Pokhara

If Kathmandu is the cultural hub of Nepal, Pokhara is its center of adventure. An enchanting city nestled in a tranquil valley, it is the starting point for many of Nepal's most popular trekking and rafting destinations. The atmosphere on the shore of Phewa Lake is one of excited vitality as hipster backpackers crowd the many bars and restaurants exchanging recommendations on guest houses and viewpoints, both by the lake and above the clouds.

Pokhara is a place of remarkable natural beauty. The serenity of Phewa Lake and the magnificence of the fish-tailed summit of Machhapuchhre (6,977 m) rising behind it create an ambience of peace and magic. At an elevation lower than Kathmandu, it has a much more tropical feel to it, a fact well appreciated by the beautiful diversity of flowers which prosper in its environs. Indeed, the valley surrounding Pokhara is home to thick forests, gushing rivers, emerald lakes, and of course, the world famous views of the Himalaya.

Pokhara is part of a once vibrant trade route extending between India and Tibet. To this day, mule trains can be seen camped on the out-skirts of the town, bringing goods to trade from remote regions of the Himalaya. This is the land of the Magars and Gurungs, hardworking farmers and valorous warriors who have earned worldwide fame as Gurkha soldiers. The Thakalis, another important ethnic group here, are known for their entrepreneurship.

Getting there

Pokhara is located roughly 200 km west of Kathmandu.
The journey between these two famed cities is certainly part of the Pokhara experience. Flying over the snow-capped Himalaya to the north and green Mahabharat range to the south is thrilling, while the overland journey past sparse rural settlements nested along the Trisuli river provides a view of life particular to Nepal's middle hills.
There are daily flight between Kathmandu and Pokhara.

Pokhara Rules

Religion: Hindu

Although Nepal is officially a Hindu country ,a large proportion ,perhaps as much as one third of population is Buddhist. Nepal is only country in the world who enjoy the freedom of religion ,although more than two third of population of this country comes under Hindu religion. Hinduism is a multi disciplinary religion called Sanatana Dharma. There are endless division of Hindu system. Hinduism also advocates different ethical systems and meditation system so by practising these system one can take rebirth in Brahma realm. The Hindu religion has a large number of gods and their consorts and animals, but in Nepal basically three gods are worshiped ,although others god are also worshiped, called as Trinity of Hinduism.
Trinity of Hinduism

Brahma:- The creator Vishnu:- The preserver Shiva:- The destroyer


LORD BRAHMA

Brahma is the god of creation and he is traditionally accepted as the Creator of the entire universe. The description of Brahma like those of other deities of Hinduism bears a mystic symbolism. Brahma sitting on the lotus indicates that he is ever-rooted in the infinite Reality. The four faces of Brahma represent the four Vedas. They also symbolize the functioning of the inner personality (antahkarana) which consists of thoughts. They are the mind (manas), the intellect (buddhi), ego (ahamkara) and conditioned-consciousness (chitta). They represent the four ways in which thoughts function. Brahma the creator is described as being born from the navel of Vishnu as he is lying on the great serpent in the milky ocean. One of the earliest iconographic descriptions of Brahma is that of the four-faced god seated on a lotus. The Lord has in his four hands a water-pot (kamandalu), a manuscript (Vedas), a sacrificial implement (sruva) and a rosary (mala). He wears the hide of a black antelope and his vehicle is a swan {hansa).



LORD VISHNU

Lord Vishnu, major god of Hinduism, popularly regarded as the preserver of the universe. In the ancient body of literature called the Veda, the sacred literature of the Aryan invaders, Vishnu ranks with the numerous lesser gods and is usually associated with the major Vedic god Indra in battles against demonic forces. Vishnu is depicted frequently in human form, sleeping on the great serpent Shesha and floating on the waters. Vishnu can be identified by his four arms holding a Sankha(sea shell),charka(round wheel like weapon),gada(stick like weapon),and padma(lotus flower). The petals of the lotus are believed to symbolize the unfolding of creation; the Sankha is said to symbolize that from which all existence originates; and the gada reputedly were obtained by Lord Vishnu as rewards for defeating the God Indra.. Occasionally, the balance of power is upset in favor of evil, and then Lord Vishnu is believed to descend to earth in a mortal form (his avatar) to save humankind or the world. Ten such avatars (descents or incarnations) are commonly recognized, of which Lord Rama and Lord Krishna are the most important. Nine descents are thought to have already occurred; the tenth and last is yet to come. His wife is Goddess Lakshmi (also known as Shri), goddess of beauty and fortune.


