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Nepal: COUNTRY PROFILE
COUNTRY PROFILE: NEPAL
November 2005
COUNTRY
Formal Name: Kingdom of Nepal (“Nepal Adhirajya” in Nepali).
Short Form: Nepal.
Term for Citizen(s): Nepalese.
Capital: Kathmandu.
Major Cities: According to the 2001 census, only Kathmandu had a population of more than 500,000. The only other cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants were Biratnagar, Birgunj, Lalitpur, and Pokhara.
Independence: In 1768 Prithvi Narayan Shah unified a number of states in the Kathmandu Valley under the Kingdom of Gorkha. Nepal recognizes National Unity Day (January 11) to commemorate this achievement.
Public Holidays: Numerous holidays and religious festivals are observed in particular regions and by particular religions. Holiday dates also may vary by year and locality as a result of the multiple calendars in use—including two solar and three lunar calendars—and different astrological calculations by religious authorities. In fact, holidays may not be observed if religious authorities deem the date to be inauspicious for a specific year.
The following holidays are observed nationwide: Sahid Diwash (Martyrs’ Day; movable date in January); National Unity Day and birthday of Prithvi Narayan Shah (January 11); Maha Shiva Ratri (Great Shiva’s Night, movable date in February or March); Rashtriya Prajatantra Diwash (National Democracy Day, movable date in February); Falgu Purnima, or Holi (movable date in February or March); Ram Nawami (Rama’s Birthday, movable date in March or April); Nepali New Year (movable date in April); Buddha’s Birthday (movable date in April or May); King Gyanendra’s Birthday (July 7); Janai Purnima (Sacred Thread Ceremony, movable date in August); Children’s Day (movable date in August); Dashain (Durga Puja Festival, movable set of five days over a 15-day period in September or October); Diwali/Tihar (Festival of Lights and Laxmi Puja, movable set of five days in October); and Sambhidhan Diwash (Constitution Day, movable date in November).
Flag: The national flag consists of two vertically stacked crimson red triangles with blue borders. The upper portion has an eight-pointed disc rising out of a white crescent moon, and the bottom portion has a white sun. The moon and sun symbolize the eternal eyes of god, the red color represents energy in action, and the blue border signifies Nepal’s peaceful nature.
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Click to Enlarge Image RECENT NEWS ARTICLES EurofundingMag,The European Commission has allocated €2.8 million to assist victims of drought that has affected many regions especially in western Nepal. ... Opposing class forces face off in post-monarchy Nepal - 24 Oct 2006 Party for Socialism and Liberation...social classes that united in the streets against the monarchy are now facing the basic question: Which class will hold the upper hand in post-monarchy Nepal? ... Nepal - Cautious Optimism or Continued Instability - 24 Oct 2006 Desicritics.org,Nepal's historic return to parliamentary democracy was heralded on 28 June this year raising hopes of rapid normalcy in India's turbulent Northern neighbour ... Nepal: 'The Key Is Stuck In New Delhi' - 24 Oct 2006 NewsBlaze,...to our stalled peace process lies down south was apparent long before Ian Martin, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan special representative for Nepal, decided to ... Govt. to recognize Nepal Sambat as national calendar: PM Koirala - 24 Oct 2006 Nepalnews.com,...has directed the Ministry for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation to set up a committee of experts to further study the historic background of Nepal Sambat to ... Festival Season In Nepal - 24 Oct 2006 Telluride Watch,Tihar lagyo. Tihar is happening! Dasain has come and gone, and the tens of thousands of Nepalis that returned to their villages ... Nepal without the trek - A1 blends Everest and elephants with ... - 24 Oct 2006 e-Travel Blackboard (press release),...$100 per person ‘early bird’ discount on all bookings made before 24 December 2006 for an exclusive, luxury-oriented 10-day ‘Armchair Nepal’ group tour ... Health care against all odds: leprosy in Nepal - 24 Oct 2006 McGill Daily,As my friend and I prepared for three months of volunteer work in Nepal, the last thing we were anticipating was the outbreak of mass civilian protests against ... The Challenges Nepal Faces - 24 Oct 2006 American Chronicle,The democratic political parties and the Nepalese Army (NA) must have the pivotal role to for see a democratic Nepal with Constitutional Monarchy. ... Bomb stored in house by Nepalese rebels blows up, wounding 6 - 24 Oct 2006 International Herald Tribune,AP. POKHARA, Nepal A bomb being stored in a house by Nepalese communist rebels exploded on Tuesday, wounding six people, officials and doctors said. ... Happy New Year again, Nepal - 24 Oct 2006 NewsBlaze,It's