126-478: Gorkha Rashtriya Congress (GRC) is a political party spearheading the unification of Darjeeling and Dooars with Sikkim . D.K. Bomzan was the founding president of this party. After his death on 7 October 2010, Nima Lama became the new president. In September 2010, GRC filed an RTI with the Sikkim government regarding the ownership of the territory under Darjeeling district. A seminar "Sikkim-Darjeeling Merger"
252-572: A Gorkha king, set out to put together what would become present-day Nepal. He embarked on his mission by securing the neutrality of the bordering mountain kingdoms. After several bloody battles and sieges, notably the Battle of Kirtipur , he managed to conquer the Kathmandu Valley in 1769. The Gorkha control reached its height when the Kumaon and Garhwal Kingdoms in the west to Sikkim in
378-402: A Thakuri rule. Thakuri kings ruled over the country up to the middle of the 11th century AD; not much is known of this period that is often called the dark period. In the 11th century, a powerful empire of Khas people emerged in western Nepal whose territory at its highest peak included much of western Nepal as well as parts of western Tibet and Uttarakhand of India. By the 14th century,
504-492: A population of 1,846,823, roughly equal to the population of Kosovo . This gives it a ranking of 257th in India (out of a total of 640 ). The district has a population density of 586 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,520/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 14.77%. Darjeeling has a sex ratio of 970 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 79.56%. After Kalimpong district
630-455: A "partyless" Panchayat system was made to govern Nepal. The political parties were banned and politicians imprisoned or exiled. The Panchayat rule modernised the country, introducing reforms and developing infrastructure, but curtailed liberties and imposed heavy censorship. In 1990, the People's Movement forced King Birendra (ruled 1972–2001) to accept constitutional reforms and to establish
756-502: A bond of allegiance to the national independence, territorial integrity, national interest, and prosperity of Nepal. The Government of Nepal has three branches: Nepal is a federal republic comprising 7 provinces . Each province is composed of 8 to 14 districts. The districts, in turn, comprise local units known as urban and rural municipalities. There is a total of 753 local units which includes 6 metropolitan municipalities, 11 sub-metropolitan municipalities and 276 municipalities for
882-450: A committee composed of all elected officials from the local governments in the district, has a very limited role. The Constitution of Nepal is the supreme law of the land, and any other laws contradicting it are automatically invalid to the extent of the contradiction. The specific legal provisions are codified as Civil Code and Criminal Code, accompanied by Civil Procedure Code and Criminal Procedure Code respectively. The Supreme Court
1008-467: A land of spirituality and refuge in the intervening centuries, played an important role in transmitting Buddhism to East Asia via Tibet, and helped preserve Hindu and Buddhist manuscripts. By 250 BC, the southern regions had come under the influence of the Maurya Empire . Emperor Ashoka made a pilgrimage to Lumbini and erected a pillar at Buddha's birthplace, the inscriptions on which mark
1134-438: A member of WTO since 23 April 2004. The 16.8-million-worker Nepali labour force is the 37th largest in the world. The primary sector makes up 27.59% of GDP, the secondary sector 14.6%, and the tertiary sector 57.81%. Nepal's foreign exchange remittances of US$ 8.1 billion in 2018, the 19th largest in the world and constituting 28.0% of GDP, were contributed to its economy by millions of workers primarily in India,
1260-607: A multiparty democracy. In 1996, the Maoist Party started a violent bid to replace the royal parliamentary system with a people's republic. This led to the long Nepali Civil War and more than 16,000 deaths. With the death of both the King and the Crown Prince in a massacre in the royal palace , King Birendra's brother Gyanendra inherited the throne in 2001 and subsequently assumed full executive powers aiming to quash
1386-702: A part of dominions of the Chogyal of Sikkim, who had been engaged in an unsuccessful warfare against the Gorkhas of Nepal. From 1780, the Gorkhas made several attempts to capture the entire region of Darjeeling. By the beginning of the 19th century, they had overrun Sikkim as far eastward as the Teesta River and had conquered and annexed the entire Terai . In the meantime, the British were engaged in preventing
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#17327869767671512-534: A place protected by Ne , the country in the heart of the Himalayas came to be known as Nepāl . According to Nepāl Mahātmya , Nemi was charged with protection of the country by Pashupati . According to Buddhist mythology , Manjushri Bodhisattva drained a primordial lake of serpents to create the Nepal valley and proclaimed that Adi-Buddha Ne would take care of the community that would settle it. As
1638-558: A quarter of the total forested area has helped the local economies while reducing human-wildlife conflict . The breeding programmes coupled with community-assisted military patrols, and a crackdown on poaching and smuggling, has seen poaching of critically endangered tigers and elephants as well as vulnerable rhinos, among others, go down to effectively zero, and their numbers have steadily increased. Nepal has ten national parks , three wildlife reserves , one hunting reserve , three Conservation Areas and eleven buffer zones , covering
1764-518: A series of inscriptions; Nepal's history of the period is pieced together almost entirely from them. In 641, Songtsen Gampo of the Tibetan Empire sends Narendradeva back to Licchavi with an army and subjugates Nepal. Parts of Nepal and Licchavi was later under the direct influences of the Tibetan empire. The Licchavi dynasty went into decline in the late 8th century and was followed by
1890-490: A substratum of a race of pre-Dravidians and Dravidians, who were in Nepal even before the Newars, who formed the majority of the ancient inhabitants of the valley of Kathmandu. By the late Vedic period , Nepal was being mentioned in various Hindu texts, such as the late Vedic Atharvaveda Pariśiṣṭa and in the post-Vedic Atharvashirsha Upanishad . The Gopal Bansa was the oldest dynasty to be mentioned in various texts as
2016-538: A total area of 28,959.67 km (11,181.39 sq mi), or 19.67% of the total land area, while ten wetlands are registered under the Ramsar Convention . Nepal has consistently been ranked as one of the most polluted countries in the world. Nepal is a parliamentary republic with a multi-party system. Nepal has been referred as the 'Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal' since 2015. It has seven national political parties recognised in
