http://www.insn.org)
• Samudaya (http://www.samudaya.com)

World Factbook 2004 cover The World Factbook is an annual publication by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with basic almanac-style information about the various countries of the world. ...

Further reading

• Barbara Crossette. 1995. So Close to Heaven: The Vanishing Buddhist Kingdoms of the Himalayas. New York: Vintage. (ISBN 0679743634)
• Bista, Dor Bahadur. The Peoples of Nepal
• Perer Matthiessen.1993, "The Snow Leopard".(ISBN 0-00-272025-6)
• Joe Simpson. 1997. "Storms of Silence"
• Samrat Upadhyay. 2001. "Arresting God in Kathmandu"
• Joseph R. Pietri.2001. "The King of Nepal"
• Maurice Herzog.1951. "Annapurna"
• Dervla Murphy.1967. "The Waiting Land"
• Jon Kraukauer.1997. "Into Thin Air"
• Indra Majupuria.1996. "Nepalese Women". (ISBN 974-89675-6-5)
• Dor Bahadur Bista.1996. "People of Nepal". Kathmandu.
• Eva Kipp.1995. "Bending Bamboo Changing Winds". (ISBN 81-7303-037-5)
• Broughton Coburn.1982/1991. "Nepali Ama". (ISBN 0-918373-74-3)