A. Summary
Officially Kingdom of Nepal is a landlocked country of southern
Asia, bordered on the north by Chinese Tibet and the Himalayas
and bounded by India to the east, south, and west. It covers
an area of 56,827 square miles (147,181 square km). The capital
is Kathmandu. Nepal extends for about 500 miles (800 km) from
southeast to northwest and for about 90 to 150 miles (140 to
240 km) from north to south. It contains some of the most rugged
and difficult mountainous terrain in the world. As a result
of its years of geographic and self-imposed isolation, Nepal
is one of the least-developed nations of the world. The population
of Nepal in 1990 was estimated to be 18,910,000.
b. The Land
Nepal contains some of the most rugged and difficult mountain
terrain in the world. Roughly 75 percent of the country is covered
by mountains. From the south to the north, Nepal can be divided
into four main physical belts, each of which extends east to
west across the country. These are, first, the Tarai, a low,
flat, fertile land adjacent to the border of India; second,
the forested Churia foothills and the Inner Tarai zone, rising
from the Tarai plain to the rugged Mahabharat Range; third,
the mid-mountain region between the Mahabharat Range and the
Great Himalayas; and, fourth, the Great Himalaya Range, rising
to more than 29,000 feet (some 8,850 metres).
The Tarai forms the northern extension of the Gangetic Plain
and varies in width from less than 16 to more than 20 miles,
narrowing considerably in several places. A 10-mile-wide belt
of rich agricultural land stretches along the southern part
of the Tarai; the northern section, adjoining the foothills,
is a marshy region in which wild animals abound and malaria
is endemic.
The Churia Range, which is sparsely populated, rises in almost
perpendicular escarpments to an altitude of more than 4,000
feet. Between the Churia Range to the south and the Mahabharat
Range to the north, there are broad basins from 2,000 to 3,000
feet high, about 10 miles wide, and 20 to 40 miles long; these
basins are often referred to as the Inner Tarai. In many places
they have been cleared of the forests and savanna grass to provide
timber and areas for cultivation.
A complex system of mountain ranges, some 50 miles in width
and varying in elevation from 8,000 to 14,000 feet, lie between
the Mahabharat Range and the Great Himalayas. The ridges of
the Mahabharat Range present a steep escarpment toward the south
and a relatively gentle slope toward the north. To the north
of the Mahabharat Range, which encloses the valley of Kathmandu,
are the more lofty ranges of the Inner Himalaya (Lesser Himalaya),
rising to perpetually snow-covered peaks. The Kathmandu and
the Pokhara valleys lying within this mid-mountain region are
flat basins, formerly covered with lakes, that were formed by
the deposition of fluvial and fluvioglacial material brought
down by rivers and glaciers from the enclosing ranges during
the four glacial and intervening warm phases of the Pleistocene
Epoch (from about 1,600,000 to 10,000 years ago).
The Great Himalaya Range, ranging in elevation from 14,000 to
more than 29,000 feet, contains many of the world's highest
peaks—Everest, Kanchenjunga I, Lhotse I, Makalu I, Cho
Oyu, Dhaulagiri I, Manaslu I, and Annapurna I—all of them
above 26,400 feet. Except for scattered settlements in high
mountain valleys, this entire area is uninhabited.
c. Climate
Nepal's climate, influenced by elevation as well as by its location
in a subtropical latitude, ranges from subtropical monsoon conditions
in the Tarai, through a warm temperate climate between 4,000
and 7,000 feet in the mid-mountain region, to cool temperate
conditions in the higher parts of mountains between 7,000 and
11,000 feet, to an Alpine climate at altitudes between 14,000
and 16,000 feet along the lower slopes of the Himalaya mountains.
At altitudes above 16,000 feet the temperature is always below
freezing and the surface covered by snow and ice. Rainfall is
ample in the eastern portion of the Tarai (which receives from
70 to 75 inches [1,800 to 1,900 millimetres] a year at Biratnagar)
and in the mountains, but the western portion of Nepal (where
from 30 to 35 inches a year fall at Mahendranagar) is drier.
