Welcome, dear readers to another blog in the series KNOW OUR WORLD. In this blog, we will be talking about the country which is the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Yes, we are going to talk about the scenic and ancient land of Nepal.
Nepal has deep traditional routes and is a pilgrimage site for Buddhists all over the world. The capital city of Kathmandu houses seven World Heritage sites. Read on to know more about the country of Nepal.
Table of Contents
Major Statistics
- Capital and largest city: Kathmandu
- Official Name: Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
- Religion: Secular nation. The major religion is Hinduism followed by Buddhism and Islam.
- National Anthem: Sayaun Thunga Phulka
- Language: Nepali
- Currency: Nepalese Rupee (NPR)
- National Flower: Rhododendron
- National Bird: Himalayan monal
- National animal: Cow (declared in 2015)
- National Flag:
The world’s only flag that is not a quadrilateral.
Geography
Nepal is a South Asian country that is located in The Himalayas and covers part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It is a landlocked country, with China in the North and India in East, West, and South.
- Population: 28,095,714 (49th most populated country in the world)
- Largest state (by area): Karnali Pradesh
- Smallest state (by area): Province no.2
- The following minerals are found in Nepal: Limestone (most abundant), Talc, Clay red, Granite and marble (not extensively explored), Coal, Gold, Semi-precious and precious stones (tourmaline, aquamarine, ruby, and sapphire)
- Major mountain peaks: Nepal is home to the highest mountain in the world, Mt. Everest. Kanchenjunga (3rd highest) and Lhotse (4th highest) are important mountain peaks among many others.
- Rivers: The four major rivers are –
1. Ghaghara (Karnali): It is a perennial river that originates in the Tibetan Plateau and joins River Sharda in India.
2. Kosi (Koshi): It is shared with India and China. In India, it is known as the ‘sorrow of Bihar’ due to the destructive floods caused by the River in Bihar.
3. Kamala: It originates in the Churia Range in Nepal. It also enters India.
4. Bheri: It originates in the Dolpo region of Nepal. It is considered a major tributary of River Ghaghara.
- Communities: The Kshetri’s are the largest ethnic group in Nepal, followed by Khas Brahmin and Magar. Other communities are Tharu, Tamang, Newar, Kami, Nepalese Muslims, Yadav, Rai, etc.
- Biodiversity: Due to its location, Nepal is disproportionately rich in biodiversity, given its small size. It houses many unique species of flora and fauna, including some endangered species like Bengal Tiger, Red Panda, Asiatic Elephant, Himalayan musk deer etc. Nepal has 10 National Parks, 3 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 1 Hunting Reserve and 10 wetlands that are part of the Ramsar convention.
History
Formation of Nepal
Present-day Nepal was unified for the first time under the Gorkha Kingdom. Later, the Shah dynasty laid the foundation of The Kingdom of Nepal. The kingdom had an agreement with the Britishers and was never colonized. It acted as a buffer state between Imperial China and British India.
Political Reforms
Parliamentary democracy was introduced in Nepal for the first time in 1951. It was suspended twice in the years 1960 and 2005. In the 1990s the People’s Movement forced the then ruler, King Birenrda to enact constitutional reforms and give way to multiparty democracy.
In 1996 the Maoist Party entered the Political scene of Nepal and led to the violent civil war. The Civil war ended and Nepal declared itself a secular state in 2006. In 2008, Nepal became a Federal Republic and thus the world’s largest Hindu Monarchy ceased to exist. In 2015, the present-day constitution of Nepal came into effect.
Internationally, Nepal became a member of the United Nations in 1955. It was also a part of the Non-alignment movement and the Bay of Bengal Initiative.
Gautam Buddha
Gautam Buddha is a philosopher and revered founder of Buddhism. He was born in an aristocratic family in the Shakya clan. According to Buddhist tradition, his birthplace is in Lumbini, Nepal. Nepal has many pilgrim and cultural sites that are of importance to the Buddhists.
Polity
After its transition from a monarchy to a democracy, Nepal identifies itself as a Federal, Secular, and Republic state. Nepal is a parliamentary republic with a multi-party system.
- President: Bidhya Devi Bhandari
- Vice President: Nanda Kishor Pun
- Prime Minister of Nepal: KP Sharma Oli
- First Prime Minister of Nepal: Girija Prasad Koirala
- Major Political Parties: Nepal Communist Party (NCP – current government), Nepali Congress (NC), Janata Samajbadi Party, Nepal (JSPN).
Economy
Agriculture: Major Agricultural products include barley, maize, paddy, wheat, millet, oilseed, pulses, sugarcane, tobacco, potato, jute, water buffalo meat.
Tourism: Premier destinations include Pokhara, the Annapurna trekking circuit, and the four UNESCO world heritage sites—Lumbini, Sagarmatha National Park (home to Mount Everest), seven sites in the Kathmandu Valley collectively listed as one, and Chitwan
Industries: Tourism, textiles, cement, carpets, cigarettes, and sugar and oilseed mills.
Exports: Carpet, pulses, handicrafts, leather, medicinal herbs, garment, and paper products.
Imports: Raw materials, machinery, and equipment, chemical fertilizers, electrical and electronic devices, petroleum products, gold, etc.
Some Interesting Facts:
- Major Part Of Himalayas Is In Nepal.
- Nepal Was Always Independent Country (Was Never Under Any Foreign Invasion)
- The Only County In The World Having Non-Rectungluar National Flag.
- Nepal was once named the Weed Capital.
- Nepal Is The Birthplace Of Lord Gautam Buddha.
- Nepal’s “GURKHAS” Have Been Part Of The British Army Since 1815
- Nepal Has Over 80 Ethnic Groups And 123 Languages.
- Nepal is known as Harmony Country.
- The Only Place In The World Where The Living Goddess “Kumari” Is Found.
- Nepal Holds So Many World Records Being A Small Landlocked Country
- Mount Everest is the world’s highest peak with 8,848m above sea level.
- Tilicho Lake is the world’s highest lake at the height of 4,800m above sea level.
- Shey-Phoksundo Lake is the deepest Lake in the whole world with 145m depth.
- The deepest gorge in the whole world “Kali Gandaki Gorge” which is 5,571m lower than Annapurna I.
- Arun Valley is the highest valley on Earth.
- Hotel Everest View is the highest hotel in the whole world.
This brings us to the end of our current blog. Stay connected to this space for more such informative blogs. These blogs will be helpful for you in many competitive examinations like SSC CHSL, NET JRF, etc.
In the next blog we will discuss about Germany and dive into interesting facts and trivia about it. Click here for – ‘Know your Country – Germany’.
