KEEP The Kathmandu Environmental Education Project (KEEP) is a non-government organisation that reminds green-friendly trekkers to mind where they're walking. A must for those serious about ecological travel. Go ›
Nepalese Cuisine Food-nepal.com is dedicated exclusively to Nepalese cuisine and restaurants. Limited in its offering, this site provides online recipes to satisfy your tastebuds when yearning for the real thing. Go ›
Nepal Yellow Pages Let your fingers do the trekking! This category wise web site lists a variety of businesses, handicrafts, tours, travel & trekking agents. Telephone and postal addresses included. Go ›
Pokhara Tourist Service These folks provide tourist services in Nepal, including trekking & whitewater rafting. Go ›
Sijmen Hendriks Sijmen's photographs of Nepal are so luscious it makes you want to smear them on toast and eat them. Or visit Nepal. Go ›
The Voyagers Wanderlust An intimate personal website with stories, photos, sketches, and travel info from all over but with a focus on Nepal. A good place to start when first considering to travel to Nepal. Go ›
View Nepal Pvt. Ltd. Directory featuring lodging, trekking, restaurants, education, and more. Go ›
White Water Adventures - Nepal A well set out site that gives you the low-down on white water rafting in Nepal. Go ›
YetiZone.com All the facts and figures, highs and lows, ups and downs of the Annapurna Treking Circuit. Go ›
Monday, August 6, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
About Dallas Christian College
Welcome to Dallas Christian College, nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE). Dallas Christian College strives to meet the educational needs of an increasingly diverse student body and to encourage leadership of churches and Christian organizations.
From 1950, Dallas Christian College has educated students to Be People of Influence, Under God’s Influence, For a Life of Influence. Find out more about DCC's History.
Read a welcome message from President Dustin D. Rubeck.
Our Statement of Faith states the college's Biblically oriented and Christ-centered instruction which emphasizes spiritual concerns, loyalty to the historic ideals of the Restoration Movement, and the unity of all Christians.
All regents, faculty members, and other persons acting as recognized representatives of this institution shall be willing sincerely to affirm and contend for the following statement:
That the Bible or Holy Scriptures alone is the divinely inspired Word of God, and therein is contained the revelation of the deity of Jesus Christ, the plan of salvation for mankind, and the faith and work of the Church; furthermore, that the testimony of such Scriptures testifies to prophecy concerning His advent, virgin birth, miraculous life, blood atonement, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, and final return, and is expressly and historically true in the commonly accepted meaning of the terms; in addition, that the Church of the New Testament ought everywhere to be restored with its divine plan of admission: faith, repentance, and baptism, with consequent godly life; and finally, that the Scriptures are wholly sufficient to build the kingdom of God.
The college’s Biblically oriented and Christ-centered instruction emphasizes spiritual concerns, loyalty to the historic ideals of the Restoration Movement, and the unity of all Christians.
From 1950, Dallas Christian College has educated students to Be People of Influence, Under God’s Influence, For a Life of Influence. Find out more about DCC's History.
Read a welcome message from President Dustin D. Rubeck.
Our Statement of Faith states the college's Biblically oriented and Christ-centered instruction which emphasizes spiritual concerns, loyalty to the historic ideals of the Restoration Movement, and the unity of all Christians.
All regents, faculty members, and other persons acting as recognized representatives of this institution shall be willing sincerely to affirm and contend for the following statement:
That the Bible or Holy Scriptures alone is the divinely inspired Word of God, and therein is contained the revelation of the deity of Jesus Christ, the plan of salvation for mankind, and the faith and work of the Church; furthermore, that the testimony of such Scriptures testifies to prophecy concerning His advent, virgin birth, miraculous life, blood atonement, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, and final return, and is expressly and historically true in the commonly accepted meaning of the terms; in addition, that the Church of the New Testament ought everywhere to be restored with its divine plan of admission: faith, repentance, and baptism, with consequent godly life; and finally, that the Scriptures are wholly sufficient to build the kingdom of God.
The college’s Biblically oriented and Christ-centered instruction emphasizes spiritual concerns, loyalty to the historic ideals of the Restoration Movement, and the unity of all Christians.
Dear Dallas Baptist University Student
Dear Dallas Baptist University Student:
Career Services is designed to help students bridge the gap from being a student to a highly productive employee. It is our desire that as you embark upon your journey to obtain knowledge in your desired field of study that, through our services, you will also gain valuable work experience.
We hope to acquaint you with the many services offered through Career Services. Career counseling aids in the process whereby you may find a job that matches your talents, abilities, skills and interests. Résumé writing, interviewing techniques, and tips on how to conduct a successful job search are also available.
CareerBridge, the online job search engine, allows alumni and students to view job listings from area employers, match their skills to job opportunities, and apply to jobs online. Employers have the capability to view applicant résumés and contact them directly. This online system is available to you twenty-four hours a day for convenient access to information regarding full-time and part-time employment, as well as internship opportunities. This service is available for students seeking on-campus and off-campus positions..
To bring our students in direct contact wiht local companies, two large JOB FAIRS are held each year, one in the fall and the other in spring. Students are able to speak with representatives about current job openings. For those students specifically seeking part-time positions, two Mini Part-Time job fairs are also held each year.