In Kathmandu Valley, average temperatures range from 50°
F (10° C) in January to 78° F (26° C) in July, and
the lowest and highest temperatures recorded have been 27°
and 99° F (-3° and 37° C). The average annual rainfall
is about 55 inches, most of which falls in the period from June
to September. At Pokhara the temperature ranges from 40°
F (4° C) in January to approximately 100° F (38°
C) in June, just before the monsoon. In winter, temperatures
during the day rise to 70° F (21° C), creating pleasant
conditions, with cool nights and warm days. Because warm rain-bearing
monsoon winds discharge most of their moisture as they encounter
the Annapurna range, rainfall is quite heavy (about 100 inches)
in the Pokhara Valley.
d. Flora
The natural vegetation of Nepal follows the pattern of climate
and altitude. A tropical, moist zone of deciduous vegetation
occurs in the Tarai and the Churia Range. These forests consist
mainly of khair (Acacia catechu), a spring tree with yellow
flowers and flat pods; sissoo (Dalbergia sissoo), an East
Indian tree yielding dark brown durable timber; and sal (Shorea
robusta), an East Indian timber tree with foliage providing
food for lac insects (which deposit lac, a resinous substance
used for the manufacture of shellac and varnishes, on the
tree's twigs). On the Mahabharat Range, at elevations between
5,000 and 10,000 feet, vegetation consists of a mixture of
many species, chiefly pines, oaks, rhododendrons, poplars,
walnuts, and larch. Between 10,000 and 12,000 feet, fir mixed
with birch, as well as rhododendron, abound. In the mid-mountain
region of Nepal a fairly dense population has cleared all
but the most inaccessible parts of the forest, which are restricted
to areas of steep slopes and rocky terrain. Similarly, all
readily accessible parts of valuable sal forest in the Tarai
have been devastated by overcutting and depletive practices.
The vast forested area below the timber line in the Great
Himalaya Range bears some of the most valuable forests in
Nepal, containing spruce, fir, cypress, juniper, and birch.
Alpine vegetation occupies higher parts of the Great Himalaya
Range. Just below the snow line, between 14,000 and 15,000
feet, grassy vegetation affords favourable grazing ground
in summer.
e. Fauna
The forested areas of the Tarai are the home of tigers and
leopards, gaurs (wild ox), occasional elephants and buffalo,
and many deer; the deer include chital, or axis, deer (which
have white-spotted bodies), sambar (a large Asiatic deer with
coarse hair on the throat and strong antlers), and swamp deer.
The Lesser Rapti Valley, in south-central Nepal, is one of
the last homes of the great Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros
unicornis). Much poaching has gone on, as the horn of the
rhinoceros is reputed to be valuable as an aphrodisiac, but
in the 1960s the Nepal government organized protective measures.
There are few wild animals in the central zone because of
the clearing of forests. Occasional leopards, bears, and smaller
carnivores inhabit the forests and ravines, and muntjacs (a
kind of small deer, also called the barking deer) are found
in the woods. In the Alpine zone are musk deer, widely hunted
for the musk pods they carry, the tahr (a Himalayan beardless
wild goat), the goral (any of several goat antelopes, closely
related to the Rocky Mountain goat), and wild sheep, which
are preyed upon by wolves and snow leopards. Pheasant are
common. The Yeti (bear-man, or Abominable Snowman) is said
by the Sherpa to inhabit the high snow mountains but has eluded
discovery by several expeditions. Strange tracks are often
found in the snow, but it is believed that they are probably
made by bears. River wildlife includes the mahseer, a large
freshwater food and sport fish.
f. The People
The large-scale migrations of Mongoloid groups from Tibet
and Indo-Aryan people from northern India, which accompanied
the early settlement of Nepal, have produced a diverse linguistic,
ethnic, and religious pattern. Nepalese of Indo-Aryan ancestry
comprise the people of the Tarai, the Pahari, the Newar, and
the Tharus—the great majority of the total population.
Indo-Aryan ancestry has been a source of prestige in Nepal
for centuries, and the ruling families have been of Indo-Aryan
and Hindu background. Most of the Tibeto-Nepalese groups—the
Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Bhutia (including the Sherpa), and Sunwar—live
in the north and east, while the Magar and Gurung inhabit
west-central Nepal. The bulk of the famous Gurkha contingents
in the British army have come from the Magar, Gurung, and
Rai groups.
The principal and official language of Nepal is Nepali (Gorkhali),
spoken in the Tarai and the mid-mountain region. Nepali, a
derivative of Sanskrit, belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of
the Indo-European family. There are a number of regional dialects
found in the Tarai and mountain areas. The languages of the
north and east belong predominantly to the Tibeto-Burman family.
These include Magar, Gurung, Rai, Limbu, Sunwar, Tamang, Newari,
and a number of Bhutia dialects, including Sherpa and Thakali.
Although Newari is commonly placed in the Tibeto-Burman family,
it was influenced by both Tibeto-Burman and Indo-European
languages.
In Nepal a vast majority of the population is Hindu, but a
small percentage follows Buddhism or other religious faiths.
