Nepal, is a landlocked
Himalayan country in South Asia, bordered
by the People's Republic of China to the
north and India to the south, east and
west. More than 80% of its people follow Hinduism.
For a small country, the Nepali landscape is uncommonly
diverse, ranging from the humid Terai in
the south to the lofty Himalayas in the
north. Nepal boasts eight of the world's ten
highest mountains, including Mount Everest
on the border with China. Kathmandu is the
capital and largest city. The other main cities
include Biratnagar, Birgunj, Janakpur,
Pokhara, Nepalgunj, Mahendranagar
etc.
Nepal is commonly divided into three physiographic
areas: Mountain, Hill, and Terai
Regions. These ecological belts run east-west
and are bisected by Nepal's major river systems.
The Terai Plains bordering India are part
of the northern rim of the Indo-Gangetic plains.
They were formed and are fed by three major rivers:
Kosi, Narayani (India's Gandak
River), and Karnali. This region has
a hot, humid climate. Two low mountain ranges,
Mahabharat Lekh and Shiwalik Range
(also called the Churia Range) dominate
the region. The hilly belt includes the Kathmandu
Valley, the country's most fertile and urbanised
area. There are just over 4,000 km of paved roads,
and one 59 km railway line in the south. Aviation
is in a better state, with 46 airports,
nine of them with paved runways. There is less
than one telephone per 46 people; landline services
are poor, although mobile telephony is in a reasonable
state in some parts of the country.
A lack of natural resources, its landlocked location,
technological backwardness and the long-running
civil war have also prevented Nepal from fully
developing its economy. The country receives
foreign aid from India, China, United
States, Japan and the European Union.
Agricultural produce - mostly grown in
the Terrai region bordering India - includes Rice,
Corn, Wheat, Sugarcane, Root
Crops, Milk, and Water Buffalo Meat.
Industry mainly involves the processing of agricultural
produce, including Jute, Sugarcane,
Tobacco, and Grain. The spectacular
landscape and deep, exotic culture of Nepal
represents considerable potential for tourism,
but growth in this export industry has been stifled
by recent political events.
Nepal has close ties with both of its neighbours,
India and China. In accordance with a long
standing treaty, Indian and Nepalese citizens
may travel to each others' countries without a
passport or visa. Nepalese citizens may work
in India without legal restriction. Although
Nepal and India typically have close ties,
from time to time Nepal becomes caught up in the
problematic Sino-Indian relationship. India considers
Nepal as part of its realm of influence, and views
Chinese aid with concern.
Folklore is an integral part of Nepali society.
Traditional stories are rooted in the reality
of day-to-day life-tales of love, affection, battles,
and demons and ghosts; they reflect and explain
local lifestyles, cultures and belief systems.
Many Nepali folktales are enacted in dance
and music. The Newar people are well known
for masked dance that tell stories of the
gods and heroes. Music is percussion-based,
sometimes with flutes or shawm accompanying the
intense, nasal vocal lines. Musical styles
are a variety of pop, religious and folk music,
among other styles. Musical genres from Tibet
and India have had a strong influence on traditional
Nepali music. The Sarangi, a four-stringed,
hand-carved instrument is usually played by
wandering minstrels.
Nepal is divided into 14 zones and 75 districts
grouped into five development zones or divisions.
Each district is headed by a chief district officer
responsible for maintaining law and order and
coordinating the work of field agencies of the
various government ministries. |