A full-service DFW/JobView Kiosk is available to all students. This tool allows job seekers the ability to view, print, and apply for more than 1,200 jobs in the Metroplex. Students can search for jobs by job title and/or employer name. The DFW/JobView Kiosk is updated weekly and provides the user with an interactive approach to the Dallas Morning News employment classified section. When a student applies for a job using the kiosk, the employer receives the information the following day.
This and many other services are available to our students. We would appreciate the opportunity to serve you and to walk with you on your journey toward a successful career.
Career Services is designed to help students bridge the gap from being a student to a highly productive employee. It is our desire that as you embark upon your journey to obtain knowledge in your desired field of study that, through our services, you will also gain valuable work experience.
We hope to acquaint you with the many services offered through Career Services. Career counseling aids in the process whereby you may find a job that matches your talents, abilities, skills and interests. Résumé writing, interviewing techniques, and tips on how to conduct a successful job search are also available.
CareerBridge, the online job search engine, allows alumni and students to view job listings from area employers, match their skills to job opportunities, and apply to jobs online. Employers have the capability to view applicant résumés and contact them directly. This online system is available to you twenty-four hours a day for convenient access to information regarding full-time and part-time employment, as well as internship opportunities. This service is available for students seeking on-campus and off-campus positions..
To bring our students in direct contact wiht local companies, two large JOB FAIRS are held each year, one in the fall and the other in spring. Students are able to speak with representatives about current job openings. For those students specifically seeking part-time positions, two Mini Part-Time job fairs are also held each year.
A full-service DFW/JobView Kiosk is available to all students. This tool allows job seekers the ability to view, print, and apply for more than 1,200 jobs in the Metroplex. Students can search for jobs by job title and/or employer name. The DFW/JobView Kiosk is updated weekly and provides the user with an interactive approach to the Dallas Morning News employment classified section. When a student applies for a job using the kiosk, the employer receives the information the following day.
This and many other services are available to our students. We would appreciate the opportunity to serve you and to walk with you on your journey toward a successful career.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
NEPAL
Nepal, officially known, according to its Interim Constitution, as the State of Nepal (previously known as Kingdom of Nepal) (Nepali: नेपाल [neˈpaːl] (help·info)) is a landlocked Himalayan country in South Asia. It is bordered by China (Tibet) to the north and by India (Bihar, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand) to the south, east and west.
For a small territory, the Nepali landscape is uncommonly diverse, ranging from the humid Terai in the south to the lofty Himalayas in the north. Eight of the world's ten highest mountains are in Nepal, including Mount Everest. The country is famous for: tourism, trekking, hiking, camping, mountain biking, national wildlife parks, jungle safaris, river rafting, sport fishing, and its many beautiful temples and places of worship.
Kathmandu is the capital and largest city. Other main cities include Dharan, Thimi, Pokhara, Biratnagar, Lalitpur (Patan), Bhaktapur. other main towns includes Birendranagar, Bharatpur, Nepal, Siddhartanagar (Bhairahawa), Birganj (Birgunj), Butwal, Janakpur, Nepalganj (Nepalgunj), Hetauda, Damak, Dhangadhi, and Mahendranagar.
After a long and rich history, during which the region splintered and coalesced under a variety of absolute rulers, Nepal became a constitutional monarchy in 1990. However, the monarchy retained many important and ill-defined powers. This arrangement was marked by increasing instability, both in the parliament and, since 1996, in large swathes of the country that have been fought over by Maoist insurgents. The Maoists, alienated from mainstream political parties, went underground and started a guerrilla war against both monarchy and mainstream political parties. They have sought to overthrow feudal institutions, including the monarchy, and establish a Maoist state.
This led to the Nepalese Civil War in which more than 15,000 people have died. After the intra-party conflict within the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) on the issue of continuation of state of emergency to deal with Maoist insurgents, then prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba recommended the king for the dissolution of lower house seeking a fresh mandate in 2002. The king accepted his recommendation and dissolved the house as per the constitution. Later on, Deuba recommended the king for the postponement of the parliamentary election on the pretext of insecurity due to the Maoist insurgency. Then the king sacked Deuba in 2002 on the grounds of not able to hold elections and started ruling through prime ministers appointed by him. He then unilaterally declared a state of emergency early in 2005 and assumed all executive powers.
Following the 2006 democracy movement, the king agreed to relinquish the sovereign power back to the people and reinstated the dissolved House of Representatives on April 24, 2006. Using its newly acquired sovereign authority, on May 18, 2006, the newly resumed House of Representatives unanimously passed a motion to curtail the power of the king and declared Nepal a secular state. As of September, 2006, a complete rewrite of the constitution was still expected to happen in the near future.
