Welcome to Nepal

Kathmandu, Nepal

Government of the Nepalese Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ◦ The worlds newest republic ◦ Gained independence in 1768 ◦ President  Ram Baran YADAV

Economy Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with almost one-third of its population living below the poverty line. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for three-fourths of the population and accounting for about one-third of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural products, including pulses, jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Bumper crops, better security, improved transportation, and increased tourism pushed growth past 5% in 2008, after growth had hovered around 3% - barely above the rate of population growth - for the previous three years. The deteriorating world economy in 2009 will challenge tourism and remittance growth, a key source of foreign exchange. Nepal has considerable scope for exploiting its potential in hydropower and tourism, areas of recent foreign investment interest. Prospects for foreign trade or investment in other sectors will remain poor, however, because of the small size of the economy, its technological backwardness, its remoteness and landlocked geographic location, its civil strife and labor unrest, and its susceptibility to natural disaster.

Industry in Nepal Tourism Carpets Textiles Sugar Cigarettes Cement & Bricks

Who are they? Population  28,563,377 ◦ Breakdown  0-14 years: 36.6%  (male 5,327,484/female 5,127,178)  years: 59.2%  (male 8,094,494/female 8,812,675)  65 years and over: 4.2%  (male 566,666/female 634,880) (2009 est.)

Religion The only official Hindu state in the world ◦ Hindu 80.6% ◦ Buddhist 10.7% ◦ Muslim 4.2% ◦ Kirant 3.6% ◦ other 0.9%

Spoken Languages ◦ Nepali 47.8% ◦ Maithali 12.1% ◦ Bhojpuri 7.4% ◦ Tharu 5.8% ◦ Tamang 5.1% ◦ Newar 3.6% ◦ Magar 3.3%, Awadhi ◦ 2.4%, other 10% ◦ unspecified 2.5% English is also spoken regularly amongst the tourism industry and the upper levels of government

The National Anthem