2142-501: A total of 293 urban municipalities, and 460 rural municipalities. Each local unit is composed of wards. There are 6,743 wards in total. The local governments enjoy executive and legislative as well as limited judicial powers in their local jurisdiction. The provinces have unicameral parliamentary Westminster system of governance. The local and provincial governments exercise some absolute powers and some powers shared with provincial or federal government. The district coordination committee,
2268-739: A unique identity. Nepal Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal , is a landlocked country in South Asia . It is mainly situated in the Himalayas , but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain . It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north , and India to the south, east, and west , while it is narrowly separated from Bangladesh by
2394-516: A view that Nepal remained the true bastion of unadulterated Hinduism at a time when Indian culture had been influenced by centuries of Mughal, followed by British rule . Gorkha , one of the Baisi states, emerged as an influential and ambitious kingdom with a reputation for justice, after it codified the first Hinduism-based laws in the Nepalese hills. In the mid-18th century, Prithvi Narayan Shah ,
2520-529: Is $ 1,004. The distribution of wealth among the Nepalis 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%. European Union (EU) (46.13%), the US (17.4%), and Germany (7.1%) are its main export partners; they mainly buy Nepali ready-made garments (RMG). Nepal's import partners include India (47.5%),
2646-432: Is 59,624 km (23,021 sq mi), 40.36% of the country's total land area, with an additional 4.38% of scrubland , for a total forested area of 44.74%, an increase of 5% since the turn of the millennium. The country had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 7.23/10, ranking it 45th globally out of 172 countries. In the southern plains, Terai–Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion contains some of
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#17327869767672772-440: Is Nepal's largest trading partner, which it depends upon for all of its oil and gas, and a number of essential goods. Nepalis can own property in India, while Indians are free to live and work in Nepal. Relations between India and Nepal, though very close, have faced difficulties stemming from territorial disputes , economics, and the problems inherent in big power-small power relations. Nepal established diplomatic relations with
2898-594: Is a vulgarism of sanskritic Nepala, or Nepala is Sanskritisation of the local ethnic; his view has found some support though it does not answer the question of etymology. It has also been proposed that Nepa is a Tibeto-Burman stem consisting of Ne (cattle) and Pa (keeper), reflecting the fact that early inhabitants of the valley were Gopalas (cowherds) and Mahispalas (buffalo-herds). Suniti Kumar Chatterji believed Nepal originated from Tibeto-Burman roots – Ne, of uncertain meaning (as multiple possibilities exist), and pala or bal , whose meaning
3024-401: Is a habitat for 4.0% of all mammal species , 8.9% of bird species , 1.0% of reptile species , 2.5% of amphibian species , 1.9% of fish species , 3.7% of butterfly species , 0.5% of moth species and 0.4% of spider species . In its 35 forest-types and 118 ecosystems, Nepal harbours 2% of the flowering plant species , 3% of pteridophytes and 6% of bryophytes . Nepal's forest cover
3150-557: Is about $ 13.71 billion (FY 2019/20); expenditure of infrastructure development budget, most of it contributed by foreign aid, usually fails to meet the target. The country receives foreign aid from the UK, India, Japan, the US, the EU, China, Switzerland, and Scandinavian countries. The Nepali rupee has been tied to the Indian rupee at an exchange rate of 1.6 for many years. Per capita income
3276-530: Is also a sizeable population of Tibetans who arrived from Tibet since the 1950s. Over time, the ethnic distinctions between the hill people have blurred and today most identify as Gorkha and speak Nepali only as mother tongue. In the plains, the Bengalis and Rajbongshis are in majority while there are large numbers of Gorkhas and Adivasis , the latter of which migrated from Chotanagpur and Santhal Parganas during British rule as tea garden workers. Both in
3402-594: Is denoted "Tajenglung", a Limbu language terminology that means the stones that "talk to each other", according to the historian Sankarhang Subba of Darjeeling. The name Darjeeling acclaimed from the Tibetan words Dorje , which is the thunderbolt sceptre of the Hindu deity Indra , and ling , which means "a place" or "land". The ancient inhabitants of Darjeeling are the Lepcha and Limbu . Most of Darjeeling formed
3528-452: Is expected to eradicate poverty within 20 years. The agriculture sector is particularly vulnerable as it is highly dependent on the monsoon rains, with just 28% of the arable land being irrigated, As of 2014 . Agriculture employs 76% of the workforce, services 18%, and manufacturing and craft-based industry 6%. Private investment, consumption, tourism and agriculture are the principal contributors to economic growth. The government's budget
3654-578: Is home to Singalila National Park , which was set up in 1986 as a wildlife sanctuary and converted to a national park in 1992. It has an area of 78.60 km (30.3 sq mi). Darjeeling district has three wildlife sanctuaries : Jorepokhri , Mahananda , and Senchal . Kalonunia rice was awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) status tag from the Geographical Indications Registry under
3780-585: Is intended for crowd control, counter-insurgency and anti-terrorism actions, and other internal matters where the use of force may be necessary. The Crime Investigation Department of Nepal Police specialises in criminal investigation and forensic analysis. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority is an independent investigative agency that investigates and prosecutes cases related to corruption, bribery and abuses of authority. At 2.16 per 100,000 in 2016, Nepal's intentional homicide rate
3906-473: Is intertwined with the culture of Indo-Aryans , and was the seat of the prosperous Newar confederacy known as Nepal Mandala . The Himalayan branch of the ancient Silk Road was dominated by the valley's traders . The cosmopolitan region developed distinct traditional art and architecture . By the 18th century, the Gorkha Kingdom achieved the unification of Nepal . The Shah dynasty established
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4032-653: Is lost entirely. By 55,000 years ago, the first modern humans had arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa, where they had earlier evolved. The earliest known modern human remains in South Asia date to about 30,000 years ago. The oldest discovered archaeological evidence of human settlements in Nepal dates to around the same time. After 6500 BC, evidence for the domestication of food crops and animals, construction of permanent structures, and storage of agricultural surplus appeared in Mehrgarh and other sites in what
