About Nepal
With its mix of ancient cultures and the Himalaya as a backdrop, Nepal has been the destination of choice for travellers in search of adventure and climbers looking to stand on the roof of the world for many years.
However, apart from Pakistan, Nepal is the poorest country in Asia, a situation that has not been improved by a violent Maoist rebellion that raged for a number of years in the region.
Nepal has been ruled by a hereditary monarchy or ruling family for most of its known history and a brief experiment with multi-party politics in 1959 ended with King Mahendra suspending parliament and taking sole charge.
Democratic politics was introduced in 1991 after protests, but frequent changes of government have taken place and the current monarch has twice assumed executive powers - in 2002 and 2005.
Meanwhile, Maoist rebels intent on setting up a communist republic have been waging a campaign against the constitutional monarchy in a conflict that has left more than 12,000 people dead since it started in 1996.
However, in an attempt to restore order, when King Gyanendra ended his direct rule in April 2006 the rebels entered talks on how to end the civil war. In November 2006 the government and the Maoists signed a peace accord, declaring a formal end to the ten-year rebel insurgency. The Maoist rebels joined a transitional government and in January 2007 Maoist leaders entered parliament under the terms of a temporary constitution.
It is hoped that this compromise from both sides will create a more stable Nepalese government and a true democracy.
Nepal also boasts a distinctive Hindu and Buddhist culture, with many examples of both Hindu and Buddhist architecture, particularly temples. Examples of the Hindu (left) and Buddhist temples (right) can be seen here.
Nepal's environmental challenges include major deforestation, encroachment on animal habitats and vehicle pollution in the capital, Kathmandu. Most of the population depend on agriculture, and around 40% of Nepalis are estimated to live below the poverty line, with about one third of the population living without clean water.
The average income in Nepal is less than US$200 a year. About 15% of the Nepalese have access to health services. Nearly half the children in Nepal are under weight. Most of the poor people live in rural areas yet still a huge percentage of poor people struggle in cities trying to make ends meet. About 80% of Nepalese are farmers.
Foreign aid is vital to sustaining the Nepalese economy, and the country is also dependent on trade with neighbouring India.
Nepal is a country where tourism plays a huge part in sustaining the economy, mostly due to the trekkers and climbers that come to see the amazing scenery that Nepal has to offer and to climb the most famous mountains in the world.
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