Nepal, the country of diversity

Nepal is an oblong country in the lap of Himalayas. It is bordered by two giant countries, India in the South, East and West and Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

Until recently, it was a kingdom. It was even famous as the only Hindu nation of the world. Now, after the abolition of monarchy three years ago, Nepal has a republican set up.

Officially, it is called Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, though it is yet to go into federalism.

Politically, a lot of things are in confusion in Nepal as it is going through a political transition.

There is a Constituent Assembly, elected in March last year, to draft the new constitution of the country. The same assembly also works as a legislature parliament.

There is a coalition government backed by 22 out of 24 parties in the parliament. The prime minister was not elected directly by the public, but elected by the parliament. He lost to a Maoist candidate in the Constituent Assembly.

However, he was later nominated as a CA member to make him the chairperson of one of the major committees of the assembly.

Geographically, Nepal is a mountainous country. It has a diverse topography, but most part of it is mountains. The northern part is covered by the Himalayas. A substantial portion of the country is covered by snow round the year.

Likewise, there is a narrow stretch of plain land in the SOuth. Locally called Terai, this part is also considered the breadbasket of the country as the soil is fertile and the productivity high.

The rest of it, more than half, is mountains. There are mountains some them with vegetation, while others barren with just rock or loose soil. Between the undulating mountains are river valleys. Some river valleys are large, while others are small.

Traditionally, or say in the past, people used to live on the hills and use the river valleys for cultivation in the mid-hills. A little higher up, people live in the bases of the mountains or river valleys and use the grass lands above them for cattle herding.

There are few cities. Most of Nepal is village. A typical Nepali family survives in substantial farming.

Still, a lot of people grow almost everything they need for the year themselves.

Not long ago, the only thing Nepalis bought used to be salt. They would procure a few other things which was not feasible to grow individually such as clothings, cutleries, shoes etc for example.

Although individual families did not grow everything, a community used to complete. For example there used to be people who were dedicated to making jewellery, stitching clothes, making shoes or making cutleries.

That used to exchanged. Likewise, people would go around exchanging their products with eachother.

For example, a mountain tribe would carry a load of baskets etc made from a kind of bamboo available in their community and go to other villages to exchange it with food grains. In the mountain there is not much food, and in the lower land there is no bamboo to make such baskets.

So, by exchanging what they have with eachother both communities would fulfill their requirements. However, such trend has decreased a lot in the recent days.

At present, although, Nepal's economy is largely subsistence based, the structure has undergone a massive change. Many people have started specialising. Doing a job or a small business is common. At least one member from most families is doing a job. The jobs are not that good though.

The main business both in service sector as well as manufacturing is in the hands of few traditional business houses. Locally too, the local businesses are owned by locally traditional business houses.

Another growing trend, both in the villages as well as the cities is going abroad.

Typically, less educated people from the villages who cannot afford much go to gulf countries, Malaysia, Korea and other countries as menial or clerical workers.