As of July 2007, many of Nepal's new political leaders, including the former Maoist rebels, now want the monarchy abolished. The former king has already lost his powers as head of state and head of the army and the government has decided to stop paying all allowances
CULTURE
Nepali culture is very similar to the cultures of neighbouring Tibet and India. The culture of Northern mountainous belt is similar to that of Tibetian culture; however most of the part is influenced by Hindu culture. There are similarities in clothing, language and food. A typical Nepali meal is dal-bhat - boiled dal served with rice, vegetables and spicy relish. This is consumed twice daily, once in the morning and again after sunset. Between these main meals, snacks such as chiura (beaten rice) and tea are consumed. Meat, eggs, and fish are considered a treat. In the mountainous region the staple diet is based on wheat, maize, millet and potatoes. Millet-based alcoholic drinks known as Tongba and other cereal based alcohol are popular, including chhaang and the distilled rakshi.
Traditional Nepali folklore retains a strong influence in society and its stories are widely acted out in dance and music. The culture of different ethnic groups is rich in their own ways. The Newari culture is the historic culture of Kathmandu. The Newar community enjoys its own special cuisine and the Newar people are well known for masked dance that tell stories of the gods and heroes. The associated music is percussion-based, sometimes with flutes or shawm accompanying the intense, nasal vocal lines. The sarangi, a four-stringed, hand-carved instrument is usually played by wandering minstrels.
Popular musical styles are a variety of pop, religious and folk music, among other styles. Since the sixties, Nepali rock or rock music, sung to Nepali lyrics, has slowly gained some popularity among a subset of youth, particularly in the Kathmandu Valley. Nepali rap and Nepali reggae have developed in urban areas with the advent of the music video industry. Heavy metal bands also have some following in areas such as Kathmandu. However, these are minority genres; the predominant contemporary musical form is Hindi pop and Nepali pop based on Hindi models, which is popular throughout the country, including the rural areas where the majority of the population lives. Musical genres from Tibet and India have had a strong influence on traditional Nepali music. Women, even of the musician castes, are less likely than men to play music, except in specific situations such as traditional all-female wedding parties.
Football is the most popular sport, followed by cricket and kabaddi. The Martyrs Memorial Football League is the national football championship.
Television was only introduced to Nepal in the 1980s. Currently there are six television broadcasting channels: Nepal Television - the national television channel; NTV 2 Metro - a city channel owned by the government; and four private channels - Kantipur Television, Image Channel, Channel Nepal and Nepal 1. Also many other networks, particularly those that originate in India, are available via satellite dishes, although lack of electricity makes this difficult. Radio is listened to throughout the kingdom; as of 2000, there were twelve radio stations, and in 2006–07 number grew to 56+ Radio stations. Among them most are local FM radio stations, heard in limited range of this hilly nation. However few FMs like Kantipur FM, Image FM are heard over wide range by the help of repeater stations.
The Nepali year Bikram Samwat begins in mid-April and is divided into twelve months. Saturday is the official weekly day of rest. Main holidays include the National Day (birthday of the late king Tribhuvan) December 28, Prithvi Jayanti, (January 11), and Martyr's Day (February 18) and a mix of Hindu and Buddhist festivals[15] such as Teej, Dashai in autumn, and Tihar late autumn.
Mankhim temple in Aritar, Sikkim.
Most marriages are arranged, and divorce is rare. Polygamy is banned by law; relatively isolated tribes in the north, such as the Dolpo, practise polyandry. The various groups of Nepal have a rich tradition of ceremonies, such as nwaran (the christening of a child), Pasni, the day a child is first fed rice, and bratabandha (the penance ceremony) and gupha for prepubescent boys and girls, respectively. In Newari culture,bel bibaha, preadolescent girls are "married" to the bel fruit tree, ensuring that the girl becomes and remains fertile.
Most houses in rural Nepal are made up of a tight bamboo framework with mud and cow-dung walls. These dwellings remain cool in summers and retain warmth in the winter. Dwellings at higher altitudes are mostly timber-based.
Chhaupadi is a custom, widely practiced in some areas, in which women don't enter the kitchen or engage in particular chores during menstruation because they are considered impure.
GEOGRAPHY
Nepal is of roughly trapezoidal shape, 800 kilometres (500 mi) long and 200 kilometres (125 mi) wide, with an area of 147,181 square kilometres (56,827 sq mi). Nepal is commonly divided into three physiographic areas: the Mountain, Hill, and Terai Regions. These ecological belts run east-west and are bisected by Nepal's major river systems. Nepal is roughly the same size as the US state of Arkansas.
The Madhesi Plains bordering India are part of the northern rim of the Indo-Gangetic plains. They were formed and are fed by three major rivers: the Kosi, the Narayani (India's Gandak River), and the Karnali. This region has a hot, humid climate.
The Hill Region (Pahad) abuts the mountains and varies from 1,000 to 4,000 metres (3,300–13,125 ft) in altitude. Two low mountain ranges, the Mahabharat Lekh and Shiwalik Range (also called the Churia Range) dominate the region. The hilly belt includes the Kathmandu Valley, the country's most fertile and urbanised area. Unlike the valleys, elevations above 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) are sparsely populated.
The Mountain Region contains the highest region in the world. The world's highest mountain, Mount Everest (Sagarmatha in Nepali) at 8,850 metres (29,035 ft) is located on the border with China. Seven more of the world's fourteen highest mountains are located in Nepal: Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Kanchenjunga, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Manaslu. Deforestation is a major problem in all regions, with resulting erosion and degradation of ecosystems.
