Nepal is a beautiful mountainous country in South Asia in the lap of the Himalaya. She is known for her uniqueness. One of the countries that was never colonized, Nepal is the birthplace of Gautam Buddha. A country with Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world is also known for her natural beauty, archeological heritages, and diversity of people and culture.
The comparatively small country with almost 29 million inhabitants ranks 93rd in its size, whereas in terms of population, it is 40th in the world. This landlocked country is bordered by only two giant emerging economies with billion-plus populations, India and China. She has tremendous socio-cultural and natural diversity, rare diversity with almost all types of climates in the world, endowed with beautiful snow-peaked Himalayas, evergreen mountains and hills, enormous biological species, rivers, and forests. The country is like a gourd between two big stones, having a total area of 147,516 sq. km, which is 22 times smaller than Southern Neighbor and 66 times smaller than Northern Neighbor.
Nepal is one of the countries with its own distinct history of more than 3000 years. The country that was never colonized even partially for the last 3000 years, while a few European nations colonized dozens of times, and even China got independence in 1949 and India in 1947. There are many facts about Nepal which are unbelievable. The country of birthplace of Gautam Buddha which officially follow BS (Bikram Sambat) Calendar starting the new year around 15th of April etc and Sunday is the working day and Saturday is the only holiday in a week.
By religion Nepal is composed of 80 per cent Hindu, 10 % of Buddhists, Muslims (4.20%), Kirat (3.60%), Christian (1.5 %) and others (0.60%) (Jain, Sikhs, Bahai, jews, etc). Nepal is a country of cultural heritages. In the Northern Part of Nepal, there is 800 KM long Himalaya range which cross the country East to west. Out of 1600Km long Hindukush Himalaya half of the part is in Nepal where 8 out of the 10 highest peak of the world stands. Yes, it is the land of Mt. Everest, the highest peak of the world. Nepal is one of the richest countries in water resources probably second after Brazil. Several sources of water in the form of glaciers, snow peak, groundwater, springs and river networks exits in Nepal and the country is drained by 6000 rivers and rivulets. It has the potentiality of generating electricity to the world.
The altitude ranges from 60 meters above sea level to over 8848 m ecologically divided in to three belts Hot southern plain, cold Northern Mountain and average in hilly region. Nepal harbors extreme spatial climate variations. She has a wide range of climates from the tropics to the alpine regions. Nepal occupies only 0.03 percent of the total surface of the earth and covers 0.1 percent of the world’s land area but has high representation of biotic diversity. It claims 9.3 percent of birds, 4.5 percent of mammal, 2 percent of reptiles, and 6 percent of butterfly, 1.0 percent of fish and over 2.0 percent of the flowering plant species of the world. The immense bio- climatic diversity in Nepal supports more than 35 forest types. They are home to 5,833 species of flowering plants, including about 248 species of endemic plant and 700 species of medicinal plants. Nepal’s landmass is also home to 185 species of mammals, 847 species of birds, 645 species of butterflies, 170 species of fish and other animals. The country has around 45 % of forests and grazing land and community Forestry management practices is not only unique but also among the best practices replicated around the world.
Socio-culturally, there are 125 caste and ethnic groups, 123 distinct language groups and more than 59 ethnic and indigenous groups. Yes, more than 123 languages are spoken by the 29 million people. There is caste system in Nepal which arranges people in a hierarchy on the basis of occupation as Brahmin, Chhetris, Vaishyas and Sudras. Caste inequality has been brutally oppressing the though called Dalits in Nepal.
At present there is multiparty democracy in Nepal and got new constitution of federal democratic republic of Nepal in 2015 which is undoubtedly one the most recent and quite progressive constitution of world in terms of inclusion and rights of lower class where 33% of women’s representation is ensured in all the state bodies. Nepal is the youngest republic where Monarchy was abolished after 2006. The other unique features of constitution of Nepal are guarantee of right to food sovereignty, constitutional commissions of minorities and oppressed groups, proportional representative electoral system, powerful and autonomous local bodies, equal rights of women on parental property many more elements paving Nepal’s way towards socialism.
Political instability has been one of the major problems of a country which unfortunately got more than 25 governments in the last 25 years. A country geo-politically and diplomatically important for Europe, US and certainly to the neighbors, India and China has become the playground of world powers playing political game of divide, influence, penetrate and rule. Nepal is thus suffering from the neo-liberalism and global and regional hegemony of global powers.
A country where the food habit is still agrarian, and people eat early food before the start of the workday at around 9 a.m. and have dinner early in the evening food at around 7 p.m. While most of the people in the west take lunch, Nepalese take snacks/tiffin (Khaja) in the afternoon. While westerner drink tea/coffee after meals it is not common that you drink tea after the meal. Milk tea is the most common drinks of Nepali early in the morning and in the afternoon. Rice is equal to the food because it is the staple food and if anyone is not taking rice twice a day, the main reason may be lack of affordability and health reasons. Nepalese people are also known for their hospitality. More interestingly, like in most of the temples, you take off your shoes before entering your home in Nepal.
Nepal is still a hub of medicinal herbs produced mainly in higher mountains. Nepali organic coffee still a choice of Many and off course Nepal is also famous for Yak Cheese. Beef is still rare in Nepal where as mutton (goat meat) is common in Nepal. Still Buffalo Milk is more abundant than the cow Milk.
In terms of socio-cultural traits, many unique and rare cultures are found only in Nepal. Polyandry (marriage of one women to more than one men) and Kumari (living goddess) are such among hundreds. It’s up on the anthropologist to provide more evidence and tell the story on the claims that Nepal was settlement of early hominid and places of evolution of true human ancestor as the 12m old teeth of Ramapitecus and fossils and tools of early lower Paleolithic ancestors found in Siwalik of Nepal points out.
Archeologically, the area around Lumbini, temples in Kathmandu, Caves in Mustang, palace in Mithila are fertile grounds. For a poet and naturalist there’s can’t be the substitute of Rara and se phoksundo Lake. For a researcher there are hundreds of Cultures in Nepal. For the climbers there are hundreds of Mountains and Himalayas. For a biologist the floras and faunas are lucrative, and For a Marxist, Nepal is a country where two out of three person is a communist.
Relatively underdeveloped countries have more to do than to praise. One of the least developed countries also has one fourth of its population below poverty. But unraveling the truth, discovering wealth, excavating and utilizing tremendous resources will help in advancing forward. It may be tourism, renewable energy and agriculture but we are yet to see how the country with the highest number of world cultural and natural heritages, the Country of Brave Gurkhas with glorious past identifies, recognizes and introduces herself to the 21st century world. Like the weather in Nepal is unpredictable, the politics is very fragile and unstable. Let’s hope rather than cherishing and romanticizing the past and natural gift, Nepal soon will be known for innovation, development and prosperity.