4158-494: Is much lower than average; police data indicates a steady increase in the crime rate in recent years. Nepal was ranked 76 out of 163 countries in the Global Peace Index (GPI) in 2019. Nepal's passport has consistently been ranked among the weakest in the world. Nepal depends on diplomacy for national defence. It maintains a policy of neutrality between its neighbours, has amicable relations with other countries in
4284-603: Is now Balochistan . These gradually developed into the Indus Valley Civilisation , the first urban culture in South Asia. Prehistoric sites of palaeolithic , mesolithic and neolithic origins have been discovered in the Siwalik hills of Dang district . The earliest inhabitants of modern Nepal and adjoining areas are believed to be people from the Indus Valley Civilisation . It is possible that
4410-480: Is reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates. Matigara-Naxalbari constituency is reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates. Along with one assembly constituency from Kalimpong district and one assembly constituency from Uttar Dinajpur district , the five assembly constituencies of this district form the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency . According to the 2011 census Darjeeling district has
4536-423: Is the district headquarters. Kurseong , Siliguri and Mirik , three major towns in the district, are the subdivisional headquarters of the district. Kalimpong was one of the subdivisions but on 14 February 2017, it officially became a separate Kalimpong district . Geographically, the district can be divided into two broad divisions: the hills and the plains. The entire hilly region of the district comes under
4662-589: Is the highest authority in the interpretation of laws and it can direct the parliament to amend or enact new laws as required. The death penalty has been abolished. It recognises marital rape and supports abortion rights. Owing to a rise in sex-selective abortion, however, constraints have been introduced. Nepal is a signatory to the Geneva Convention , Conventions/Treaties on the prohibition of Biological , Chemical and Nuclear weapons , International Labour Organization Fundamental Conventions , Treaty on
4788-580: Is the lowland region containing some hill ranges. The plains were formed and are fed by three major Himalayan rivers: the Koshi , the Narayani , and the Karnali as well as smaller rivers rising below the permanent snowline. This region has a subtropical to tropical climate. The outermost range of the foothills called Sivalik Hills or Churia Range, cresting at 700 to 1,000 metres (2,300 to 3,280 ft), marks
4914-592: Is the primary law enforcement agency. It is an independent organisation under the command of the Inspector General , who is appointed by and reports to the Ministry of Home Affairs . In addition to maintaining law and order, it is responsible for the management of road traffic, which is undertaken by Nepal Traffic Police. Nepal Armed Police Force , a separate paramilitary police organisation, works in cooperation with Nepal police in routine security matters; it
5040-420: Is the southern limit of this region, with subtropical river valleys and "hills" alternating to the north of this range. Population density is high in valleys but notably less above 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) and very low above 2,500 metres (8,200 ft), where snow occasionally falls in winter. The southern lowland plains or Terai bordering India are part of the northern rim of the Indo-Gangetic Plain . Terai
5166-636: Is widely used in traditional herbal medicine , and the luxuriant Ficus religiosa , or peepal , which is displayed on the ancient seals of Mohenjo-daro , and under which Gautam Buddha is recorded in the Pali canon to have sought enlightenment. Most of the subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest of the lower Himalayan region is descended from the Tethyan Tertiary flora. As the Indian Plate collided with Eurasia forming and raising
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5292-776: The Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council . However, the demand for full statehood within India has emerged once again, with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha as its chief proponent. The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration replaced the DGHC in August 2012 after the GJM signed an agreement with the government. The Darjeeling hill area is formed of comparatively recent rock structure that has a direct bearing on landslides. Heavy monsoon precipitation contributes to
5418-674: The Dravidian people whose history predates the onset of the Bronze Age in the Indian subcontinent (around 6300 BC) inhabited the area before the arrival of other ethnic groups like the Tibeto-Burmans and Indo-Aryans from across the border. By 4000 BC, the Tibeto-Burmese people had reached Nepal either directly across the Himalayas from Tibet or via Myanmar and north-east India or both. Stella Kramrisch (1964) mentions
5544-708: The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration , a semi-autonomous administrative body under the state government of West Bengal. This body covers the three hill subdivisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Mirik and the district of Kalimpong. The foothills of Darjeeling Himalayas, which comes under the Siliguri subdivision, is known as the Terai . The district is bounded on the north by Sikkim , on the south by Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal, southwest by Kishanganj district of Bihar state, on
5670-521: The Kingdom of Nepal and later formed an alliance with the British Empire , under its Rana dynasty of premiers . The country was never colonised but served as a buffer state between Imperial China and British India . Parliamentary democracy was introduced in 1951 but was twice suspended by Nepalese monarchs, in 1960 and 2005. The Nepalese Civil War in the 1990s and early 2000s resulted in
5796-495: The Siliguri Corridor , and from Bhutan by the Indian state of Sikkim . Nepal has a diverse geography , including fertile plains , subalpine forested hills, and eight of the world's ten tallest mountains , including Mount Everest , the highest point on Earth. Kathmandu is the nation's capital and the largest city . Nepal is a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural state, with Nepali as
5922-733: The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), of which it is a founding member. Nepal is also a member of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Bay of Bengal Initiative . Before the unification of Nepal , the Kathmandu Valley was known as Nepal . The precise origin of the term Nepāl is uncertain. Nepal appears in ancient Indian literary texts dated as far back as the fourth century AD. An absolute chronology can not be established, as even
