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GEOGRAPHYArea 147,181 sq. km. A mountain-range Himalayan state between China (Tibet) and India. It contains 8 of the 10 highest mountain peaks in the world.
Population Density: 2010 29,715,459 +2.12% 202 per sq. km.
Capital Kathmandu 1,500,000. The city has doubled in size during the 1990s. Urbanites 14%.
Indo-Aryan
79%. 27 peoples. Mainly south and east. Largest: Nepali 12 mill.; Maithili 2.85m; Bhojpuri 1.79m; Tharu (6) 1.29m; Awadhi 483,000; Urdu 261,000; Hindi 220,000; Rajbansi 110,000.
Tibeto-Burman 17%. 68 peoples, mainly in north and west. Largest groups: Tamang 1.17m; Newari 892,000; Rai(10) 567,000; Magar 558,000; Limbu 328,000; Gurung(4) 294,000; Sherpa 158,000.
Munda-Santal 0.3%. 2 peoples.
Other 3.7%. Bhutan refugees 150,000; Indians, Tibetans.
Caste groups are important in this largely Hindu society. These are often more important sociologically than is ethnicity. Some groups: Chhetri 3.8m; Hill Brahman 3.1m; Magar 1.7m; Maki/Lohar 1.2m; Yadav/Ahir 1m; Musalman (Muslim) 850,000; Chamar 263,000.
Literacy 40%. Official language Nepali. All languages 124.
An isolated subsistence economy. The terrain is difficult and in habitable regions there is a high population density with rapid deforestation and ecological damage. The development of roads, agriculture and social projects has been slow. Main foreign exchange earners are tourism, agriculture and Gurkha soldiers. Heavily dependent on foreign aid and good relations with India. HDI0.463; 144th/174. Public debt 48% of GNP. Income/person $220 (0.7% of USA) with 42% living below the poverty line.
POLITICS
A monarchy throughout most of its history, Nepal was ruled by the Shah dynasty of kings from 1768, when Prithvi Narayan Shah unified its many small kingdoms. In 2006, however, a decade-long People's Revolution by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) along with several weeks of mass protests by all major political parties of Nepal culminated in a peace accord, and the ensuing elections for theconstituent assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of the abdication of the last Nepali monarch Gyanendra Shah and the establishment of a federal democratic republic in May 28, 2008. The firstPresident of Nepal, Ram Baran Yadav, was sworn in on 23 July 2008.
RELIGION
The world's only Hindu Kingdom. Hinduism is recognized as the national religion, but the constitution guarantees some religious freedom for other faiths. People are free to choose their religion but it is illegal to convert others. Any infringing of this is liable to lead to imprisonment for nationals or expulsion of foreigners. Official religion figures of the 1991 census are suspect with minority religions under-represented. Persecution Index 42nd in the world.
Religions Population %
Hindu 74.82
Buddhist 16.00
Muslim 5.00
Christian 1.89
Other religions 1.70
non-Religious/other 0.50
Sikh 0.06
Baha'i 0.03
The boundary between Hinduism and Buddhism is not distinct; Buddhists are officially 7.8%, Muslims 3.5%, Christians 0.17%.
Missionaries from Nepal
P,I,A 746 in 13 agencies to 4 countries: Nepal 710, India 33.
Expatriates to Nepal
P,I,A 717 in 90 agencies from 30 countries: UK 149, USA 125, Germany 48, Korea 47, Australia 32, Norway 30.
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