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People
and History
Population
Nepal is inhabited
by 27million people, 700.000 who live in Kathmandu. It's unique cultural mix is made
up of various ethnic groups, including the Bhotiya (which include the Sherpa), Khas,
Kirati, Magar, Newari, Tharu, Tamong and Tibetans. All in all, there are about 40
ethnic groups and 70 spoken languages.
Language
Nepal's official
language is Nepali (Gurkhali) which has similarities with Hindu. There are also
numerous regional variations/languages based on the different ethnic groups in Nepal.
Religion
Nepal's main
religion is Hinduism, mixed with a good quantity of Buddhism.
Economy
and Government
Nepal is a democratic
country, but has the presence of a King. It has a bicameral legislature. The lower
house, the House of Representatives, consists of 205 members. Members to the lower house
are elected every five years. The upper house, the National Assembly, is made up of 60
members who have a six-year tenure in office. One-third of the members retire every two
years. Fifteen members are elected by the local government, 35 members by proportional
representation, and 10 members are nominated by the King.
History
For centuries the Kingdom of Nepal was divided into many principalities. Kirats
ruled in the east, the Newars in the Kathmandu Valley, while Gurungs and Magars occupied
the mid-west. The Kirats ruled from 300 BC and during their reign, emperor Ashoka arrived
from India to build a pillar at Lumbini in memory of Lord Buddha. The Kirats were followed
by the Lichhavis whose descendants today are believed to be the Newars of the Kathmandu
Valley. During this period, art thrived in Nepal and many of the beautiful woodcarvings
and sculptures that are found in the country belong to this era. With the end of the
Lichhavi dynasty, Malla kings came to power in 1200 AD and they also con tributed
tremendously to Nepal's art and culture. However, after almost 600 years of rule, the
kings were not united among themselves and during the late 11th century, Prithvi Narayan
Shah, King of Gorkha, conquered Kathman du and united Nepal into one kingdom. Recognizing
the threat of the British Raj in India, he dismissed European missionaries from the
country and for more than a century, Nepal remained in isolation. During the mid-I 9th
century Jung Bahadur Rana became Nepal's first prime minister to wield absolute power. He
set up an oligarchy and the Shah Kings remained figure-heads. The Ranas were overthrown in
a democracy movement of the early 1950s. Today, Nepal enjoys a multi party democratic
system with a constitutional Monarch.
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