6048-780: The Treaty of Titalia , the British East India Company reinstated the Chogyal of Sikkim, restored all the tracts of land between the Mechi and the Teesta rivers to the Chogyal of Sikkim and guaranteed his sovereignty. In 1835, the hill of Darjeeling, including an enclave of 138 square miles (360 km ), was given to the British East India Company by Sikkim. In November 1864, the Treaty of Sinchula
6174-541: The Union Government of India on 2 January 2024 (valid until 11 March 2034). It is a common and widely cultivated crop in disticts of Cooch Behar , Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar along with some parts of Darjeeling & Kalimpong districts of West Bengal. State Agricultural Management & Extension Training Institute (SAMETI) from Narendrapur , proposed the GI registration of Kalonunia rice. After filing
6300-492: The eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot, with notable biocultural diversity . The dramatic differences in elevation found in Nepal (60 m from sea level in the Terai plains, to 8,848 m Mount Everest ) result in a variety of biomes . The Eastern half of Nepal is richer in biodiversity as it receives more rain, compared to western parts, where arctic desert -type conditions are more common at higher elevations. Nepal
6426-725: The endangered Bengal tiger , the red panda , the Asiatic elephant , the Himalayan musk deer , the wild water buffalo and the South Asian river dolphin , as well as the critically endangered gharial , the Bengal florican , and the white-rumped vulture , which has become nearly extinct by having ingested the carrion of diclofenac -treated cattle. The pervasive and ecologically devastating human encroachment of recent decades has critically endangered Nepali wildlife . In response,
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#17327869767676552-470: The new constitution was promulgated on 20 September 2015, making Nepal a federal democratic republic divided into seven provinces . Nepal is of roughly trapezoidal shape, about 800 kilometres (500 mi) long and 200 kilometres (120 mi) wide, with an area of 147,516 km (56,956 sq mi). It lies between latitudes 26° and 31°N , and longitudes 80° and 89°E . Nepal's defining geological processes began 75 million years ago when
6678-656: The 1970s, which led to the eventual coalescence of hitherto scattered communist factions under the United Left Front . After the joint civil resistance launched by the United Left Front and Nepali Congress overthrew the Panchayat in 1990, the Front became CPN (UML) , adopted multi-party democracy, and in the brief period, it was in government, introduced welfare programmes that remain popular. After
6804-555: The 1980s, the Gorkha National Liberation Front led an intensive and often violent campaign for the creation of a separate Gorkhaland state within India, across the Nepali -speaking areas in northern West Bengal. The movement reached its peak around 1986–1988 but ended with the establishment of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in 1988. The hill areas of Darjeeling enjoyed some measure of autonomy under
6930-415: The 3,000 m to 3,500 m range, dominated by oak (particularly in the west), Eastern Himalayan fir , Himalayan pine and Himalayan hemlock ; rhododendron is common as well. Above 3,500 m in the west and 4,000 m in the east, coniferous trees give way to rhododendron-dominated alpine shrubs and meadows . Among the notable trees, are the astringent Azadirachta indica , or neem , which
7056-459: The Arctic zone above 4,400 metres (14,400 ft). Nepal experiences five seasons: summer, monsoon , autumn, winter and spring. The Himalayas block cold winds from Central Asia in the winter and form the northern limits of the monsoon wind patterns. Nepal contains a disproportionately large diversity of plants and animals, relative to its size. Nepal, in its entirety, forms the western portion of
7182-534: The British underestimated the Nepali and were soundly defeated until committing more military resources than they had anticipated needing. Thus began the reputation of Gurkhas as fierce and ruthless soldiers. The war ended in the Sugauli Treaty , under which Nepal ceded recently captured lands. Factionalism inside the royal family led to a period of instability. In 1846, a plot was discovered revealing that
7308-507: The Ganges, and home to King Janaka and his daughter, Sita . Around 600 BC, small kingdoms and confederations of clans arose in the southern regions of Nepal. From one of these, the Shakya polity, arose a prince who later renounced his status to lead an ascetic life, founded Buddhism , and came to be known as Gautama Buddha (traditionally dated 563–483 BC). Nepal came to be established as
7434-452: The Gorkhas from over-running the whole of the northern frontier. The Anglo-Gorkha war broke out in 1814, which resulted in the defeat of the Gorkhas and subsequently led to the signing of the Sugauli Treaty in 1815. According to the treaty, Nepal had to cede all those territories which the Gorkhas had annexed from the Chogyal of Sikkim to the British East India Company (i.e., the area between Mechi River and Teesta River). In 1817, through
7560-413: The Himalayas is a very important source of sediment, which flows to the Indian Ocean. Saptakoshi, in particular, carries a huge amount of silt out of Nepal but sees extreme drop in Gradient in Bihar , causing severe floods and course changes, and is, therefore, known as the sorrow of Bihar. Severe flooding and landslides cause deaths and disease, destroy farmlands and cripple the transport infrastructure of
7686-619: The Himalayas, the arid and semi-arid Mediterranean flora was pushed up and adapted to the more alpine climate over the next 40–50 million years. The Himalayan biodiversity hotspot was the site of mass exchange and intermingling of the Indian and Eurasian species in the neogene . One mammal species ( Himalayan field mouse ), two each of bird and reptile species, nine amphibia, eight fish and 29 butterfly species are endemic to Nepal. Nepal contains 107 IUCN -designated threatened species , 88 of them animal species, 18 plant species and one species of "fungi or protist" group. These include
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#17327869767677812-424: The Indian continental crust eventually to under-thrust Eurasia and to uplift the Himalayas . The rising barriers blocked the paths of rivers creating large lakes, which only broke through as late as 100,000 years ago, creating fertile valleys in the middle hills like the Kathmandu Valley. In the western region, rivers which were too strong to be hampered, cut some of the world's deepest gorges. Immediately south of
7938-413: The Indian plate, then part of the southern supercontinent Gondwana , began a north-eastward drift caused by seafloor spreading to its south-west, and later, south and south-east. Simultaneously, the vast Tethyn oceanic crust , to its northeast, began to subduct under the Eurasian Plate . These dual processes, driven by convection in the Earth's mantle , both created the Indian Ocean and caused
