Nepal is officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. It is bordered by China and India. It is located in the Himalayas. Nepal is 56, 827 miles in area (497 miles long and 124 miles wide) and has a population of approximately 30 million. It is the world's 93rd largest country by land mass and the 41st most populous country. The nation's capital, Kathmandu, is the largest city. Nepal has 8 of the world's 10 tallest mountains, including the highest point on Earth, Mount Everest ("Sagarmatha" in Nepali).
Nepal's government has been a monarchy throughout most of its history. On May 28, 2008, Nepal officially became a democratic republic. The 1st President of Nepal, Ram Baran Yadav, was sworn in on July 23, 2008. Nepal is divided into 14 zones and 75 districts, grouped into 5 development regions. Each district is headed by a permanent chief district officer responsible for maintaining law and order and coordinating the work of field agencies of the various government ministries. Nepal's military consists of the Nepalese Army, Nepalese Police Force, and the Armed Police Force Nepal. Service is voluntary and the minimum age of enlistment is 18 years.
Hinduism (80.6%) is the largest religious practice in Nepal. Buddhism (10.7%) is historically linked to Nepal; however, it is a minority faith. Many Nepali follow both religions and do not distinguish between them. Other religions: Islam (4.2%), Mundhum (3.6%), Christianity (0.5%), other (0.4%). The official language of Nepal is Nepali; however, there are over 100 indigenous languages. The official currency is the Nepalese rupee (NPR). Vehicles drive on the left side of the road.
Nepal has close ties with India and China. Indian and Nepalese citizens may travel to each other countries without a passport or visa. Nepal's gross domestic product (GDP) for 2008 was estimated at $12 billion, making it the 115th largest economy in the world. GDP breakdown: Agriculture - about 40%, Services - 41%, Industry - 22%. Agriculture employs 76% of the workforce, services 18%, and manufacturing/craft-based industry employs 6%. Agricultural produce includes: tea, rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops, milk, & water buffalo meat. Nepal's exports consist mainly of carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, and grain. About half of the population lives below the international poverty line of $1.25 a day. Per-capita income is around $1,000. There is less than 1 telephone per 19 people.
A typical Nepalese meal is "dal-bhat-tarkari". "Dal" is a spicy lentil soup, served over "bhat" (boiled rice), served with "tarkari" (curried vegetables) together with "achar" (pickles) or "chutni" (spicy condiment made from fresh ingredients). The Newari Music orchestra consists of percussion instruments, though wind instruments, such as flutes and other similar instruments, are also used. String instruments are very rare. The Newar dances can be broadly classified into masked dances and non-masked dances. Folklore is an integral part of Nepalese society.
The Nepali year begins in mid-April and is divided into 12 months. Saturday is the official weekly holiday. Main annual holidays include the National Day, celebrated on the birthday of the king, (Dec. 28), Prithvi Jayanti (January 11), Martyr's Day (February 18), and a mix of Hindu and Buddhist festivals. Most houses in rural lowland are made of tight bamboo framework and walls of a mud and cow-dung mix. These dwellings remain cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Houses in the hills are made of unbaked bricks with thatch or tile roofing. At high elevations, construction changes to stone masonry and slate may be used for roofs.
Nepal's flag is the only national flag in the world that is not rectangular in shape. The red in the flag stands for victory in war or courage, and is also color of the rhododendron, the national flower of Nepal. The flag's blue border signifies peace. The curved moon on the flag is a symbol of the peaceful and calm nature of Nepalese, while the sun represents the aggressiveness of Nepalese warriors.
*Sited from wikipedia.org
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