Nepal has five climatic zones, broadly corresponding to altitude. The tropical and subtropical zones lie below 1,200 metres (3,940 ft), the temperate zone 1,200 to 2,400 metres (3,900–7,875 ft), the cold zone 2,400 to 3,600 metres (7,875–11,800 ft), the subarctic zone 3,600 to 4,400 metres (11,800–14,400 ft), and the Arctic zone above 4,400 metres (14,400 ft). Nepal experiences five seasons: summer, monsoon, autumn, winter and spring. The Himalaya blocks cold winds from Central Asia in winter, and forms the northern limit of the monsoon wind patterns.
Although Nepal shares no boundary with Bangladesh, the two countries are separated by a narrow strip of land about 21 kilometre (13 mi) wide, called the Chicken's Neck. Efforts are underway to make this area a free-trade zone.
Situated in the Great Himalayan Range in Northern part of Nepal, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world. Technically, the south-east ridge on the Nepalese side of the mountain is easier to climb, so most climbers travel to Everest through Nepal. The Annapurna mountain range also lies in Nepal.
ECONOMY
Agriculture sustains 76% of the population and accounts for about 39% of the GDP; services comprise 41%, and industry 22%. Hilly and mountainous terrain in the northern two-thirds of the country has made the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive. There were just over 8,500 km of paved roads, and one 59 km railway line in the south in 2003. Aviation is in a better state, with 48 airports, ten of them with paved runways. There is less than one telephone per 19 people; landline services are not adequate nationwide but concentrated in cities and district headquarters; mobile telephony is in a reasonable state in most parts of the country with increased accessibility and affordability. There were around 175,000 Internet connections in 2005, but after the imposition of the "state of emergency", intermittent losses of service were reported. Uninterrupted Internet connections have resumed after the brief period of confusion as Nepal's second major people's revolution took place to overthrow the King's absolute power.[10]
Its landlocked location and[11] technological backwardness and the long-running civil war have also prevented Nepal from fully developing its economy. The country receives foreign aid from India, Japan, United Kingdom, United States, European Union, China, Switzerland, and Scandinavian Countries. The government's budget is about US$1.153 billion, with expenditures of $1.789bn (FY05/06). The inflation rate has dropped to 2.9% after a period of higher inflation during the 1990s. The Nepalese Rupee has been tied to the Indian Rupee at an exchange rate of 1.6 for many years. Since the loosening of exchange rate controls in the early 1990s, the black market for foreign exchange has all but disappeared. A long-standing economic agreement underpins a close relationship with India.
The distribution of wealth among the Nepalese is consistent with that in many developed and developing countries: the highest 10% of households control 39.1% of the national wealth and the lowest 10% control only 2.6%.
Terraced farming on the foothills of the Himalayas.
Nepal's workforce of about 10 million suffers from a severe shortage of skilled labour. Agriculture employs 81% of the workforce, services 16% and manufacturing/craft-based industry 3%. Agricultural produce——mostly grown in the Terrai region bordering India——includes rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops, milk, and water buffalo meat. Industry mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce, including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. The spectacular landscape and deep, exotic culture of Nepal represents considerable potential for tourism, but growth in this export industry has been stifled by recent political events. The rate of unemployment and underemployment approaches half of the working-age population. Thus many Nepalese move to India in search of work, the Gulf countries and Malaysia being new sources of work. Poverty is acute.[12] Nepal receives US$50 million a year through the Gurkha soldiers who serve in the Indian and British armies and are highly esteemed for their skill and bravery. The total remittance value is worth around 1 billion USD, including money sent from Persian Gulf and Malaysia, who combined employ around 700,000 Nepalese.
Nepal's GDP for the year 2005 is estimated at just over US$39 billion (adjusted to Purchasing Power Parity), making it the 83rd-largest economy in the world. Per-capita income is less than US$ 300. Nepal's exports of mainly carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods and grain total $822 million. Import commodities of mainly gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products and fertilizer total US$2 bn. India (53.7%), the US (17.4%), and Germany (7.1%) are its main export partners. Nepal's import partners include India (47.5%), the United Arab Emirates (11.2%), China (10.7%), Saudi Arabia (4.9%), and Singapore (4%).
HISTORY
Neolithic tools found in the Kathmandu Valley indicate that people have been living in the Himalayan region for at least nine thousand years. It appears that people who were probably of Tibeto-Burman ethnicity lived in Nepal two and half thousand years ago.[3]
Indo-Aryan tribes entered the valley around 1500 BCE. Around 1000 BCE, small kingdoms and confederations of clans arose. One of the princes of the Shakya (Sakas) confederation was Siddhartha Gautama (563–483 BC), who renounced his royalty to lead an ascetic life and came to be known as the Buddha ("the one who has awakened"). By 250 BCE, the region came under the influence of the Mauryan empire of northern India, and later became a puppet state under the Gupta Dynasty in the fourth century CE. From the late fifth century CE, rulers called the Licchavis governed the area. The Licchavi dynasty went into decline in the late eighth century CE and from 879 was followed by a Newar era, although the extent of their control over the entire country is uncertain. By late eleventh century, southern Nepal came under the influence of the Chalukya Empire of southern India. Under the Chalukyas, Nepal's religious establishment changed as the kings patronised Hinduism instead of the Buddhism prevailing at that time.
