Nepal

Nepal A south Asian country among the peaks and southern slopes of the Himalayas, sandwiched between China (Tibet) and India.

Physical

Nepal contains the highest mountains in the world. The peaks are in the north; below the snow-line rivers run through turfy valleys and fine forests.

Economy

Much of the land is not cultivable and deforestation is a major problem. However, the economy is primarily agrarian, with principal crops of rice, sugar cane, maize, and wheat. Industry is limited mainly to agricultural processing.

History

Nepal's first era of centralized control was under the Licchavi dynasty, from about the 4th to the 10th centuries. During this period Buddhist influences were dominant, but under the Malla dynasty (10th–18th centuries) Hinduism was the dominant religion. In 1769 a successful Gurkha invasion brought to power the present ruling dynasty. From their capital at Kathmandu they wielded absolute power over the indigenous Nepalese tribes. Their incursion into north-west India led to a border war (1814–16) and to territorial concessions to the British (Treaty of Kathmandu, 1816). Effective rule then passed to a family of hereditary Prime Ministers, the Ranas, who cooperated closely with the British. Gurkhas were recruited to service in the British and Indian armies. Growing internal dissatisfaction led in 1950 to a coup, which reaffirmed royal powers under the king, Tribhuvan (1951–55). His successor, King Mahendra (1955–72), experimented with a more democratic form of government. This was replaced once more with monarchic rule (1960), which continued under his son, King Birendra Bir Bikram (1972– ). Following pro-democracy demonstrations and mass arrests from 1989 onwards, the king agreed to legalize political parties, and granted a new constitution in November 1990, establishing a bi-cameral parliament; the first democratic election, in May 1991, was won by the Nepali Congress Party (NCP) led by Girija Prasad Koirala, with the United Communist Party of Nepal (UCPN) forming the official opposition. The government was accused of corruption and economic mismanagement in 1994 and was brought down by a vote of no-confidence. A UCPN-led coalition was formed following elections, but disputes within the government led to its collapse in 1995. A right-wing coalition government was then formed, led by the NCP.

Capital:	Kathmandu
Area:	147,181 sq km (56,827 sq miles)
Population:	21,959,000 (1998 est)
Currency:	1 Nepalese rupee = 100 paisa (or pice)
Religions:	Hindu 89.5%; Buddhist 5.3%; Muslim 2.7%; Jain 0.1%
Ethnic Groups:	Nepalese 58.4%; Bihari 18.7%; Tharu 3.6%; Tamang 3.5%; Newar 3.0%
Languages:	Nepali (official); Bihari; Tamang
International Organizations:	UN; Colombo Plan