Nepal is a small Kingdom in the Himalayas wedged between two major Asian powers - India and China. The country has become a favorite destination for mountaineers and mountain trekkers, and justly so - among the ten world's highest mountains, eight are located within the boundaries of Nepal including Mt. Everest. Nepal also offers spectacular mountain scenery.
However, virtually all visitors to Nepal see only the small part of the country that derives considerable economic benefits from tourism. One only needs to step behind the backdrop of the beautiful mountain scenery into the remote regions of Nepal that the casual visitors never see, to learn that the majority of Nepal's population lives in abject poverty. In spite of substantial external development assistance, Nepal remains one of the ten least developed countries.
Nepal's backwardness can be attributed to many factors. Prior to the Chinese takeover of Tibet, Nepal was completely isolated from all external influences by the then rulers of the country. Other factors are the country's topography - 85% of Nepal's territory are mountains, the absence of roads (Nepal has only 1,565 miles/2,900km of poorly paved roads), travel throughout most of the country is possible only on foot and transportation by manpower, and a very large population (20 million) in a relatively small country (comparable in size to the state of Florida). The population density is 365 people per square mile.
Administratively, Nepal is divided into seventy five districts and each district into approximately ninety Village Development Committees (VDCs). The dark spot in the centre of the map is Kabhre Palanchok district, NSP's target region for development assistance. More than 90% of Nepal's population lives in rural areas and is engaged in agriculture, although only 17% of Nepal's territory is under cultivation. The majority of rural population are subsistence or below subsistence farmers. About one half of the population lives below the poverty level, which in Nepalese terms is defined as an expenditure for a minimum daily calorie requirement.
Any official statistics on the status of progress in Nepal must be taken with caution. In 1970, the life expectancy was only 29 years, in 1993 it was quoted as 51. The main contributing factor to the high mortality rate is the lack of emergency medical facilities particularly in rural regions of the country. The lack of medical facilities must also be blamed for the very high infant mortality - 112 per 1,000 babies.
Although the official literacy ratio is being quoted as 26%, any observer visiting remote regions of Nepal will find that the majority of adult and teenage population is illiterate. This can again be attributed to the lack of schools in rural areas and the distances involved to reach those that existed. Twenty years ago, primary level education was only up to grade 3, but has since been upgraded to grade 5. However, the quality of education in remote regions is quite poor. It is doubtful that any child in a remote rural region of Nepal now passing grade five will be able to read a book or newspaper or be able to write a letter.
What impresses the majority of visitors to Nepal most are the Nepalese people. It would be impossible to meet friendlier and more charming people in any other country. Nepal is a country where a visitor can feel completely safe. This also reflected in the virtual absence of crime. The crime rate in Nepal is less than one percent per 100,000 population, which is probably the lowest anywhere in the world.
Following the overthrow of the Rana regime in 1951, parliamentary democracy was established in Nepal, but ten years later, the present King's father abolished the parliamentary democracy, established a partyless Panchayat system of government and became an absolute monarch. Throughout the subsequent twenty nine years, the political forces within the country continued to be active. The resistance to absolute monarchy culminated in 1990 with the movement for the restoration of democracy. In April of that year, the King relented and allowed the restoration of a democratic system of government under constitutional monarchy. In 1996 the CPN/Maoist presented to the government a list of social program they wanted to see implemented. The request was ignored by the Deuba led government, which led the CPN/M going underground and declaring an armed insurrection called People's War. The insurrection lasted ten years and resulted in the loss of more than 13,000 lives. In 2006 the political parties joined the Maoists in a civil upraising against the oppressive royal regime. The upraising was successful and the king was forced to relinquish all executive power. Subsequently, the recalled parliament held elections to Constituent Assembly elections with CPN/Maoist winning almost half of the seats and becoming the largest political party. The first session of the CA abolished monarchy and declared Nepal a Democratic Federal Republic.
However, virtually all visitors to Nepal see only the small part of the country that derives considerable economic benefits from tourism. One only needs to step behind the backdrop of the beautiful mountain scenery into the remote regions of Nepal that the casual visitors never see, to learn that the majority of Nepal's population lives in abject poverty. In spite of substantial external development assistance, Nepal remains one of the ten least developed countries.
Nepal's backwardness can be attributed to many factors. Prior to the Chinese takeover of Tibet, Nepal was completely isolated from all external influences by the then rulers of the country. Other factors are the country's topography - 85% of Nepal's territory are mountains, the absence of roads (Nepal has only 1,565 miles/2,900km of poorly paved roads), travel throughout most of the country is possible only on foot and transportation by manpower, and a very large population (20 million) in a relatively small country (comparable in size to the state of Florida). The population density is 365 people per square mile.
Administratively, Nepal is divided into seventy five districts and each district into approximately ninety Village Development Committees (VDCs). The dark spot in the centre of the map is Kabhre Palanchok district, NSP's target region for development assistance. More than 90% of Nepal's population lives in rural areas and is engaged in agriculture, although only 17% of Nepal's territory is under cultivation. The majority of rural population are subsistence or below subsistence farmers. About one half of the population lives below the poverty level, which in Nepalese terms is defined as an expenditure for a minimum daily calorie requirement.
Any official statistics on the status of progress in Nepal must be taken with caution. In 1970, the life expectancy was only 29 years, in 1993 it was quoted as 51. The main contributing factor to the high mortality rate is the lack of emergency medical facilities particularly in rural regions of the country. The lack of medical facilities must also be blamed for the very high infant mortality - 112 per 1,000 babies.
Although the official literacy ratio is being quoted as 26%, any observer visiting remote regions of Nepal will find that the majority of adult and teenage population is illiterate. This can again be attributed to the lack of schools in rural areas and the distances involved to reach those that existed. Twenty years ago, primary level education was only up to grade 3, but has since been upgraded to grade 5. However, the quality of education in remote regions is quite poor. It is doubtful that any child in a remote rural region of Nepal now passing grade five will be able to read a book or newspaper or be able to write a letter.
What impresses the majority of visitors to Nepal most are the Nepalese people. It would be impossible to meet friendlier and more charming people in any other country. Nepal is a country where a visitor can feel completely safe. This also reflected in the virtual absence of crime. The crime rate in Nepal is less than one percent per 100,000 population, which is probably the lowest anywhere in the world.
Following the overthrow of the Rana regime in 1951, parliamentary democracy was established in Nepal, but ten years later, the present King's father abolished the parliamentary democracy, established a partyless Panchayat system of government and became an absolute monarch. Throughout the subsequent twenty nine years, the political forces within the country continued to be active. The resistance to absolute monarchy culminated in 1990 with the movement for the restoration of democracy. In April of that year, the King relented and allowed the restoration of a democratic system of government under constitutional monarchy. In 1996 the CPN/Maoist presented to the government a list of social program they wanted to see implemented. The request was ignored by the Deuba led government, which led the CPN/M going underground and declaring an armed insurrection called People's War. The insurrection lasted ten years and resulted in the loss of more than 13,000 lives. In 2006 the political parties joined the Maoists in a civil upraising against the oppressive royal regime. The upraising was successful and the king was forced to relinquish all executive power. Subsequently, the recalled parliament held elections to Constituent Assembly elections with CPN/Maoist winning almost half of the seats and becoming the largest political party. The first session of the CA abolished monarchy and declared Nepal a Democratic Federal Republic.
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