Hindu temples in Patan, the capital of one of the three medieval kingdoms.
By the early thirteenth century, leaders were emerging whose names ended with the Sanskrit suffix malla ("wrestler"). Initially their reign was marked by upheaval, but the kings consolidated their power over the next two hundred years. By late fourteenth century, much of the country began to come under a unified rule. This unity was short-lived; in 1482 the kingdom was carved into three areas, Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhadgaon, which engaged in petty rivalry for centuries.
In 1765, the Gorkha ruler Prithvi Narayan Shah set out to unify the kingdoms, after first seeking arms and aid from Indian kings and buying the neutrality of bordering Indian kingdoms. After several bloody battles and sieges, he managed to unify Nepal three years later. However, the actual war never took place while conquering the Kathmandu Valley. Prithivi Narayan Shah was unable to defeat the powerful Newar kingdom of Kathmandu. In fact, it was during the Indra Jaatra, when all the valley citizens were celebrating the festival, Prithvi Narayan Shah with his troops captured the valley, virtually without any effort. This marked the birth of the modern nation of Nepal. A dispute and subsequent war with Tibet over control of mountain passes forced Nepal to retreat and pay heavy repatriations to China, who came to Tibet's rescue. Rivalry with the British East India Company over the annexation of minor states bordering Nepal eventually led to the brief but bloody Anglo-Nepalese War (1815–16), in which Nepal defended its present-day borders but lost its territories west of the Kali River, including present day Uttarakhand state and several Punjab Hill States of present day Himachal Pradesh. The Treaty of Sugauli also ceded parts of the Terai and Sikkim to the Company in exchange for Nepalese autonomy.
Nepalese royalty in the 1920s.
Factionalism among the royal family led to instability after the war. In 1846, a discovered plot to overthrow Jang Bahadur, a fast-rising military leader, by the reigning queen, led to the Kot Massacre. Armed clashes between military personnel and administrators loyal to the queen led to the execution of several hundred princes and chieftains around the country. Bahadur won and founded the Rana dynasty, leading to the Rana autocracy. The king was made a titular figure, and the post of Prime Minister was made powerful and hereditary. The Ranas were staunchly pro-British, and assisted the British during the Sepoy Rebellion in 1857, and later in both World Wars. In 1923 the United Kingdom and Nepal formally signed an agreement of friendship, truth, and law, in which Nepal's independence was recognised by the UK.
In the late 1940s, emerging pro-democracy movements and political parties in Nepal were critical of the Rana autocracy. Meanwhile, China regained control of Tibet in 1950, making India keen on stability in Nepal. King Tribhuvan offered then Indian Prime Minister accession of Nepal on the condition that he be made President of India. Nehru refused as he wanted King Tribhuvan to be Emperor of India, rather than just its President. Thus India sponsored Tribhuvan as Nepal's new king in 1951, and a new government, comprising the Nepali Congress Party. After years of power wrangling between the king and the government, the democratic experiment was dissolved in 1960, and a "partyless" panchayat system was instituted to govern Nepal. In 1990, the "Jana Andolan" (People's) Movement forced the monarchy to accept constitutional reforms and establish a multiparty parliament in May 1991.[4] Krishna Prasad Bhattarai became the Prime Minister, drafted a new Constitution and carried out the democratic elections for the parliament. The Nepali Congress Party won the country's first democratic elections, with Girija Prasad Koirala becoming prime minister.
Nepal, officially known, according to its Interim Constitution, as the State of Nepal (previously known as Kingdom of Nepal) (Nepali: नेपाल [neˈpaːl] (help·info)) is a landlocked Himalayan country in South Asia. It is bordered by China (Tibet) to the north and by India (Bihar, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand) to the south, east and west.
For a small territory, the Nepali landscape is uncommonly diverse, ranging from the humid Terai in the south to the lofty Himalayas in the north. Eight of the world's ten highest mountains are in Nepal, including Mount Everest. The country is famous for: tourism, trekking, hiking, camping, mountain biking, national wildlife parks, jungle safaris, river rafting, sport fishing, and its many beautiful temples and places of worship.
Kathmandu is the capital and largest city. Other main cities include Dharan, Thimi, Pokhara, Biratnagar, Lalitpur (Patan), Bhaktapur. other main towns includes Birendranagar, Bharatpur, Nepal, Siddhartanagar (Bhairahawa), Birganj (Birgunj), Butwal, Janakpur, Nepalganj (Nepalgunj), Hetauda, Damak, Dhangadhi, and Mahendranagar.
After a long and rich history, during which the region splintered and coalesced under a variety of absolute rulers, Nepal became a constitutional monarchy in 1990. However, the monarchy retained many important and ill-defined powers. This arrangement was marked by increasing instability, both in the parliament and, since 1996, in large swathes of the country that have been fought over by Maoist insurgents. The Maoists, alienated from mainstream political parties, went underground and started a guerrilla war against both monarchy and mainstream political parties. They have sought to overthrow feudal institutions, including the monarchy, and establish a Maoist state.
