The population of Nepal. Why Nepalese don't exist

In addition, the country entered international relations very late, as we mentioned, in 1951, and the country's leadership realized its complete backwardness late.

Of course, the Nepalese do not lose heart and develop their territory at a rapid pace. The growth of the country's economy in recent years is 4-6%. Neither the countries of Europe, nor the USA, nor Russia can boast of such figures. Only the Chinese have big numbers.

Fabrics and clothing are very popular in Europe, which buys up to half of this production from Nepal. The export of clothing is interesting for Nepal primarily because it is cost-effective to transport this product by air. For example, it is unprofitable to transport grain or rice by plane, the cost of delivery is comparable to the cost of the goods.

The second important source of income for Nepal is tourism, which replenishes the Nepalese treasury more and more every year.

Tourism and transport

The second important component of the tourism industry in Nepal is trekking (or hiking) in the mountains. There are a lot of national parks with unique nature in the country, through which these trips are arranged.

The most popular trekking takes place around the Annapurna mountain range, which is what it is called. Hiking is also popular with tourists. The number of routes is incalculable, and travel companies arrange even individual routes.

In order to promote tourism, they are issued directly at airports and at land checkpoints of the country. This practice applies to citizens of almost all countries.

And, of course, people come to Nepal in order to see the color of this country, to understand that there are places in the world where people live in a completely different way, not sharing the values ​​of the “big” civilizations. In addition, Nepal is a country of many nationalities, languages, cultures and religions, it is even difficult to understand how all this diversity could be placed in such a small area.

Religions, languages ​​and peoples of Nepal

The diversity of languages ​​in Nepal is no less than the peoples. Only half of the Nepalese have an official language (Nepali or Nepali) as their mother tongue. Different peoples have their own languages, and in total there are several hundred of them in the country.

Another 4% of the population professes Islam, but they live far from big cities, and you most likely will not see mosques during your trip.

Political situation in Nepal

Even before 2008, Nepal was one of only four countries in the world with an absolute monarchy. Since 2008, there have been only three such countries, and in Nepal the king was overthrown. This story is very complicated, let's try to tell it briefly.

Political movements against royalty began to flourish as early as the 1990s. Objectively, the monarchy hindered the development of the country, and many were dissatisfied with it.

In 2007, he was overthrown by the opposition. Nepal became a democratic republic. No major changes have taken place, only minor changes. They released it in the country, it has changed a little.

Now the political situation in the country is calm, and the civil war is a thing of the past. Nepal is a safe country.

We told all the most important about the country of Nepal. Read our other articles about this country ( links below).

NEPALIS, Nepali (self-designation), Khasas, Parbatiya ("mountainous"), Gurkhas, people in Nepal. The number in Nepal is 113300 thousand people. They also live in India (2100 thousand people). They speak the Nepali language (Nipali, Khas-Kura, Gorkhali, Parbatia) of the Indo-Aryan group of the Indo-European family, which has dialects. The language serves for interethnic communication of the peoples of Nepal. English is partly spoken. Devanagari script. Nepalese are Hindus.

The ancestors of the Nepalese, the Khases, are mentioned in Indian sources from the 1st millennium BC. The formation of the Khasas is associated with the migrations of the Indo-Aryan population from India. By the 13th-14th centuries, on the basis of mixing with a part of the Magars, Gurungs, and others, the Khas ethnic group was formed, which became the core of the formation of the Gurkhas. Representatives of the lower castes of the Nepalese, perhaps, go back to the aboriginal population. With the unification of Nepal by the Gurkha confederation in the second half of the 18th century, the Nepalese ethnos was formed. The processes of national consolidation have intensified since the middle of the 20th century.

The main occupation is irrigated and rain-fed, flat and terraced plowed agriculture. Khukri is a typical agricultural tool - a heavy knife with a wide curved blade, which also serves as a weapon. Buffaloes, zebu, goats, poultry are bred. Weaving, pottery, blacksmithing, jewelry crafts are developed.

The traditional settlements are scattered. The dwelling is two- and three-story, made of baked or unfired bricks, the upper floor is residential, whitewashed, has a wooden gallery and unglazed windows, the lower floor is two-chamber, includes a kitchen with a hearth without a chimney, a workshop, a pantry and a barn.

Men's clothing consists of a double-breasted, strongly fitted shirt (daura) with straight long or short sleeves, a stand-up collar, side slits at the bottom and a complex system of ties, pants (suruval), wide at the hips and narrow at the shin, a long belt (patuk), vest , often a European jacket. Khukri is supposed to be worn behind the belt. On the head is a round or oval cap (topi).

Women wear an unsewn overskirt (phariya), a loose straight-fastening jacket with straight long sleeves and a small turn-down collar (cholo), a belt, a lot of jewelry (earrings, metal and glass bracelets on arms and legs, rings, beads), head and shoulders are covered with a shawl . Many women in the cities wear saris.

Traditional food - boiled rice with vegetables and spicy spices, rice, wheat and corn flour cakes, beans, ghee from buffalo milk (ghee), cow's milk and curdled milk (dahi) with crushed rice (dahi-chiura), black tea with milk, fruits. Meat is consumed on holidays and for sacrifices.