LORD SHIVA

Shiva is said to be the god of destruction. The other two gods are Brahma, the god of creation and Vishnu, the god of maintenance. The three gods represent the three fundamental powers of nature which are manifest in the world viz. creation, destruction and maintenance. These powers exist perpetually. Creation is going on all the time. So is destruction and maintenance. All three powers are manifest at all times. They are inseparable. Creation and destruction are like two sides of a coin. And maintenance is an integral part of the processes of creation and destruction. Shiva is married to the Goddess Uma. Uma represents Prakriti which means perishable matter. Shiva's marriage with Uma signifies that the power of destruction has no meaning without its association with perishable matter. Destruction manifests itself only when there is perishable matter. Lord Shiva sits in a meditative pose against the white background of the snow-capped Himalayas in Mount Kailas. Its is the god Shiva grace giving rise to The Holy Rudraksha Beads for mankind to this world.


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CIA World Facts About Nepal

Introduction
Geography
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues

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In general, information available as of 1 January, 2004
was used in the preparation of The World Factbook 2004.




This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004




Legend: Definition Field Listing Rank Order Introduction Nepal Top of Page
Background:
In 1951, the Nepalese monarch ended the century-old system of rule by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system of government. Reforms in 1990 established a multiparty democracy within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. A Maoist insurgency, launched in 1996, has gained traction and is threatening to bring down the regime. In 2001, the Crown Prince massacred ten members of the royal family, including the king and queen, and then took his own life. In October 2002, the new king dismissed the prime minister and his cabinet for "incompetence" after they dissolved the parliament and were subsequently unable to hold elections because of the ongoing insurgency. The country is now governed by the king and his appointed cabinet, which has negotiated a cease-fire with the Maoist insurgents until elections can be held at some unspecified future date.
Geography Nepal Top of Page
Location:
Southern Asia, between China and India
Geographic coordinates:
28 00 N, 84 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 140,800 sq km
water: 4,000 sq km
land: 136,800 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Arkansas
Land boundaries:
total: 2,926 km
border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
none (landlocked)
Climate:
varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south
Terrain:
Terai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m
highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m (1999)
Natural resources:
quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore
Land use:
arable land: 20.27%
permanent crops: 0.49%
other: 79.24% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
11,350 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons
Environment - current issues:
deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives); contaminated water (with human and animal wastes, agricultural runoff, and industrial effluents); wildlife conservation; vehicular emissions
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest - the world's tallest - on the border with China
People Nepal Top of Page
Population:
27,070,666 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 39.4% (male 5,500,698; female 5,151,705)
15-64 years: 57% (male 7,912,553; female 7,518,430)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 483,998; female 503,282) (2004 est.)
Median age:
total: 19.9 years
male: 19.7 years
female: 20 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.23% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:
31.96 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:
9.66 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 68.77 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 70.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 67.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 59.4 years
male: 59.73 years
female: 59.06 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.29 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.5% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
58,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2,400 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Nepalese (singular and plural)
adjective: Nepalese
Ethnic groups:
Brahman, Chetri, Newar, Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Sherpa, Tharu, and others (1995)
Religions:
Hinduism 86.2%, Buddhism 7.8%, Islam 3.8%, other 2.2%
note: only official Hindu state in the world (1995)
Languages:
Nepali (official; spoken by 90% of the population), about a dozen other languages and about 30 major dialects; note - many in government and business also speak English (1995)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 45.2%
male: 62.7%
female: 27.6% (2003 est.)
Government Nepal Top of Page
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Nepal
conventional short form: Nepal
Government type:
parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy
Capital:
Kathmandu
Administrative divisions:
14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti
Independence:
1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah)
National holiday:
Birthday of King GYANENDRA, 7 July (1946)
Constitution:
9 November 1990
Legal system:
based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: King GYANENDRA Bir Bikram Shah (succeeded to the throne 4 June 2001 following the death of his nephew, King DIPENDRA Bir Bikram Shah)
head of government: Prime Minister Surya Bahadur THAPA (since 4 June 2003); note - Prime Minister CHAND resigned 30 May 2003
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch
note: King BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev died in a bloody shooting at the royal palace on 1 June 2001 that also claimed the lives of most of the royal family; King BIRENDRA's son, Crown Price DIPENDRA, is believed to have been responsible for the shootings before fatally wounding himself; immediately following the shootings and while still clinging to life, DIPENDRA was crowned king; he died three days later and was succeeded by his uncle
Legislative branch:

: bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council (60 seats; 35 appointed by the House of Representatives, 10 by the king, and 15 elected by an electoral college; one-third of the members elected every two years to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives (205 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
note: Nepal's Parliament was dissolved on 22 May 2002
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NC 37.3%, CPN/UML 31.6%, NDP 10.4%, NSP 3.2%, Rastriya Jana Morcha 1.4%, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 0.8%, NWPP 0.5%, others 14.8%; seats by party - NC 113, CPN/UML 69, NDP 11, NSP 5, Rastriya Jana Morcha 5, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 1, NWPP 1
elections: House of Representatives - last held 3 and 17 May 1999 (next election NA 2004)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Sarbochha Adalat (chief justice is appointed by the monarch on recommendation of the Constitutional Council; the other judges are appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the Judicial Council)
Political parties and leaders:
Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist or CPN/UML [Madhav Kumar NEPAL, general secretary]; National Democratic Party or NDP (also called Rastriya Prajantra Party or RPP) [Surya Bahadur THAPA, chairman]; National People's Front (Rastriya Jana Morcha) [Chitra BAHADUR, chairman]; Nepal Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party or NSP [Bhadri Prasad MANDAL, acting party president]; Nepal Workers and Peasants Party or NWPP [Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE, party chairman]; Nepali Congress or NC [Girija Prasad KOIRALA, party president; Sushil KOIRALA, general secretary]; Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal [Lila Mani POKHAREL, general secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Maoist guerrilla-based insurgency [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL, also known as PRAHANDA, chairman; Dr. Baburam BHATTARAI, from Communist Party of Nepal/Maoist, chief negotiator]; numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups
International organization participation:
AsDB, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
FAX: [1] (202) 667-5534
consulate(s) general: New York
telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550
chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael E. MALINOWSKI
embassy: Panipokhari, Kathmandu
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [977] (1) 411179
FAX: [977] (1) 419963
Flag description:
red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping right triangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a white stylized moon and the larger, lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun
Economy Nepal Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with 42% of its population living below the poverty line. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over 80% of the population and accounting for 40% of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Security concerns in the wake of the Maoist conflict and the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the US have led to a decrease in tourism, 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, its landlocked geographic location, its civil strife, and its susceptibility to natural disaster. The international community's role of funding more than 60% of Nepal's development budget and more than 28% of total budgetary expenditures will likely continue as a major ingredient of growth.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $38.07 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.4% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 40%
industry: 20%
services: 40% (2002 est.)
Population below poverty line:
42% (1995-96)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 29.8% (1995-96)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
36.7 (FY95/96)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.9% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
10 million
note: severe lack of skilled labor (1996 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 81%, services 16%, industry 3%
Unemployment rate:
47% (2001 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $665 million
expenditures: $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY99/00 est.)
Industries:
tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette; cement and brick production
Industrial production growth rate:
8.7% (FY99/00)
Electricity - production:
1.755 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 8.5%
hydro: 91.5%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
1.764 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
95 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
227 million kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
16,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA
Oil - imports:
NA
Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat
Exports:
$568 million f.o.b., but does not include unrecorded border trade with India (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain
Exports - partners:
India 47.9%, US 27.8%, Germany 7.6% (2002)
Imports:
$1.419 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer
Imports - partners:
India 21.5%, China 13.3%, UAE 11.3%, Singapore 8.7%, Saudi Arabia 4.9%, Hong Kong 4.6%, Kuwait 4.2% (2002)
Debt - external:
$2.7 billion (2001)
Economic aid - recipient:
$424 million (FY00/01)
Currency:
Nepalese rupee (NPR)
Currency code:
NPR
Exchange rates:
Nepalese rupees per US dollar - 76.14 (2003), 77.88 (2002), 74.95 (2001), 71.09 (2000), 68.24 (1999)
Fiscal year:
16 July - 15 July
Communications Nepal Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
327,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
21,900 (2002)
Telephone system:
general assessment: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radiotelephone communication service and mobile cellular telephone network
domestic: NA
international: country code - 977; radiotelephone communications; microwave landline to India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (January 2000)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998)
Internet country code:
.np
Internet hosts:
1,206 (2002)
Internet users:
80,000 (2002)
Transportation Nepal Top of Page
Railways:
total: 59 km
narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2002)
Highways:
total: 13,223 km
paved: 4,073 km
unpaved: 9,150 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:
none
Ports and harbors:
none
Airports:
46 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 9
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2003 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 37
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 29 (2003 est.)
Military Nepal Top of Page
Military branches:
Royal Nepalese Army (includes Royal Nepalese Army Air Service), Nepalese Police Force
Military manpower - military age:
17 years of age (2004 est.)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 6,865,849 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 3,566,576 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 308,776 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$295 million (FY03)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.6% (2003)
Transnational Issues Nepal Top of Page
Disputes - international:
joint border commission continues to work on small disputed sections of boundary with India; India has instituted a stricter border regime to restrict transit of Maoist insurgents and illegal cross-border activities
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international drug markets; transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West

This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004





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