This led to the Nepalese Civil War in which more than 15,000 people have died. After the intra-party conflict within the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) on the issue of continuation of state of emergency to deal with Maoist insurgents, then prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba recommended the king for the dissolution of lower house seeking a fresh mandate in 2002. The king accepted his recommendation and dissolved the house as per the constitution. Later on, Deuba recommended the king for the postponement of the parliamentary election on the pretext of insecurity due to the Maoist insurgency. Then the king sacked Deuba in 2002 on the grounds of not able to hold elections and started ruling through prime ministers appointed by him. He then unilaterally declared a state of emergency early in 2005 and assumed all executive powers.
Following the 2006 democracy movement, the king agreed to relinquish the sovereign power back to the people and reinstated the dissolved House of Representatives on April 24, 2006. Using its newly acquired sovereign authority, on May 18, 2006, the newly resumed House of Representatives unanimously passed a motion to curtail the power of the king and declared Nepal a secular state. As of September, 2006, a complete rewrite of the constitution was still expected to happen in the near future.
As of July 2007, many of Nepal's new political leaders, including the former Maoist rebels, now want the monarchy abolished. The former king has already lost his powers as head of state and head of the army and the government has decided to stop paying all allowances
CULTURE
Nepali culture is very similar to the cultures of neighbouring Tibet and India. The culture of Northern mountainous belt is similar to that of Tibetian culture; however most of the part is influenced by Hindu culture. There are similarities in clothing, language and food. A typical Nepali meal is dal-bhat - boiled dal served with rice, vegetables and spicy relish. This is consumed twice daily, once in the morning and again after sunset. Between these main meals, snacks such as chiura (beaten rice) and tea are consumed. Meat, eggs, and fish are considered a treat. In the mountainous region the staple diet is based on wheat, maize, millet and potatoes. Millet-based alcoholic drinks known as Tongba and other cereal based alcohol are popular, including chhaang and the distilled rakshi.
Traditional Nepali folklore retains a strong influence in society and its stories are widely acted out in dance and music. The culture of different ethnic groups is rich in their own ways. The Newari culture is the historic culture of Kathmandu. The Newar community enjoys its own special cuisine and the Newar people are well known for masked dance that tell stories of the gods and heroes. The associated music is percussion-based, sometimes with flutes or shawm accompanying the intense, nasal vocal lines. The sarangi, a four-stringed, hand-carved instrument is usually played by wandering minstrels.
Popular musical styles are a variety of pop, religious and folk music, among other styles. Since the sixties, Nepali rock or rock music, sung to Nepali lyrics, has slowly gained some popularity among a subset of youth, particularly in the Kathmandu Valley. Nepali rap and Nepali reggae have developed in urban areas with the advent of the music video industry. Heavy metal bands also have some following in areas such as Kathmandu. However, these are minority genres; the predominant contemporary musical form is Hindi pop and Nepali pop based on Hindi models, which is popular throughout the country, including the rural areas where the majority of the population lives. Musical genres from Tibet and India have had a strong influence on traditional Nepali music. Women, even of the musician castes, are less likely than men to play music, except in specific situations such as traditional all-female wedding parties.
Football is the most popular sport, followed by cricket and kabaddi. The Martyrs Memorial Football League is the national football championship.
Television was only introduced to Nepal in the 1980s. Currently there are six television broadcasting channels: Nepal Television - the national television channel; NTV 2 Metro - a city channel owned by the government; and four private channels - Kantipur Television, Image Channel, Channel Nepal and Nepal 1. Also many other networks, particularly those that originate in India, are available via satellite dishes, although lack of electricity makes this difficult. Radio is listened to throughout the kingdom; as of 2000, there were twelve radio stations, and in 2006–07 number grew to 56+ Radio stations. Among them most are local FM radio stations, heard in limited range of this hilly nation. However few FMs like Kantipur FM, Image FM are heard over wide range by the help of repeater stations.
The Nepali year Bikram Samwat begins in mid-April and is divided into twelve months. Saturday is the official weekly day of rest. Main holidays include the National Day (birthday of the late king Tribhuvan) December 28, Prithvi Jayanti, (January 11), and Martyr's Day (February 18) and a mix of Hindu and Buddhist festivals[15] such as Teej, Dashai in autumn, and Tihar late autumn.
Mankhim temple in Aritar, Sikkim.
Most marriages are arranged, and divorce is rare. Polygamy is banned by law; relatively isolated tribes in the north, such as the Dolpo, practise polyandry. The various groups of Nepal have a rich tradition of ceremonies, such as nwaran (the christening of a child), Pasni, the day a child is first fed rice, and bratabandha (the penance ceremony) and gupha for prepubescent boys and girls, respectively. In Newari culture,bel bibaha, preadolescent girls are "married" to the bel fruit tree, ensuring that the girl becomes and remains fertile.
Most houses in rural Nepal are made up of a tight bamboo framework with mud and cow-dung walls. These dwellings remain cool in summers and retain warmth in the winter. Dwellings at higher altitudes are mostly timber-based.