Hindus and Buddhists tend to be concentrated in areas where
Indian and Tibetan cultural influences, respectively, have
been dominant.
Almost all Nepalese live in villages or in small market centres.
Outside of Kathmandu, there are no major cities. Smaller urban
centres (Biratnagar, Nepalganj, and Birganj) are located in
the Tarai along the Indian border, and Pokhara is situated
in a valley in the mid-mountain region. In addition, a few
townships—such as Hitaura, Butwal, and Dharan—have
begun to emerge in the foothills and hill areas, where economic
activity has developed.
g. The Economy
Landlocked, lacking substantial resources for economic development,
and hampered by an inadequate transportation network, Nepal
is one of the least developed nations in the world. The economy
is heavily dependent on imports of basic materials and on
foreign markets for its forest and agricultural products.
Nepal imports essential commodities, such as fuel, construction
materials, fertilizers, metals, and most consumer goods, and
exports such products as rice, jute, timber, and textiles.
The political and administrative system of Nepal has not made
those changes in trade, investment, and related economic policies
that would expedite economic development and attract foreign
capital. The government's development programs, which are
funded by foreign aid, also have failed to respond directly
to the needs of rural people.
h. Resources
Nepal's mineral resources are small, scattered, and barely
developed. There are known deposits of coal (lignite), iron
ore, magnesite, copper, cobalt, pyrite (used for making sulfuric
acid), limestone, and mica. Nepal's great river systems provide
immense potential for hydroelectric development. If developed
and utilized within the country and exported to India (the
principal market for power generated in Nepal), it could become
a mainstay of the country's economy.
i. Agriculture
Agriculture—primarily the cultivation of rice, corn
(maize), and wheat—engages most of Nepal's population
and accounts for well over half of the country's export earnings.
Yet agricultural productivity is very low. The low yields
result from shortages of fertilizers and improved seed and
from the use of inefficient techniques. Because only a tiny
percentage of Nepal's cultivated land area is under irrigation,
output depends upon the vagaries of the weather. Potatoes,
sugarcane, and millet are other major crops. Cattle, buffalo,
goats, and sheep are the principal livestock raised.
On the whole, Nepal has a small surplus in food grains. There
are, however, major dislocations in supply and demand. Periods
of shortage between harvests of various crops occur in the
mountain areas. At the same time, substantial amounts of food
grain are moved to India from the Tarai. Because of the lack
of adequate transportation, surplus food grain from the Tarai
does not move north into the food deficit areas of the mid-mountain
region. Some food grains move northward from the Tarai and
the mountain areas into Tibet, however, despite a shortage
in the mountain regions.
The greatest potential for increases in agricultural production
is in the Tarai. In the mid-mountain region the potential
for increasing production is limited. Because of the high
population concentration in this region, almost all land capable
of cultivation is tilled. Increasing the cultivated land area
by cutting into standing forests aggravates erosion and results
in reduced yields and land losses by landslides. Major projects
have been undertaken in an effort to halt soil erosion and
deforestation.
j. Forestry
About one-third of Nepal's total area is forested; most of
this area is state-owned. In spite of overcutting and poor
management, timber represents one of the country's most valuable
resources and is a major source of potential revenue. Exports
of forest products constitute an important source of Indian
rupees. Almost all timber is exported to India. The sawmills
of the Timber Corporation of Nepal, a government-owned lumber-processing
concern, supply Kathmandu Valley with construction and furniture
wood.
k. Industry and Trade
Industrial production represents a small but growing segment
of economic activity. Most industries are small, localized
operations based on the processing of agricultural products.
The jute industry, centred in Biratnagar, is an important
earner of foreign exchange. Sugar factories are located in
Biratnagar, Birganj, and Bhairahawa. There are a sawmill and
a meat-processing plant in Hitaura and a number of rice and
oil mills in the Tarai. Other industries include brick and
tile manufacture; processing of construction materials, paper,
and food grain; cigarette manufacture; cement production;
and brewing of beer. In general, there are more industrial
enterprises in the private than in the public sector, although
most of these are cottage industries. The main areas of manufacturing
concentration are Biratnagar, the Birganj–Hitaura corridor,
and the Kathmandu Valley.
Tourism represents a small but expanding industry. Foreign
tourism is primarily confined to the Kathmandu Valley, which
is the only area equipped with the necessary hotels, food
supplies, roads, and international transport services. There
are, however, many areas outside the Kathmandu Valley with
potential for the development of tourism; these include Pokhara,
the Mount Everest area, and the Narayani area (where big game
exists).
