Nepal

1. Nepal Kelsey Reilly Block: 3

2. Nepal Economic Overview Cultural Photo Essay Political Overview Physical Geography Overview Bibliography

3. Photo Essay Sagarmatha National Park Nepalese Sherpas Wall Paintings IndraJatra Holi Celebration Prayer Flags Main Menu

4. Holi Celebration People of Nepal who practice the Hindu religion celebrate Holi or the FaguPurnima, the festival of color. Young Nepalese boys and girls throw colors and colored water at each other. In the modern times this festival has become sort of a “sex-war”, with boys and girls targeting each other days before the festival begins. By keeping up with these festivals it helps the people of Kathmandu and Nepal to forget about the Maoists blocking them inside the valley. Photo Essay Wagle, Dinesh. “Celebrating Holi, the Festival of Color.” blog.com. 2006. Web. 30 May 2010. http://blog.com.np/2006/03/14/celebrating-holy-the-festival-of-color/

5. Nepalese Sherpas The Sherpas of Nepal are famous for their natural ability to brave the staggering heights of Mt. Everest. Tourists say that they are hardy, friendly mountain guides and assistants who are incredibly strong and physically compact. The Sherpas were first brought to the international spotlights when Edmund Hillary and a Sherpa named Tenzing Norgay completed the first successful ascent of Mt. Everest in 1953. Conger, Cristen. “How Sherpas Work.” howstuffworks.com. N.d. Web. 30 May 2010 http://people.howstuffworks.com/sherpa.htm/printable Photo Essay

6. Prayer Flags Many Nepalese are Hindu, but Sherpas practice a form of Tibetan Buddhism. The moutains hold spiritual significance and are places where Sherpas can reach enlightenment. Tibetan Buddhism focuses on compassion and selflessness to reach enlightenment. Chodens are religious shrines which are found along trails with prayer flags often attached. The colors of the prayer flags represent the five Buddha families. They are inscribed with mantras and spiritual symbols which are meant to spread blessings of compassion, love and peace through the wind. Photo Essay Conger, Cristen. “How Sherpas Work.” howstuffworks.com. N.d. Web. 30 May 2010 http://people.howstuffworks.com/sherpa.htm/printable

7. IndraJatra The festival of IndraJatra is celebrated by Hindus and Buddhists in Nepal. It spans along the course of eight days where there is a lot of rejoicing, dancing, and feasting. The first day consists of a long wooden pole being placed in front of the ancient Royal Palace at HunumanDhoka, to honor Indra the god of rain. On the third day Kumari the Living Goddess is taken in a procession in a chariot. And on the final day the long wooden pole is lowered while they hold ceremonies and animal sacrifices. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2007-07/04/xin_22070404085848168387.jpg “Major Festivals of Nepal.” asianheritage.com. N.d. Web. 30 May 2010 Photo Essay

8. Wall Paintings Wall paintings in Nepal have deeper themes since they are stories sometimes being told in a series of panels. Besides just a decorative purpose they also provide, like a picture book, the roots of ones heritage. Some symbols often used represent fertility, prosperity, and good luck include elephants, fish, parrots, the Sun, the Moon, bamboo, shrubs in bloom and trees covered with giant flowers. http://www.thangkapaintings.com/wall_painting.php “Art and Culture of Nepal.” asianheritage.com. N.d. Web. 30 May 2010. Photo Essay

9. Sagarmatha National Park The Sagarmatha National Park includes Mt. Everest and other high peaks. It is located north-east of Kathmandu. Sagarmatha is rugged, with deep gorges, glaciers, and nonnegotiable ice and rock faces. Locally it is known as “Khumbu” and is the home of the Sherpa people. The trekking industry has become the community’s economic basis and in 1979 the park was declared a World Heritage Site. Photo Essay http://www.onearth.org/files/onearth/article_images/07win_glacialmain_slideshow.jpg “World Heritage Sites of Nepal.” asianheritage.com. N.d. Web. 30 May 2010.

10. Physical Geography Overview • Southern Nepal (also know as Terai) is made of cultivable land and dense jungle. • Three important rivers originate from the Mahabharat, Churia, and Himalayan mountain ranges. • Eight of the world’s highest mountains are located in the Himalayan range. • The Valley of Nepal consists of fertile soil, a temperate climate, and a thriving agriculture. Pictures • “Nepal.” Global Issues in Context. 2009. Web. 24 May 2010

11. T Influence

12. The influence on culture… • Because of the rugged physical geography local trade is a huge part time activity. • There are marketing centers located along the main trails and these centers are supplemented by small local markets. • There is poor communication because of the physical geography which makes extensive domestic trade an unreasonable option. • Fishing is another influence on the culture. In Terai, small fish ponds and government fish farms grow carp, gar, and murrel. • Mining the country’s mineral resources has not yet been exploited. The mining industry is dominated by the production of cement, red clay, coal, limestone, magnesite, and marble. • Because most of the population is in rural villages the houses located there are made of stone or mud bricks with thatched roofs. • However the houses of Sherpas are built of stone and timber and are roofed with wooden slats. • Here are some statistics as of 2001 for households in Nepal… • 53% of households have access to piped water. • 46% have toilet facilities. • 39.8% of households have electric lighting. Pictures • “Nepal.” Global Issues in Context. 2009. Web. 24 May 2010

