Country Information on Nepal 

Terrain

Nepal can be divided into three parallel regions. The Great Himalayas run from the north west to the south east along the border with China and it is there that nine of the world's ten highest mountains are found. The highest is Mount Everest, at 8,846 metres. The second region is the Middle Himalayas, at an average of 2,500 metres. The third region, that is south of the other two regions, is the Terai, which is a fertile lowland with a tropical climate.

Climate

Nepal's climate varies according to the region's altitude. Very low temperatures and snow prevail throughout the year in the high areas of the mountains. In Terai and in the Kathmandu Valley, summers are hot and rainy (as a result of the influence of the south-east monsoon) and winters are cool.

Fauna/Flora

Nepal's landscape is composed of thick woods, bamboo forests, rhododendron, and coniferous forests that vary according to altitude. Only sparse vegetation is found above 3,600 m. Wildlife in the Terai includes tigers, leopards, deer, and elephants, particularly in humid areas. Wild goats, wild sheep and wolves are found in the higher-lying regions.

History/Politics

The Newar were the first inhabitants of present-day Nepal. The first kingdom was however founded by the Kirati in the 6th century BC in the Kathmandu Valley. The centuries that followed saw the rise of a number of principalities in the mountain regions. The Malla dynasty ascended the throne of the principality ruling the Kathmandu Valley in the 10th century and consolidated its power at the end of the 15th century which led to its cultural golden age.

Three centuries later, the ruler of the mountain principality Gurkha, Prithvi Narayan Shah, conquered the valley, overthrew the Malla, united the country and thus established the basis for the present-day structure of Nepal. The king and his successor's desire to gain more land lead to armed conflict with China, Tibet, Punjab and British India. Relations between British India and Nepal were regulated in an agreement between 1791 and 1803. However, border conflict added to the tension which resulted in Britain declaring war on Nepal in 1814.

Britain won the war in 1815. Over the thirty years that followed, pro-British forces fought against anti-British forces for power. The power struggle culminated in the Kot Massacre in 1846, which left many nobles and innumerable soldiers dead. Following the massacre, the officer Sir Jung Bahadur, of the pro-British Rana family, became prime minister. Jung Bahadur made the position of prime minister hereditary, which remained so until the middle of the 20th century.

Nepal supported the Allies in the First and Second World Wars and provided the British forces with contingents. In return, Great Britain guaranteed Nepal's independence, which was specifically ratified in a treaty in 1923. India's independence in 1947 sparked a struggle for democracy in Nepal, which finally resulted in an uprising and the fall of the Rana regime. Nepal went through a phase of multiparty democracy between 1951 and 1960.

However, in December 1960, King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah accused the government of corruption, and dissolved the government and parliament. In 1962, a guided democracy was established without any political parties. After the king's death in 1972, his son Birendra Bir Bikram ascended the throne and was crowned in 1975. Over the years that followed, Birendra pursued policies similar to his father's. However, as a result of increasing protests, he was forced to re-introduce a multiparty system.

In May 1991, the Nepali Congress Party (NCP) won the country's first democratic election in 32 years. Girija Prasad Koirala was elected prime minister and was re-elected in April 1998. On 1 June 2001, King Birendra and several other members of the royal family were killed in a massacre by the crown prince who then killed himself. King Birendra's younger brother Gyanendra was subsequently crowned king. A 1996 insurgency led by Maoist rebels turned into a ten-year civil war. When the king dissolved parliament and put himself at the head of a new government, mass protests broke out. In April 2006, the king reinstated the old parliament and peace talks with the Maoists were held. An interim constitution was drawn up. After a nation-wide election in 2008, the newly formed Constituent Assembly declared Nepal a federal democratic republic and abolished the monarchy. The country's first president was elected in July 2008.

 

Economy

Nepal is one of the least developed countries in the world. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for approximately 90% of the population and accounting for about half of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Some of Nepal's main agricultural commodities are rice, maize, buckwheat, barley, potatoes, sugar cane, millet, jute and tobacco. Poultry, cattle and water buffaloes are bred.

Industrial activity in Nepal is based on the processing of raw materials and agricultural produce. Cotton textiles, cellulose and paper, construction materials, foodstuff, cigarettes, and shoes are the most important industrial products. Although it has been shown that minerals such as gold, iron ore, coal and sulphur exist in the country, they have not yet been exploited because of the inaccessibility of the land. Tourism is of increasing importance. In 2008, the unemployment rate was 46% (est.) and inflation was 13.2% (est.) in 2009.

Culture

Since Nepal has never been colonized by any other nation, it has been able to retain its own culture. Hinduism has been a major influence, as has Buddhism, although to a lesser extent. Pagodas and other buildings covered in woodcarvings are found throughout Nepal.

The Nepalese calendar has numerous festivals, such as Dashain, which is the country's most important festival that honours the goddess Durga. The festival lasts around ten days and is a time when relatives gather to carry out religious rituals. Part of the celebration is the sacrifice of a large number of goats, buffaloes and poultry. The most important day is the tenth, as it represents Durga's victory over the demons.