For geographic and historical reasons, nearly all of Nepal's
trade is with India. Attempts have been made to diversify
trade through agreements with such countries as Japan, South
Korea, Pakistan, the United States, Germany, Poland, and China.
The state trading agency, National Trading Limited, has expanded
its activities by fostering the development of commercial
entrepreneurial activity. Large-scale commercial activity
has hitherto been in the hands of foreigners, primarily Indians.
Nepal's foreign trade and balance of payments have suffered
setbacks, and exports have not increased enough to pay for
imports of consumer goods and basic supplies. Nepal's dependence
on the Indian market for most of its imports and exports and
on the port of Calcutta for its access to the sea has been
the source of periodic friction between the two countries.
l. Transportation
Transport facilities in Nepal are very limited; few independent
nations in the world of comparable size have such little road
mileage and so few motor vehicles. Construction of new roads
has been undertaken since the 1970s with aid from India, China,
Great Britain, and the United States. The main means of transportation
has been the network of footpaths, which interlace the mountain
terrain and valleys. Trails have evolved into main trade routes,
which tend to follow the river systems.
The meagre road-transport facilities in Nepal are supplemented
by only a few railway and air-transport links. Increased use
of road transport has reduced the significance of the two
narrow-gauge railroads that run from Amlekhganj to Raxaul
(India) and from Janakpur to Jaynagar (India). The Royal Nepal
Airline Corporation, an autonomous government agency, is the
only commercial airline. Together with Indian Airlines, it
operates flights from Kathmandu to various points in India
and other nearby countries. Domestic air service within the
country has been expanded. The United States built the Kathmandu–Hitaura
aerial ropeway in the 1950s, and it is still used for carrying
goods into the capital.
m. Health and Education
The Ministry of Health is responsible for the support and
administration of public health services, including hospitals
and health clinics. Although the government has taken steps
to improve existing health centres and to establish new ones,
health care remains inadequate. Malaria, tuberculosis, cholera,
and typhoid are prevalent in spite of government projects
to control or eradicate them. Ayurvedic medicine, the traditional
Hindu system of medicine, is popular in Nepal.
The Ministry of Education and Culture is responsible for administration
and supervision of all elementary and secondary education.
Higher education has developed relatively recently. The first
college was established in 1918, and Tribhuvan University
in Kathmandu, with faculties of arts, sciences, commerce,
and education, was chartered in 1959. The University Senate
has sole legal responsibility for higher education and the
authority to grant academic recognition to colleges but is
largely dependent upon the Ministry of Education for funds.
n. Cultural life
The relaxation of censorship that followed the overthrow of
Rana rule in 1951 encouraged a revival of artistic and intellectual
expression. In literature and poetry, Nepali works emphasize
the cultural renaissance and national patriotism. King Mahendra,
a poet whose Nepali lyrics have been published in English
translation under the name of M.B.B. Shah (for Mahendra Bir
Bikram Shah), did much to promote the revival of arts and
literature.
The cultural heritage of Nepal, particularly contributions
made by the Newar of Kathmandu Valley to sculpture, painting,
and architecture, is a source of great pride. Hindu and Buddhist
religious values have provided the basic source of inspiration
to Newar artisans. The themes of most artistic works have
been primarily religious; the lives of the gods, saints, and
heroes and the relationship of man to society and to the universe
are expounded in sculpture, architecture, and drama. In Kathmandu
Valley some 2,500 temples and shrines display the skill and
highly developed aesthetic sense of Newar artisans.
Music and dance are favourite pastimes among the Nepalese.
Religious ceremonies require the use of drums and wind instruments
preserved from ancient times. Important in most religious
and family occasions are devotional songs that have elements
of both classical and folk music and that have been used by
some contemporary musical revivalists in their attempt to
bridge the gap between the two. The government-owned Radio
Nepal broadcasts programs in Nepali and English. The country's
first television station, at Kathmandu, began broadcasting
in 1986.
Newspapers and periodicals are published in Nepali and in
English. Newspapers are frequently sensational in tone and
are poorly staffed and financed. Gorkha Patra, published by
the government, occupies a commanding position in the Nepalese
press. Nepalese newspaper readers rely on the foreign press,
particularly Indian newspapers, which are flown daily into
Kathmandu, for more sophisticated coverage of world and national
news.
After 1960 King Mahendra required newspapers to obtain official
clearance for all reports of political activity. Subsequently
the government increased its censorship, and in 1985 the publication
of many newspapers was suspended. In 1990, reflecting the
change in the country's political climate, freedom of the
press was restored. |