New Year's Day again in Nepal, this time by the Nepal Sambat calendar, one of four commonly used in this tiny country. It's ... Maoists on ‘crime control’ drive - 24 Oct 2006 Indian Express,According to human right groups a Rajbanshi tribal was allegedly killed as a result of excessive torture by the Maoists in east Nepal’s Jhapa district. ... Tribal Terrorists Mourn their Dead - 24 Oct 2006 Strategy PageOctober 22, 2006: Indian police arrested a soldier on his way to Nepal, to hand over military secrets (on a memory sticks, and photos) to Pakistani intelligence ... Caste-Based Discrimination in Nepal - Oct 22, 2006 OhmyNews International,Nepal has survived a decade of internal, armed conflict, which has thrown human rights violations into relief. The root cause of ... UN makes Nepal Maoist food pledge - Oct 23, 2006 BBC News,The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has proposed to feed Nepal's Maoist rebels and their families once a peace deal has been signed with the government. ... Nepal Era New year today - Oct 22, 2006 Nepalnews.com,The Nepal Sambat (Nepal Era), which was started by Shankhadhar Shakhwaa entered its 1127th year Monday with the Newar community from all over the country eager ... Nepal still in a state of flux - Oct 23, 2006 Asia Times Online,...and reconcile positions on issues between an alliance of seven parties with democratic credentials and the leaders of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) are ... 'Nepal Era' to be adopted as national calendar: Koirala - Oct 23, 2006 Zee News,Kathmandu, Oct 23: The Nepal government would take initiatives to adopt 'Nepal Era' as the national calendar replacing 'Bikram Era' used from the period of ... Nepal: Cease-Fire Violations Increase - Oct 23, 2006 StratforCease-fire violations by Maoist rebels in Nepal have increased by 75 percent in recent weeks, the National Monitoring Committee said Oct. 23. ... Nepal to allow private sectors to enter petroleum dealings - Oct 21, 2006 People's Daily Online,Ending Nepal Oil Corporation's ( NOC) monopoly over petroleum dealings, the government has passed a bill that will now allow private sectors to enter the ... Festival of Lights in Nepal - Oct 21, 2006 OhmyNews International,Nepal is currently celebrating one of the most significant Hindu festivals, Tihar, also called "the festival of light.". The festival ... Preparations planned to mark Nepal Era 1127 - Oct 21, 2006 People's Daily Online,Over 50 programs will be organized, mainly in Nepali capital Kathmandu Valley, to mark the Nepal Era 1127, which falls on Monday, a leading newspaper The ... Nepal striving to make air transportation safe - Oct 21, 2006 People's Daily Online,The Nepal Air Traffic Controller 's Association has been striving to make air transportation safe, regular and reliable in Nepal since its establishment in 1991 ... Australia, UNDP sign accord to promote micro-enterprises in Nepal - Oct 20, 2006 People's Daily Online,With a view to improve the living standard of poor people in Nepal, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Australia have signed an agreement here on ... UN to start work of assisting Nepal's peace process ... - Oct 20, 2006 People's Daily Online,Speaking at the 61st United Nations Day in Kathmandu on Friday, Martin said that they will formally start their work of assisting Nepal's peace process once ... Human error, fog to blame for Nepal WWF crash - Oct 20, 2006 ABC Online,...was carrying several members of the WWF, including conservation director, Australian Jill Bowling, and some of the most respected conservationists in Nepal. ... UN regional disarmament office to be set up in Nepal - Oct 21, 2006 Nepalnews.com,An Asia Pacific regional UN office for peace and disarmament is going to be set up in Nepal two decades after it was formally approved by the General Assembly. ... Human error, fog to blame for Nepal WWF crash - Oct 20, 2006 Reuters AlertNet,KATHMANDU, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Human error and bad weather were responsible for last month's crash of a helicopter chartered by world conservation group WWF in ... This series of profiles of foreign nations is part of the Country Studies Program, formerly the Army Area Handbook Program. The profiles offer brief, summarized information on a country’s historical background, geography, society, economy, transportation and telecommunications, government and politics, and national security. In addition to being featured in the front matter of published Country Studies, they are now being prepared as stand-alone reference aides for all countries in the series, as well as for a number of additional countries of interest. The profiles offer reasonably current country information independent of the existence of a recently published Country Study and will be updated annually or more frequently as events warrant. |
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