Nepal is a Himalayan country in Southern Asia, bordered by Tibet, China, and India. It contains eight of the world's ten highest mountains, including Mount Everest, which stands 29,035 feet tall.
Kathmandu is the capital and largest city in Nepal. About forty percent of people living in Nepal do not earn enough money to sustain a decent quality of life, making it one of the poorest countries in the world. Most houses are constructed from bamboo with mud walls. Nepalese people rely on tourism and agriculture as their main sources of income.
Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who achieved enlightenment and became known as "Buddha," was born in Nepal around 500 B.C. He remains one of the world's most significant religious icons. The collection of his teachings, called the Tipitaka, is the basis for Buddhism. About 350 million people world-wide are considered Buddhists, making Buddhism the fifth-largest religion in the world.
Nepal has recently gone through a Civil War. A faction, called the Maoists, started fighting against the royal family and the political parties in an attempt to start their own state. The Maoists felt they were suppressed by the royal line and wanted a more democratic form of government. Prime Minister Deuba declared a state of emergency in 2005 and gained all executive powers. Only in 2006, after the United Nations and members of the world community became involved as a neutral third party, was democracy restored to Nepal by a peaceful agreement.
The Nepalese people are still recovering from that civil war, in which roughly 15,000 people lost their lives. They suffered from shortages of food and were oppressed by needless curfews and restrictions for many years during the fighting. They are hoping to hold their first fully-democratic election, free from fear and intimidation, in November of 2007. The people of Nepal will choose representatives to write a new constitution for the tiny country.
Nepal Profile
Official Language: Nepali
Prime Minister: Girija Prasad Koirala
Currency: Rupee
Population: 27,133,000
Average Income in a Year: $1,675
Religions: Hindu 81%, Buddhist 11%, Islam 4%, Kirant 4%