Nepal Facts

The kids from the Country Day School of Madison, Alabama have done a great job getting the facts on Nepal.

Nepal is a land of wonders. Mt. Everest peeks its head over the top of
Nepal for the entire world to see.  The people of Nepal are very religious.
Truly, learning about Nepal was a lot of fun!

Facts:

              Official Country name: Kingdom of Nepal
              Area: 140,797 Sq. Kl.
              Population: 23,107,464-1997 (Estimation)
              Capital: Kathmandu
              Nationalities: Indo-Napalese / Tibeto-Napalese
              Languages: Napalese, over 30 other languages
              Currency: Rupees

Economy:
              The economy in Nepal has been very poor for a long time. It
is only starting to pick up recently.  Still, the major industry is
agriculture, or farming.
             
              *How do most people earn a living? Most people work as
farmers or have something else to do with agriculture.
              *Do people earn a lot of money or just enough to get by?
Poverty is common in Nepal.
              *How important is trading/bartering? Trading and bartering is
very important to Nepal.
              *What type of currency is used here? Rupees are the type of
currency.
              *What is the exchange rate? 56.69 Rupee = $1.00
              *Does the US dollar have a lot of value in this country? Yes

Environment:
             Nepal has a beautiful environment filled with mountains and a
variety of different plants.

              Questions to answer:
              *What are the natural landmarks of the destination? Mt.
Everest and the Himalayas are the most noticeable landmarks of Nepal
              *What is the makeup of the land? The land is mostly mountains.
              *What is the average temperature? Here is a chart of the
average temperatures in Katmandu:

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AND RAINFALL IN KATHMANDU   

  *What are the different seasons (i.e. monsoon season, etc.)? The seasons
are Summer-Monsoon season and Winter.
  *What are the weather conditions usually like? Hot and rainy in the lower
parts cold in the mountains.
              *What will the weather be like when World Tour is there? Hot
and rainy/ cold in Mt. Everest
              *What type of foliage grows there? Wild flowers, firs,
shrubs, hardwoods, bamboo, pines, oaks are all around in Nepal.


Wildlife:
              Questions to answer:
              *What animals live in this area? Wild sheep, wild goats,
bears, tigers, leopards deer, elephants, and wolves live in Nepal
              *Why do these animals live here? They live in Nepal because
of the hot and humid climate
              *Are there any endangered animals present here? Which ones?
Yes, Himalayan black bear, rhino, tigers, and the musk deer.
              *How is the wildlife treated by the people? The people treat
the wildlife well.
              *How are the animals protected in this location? Wildlife
preserves protect the animals
              *What animals will curiouskids.com likely see? Non-
carnivorous animals.


Culture:

              Most people in Nepal have lives that are not very easy. They
are poor and have little to show for their hard work. However, they have a
strong religion, and that helps them get through many problems.  If you are
in Nepal, it is very important to understand the local culture so you can
avoid offending people.

              Questions to answer:
              *What is the origin of the people? Mongolia and India
              *What languages are spoken? Napali and over 30 other languages
              *What is education like there? Only 1/4 of 15 people older
than 15 years can read.
              *What are schools like? There are more boys than girls at the
school.
              *How much time is spent in school? School is required for
kids that are ages 6-10, but isn't required after that.
              *What type of housing do the people live in? 2-3 room huts
              *What are some of the native dishes? One of the most famous
native dishes is momo. A typical Nepali set meal consists of Rice,
Lentil,Chicken, Vegetables and Pickle.
              *What foods will curiouskids.com likely eat in this location?
 They could eat all different types of foods, depending on the location.
              *What are the major events?  The Marriage Festival,
Balachaturdashi (a Hindu holiday) Rato Machendranath Jatra & Bhoto Jatra (A
month long Buddhist celebration.

Government:
The government of Nepal has changed a lot over the course of history.

              Questions to answer:
              *What is the type of government? Nepal is a limited
constitutional monarchy, which means that it is ruled by a king or queen or
other monarch whose powers are limited by a constitution.
              *What were the previous types of government? Previous
governments were ones with a raja and a prime minister who was in charge.
In 1994, they tried a Communist form of government, but it didn't work out.
              *What events have influenced the type of government? Contact
with Britain and America influenced the type of government and the way that
the people thought the country should be led.

Religion:
              In Nepal, religion means the world. Everything that they do
has some religious meaning behind it. This is not surprising considering
what some of the Nepal people have had to live through. If they hadn't had
a firm religion to guide them, they would have all fell into despair.
              Questions to answer
              *What are the major religions? Hinduism and Buddhism
              *What are the beliefs of these religions?
Hinduism developed through the Brahman priests' interpretations of the
Vedas. According to Upanishads, a basic divine essence known as Brahman
fills everything in the world. The individual person is known as Atman.
When the Hindus say that Brahma and Atman are one and indivisible, they are
basically saying that God and human beings are one. This statement is one
that shows monism.  The Hindus also believe that the world known to our
senses is just an illusion called Maya, and this illusion can betray
people, giving them sorrow and pain.  People could get rid of this
suffering by being able to identify Maya. However, to be able to do that
would take lifetimes of experience, which is gained through reincarnation.
Guatama (later known as Buddha - the Enlightened One) was the founder of
Buddhism.  As a child, he was the son of an Indian prince and live in
luxury, but when he saw an old decrepit man covered in boils and a corpse
about to be cremated, he wondered about the great problems of life. He then
asked "Why does suffering exist? What is the value of life and death?"  He
spent the rest of his life seeking the answers to these questions and left
his wife and son in what is called the Great Renunciation.  He became
Buddha at the moment when he was meditating under a fig tree and felt that
he understood the truth that was the basis of life. Buddha spent the rest
of his life teaching his beliefs. According to him, salvation comes from
knowing the Four Noble Truths and following the Eightfold Path.
              *What religious events are celebrated? The Marriage Festival,
Balachaturdashi (a Hindu holiday) Rato Machendranath Jatra & Bhoto Jatra (A
month long Buddhist celebration.
              *How important is religion in the lives of most people?
Religion is the center of most of life in Nepal.
              *What are marriage ceremonies like? Marriage ceremonies are
very elaborate.
              *What holidays will there be while curiouskids.com is there?


History:
Nepal had a very troublesome history. Many people conquered the country
and then ended up giving it back to the people again. It is no wonder that
it took the Nepal people so long to find a system of government that would
work for them.

Questions to answer:
              *When did recorded history begin there? 4th century AD
              *What historical events have influenced the country? The
British declared WWI, Nepal independent again
              *How has the government changed over time? From Monarchy to
democracy
              *How different is the way of life today from 100 years ago?
Nepal is independent, the government is very different, and the standards
of living have gone up.

              **What is the most important thing curiouskids.com should
learn about this location? How religion can affect the people of Nepal.