Caste differences and prohibitions are quite pronounced among the Nepalese. There is a system of inter-caste exchange (jajmani). The higher castes are divided into exogamous patrilineal groups (sea otters, gotras, etc.). The family is large, patriarchal, less often small. The rich have polygamy.

The Nepalese are dominated by the cult of Shaivite deities. Strongly influenced by Buddhism.

The population of Nepal is 27,070 thousand people. (estimated for 2004). Growth - 2.26% per year. In the 1930s, its population was about 5.6 million people, according to the 1961 census - 9.4 million people, according to the 1971 census - 11.56 million people, according to the 1991 census - 18.5 million people . Government-sponsored family planning programs since the 1950s have not had a significant impact on population growth. Life expectancy - 59 years (2003).

Most of the population is concentrated in the Kathmandu region (population density - more than 1000 people/sq. km.) and the Terai zone (200 people/sq. km.). The mountainous regions in the north are sparsely populated, above 4000 m above sea level there are no permanent settlements. Throughout the 20th century there is a significant relocation of Nepalese from the western mountainous regions to the eastern and to the Terai region. Hindi-speaking migrants from India are also sent to the latter, and now they make up the majority of the population there, against the background of several small indigenous peoples.

The country is dominated by a rural population; only about 12% live in cities. The average density is about 180 people/sq. km. 1230 thousand people live in Kathmandu. (2003). The largest city in the foothills, near the border with India - Biratnagar (174 thousand). Most of the major cities are located near Kathmandu and in the Terai zone: Lalitpur (Patan) (169 thousand) and Bhaktapur (61 thousand). The city of Pokhara (130 thousand) is located in the central part of the country.

Approximately 10 million natives of Nepal and their descendants settled in India, especially in its northeastern mountainous regions and in Sikkim, as well as in Bhutan and Myanmar.

Ethnic composition

The territory of Nepal has been settled in the course of large-scale migrations from neighboring regions over many centuries. The inhabitants of the country are not distinguished by a homogeneous ethnic composition, since within its borders there was a mixture of Mongoloid peoples from Tibet and Aryans from northern India. Some of the differences among population groups depend on the source of migration and the degree of communication and mixing of different groups of migrants. The Mongolian substratum prevails in the zone of the Great Himalayas, and the Indo-Aryan substratum prevails in the south of Nepal, while the intermediate territory was the scene of close interaction between different ethnic groups. The country also has a small community of relatively short dark-skinned people who may be descendants of the ancient inhabitants of Nepal, who had Dravidian roots.

Racial features can be traced in the current social structure of the population: the presence of Indo-Aryan ancestors in Nepal for centuries was considered prestigious, and Hinduism gradually became the dominant religion.

More than 60 nationalities live in Nepal. Half of the country's population is made up of Nepalis, who have long inhabited the Kathmandu Valley. Nepalese merchants are also scattered in other areas. This ethnic group made a great contribution to the development of art (metal art, painting, sculpture, architecture) and literature in the 1319th century. Nepals are divided into Hindus and Buddhists and are distinguished by a complex social organization. Other relatively numerous nationalities of the country are the Gurungs (1.5%) and Magars (2.2%) in the west, Newari (3.4%), Limbu (2.4%), Rai (2%), Sunwari and Tamangs ( 4.9%) in the east. A number of ethnic groups in the north and northeast of the country are united under the name Bhotiya; of these, the most famous are the Sherpas, who often serve as porters in climbing parties and have migrated relatively recently from Tibet. The Terai are inhabited by Tkharu (4.8%), who are classified as natives of these places, who are of Dravidian origin. The southern part of Nepal is inhabited by Indo-Aryan peoples: Maithili (11.5%) and Bhojpuri (7%) (Biharis), as well as Hindustanis and Bengalis.

Nepal is the birthplace of the Gurkhas. This is a layer of the Hindu population of the country, for which military service is a traditional occupation. Being fearless and fierce fighters, Gurkhas are considered good soldiers in the world. From 1815, when the Gurkhas were first hired by the British East India Company to carry out military duties in Bengal, the exodus of young men became an important source of replenishment of the Nepalese treasury thanks to remittances to their homeland and pensions from the British government.

Language

The official language is Nepali (Gurkhali, Gorkhali or Khaskura), native to almost half of the country's inhabitants. Nepali developed from Sanskrit and is quite close to Hindi, belonging to the North Indian group of the Indo-European family of languages; Nepali has also been affected by several mountain languages. Writing based on the Devanagari alphabet.

Another 120 different languages ​​and dialects are spoken in Nepal. In the territory of the Terai and the Sivalik mountains, the inhabitants most often speak one of the dialects of Hindi. Indo-European languages ​​are also common among immigrants from India, including Bengali, Maithili and Bhojputri (Biharian languages), Tharu, Urdu, etc. Tibeto-Burman languages ​​predominate in the Greater Himalayas (at least 100 languages ​​and dialects). Some of them are considered dialects of the Tibetan language (the Bhotiv language is Kham and the Sherpa language is Kangba). English is often used in business practice.