Chhaupadi is a custom, widely practiced in some areas, in which women don't enter the kitchen or engage in particular chores during menstruation because they are considered impure.
GEOGRAPHY
Nepal is of roughly trapezoidal shape, 800 kilometres (500 mi) long and 200 kilometres (125 mi) wide, with an area of 147,181 square kilometres (56,827 sq mi). Nepal is commonly divided into three physiographic areas: the Mountain, Hill, and Terai Regions. These ecological belts run east-west and are bisected by Nepal's major river systems. Nepal is roughly the same size as the US state of Arkansas.
The Madhesi Plains bordering India are part of the northern rim of the Indo-Gangetic plains. They were formed and are fed by three major rivers: the Kosi, the Narayani (India's Gandak River), and the Karnali. This region has a hot, humid climate.
The Hill Region (Pahad) abuts the mountains and varies from 1,000 to 4,000 metres (3,300–13,125 ft) in altitude. Two low mountain ranges, the Mahabharat Lekh and Shiwalik Range (also called the Churia Range) dominate the region. The hilly belt includes the Kathmandu Valley, the country's most fertile and urbanised area. Unlike the valleys, elevations above 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) are sparsely populated.
The Mountain Region contains the highest region in the world. The world's highest mountain, Mount Everest (Sagarmatha in Nepali) at 8,850 metres (29,035 ft) is located on the border with China. Seven more of the world's fourteen highest mountains are located in Nepal: Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Kanchenjunga, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Manaslu. Deforestation is a major problem in all regions, with resulting erosion and degradation of ecosystems.
Nepal has five climatic zones, broadly corresponding to altitude. The tropical and subtropical zones lie below 1,200 metres (3,940 ft), the temperate zone 1,200 to 2,400 metres (3,900–7,875 ft), the cold zone 2,400 to 3,600 metres (7,875–11,800 ft), the subarctic zone 3,600 to 4,400 metres (11,800–14,400 ft), and the Arctic zone above 4,400 metres (14,400 ft). Nepal experiences five seasons: summer, monsoon, autumn, winter and spring. The Himalaya blocks cold winds from Central Asia in winter, and forms the northern limit of the monsoon wind patterns.
Although Nepal shares no boundary with Bangladesh, the two countries are separated by a narrow strip of land about 21 kilometre (13 mi) wide, called the Chicken's Neck. Efforts are underway to make this area a free-trade zone.
Situated in the Great Himalayan Range in Northern part of Nepal, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world. Technically, the south-east ridge on the Nepalese side of the mountain is easier to climb, so most climbers travel to Everest through Nepal. The Annapurna mountain range also lies in Nepal.
ECONOMY
Agriculture sustains 76% of the population and accounts for about 39% of the GDP; services comprise 41%, and industry 22%. Hilly and mountainous terrain in the northern two-thirds of the country has made the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive. There were just over 8,500 km of paved roads, and one 59 km railway line in the south in 2003. Aviation is in a better state, with 48 airports, ten of them with paved runways. There is less than one telephone per 19 people; landline services are not adequate nationwide but concentrated in cities and district headquarters; mobile telephony is in a reasonable state in most parts of the country with increased accessibility and affordability. There were around 175,000 Internet connections in 2005, but after the imposition of the "state of emergency", intermittent losses of service were reported. Uninterrupted Internet connections have resumed after the brief period of confusion as Nepal's second major people's revolution took place to overthrow the King's absolute power.[10]
Its landlocked location and[11] technological backwardness and the long-running civil war have also prevented Nepal from fully developing its economy. The country receives foreign aid from India, Japan, United Kingdom, United States, European Union, China, Switzerland, and Scandinavian Countries. The government's budget is about US$1.153 billion, with expenditures of $1.789bn (FY05/06). The inflation rate has dropped to 2.9% after a period of higher inflation during the 1990s. The Nepalese Rupee has been tied to the Indian Rupee at an exchange rate of 1.6 for many years. Since the loosening of exchange rate controls in the early 1990s, the black market for foreign exchange has all but disappeared. A long-standing economic agreement underpins a close relationship with India.
The distribution of wealth among the Nepalese is consistent with that in many developed and developing countries: the highest 10% of households control 39.1% of the national wealth and the lowest 10% control only 2.6%.
Terraced farming on the foothills of the Himalayas.
Nepal's workforce of about 10 million suffers from a severe shortage of skilled labour. Agriculture employs 81% of the workforce, services 16% and manufacturing/craft-based industry 3%. Agricultural produce——mostly grown in the Terrai region bordering India——includes rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops, milk, and water buffalo meat. Industry mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce, including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. The spectacular landscape and deep, exotic culture of Nepal represents considerable potential for tourism, but growth in this export industry has been stifled by recent political events. The rate of unemployment and underemployment approaches half of the working-age population. Thus many Nepalese move to India in search of work, the Gulf countries and Malaysia being new sources of work. Poverty is acute.[12] Nepal receives US$50 million a year through the Gurkha soldiers who serve in the Indian and British armies and are highly esteemed for their skill and bravery. The total remittance value is worth around 1 billion USD, including money sent from Persian Gulf and Malaysia, who combined employ around 700,000 Nepalese.
