[[Asia]] | [[https://www.google.co.za/maps/place/Nepal/@28.3719808,81.4887241,763169m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x3995e8c77d2e68cf:0x34a29abcd0cc86de!8m2!3d28.394857!4d84.124008!16zL20vMDE2end0?hl=en&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDkyNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D]] | [[18th Century]] ### Culture - **Religious Fusion:** Nepal is a unique blend of **Hinduism** (roughly 81%) and **Buddhism** (9%). The two religions are so deeply intertwined here that many locals worship at both temples and stupas, and deities are often shared between the faiths. - **The Living Goddess (Kumari):** A unique tradition where a young pre-pubescent girl is selected from the Newar community to be worshipped as the manifestation of the divine female energy (**Devi**). She lives in the Kumari Ghar in Kathmandu until she reaches puberty. - **Festivals:** Nepal follows the **Bikram Sambat** calendar (currently the year 2082 BS). Major festivals include **Dashain** (celebrating the victory of good over evil) and **Tihar** (the festival of lights, where dogs and crows are also worshipped). - **Cuisine:** The national staple is **Dal Bhat** (lentil soup and rice), usually served with _tarkari_ (vegetable curry). **Momos** (steamed dumplings) are the unofficial national snack and a social staple. ### Language - **Official Language:** **Nepali**. It is written in the **Devanagari** script (the same as Hindi) and serves as the lingua franca for the country's 125+ ethnic groups. - **Linguistic Diversity:** Over 120 languages are spoken, including **Maithili**, **Bhojpuri**, **Tamang**, and **Newari**. In the mountains, Tibeto-Burman languages are more common. ### Important Landmarks - **Mount Everest (Sagarmatha):** The highest point on Earth ($8,848.86$ meters). It is sacred to the Sherpa people, who call it "Chomolungma." - **Lumbini:** The birthplace of **Siddhartha Gautama** (the Buddha) in 623 BC. It features the Maya Devi Temple and the Ashoka Pillar. - **Kathmandu Valley Durbar Squares:** Three ancient royal squares (**Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur**) that showcase Newari medieval architecture and woodcarving. - **Pashupatinath Temple:** One of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, located on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River. - **Boudhanath Stupa:** One of the largest spherical stupas in the world and the center of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. ### Major Historical Events 1. **Unification (1768):** Prithvi Narayan Shah unified dozens of small principalities to form the modern Gorkha Kingdom (Nepal). 2. **The Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–1816):** Nepal fought the British East India Company. While Nepal lost territory, it remained sovereign, and the British were so impressed by the soldiers that they began recruiting the **Gurkhas**. 3. **The Royal Massacre (2001):** Crown Prince Dipendra reportedly shot and killed his father (King Birendra), mother, and several family members before turning the gun on himself. This event severely destabilized the monarchy. 4. **End of the Monarchy (2008):** Following a decade-long Maoist insurgency and a peaceful "People's Movement," Nepal abolished its 240-year-old monarchy and became a republic. 5. **The 2025 Revolution:** In September 2025, mass student-led protests against corruption and a social media ban led to the resignation of PM K.P. Sharma Oli. An interim government led by **Sushila Karki** is currently overseeing the lead-up to the general election scheduled for **March 5, 2026**. ### Major Exports The economy is currently bolstered by high foreign exchange reserves and a push for LDC (Least Developed Country) graduation in 2026. - **Electricity:** Nepal has massive hydroelectric potential and is increasingly exporting surplus power to **India** and **Bangladesh**. - **Vegetable Oils:** Soya-bean and palm oils are top physical exports. - **Textiles:** Including **Pashmina** (high-grade cashmere) and hand-knotted wool carpets. - **Spices:** Nepal is one of the world's largest producers of **Large Cardamom**. ### Historically Relevant People - **Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha):** Born in Lumbini as a prince of the Shakya clan, he renounced his wealth to seek enlightenment and founded Buddhism. - **Prithvi Narayan Shah:** The "Great King" who conquered the Kathmandu Valley and unified Nepal into a single state in the 18th century. - **Arniko:** A 13th-century architect and polymath who traveled to China and introduced the **pagoda style** of architecture to the Mongol court of Kublai Khan. - **Tenzing Norgay:** A Nepali-Indian Sherpa who, alongside Sir Edmund Hillary, became the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953. - **Bhanubhakta Acharya:** The "Adikavi" (First Poet) who translated the Hindu epic _Ramayana_ from Sanskrit into Nepali, making it accessible to commoners and unifying the Nepali language. - **Amar Singh Thapa:** A legendary military commander known as the "Living Lion of Nepal" for his defense of the country against the British during the 1814 war. - **Jung Bahadur Rana:** The founder of the Rana dynasty, who established a system of hereditary prime ministers that ruled Nepal for 104 years, effectively sidelining the kings. - **Sushila Karki:** The first female Chief Justice of Nepal and the current **Interim Prime Minister** (as of February 2026), tasked with leading the country through its current political crisis.