Nepal-Facts

• Nepali 47.8%
• Maithali 12.1%
• Bhojpuri 7.4%
• Tharu (Dagaura/Rana) 5.8%
• Tamang 5.1%
• Newar 3.6%
• Magar 3.3%
• Awadhi 2.4%
• other 10%
• unspecified 2.5% (2001 census)

• Hindu 80.6%
• Buddhist 10.7%
• Muslim 4.2%
• Kirant 3.6%
• other 0.9% (2001 census)

Nepal has a long and rich history, considering that there are records of people living in the area as early as the fourth century AD. During this time power was held by a series of kingdoms, and land control was won and lost against India as well as against British rule.

Until 1951, a hereditary prime minister governed Nepal. In 1959 Nepal held its first election, but King Mahendra dismissed the cabinet, dissolved parliament, and banned political parties in 1960. A nonparty panchayat (council) system of government was implemented by constitution in 1962. Parliamentary elections were held again in 1981.

Nepal and India fought over border crossings in 1989-1990, which incurred an economic crisis for Nepal, and its people demanded political reform. There was much fighting, and another dissolution of parliament. The spring of 1990 brought a new constitution which made a constitutional monarchy as well as a bicameral legislature. The Nepali Congress Party won legislative elections in 1991, which made the Communists the main opposition. In 1994, elections ended up with a hung parliament and the Communists formed a minority government.

More recently, Krishna P. Bhattarai became Prime Minister for the second time, after peaceful elections under a reestablished democratic Nepal.

Nepal is the only Hindu state in the world, and over 80% of the population considers themselves Hindu. Small ethnic groups descendant from India, Tibet, and Burma make up the population of Nepal, broken down as follows: Chhettri 15.5%, Brahman-Hill 12.5%, Magar 7%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang 5.5%, Newar 5.4%, Muslim 4.2%, Kami 3.9%, Yadav 3.9%, other 32.7%, unspecified 2.8% It is interesting to note that the largest group is considered to be ‘other.’ The population of Nepal is relatively young, with only 4% of its people being older than 65 years of age. There are also over 5 million people from Nepal living in other countries around the world. International travelers, students, and volunteers will love being immersed in Nepal’s rich culture, and will greatly enjoy getting to know locals who love visitors.

Nepal is located in southern Asia, between China and India. It is about the size of Arkansas. There are three main land regions in Nepal, which makes it very attractive for international visitors with all different types of interest. Tje Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges is in south, a hilly region is in central Nepal, and the Himalayas are in north. Though the population is spread over the entire country, very rarely do people live above 3,000m. The Kathmandu Valley is the most populated area of Nepal.

The climate of Nepal varies depending on geographical location. The mountains to the north tend to have colder and more severe weather than the lowlands to the south. While weather to the north is fairly cool in the summer and dangerously cold in the winter, the south has subtropical summers and tame winters, which is why far more people live in and travel to the south.

Nepal is considered monsoonal, and has definite wet and dry seasons. The best time to visit Nepal is easily the beginning of the dry season in October. At this time, everything is lush, green and beautiful. The view of the Himalayas is perfect, and this is the most popular season for mountain climbing.

In December, Nepal starts to cool down, and is especially cold to the north. In these areas, it is recommended that international travelers stay in higher end hotels, as these are more likely to be heated year round. It is not the most popular time to visit Nepal.

February through April marks the tail end of the dry season, and also the end of the cold. As the country warms up, more and more visitors come to call. Although visibility is not as good as in October, flowers are in full bloom and people can start hiking and climbing again.

The wet season begins around May, and Nepal gets very hot and dusty. Monsoons start in the middle of June, and continue through August. This is the worst time to visit Nepal, because it rains for a portion of every day, hiking trails are wet and muddy, rivers are high and fast, and rain clouds block the scenic views of the Himalayas.

Climate

Geography

Demographics

History