Nepal's GDP for the year 2005 is estimated at just over US$39 billion (adjusted to Purchasing Power Parity), making it the 83rd-largest economy in the world. Per-capita income is less than US$ 300. Nepal's exports of mainly carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods and grain total $822 million. Import commodities of mainly gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products and fertilizer total US$2 bn. India (53.7%), the US (17.4%), and Germany (7.1%) are its main export partners. Nepal's import partners include India (47.5%), the United Arab Emirates (11.2%), China (10.7%), Saudi Arabia (4.9%), and Singapore (4%).
HISTORY
Neolithic tools found in the Kathmandu Valley indicate that people have been living in the Himalayan region for at least nine thousand years. It appears that people who were probably of Tibeto-Burman ethnicity lived in Nepal two and half thousand years ago.[3]
Indo-Aryan tribes entered the valley around 1500 BCE. Around 1000 BCE, small kingdoms and confederations of clans arose. One of the princes of the Shakya (Sakas) confederation was Siddhartha Gautama (563–483 BC), who renounced his royalty to lead an ascetic life and came to be known as the Buddha ("the one who has awakened"). By 250 BCE, the region came under the influence of the Mauryan empire of northern India, and later became a puppet state under the Gupta Dynasty in the fourth century CE. From the late fifth century CE, rulers called the Licchavis governed the area. The Licchavi dynasty went into decline in the late eighth century CE and from 879 was followed by a Newar era, although the extent of their control over the entire country is uncertain. By late eleventh century, southern Nepal came under the influence of the Chalukya Empire of southern India. Under the Chalukyas, Nepal's religious establishment changed as the kings patronised Hinduism instead of the Buddhism prevailing at that time.
Hindu temples in Patan, the capital of one of the three medieval kingdoms.
By the early thirteenth century, leaders were emerging whose names ended with the Sanskrit suffix malla ("wrestler"). Initially their reign was marked by upheaval, but the kings consolidated their power over the next two hundred years. By late fourteenth century, much of the country began to come under a unified rule. This unity was short-lived; in 1482 the kingdom was carved into three areas, Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhadgaon, which engaged in petty rivalry for centuries.
In 1765, the Gorkha ruler Prithvi Narayan Shah set out to unify the kingdoms, after first seeking arms and aid from Indian kings and buying the neutrality of bordering Indian kingdoms. After several bloody battles and sieges, he managed to unify Nepal three years later. However, the actual war never took place while conquering the Kathmandu Valley. Prithivi Narayan Shah was unable to defeat the powerful Newar kingdom of Kathmandu. In fact, it was during the Indra Jaatra, when all the valley citizens were celebrating the festival, Prithvi Narayan Shah with his troops captured the valley, virtually without any effort. This marked the birth of the modern nation of Nepal. A dispute and subsequent war with Tibet over control of mountain passes forced Nepal to retreat and pay heavy repatriations to China, who came to Tibet's rescue. Rivalry with the British East India Company over the annexation of minor states bordering Nepal eventually led to the brief but bloody Anglo-Nepalese War (1815–16), in which Nepal defended its present-day borders but lost its territories west of the Kali River, including present day Uttarakhand state and several Punjab Hill States of present day Himachal Pradesh. The Treaty of Sugauli also ceded parts of the Terai and Sikkim to the Company in exchange for Nepalese autonomy.
Nepalese royalty in the 1920s.
Factionalism among the royal family led to instability after the war. In 1846, a discovered plot to overthrow Jang Bahadur, a fast-rising military leader, by the reigning queen, led to the Kot Massacre. Armed clashes between military personnel and administrators loyal to the queen led to the execution of several hundred princes and chieftains around the country. Bahadur won and founded the Rana dynasty, leading to the Rana autocracy. The king was made a titular figure, and the post of Prime Minister was made powerful and hereditary. The Ranas were staunchly pro-British, and assisted the British during the Sepoy Rebellion in 1857, and later in both World Wars. In 1923 the United Kingdom and Nepal formally signed an agreement of friendship, truth, and law, in which Nepal's independence was recognised by the UK.
In the late 1940s, emerging pro-democracy movements and political parties in Nepal were critical of the Rana autocracy. Meanwhile, China regained control of Tibet in 1950, making India keen on stability in Nepal. King Tribhuvan offered then Indian Prime Minister accession of Nepal on the condition that he be made President of India. Nehru refused as he wanted King Tribhuvan to be Emperor of India, rather than just its President. Thus India sponsored Tribhuvan as Nepal's new king in 1951, and a new government, comprising the Nepali Congress Party. After years of power wrangling between the king and the government, the democratic experiment was dissolved in 1960, and a "partyless" panchayat system was instituted to govern Nepal. In 1990, the "Jana Andolan" (People's) Movement forced the monarchy to accept constitutional reforms and establish a multiparty parliament in May 1991.[4] Krishna Prasad Bhattarai became the Prime Minister, drafted a new Constitution and carried out the democratic elections for the parliament. The Nepali Congress Party won the country's first democratic elections, with Girija Prasad Koirala becoming prime minister.
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