8064-605: The Maoist Party joined mainstream politics, in the aftermath of the peaceful revolution of 2006 , it also adopted multi-party democracy as its official line. The transition period between 2006 and 2015 saw sustained protests from the newly formed ethnocentric nationalist movements, principal among them the Madhes Movement . Nepal is governed according to the Constitution of Nepal . It defines Nepal as having multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious, multi-cultural characteristics with common aspirations of people living in diverse geographical regions, and being committed to and united by
8190-405: The Maoist insurgency himself. The Maoist Party joined mainstream politics following the success of the peaceful democratic revolution of 2006 ; Nepal became a secular state , and on 28 May 2008, it was declared a federal republic, ending its time-honoured status as the world's only Hindu kingdom . After a decade of instability and internal strife which saw two constituent assembly elections,
8316-433: The Middle East and East Asia, almost all of them unskilled labourers. Major agricultural products include cereals (barley, maize, millet, paddy and wheat), oilseed, potato, pulses, sugarcane, jute, tobacco, milk and water buffalo meat. Major industries include tourism, carpets, textiles, cigarettes, cement, brick, as well as small rice, jute, sugar and oilseed mills. Nepal's international trade greatly expanded in 1951 with
8442-404: The Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Paris climate accord . Some legal provisions, guided by socio-economic, cultural and religious sensibilities, remain discriminatory. There is gender-based discrimination against foreign nationals married to Nepali citizens. Paternal lineage of a person is valued and required in legal documents. Many laws remain unenforced in practice. Nepal Police
8568-426: The People's Republic of China on 1 August 1955, and signed the Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1960; relations since have been based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence . Nepal maintains neutrality in conflicts between China and India. It remains firmly committed to the One China Policy and is known to curb anti-China activities from the Tibetan refugees in Nepal. Citizens of both countries can cross
8694-428: The Rana autocracy. Following the success of Indian Independence Movement which Nepalese activists had taken part in, with India's support and cooperation of King Tribhuvan, Nepali Congress was successful in toppling the Rana regime, establishing a parliamentary democracy. After a decade of power wrangling between the king and the government, King Mahendra (ruled 1955–1972) scrapped the democratic experiment in 1960, and
8820-411: The Sanskritisation and Hinduisation of the indigenous non-Hindu tribal populations in all principalities throughout Nepal. By the middle of the 15th century, Kathmandu had become a powerful empire which, according to Kirkpatrick , extended from Digarchi or Sigatse in Tibet to Tirhut and Gaya in India. In the late 15th century, Malla princes divided their kingdom in four – Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur in
8946-425: The United Arab Emirates (11.2%), China (10.7%), Saudi Arabia (4.9%), and Singapore (4%). Besides having landlocked, rugged geography, few tangible natural resources and poor infrastructure, the ineffective post-1950 government and the long-running civil war are also factors in stunting the country's economic growth and development. Debt bondage even involving debtors' children has been a persistent social problem in
9072-625: The United Kingdom and Nepal formally signed an agreement of friendship that superseded the Sugauli Treaty of 1816. The Hindu practice of Sati , in which a widow sacrificed herself in the funeral pyre of her husband, was banned in 1919, and slavery was officially abolished in 1924. Rana rule was marked by tyranny, debauchery , economic exploitation and religious persecution. In the late 1940s, newly emerging pro-democracy movements and political parties in Nepal were critical of
9198-626: The United Kingdom, Denmark, Japan and Norway, among others. The President is the supreme commander of the Nepali Army ; its routine management is handled by the Ministry of Defence . The military expenditure for 2018 was $ 398.5 million, around 1.4% of GDP. An almost exclusively ground infantry force, Nepal Army numbers at less than one hundred thousand; recruitment is voluntary. It has few aircraft, mainly helicopters, primarily used for transport, patrol, and search and rescue. Directorate of Military Intelligence under Nepal Army serves as
9324-639: The application in March 2021, the rice was granted the GI tag in 2024 by the Geographical Indication Registry in Chennai , making the name "Kalonunia rice" exclusive to the rice grown in the region. It thus became the third rice variety from West Bengal after Tulaipanji rice and the 26th type of goods from West Bengal to earn the GI tag. The GI tag protects the rice from illegal selling and marketing, and gives it legal protection and
9450-455: The army, but it is dominated by men from elite Pahari warrior castes. Nepal is one of the least developed countries , which ranks 165th in the world in nominal GDP per capita and 162nd in GDP per capita at PPP . Nepal's gross domestic product (GDP) for 2019 was $ 34.186 billion. Nepal has consistently been ranked as one of the poorest countries in the world. Nepal has been
9576-589: The border and travel as far as 30 km without a visa. China is viewed favourably in Nepal owing to the absence of any border disputes or serious interference in internal politics, coupled with its assistance in infrastructure development and aid during emergencies; favourability has increased since China helped Nepal during the 2015 economic blockade imposed by India. Subsequently, China granted Nepal access to its ports for third-country trade, and Nepal joined China's Belt and Road Initiative . Nepal emphasises greater cooperation in South Asia and actively pushed for
9702-572: The border with China. Seven other of the world's " eight-thousanders " are in Nepal or on its border with Tibet: Lhotse , Makalu , Cho Oyu , Kangchenjunga , Dhaulagiri , Annapurna and Manaslu . Pahad is the mountain region that does not generally contain snow. The mountains vary from 800 to 4,000 metres (2,600 to 13,100 ft) in altitude, with progression from subtropical climates below 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) to alpine climates above 3,600 metres (11,800 ft). The Lower Himalayan Range , reaching 1,500 to 3,000 metres (4,900 to 9,800 ft),
9828-488: The brief periods of democratic exercise in the 1950s and the 1990s, Nepali Congress held majority of seats in parliament; CPN (UML) was its competitor in the 1990s. After the Maoists entered the political process in 2006, they emerged as the third largest party. In the aftermath of the 2017 elections , the first one according to the new constitution, NCP, formed by the merger of CPN (UML) and CPN (Maoist Centre) had become