13. Main Menu

14. Political Overview • Government • The revised constitution was written on Jan. 15, 2007. (interim Constitution) • The government of Nepal is classified as a federal democratic republic which is based on the Hindu legal concept and English common law. • The government is multiethnic and multilingual. • The legislative branch consists of a unicameral Constituent Assembly which holds 601 seats. • The Executive branch consists of the cabinet, President, and Prime Minister. • Currently the President is Ram Baran who is the chief of state, the Prime Minister is Madhav Kumar who is the head of government, and the cabinet consists of a Council of Ministers. • The president is elected by the Parliament and his term extends until the new constitution is created. • The Judicial branch is legally separate from the Executive and Legislative branches. • The Judiciary consists of the Supreme Court or SarbochhaAdalat. • The President appoints the Chief Justice after he receives a recommendation from the Constitutional Council. • The Chief Justice appoints the other judges after a recommendation from the Judicial Council. • Here are just some of the many political parties of Nepal. • Nepali Congress Party, Nepali Congress-Democratic Party, Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist, National Democratic Party (RPP), Nepal Goodwill Party (NSP), National People’s Front autonomy Issues “Nepal.” Countries of the World and Their Leaders Yearbook 2008. 2008 ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2007. 1394-1409. Global Issues in Context. Web. 25 May 2010 “Nepal Government Profile 2010.” IndexMundi.com. Index Mundi, 2010. Web. 25 May 2010

15. Issues • The Maoist insurgents have consistently broken cease fires that were set by the government. • After a four month cease-fire the insurgents broke it again creating a nationwide state of emergency from Nov. 2001- Aug. 2002. The king at the time reacted by suspending rights such as freedom of expression, assembly, privacy, and property. • More recently the insurgents also broke a cease fire on Jan. 2, 2006 after it was established on Sept. 3, 2005. • Because the King suspended rights in 2005 it was a major setback for human rights in Nepal. • There were censors sent to major newspapers and political leaders were placed under house arrest. • The human rights violators, the Maoists, used methods of kidnapping, torture, bombings, intimidation, killings, and the enlistment of children to attack the government, security, and civilian targets. • Other political and governmental issues include… • Trafficking in women • Child Labor • Discrimination against women and lower castes. • And several small armed Madhesi groups that are advocating regional autonomy for individual ethnic groups. “Nepal.” Countries of the World and Their Leaders Yearbook 2008. 2008 ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2007. 1394-1409. Global Issues in Context. Web. 25 May 2010 “Nepal Government Profile 2010.” IndexMundi.com. Index Mundi, 2010. Web. 25 May 2010 Pictures

16. President Ram Baran Nepali Congress Party Article Main Menu

17. Economic Overview • The overall general standards of living are very low for Nepal. It is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world. • In fact ¼ of the population is below the poverty line • The economy of Nepal is closely tied with that of India. • The economy is based on subsistence agriculture which provides for 76% of the labor force. Agriculture accounts for the livelihood of ¾ of the population and 1/3 of the GDP. • However the agriculture is limited by a shortage of arable land compared to the population. • The industrial sector is small and is dominated by the processing of agricultural products. • The government spends 14.9% of the total government expenditures on education. • However the economic potential of Nepal is not insignificant. • The Kathmandu Valley and Terai zone are very fertile areas. • The forests have great medicinal plants like pyrethrum, belladonna, and ipecac. • There are also several mineral deposits. • The Himalayan rivers provide for the possibility of hydroelectric development. • And there are promising growth sectors like air transportation, telecommunications, and tourism. • The economy has been expanding with a 47% increase in the amount of remittances from foreign workers during the global recession in 2009. • However the economy will not reach it’s full potential because of the Maoist conflict which makes Nepal one of the poorest countries, land locked, with poor infrastructure, and little connections to the outside markets. Graph “Nepal.” Global Issues in Context. 2009. Web. 25 May 2010 “South Asia: Nepal.” CIA.gov. Central Intelligence Agency. 2010. Web. 25 May 2010 Article Main Menu

18. As the graph shows Nepal has one of the smallest industrial growth rates annually compared to the countries surrounding it. This shows that the economy is still developing and the government has not yet exploited the abundant natural resources. The industrial sector of the Nepal economy is dominated by the processing of agricultural products. However the agriculture of Nepal is limited by the lack of arable land compared to the population. In order for the developing economy of Nepal to reach it’s full potential the government must use the natural resources to provide for the people and promote industrial growth. If they can successfully change this the GDP and industrial growth rates of Nepal will rise dramatically and be compared similarly to the more prosperous countries of China, India and Bangladesh. “Industrial Comparison: Industrial Production Growth Rate.” CIA.gov. Central Intelligence Agency. 2009. 26, May 2010.

19. Bibliography • “Industrial Comparison: Industrial Production Growth Rate.” CIA.gov. Central Intelligence Agency. 2009. 26, May 2010. • “Nepal.” Global Issues in Context. 2009. Web. 25 May 2010 • “South Asia: Nepal.” CIA.gov. Central Intelligence Agency. 2010. Web. 25 May 2010 • “Nepal.” Countries of the World and Their Leaders Yearbook 2008. 2008 ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2007. 1394-1409. Global Issues in Context. Web. 25 May 2010 • “Nepal Government Profile 2010.” IndexMundi.com. Index Mundi, 2010. Web. 25 May 2010 • Wagle, Dinesh. “Celebrating Holi, the Festival of Color.” blog.com. 2006. Web. 30 May 2010. • Conger, Cristen. “How Sherpas Work.” howstuffworks.com. N.d. Web. 30 May 2010. • “Major Festivals of Nepal.” asianheritage.com. N.d. Web. 30 May 2010 • “Art and Culture of Nepal.” asianheritage.com. N.d. Web. 30 May 2010. • “World Heritage Sites of Nepal.” asianheritage.com. N.d. Web. 30 May 2010. Main Menu