Country Profile Nepal :

Introduction 

Nepal is a country of great diversity which has resulted in many different socio-economic and cultural patterns.

It is the country that lies in the youngest mountain fold, Himalaya, of the world. It ranges from about 60 meters elevation to 8.848 m, the highest point of the world. From the climatic point of view, Nepal ranges from tropical to the tundra climate from south to north. It covers an area of 147.181 sq km.

This tiny country lies between the giant nations of  India and China but has remained unoccupied by any foreign nation throughout its history. 80 % of the total land mass is covered by hills and high mountains. The only flat land is a narrow strip (at the widest 40 km) along the northern border of India and is covered by grassland and sub-tropical forests. This Terai Region is home to one-horned rhino, Bengal tigers, elephants, sloth bears and many other indigenous animals.

The country is mainly drained by the three major river systems Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali from east to west respectively. From the economic point of view, the Terai is the extensive agricultural belt, the midland is the fruit and grain crops growing area and the northern part is a beautiful area suitable for tourist activities and livestock farming as well. In this way, diversity has been reflected in economic, social, cultural and other aspects of life. These make Nepal a unique country in the map of the world.

The average literacy rate of Nepal is 54 %. Vast differences exist between the male and female literacy rate. Out of the total male population, 54 % are literate whereas only 25 % female Nepalese are literate.     

                             
People
Nepal is a multi ethnic, multilingual, secular, democratic country.. She has population of more than 26 million, made up of an assortment of races and tribes, living in different regions. They live under quite diverse environmental conditions from the low, nearly sea level plains at the border of India, northward through the middle hills and valleys and up to the flanks of the great Himalayan range where there are settlements at altitude of up to 4.800m. Farming practices are therefore equally diverse along with life styles and social customs.

Tibetan speaking people are found on the high Himalayan region. Life here is a delicate balance of hard work and social merrymaking, tempered by a culture deeply steeped in ancient religious traditions. The best known of the high mountain peoples are the Sherpas who inhabit the central and eastern regions of Nepal. The Sherpas have access to Bhot (Tibet) for trade and social intercourse and therefore Tibetan influence on their culture and civilization remains distinct.

The midlands are inhabited by various Tibeto-Burman and Indo-Aryan speaking hill- and valley-people, for example the Brahmins, Chhettris, and Newars. While the Brahmins and Chhettris are widely distribute throughout the country, the Newars are mainly concentrated in the Katmandu Valley and other towns.

The Rais, Limbus, Tamangs, Magars, Gurungs, Thakalis, and Chepangs are other Tibeto-Burman speaking Mongoloid people found living in the middle hills. They each have their own distinct social and cultural patterns. Though Nepal is a veritable mosaic of dozens of ethnic groups, they are bound together by their ideas of peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance to form one unified nation.

Among the low caste groups the Dalit and Kumals are also an integral part. The world is in 21st century but the condition of these people is not better than the people of the middle ages. In the age of science, this people are still fighting to get their actual place in the society. They are ignored and dominated by the upper caste.

Although the caste system still exists, particularly in rural Nepal, it is weakening. There is an increasing desire among many Nepali people, particularly the younger generation, to see an end of this discrimination. And it will happen, in fact, it is happening but it takes time to change 2500 years of tradition.

Tourism
Nepal is a beautiful country. About 50 million tourists have visited Nepal till date. The majority of the tourists visits Nepal for holiday and trekking, however, business and official visits constitute about 10 percent.

Trekking and wildlife tourism is very popular in Nepal. Every year, about 120.000 tourists come for trekking. Mt. Everest region, Langtang Valley, Annapurna are famous trekking sites of Nepal. Similarly, many foreigners visit different National Parks. Besides this, historical places and world heritage sites all are the centers of attraction for the Nepal visitors.

Despite significant improvements in life expectancy and education around fifty percent of  Nepalese people are still living under the poverty line. Lack of good governance, wide social and geographic disparities and erratic growth in agricultural sector, which is the main source of livelihood for most Nepalis, are the key reasons for the persistent poverty, said the Nepal Human Development Report 2005, which was written by the United Nations Development Program.

According to the report, the human development index of Nepal stands at 0.466 which is below of all South Asian countries except Bangladesh. The life expectancy is 59.5 years and adult literacy rate is 50.70 percent. The report said that despite the Nepali government has been prioritizing the issue of human development over the last decade, the Nepali people are still suffering from low life expectancy, low literacy and low living conditions.

The poverty in Nepal has touched a number of political and social issues such as absence of transparency and accountability, inequality in the distribution of resources and opportunities and vast disparity in ownership of productive assets, the report stressed.