9954-516: The cherished of Ne , the valley would be called Nepāl . According to Gopalarājvamshāvali , the genealogy of ancient Gopala dynasty compiled c. 1380s , Nepal is named after Nepa the cowherd, the founder of the Nepali scion of the Abhiras . In this account, the cow that issued milk to the spot, at which Nepa discovered the Jyotirlinga of Pashupatināth upon investigation,
10080-402: The country, during the monsoon season each year. Nepal has five climatic zones, broadly corresponding to the altitudes. The tropical and subtropical zones lie below 1,200 metres (3,900 ft), the temperate zone 1,200 to 2,400 metres (3,900 to 7,900 ft), the cold zone 2,400 to 3,600 metres (7,900 to 11,800 ft), the subarctic zone 3,600 to 4,400 metres (11,800 to 14,400 ft), and
10206-437: The district in line with rest of the country, unless specifically extended). From 1862 to 1870, it was considered a "Regulated Area". The phrase "Non-Regulated Area" was changed to "Scheduled District" in 1874 and again to "Backward Tracts" in 1919. The status was known as "Partially Excluded Area" from 1935 until the independence of India . On 14 February 2017, Kalimpong district was carved out of Darjeeling district. During
10332-464: The earliest rulers of the central Himalayan kingdom known by the name 'Nepal'. The Gopalas were followed by Kiratas who ruled for over 16 centuries by some accounts. According to the Mahabharata , the then Kirata king went to take part in the Battle of Kurukshetra . In the south-eastern region, Janakpurdham was the capital of the prosperous kingdom of Videha or Mithila, that extended down to
10458-755: The east came under Nepalese control. A dispute with Tibet over the control of mountain passes and inner Tingri valleys of Tibet prompted the Qing Emperor of China to start the Sino-Nepali War compelling the Nepali to retreat to their own borders in the north. The rivalry between the Kingdom of Nepal and the East India Company over the control of states bordering Nepal eventually led to the Anglo-Nepali War (1815–16). At first,
10584-563: The emerging Himalayas, plate movement created a vast trough that rapidly filled with river-borne sediment and now constitutes the Indo-Gangetic Plain . Nepal lies almost completely within this collision zone, occupying the central sector of the Himalayan arc, nearly one-third of the 2,400 km (1,500 mi)-long Himalayas, with a small strip of southernmost Nepal stretching into the Indo-Gangetic plain and two districts in
10710-492: The empire had splintered into loosely associated Baise rajyas , literally 22 states as they were counted. The rich culture and language of the Khas people spread throughout Nepal and as far as Indo-China in the intervening centuries; their language , later renamed the Nepali language, became the lingua franca of Nepal as well as much of North-east India. In south-eastern Nepal, Simraungarh annexed Mithila around 1100 AD, and
10836-632: The establishment of SAARC , the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the permanent secretariat of which, is hosted in Kathmandu. Nepal was one of the first countries to recognise an independent Bangladesh, and the two countries seek to enhance greater cooperation, on trade and water management; seaports in Bangladesh, being closer, are seen as viable alternatives to India's monopoly on Nepal's third-country trade. Nepal
10962-472: The establishment of a secular republic in 2008, ending the world's last Hindu monarchy. The Constitution of Nepal , adopted in 2015, affirms the country as a secular federal parliamentary republic divided into seven provinces . Nepal was admitted to the United Nations in 1955, and friendship treaties were signed with India in 1950 and China in 1960. Nepal hosts the permanent secretariat of
11088-428: The establishment of democracy; liberalisation began in 1985 and picked up pace after 1990. By the fiscal year 2016/17, Nepal's foreign trade amounted Rs 1.06 trillion, a twenty-three folds increase from Rs 45.6 billion in 1990/91. More than 60% of Nepal's trade is with India. Major exports include readymade garment, carpet, pulses, handicrafts, leather, medicinal herbs, and paper products, which account for 90% of
11214-419: The federal parliament: Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) , Nepali Congress , Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) , Rastriya Swatantra Party , Rastriya Prajatantra Party , People's Socialist Party and Janamat Party . Of the two major parties which both officially espouse democratic socialism, CPN(UML) is considered leftist while Nepali Congress is considered centrist. During most of
11340-433: The forest covers found in the lower hills are deciduous. Evergreen forest constitutes only about 6 per cent of the total forest coverage. Shorea robusta remains the most prominent species of tropical moist deciduous forest along with heavy undergrowth. Teesta , Rangeet , Mechi , Balason , Mahananda and Rammam are the important rivers of the district. Darjeeling District comprises four subdivisions: The district
11466-519: The hills and plains are various migrants from other regions including Biharis , Marwaris and Punjabis . Hinduism is the majority religion in both the hills and plains. Buddhism and Kirat Mudhum are almost entirely present in the hills. Christianity is primarily in the hills, although there are significant numbers among the tea tribes in the plains. Islam is almost entirely found in the plains. Languages spoken in Darjeeling district (2011) At
11592-526: The hills included Limbu , Tamang , Magar , Gurung , Rai , Sunuwar , Yakkha and Newar . Bengali is the official language of the district, with Nepali declared as co-official only in Darjeeling and Kurseong subdivisions. Nepali is the dominant language in the hill divisions, spoken by more than 90% of the people in Darjeeling, Kurseong and Mirik subdivisions, although most hill inhabitants are not from Khas communities. Several hundred of
11718-457: The landslides. Soils of Darjeeling hill areas are extremely varied, depending on elevation, degree of slope, vegetative cover and geolithology. The Himalayas serve as the source of natural resources for the population residing in the hills as well as in the plains. As human population expands in the hills, forests are being depleted for the extension of agricultural lands, introduction of new settlements, roadways, etc. The growing changes coming in
11844-487: The limits of the Gangetic Plain. Broad, low valleys called Inner Terai Valleys ( Bhitri Tarai Upatyaka ) lie north of these foothills in several places. The Indian plate continues to move north relative to Asia at about 50 mm (2.0 in) per year. This makes Nepal an earthquake-prone zone, and periodic earthquakes that have devastating consequences present a significant hurdle to development. Erosion of
11970-461: The major contributors to the UN peacekeeping missions, having contributed more than 119,000 personnel to 42 missions since 1958. Nepali people have a reputation for honesty, loyalty and bravery, which has led to them serving as legendary Gurkha warriors in the Indian and British armies for the last 200 years, with service in both world wars, India-Pakistan wars as well as Afghanistan and Iraq, though Nepal
12096-489: The mid 14th century, Nepal remains largely untouched by the Muslim invasion of India that began in the 11th century. The Mughal period saw an influx of high-caste Hindus from India into Nepal. They soon intermingled with the Khas people and by the 16th century, there were about 50 Rajput-ruled principalities in Nepal, including the 22 (Baisi) states and, to their east in west-central Nepal, 24 Chaubisi states . There emerged
12222-470: The middle of the 14th century. The Mallas ruled the valley first under the suzerainty of Tirhut but established independent reign by late 14th century as Tirhut went into decline. In the late 14th century, Jayasthiti Malla introduced widespread socio-economic reforms, principal of which was the caste system. By dividing the indigenous non-Aryan Buddhist population into castes modelled after the four Varna system of Hinduism, he provided an influential model for
12348-437: The military intelligence agency; National Investigation Department tasked with national and international intelligence gathering, is independent. Nepal Army is primarily used for routine security of critical assets, an anti-poaching patrol of national parks, counterinsurgency, and search and rescue during natural disasters; it also undertakes major construction projects. There are no discriminatory policies on recruitment into
12474-457: The next general elections in 2027. In the 1930s, a vibrant underground political movement arose in the capital, birthing Nepal Praja Parishad in 1936, which was dissolved seven years later, following the execution of the four great martyrs . Around the same time, Nepalis involved in the Indian independence movement started organizing into political parties, leading to the birth of Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal . As communism
12600-549: The northwest stretching up to the Tibetan plateau. Nepal is divided into three principal physiographic belts known as Himal – Pahad – Terai . Himal is the mountain region containing snow and situated in the Great Himalayan Range; it makes up the northern part of Nepal. It contains the highest elevations in the world including 8,848.86 metres (29,032 ft) height Mount Everest ( Sagarmāthā in Nepali) on
12726-562: The official language. The name "Nepal" is first recorded in texts from the Vedic period of the Indian subcontinent , the era in ancient Nepal when Hinduism was founded, the predominant religion of the country. In the middle of the first millennium BC, Gautama Buddha , the founder of Buddhism , was born in Lumbini in southern Nepal. Parts of northern Nepal were intertwined with the culture of Tibet . The centrally located Kathmandu Valley
12852-484: The oldest texts may contain anonymous contributions dating as late as the early modern period . Academic attempts to provide a plausible theory are hindered by the lack of a complete picture of history and insufficient understanding of linguistics or relevant Indo-European and Tibeto-Burman languages. According to Hindu mythology , Nepal derives its name from an ancient Hindu sage called Ne , referred to variously as Ne Muni or Nemi . According to Pashupati Purāna , as
12978-522: The original hill inhabitants still speak their original languages although the vast majority now speak only Nepali. The main language of the Siliguri subdivision is Bengali. It is followed by a sizeable number of Kamatpuri or Rajbongshi speakers. Among the Adivasis, Sadri is the main language although some still speak their original languages like Kurukh, Mundari and Santali. Darjeeling district
13104-404: The population below the international poverty line (US$ 1.90 per person per day) from 15% in 2010 to just 9.3% in 2018, although vulnerability remains extremely high, with almost 32% of the population living on between US$ 1.90 and US$ 3.20 per person per day. Nepal has made improvement in sectors like nutrition, child mortality, electricity, improved flooring and assets. Under the current trend, Nepal
13230-401: The region, and has a policy of non-alignment at the global stage. Nepal is a member of SAARC , UN , WTO , BIMSTEC and ACD , among others. It has bilateral diplomatic relations with 167 countries and the EU, has embassies in 30 countries and six consulates, while 25 countries maintain embassies in Nepal, and more than 80 others maintain non-residential diplomatic missions. Nepal is one of
13356-514: The reigning queen had planned to overthrow Jung Bahadur Kunwar, a fast-rising military leader. This 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. Bir Narsingh Kunwar emerged victoriously and founded the Rana dynasty , and came to be known as Jung Bahadur Rana . The king
13482-653: The ruling party at the federal level and in six out of seven provinces. After the 2022 general election , the House of Representatives of 2nd Federal parliament was formed as hung parliament and a coalition government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal was formed in December 2022. On 15 July 2024, K. P. Sharma Oli was sworn in as Nepali Prime minister for fourth time. New coalition was formed between Nepali Congress, led by Sher Bahadur Deuba, and UML, led by Oli. The party leaders will take turns as prime ministers for 18 months each until
13608-511: The southeast by Panchagarh district of Bangladesh , on the east by Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri districts, and on the west by easternmost Province No. 1 of Nepal . Darjeeling district has a length from north to south of 18 miles (29 km) and a breadth from east to west of 16 miles (26 km). As of 2011, it was the second least populous district of West Bengal (out of 19 ), after Dakshin Dinajpur . The etymological term of Darjeeling
13734-655: The starting point for properly recorded history of Nepal. Ashoka also visited the Kathmandu valley and built monuments commemorating Gautama Buddha's visit there. By the 4th century AD, much of Nepal was under the influence of the Gupta Empire . In the Kathmandu valley, the Kiratas were pushed eastward by the Licchavis , and the Licchavi dynasty came into power c. 400 AD. The Lichchhavis built monuments and left
13860-434: The system of national parks and protected areas , first established in 1973 with the enactment of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1973 , was substantially expanded. Vulture restaurants coupled with a ban on veterinary usage of diclofenac has seen a rise in the number of white-rumped vultures. The community forestry programme which has seen a third of the country's population directly participate in managing
13986-492: The time of the 2011 census, 39.88% of the population spoke Nepali , 26.51% Bengali , 10.95% Hindi , 6.17% Rajbongshi , 5.38% Sadri , 2.52% Kurukh , 1.50% Bhojpuri and 1.15% Santali as their first language. 1.04% of the population recorded their language as 'Others' under Bengali. According to 1951 Census, about 26% of the population in the three hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling district (including Kalimpong) spoke Nepali as mother language. Other languages formerly spoken in
14112-479: The total. Major imports include various finished and semi-finished goods, raw materials, machinery and equipment, chemical fertilisers, electrical and electronic devices, petroleum products, gold, and readymade garments. Inflation was at 4.5% in 2019. Foreign exchange reserves were at US$ 9.5 billion in July 2019, equivalent to 7.8 months of imports. Nepal has made significant progress in poverty reduction bringing
14238-586: The unified Tirhut stood as a powerful kingdom for more than 200 years, even ruling over Kathmandu for a time. After another 300 years of Muslim rule, Tirhut came under the control of the Sens of Makawanpur . In the eastern hills, a confederation of Kirat principalities ruled the area between Kathmandu and Bengal. In the Kathmandu valley, the Mallas , who make several appearances in Nepalese history since ancient times, had established themselves in Kathmandu and Patan by
14364-432: The valley and Banepa to the east. The competition for prestige among these brotherly kingdoms saw the flourishing of art and architecture in central Nepal, and the building of famous Kathmandu , Patan and Bhaktapur Durbar Squares ; their division and mistrust led to their fall in the late 18th century, and ultimately, the unification of Nepal into a modern state. Apart from one destructive sacking of Kathmandu valley in
14490-455: The wake of urbanisation and industrialisation leave deep impressions on the hill ecosystem. The economy of Darjeeling hill area depends on tea production, horticulture, agriculture, forestry and tourism. The major portions of the forests are today found at elevations of 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) and above. The area in between 1,000 and 2,000 metres (3,300 and 6,600 ft) is cleared either for tea plantation or cultivation. About 30 per cent of
14616-507: The world's tallest grasses as well as Sal forests, tropical evergreen forests and tropical riverine deciduous forests. In the lower hills (700 m – 2,000 m), subtropical and temperate deciduous mixed forests containing mostly S al (in the lower altitudes), Chilaune and Katus , as well as subtropical pine forest dominated by chir pine are common. The middle hills (2,000 m – 3,000 m) are dominated by oak and rhododendron . Subalpine coniferous forests cover
14742-597: Was 511 per km . The decennial population growth rate (1991–2001) was 23.79%. The hills have a population of 624,061 which is nearly 40% of the population. The original inhabitants of the Darjeeling Hills were the Lepcha and Limbu (the ravine people, as they prefer themselves to be known as). Other communities with a long history in the district include the Tamang , Yakkha , Rai , Gurung , Magar , Newar , Thami , Chettri , Bahun , Kami , and Damai . There
14868-504: Was also named Ne . The Ne Muni etymology was rightly dismissed by the early European visitors. Norwegian indologist Christian Lassen proposed that Nepāla was a compound of Nipa (foot of a mountain) and -ala (short suffix for alaya meaning abode), and so Nepāla meant "abode at the foot of the mountain". Indologist Sylvain Levi found Lassen's theory untenable but had no theories of his own, only suggesting that either Newara
14994-539: Was executed in which the Bhutan Dooars with the passes leading into the hills and Kalimpong were ceded to the British by Bhutan . The Darjeeling district can be said to have assumed its present shape and size in 1866 with an area of 1234 sq. miles. Before 1861 and from 1870 to 1874, Darjeeling District was a "Non-Regulated Area" (where acts and regulations of the British Raj did not automatically apply in
15120-483: Was jointly organized by GRC and Sikkim Janashakti Party at Darjeeling in September 2010, which was attended by All India Gorkha League and Matri Bhumi Surakhsa Sangathan. Darjeeling district Darjeeling District is the northernmost district of the state of West Bengal in eastern India in the foothills of the Himalayas . The district is famous for its hill station and Darjeeling tea . Darjeeling
15246-522: Was made a titular figure, and the post of Prime Minister was made powerful and hereditary. The Ranas were staunchly pro-British and assisted them during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (and later in both World Wars). In 1860 some parts of the western Terai region were gifted to Nepal by the British as a friendly gesture because of her military help to sustain British control in India during the rebellion (known as Naya Muluk , new country). In 1923,
15372-597: Was not directly involved in any of those conflicts, and winning the highest military awards, including the Victoria Cross and the Param Vir Chakra . Nepal pursues a policy of "balanced relations" with the two giant immediate neighbours, India and China; the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship with India provides for a much closer relationship. Nepal and India share an open border with free movement of people, religious, cultural and marital ties. India
15498-543: Was previously divided into six assembly constituencies . As per the order of the Delimitation Commission in respect of the delimitation of constituencies in West Bengal, the district had been divided into six assembly constituencies. Kalimpong has become a separate district from 14 February 2017, so the number of assembly constituencies in Darjeeling district is now five. Phansidewa constituency
15624-460: Was separated its population was 1,595,181, of which 671,1771 (42.11%) live in urban areas. The residual district has a sex ratio of 972 females per 1000 males. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 18.86% and 20.21% of the population respectively. In 2001, the population of the district was 1,609,172. The rural population was 1,088,740 and urban population was 520,432. Total males were 830,644 and females were 778,528. The density of population
15750-596: Was the first South Asian country to establish diplomatic relations with Israel, and the countries enjoy a strong relationship; it recognises the rights of the Palestinians, having voted in favour of its recognition at the UN and against the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Countries that Nepal maintains a close relationship with, include the most generous donors and development partners—the United States,
15876-454: Was trying to find its footing, Nepali Congress was successful in overthrowing the Rana regime in 1951 and enjoyed the overwhelming support of the electorate. In the partyless Panchayat system initiated in 1962 by King Mahendra , monarchy loyalists took turns leading the government; political leaders remained underground, exiled or in prison. A communist insurgency was crushed in its cradle in
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