According to the constitution, in areas where Nepal is not the main language of the local residents, local languages ​​are declared national. However, by decision of the Supreme Court, other languages ​​cannot be used by local governments as an official language.

Religion

Hinduism is the most widespread in the country, declared the state religion and practiced by 86.2% of the population. Hinduism practiced by the Nepalese is presented in the form of Shaivism and also includes elements of Buddhism. A significant part of the population, incl. Gurungs and Sherpas, adheres to Buddhism (7.8%). Most of the Buddhists are adherents of the Lamaist variety of the Mahayana (the northern branch of Buddhism). There are 3.8% of Muslims in the country, they are concentrated mainly in the Terai zone. There are also followers of Christianity (2%). Among the peoples of the Tibetan-Himalayan group, traditional beliefs are preserved.

Indian Brahmin monks are very influential in Nepalese society, but priests from other religious communities also enjoy authority from their flock.

4.2 million people
Myanmar Myanmar - 400 thousand people
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia - 350 thousand people
Malaysia Malaysia - 300 thousand people
USA USA - 110 thousand people
Japan Japan - 100 thousand people
Qatar Qatar - 100 thousand people
UAE UAE - 50 thousand people
Great Britain Great Britain - 50 thousand people
China China - 20 thousand people
Hong Kong Hong Kong - 16 thousand people
Bhutan Bhutan - 11 thousand people
The Republic of Korea Republic of Korea - 10 thousand people
Australia Australia - 7 thousand people
Canada Canada - 4 thousand people

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Notes

Literature

• Bobyleva O.N. Nepalese // Peoples and religions of the world / Chapter. ed. “Mommy, what are you talking about!”
  - Natasha, he is gone, no more! And, embracing her daughter, for the first time the countess began to cry.

  Princess Mary postponed her departure. Sonya and the count tried to replace Natasha, but they could not. They saw that she alone could keep her mother from insane despair. For three weeks Natasha lived hopelessly with her mother, slept on an armchair in her room, gave her water, fed her and talked to her without ceasing - she spoke, because one gentle, caressing voice calmed the countess.
  The emotional wound of the mother could not heal. Petya's death tore off half of her life. A month after the news of Petya's death, which found her a fresh and vigorous fifty-year-old woman, she left her room half dead and not taking part in life - an old woman. But the same wound that half killed the Countess, this new wound called Natasha to life.
  A spiritual wound resulting from a rupture of the spiritual body, just like a physical wound, however strange it may seem, after a deep wound has healed and seems to have come together, a spiritual wound, like a physical wound, heals only from within by the protruding force of life.
  Natasha's wound also healed. She thought her life was over. But suddenly love for her mother showed her that the essence of her life - love - was still alive in her. Love has awakened, and life has awakened.
  The last days of Prince Andrei connected Natasha with Princess Mary. A new misfortune brought them even closer. Princess Marya postponed her departure and for the last three weeks, as if she were a sick child, she looked after Natasha. The last weeks spent by Natasha in her mother's room had sapped her physical strength.

Standing at the crossroads from India to China, Nepal gradually absorbed the multifaceted age-old culture of these two states, but still its basis is the beliefs and customs of itself.

Religion in the country

The Nepalese are a very pious people, and religious beliefs accompany them at every step from the moment of birth to death. Temples, which are scattered in large numbers throughout the country, are a direct confirmation of this. The local culture is Hinduism and Buddhism "in one bottle", with a fair amount of tantra, and without any disagreement - everyone believes in what he considers true. In addition to the main religions, here you can find Islam and even Orthodoxy.

Nepalese customs

The customs that characterize the culture of Nepal are very unusual in the understanding of a European person. These include the following:

Holidays in Nepal

There are also traditions for celebrations in this Asian country. They are mostly related to religion. Sometimes Nepal is called the country of festivals, because various Buddhist and Hindu, historical and seasonal celebrations are very often held here:

1. New Year in Nepal, according to tradition, it begins in April (baisakh). It is very colorfully celebrated in - palanquins with deities are taken out into the streets, carried through all the streets and stopped at the end to see their traditional battle. After the procession moves to the river, where a huge pillar is installed, which they are trying to topple. As soon as this happened, and the new year comes.
2. Jayanti Buddha- the main holiday for Buddhists. Believers pray, present sacrifices.
3. Dasain. During the holidays, Hindus forgive each other's sins and exchange gifts.
4. Tihar is the festival of lights. For 5 days of celebrations, believers pay respect to various animals - crows, dogs, cows, oxen, and on the fifth day they decorate themselves with flowers - a symbol of longevity.
5. Krishna Jayanti- Krishna's birthday. On this great day, people pray and church hymns are heard everywhere.

Family Traditions of Nepal

Residents of a highland country are conservative to the limit in matters of marriage and gender relations. A woman among them is a second-class person, she is not considered, she cannot study and hold high positions. In the family, a woman is obliged to monitor the hearth and raise children. Only in remote regions of Nepal, such as, there are traditions of polyandry, when matriarchy reigns in the family.

This tradition arose due to the fact that, as a dowry, sons are supposed to give an allotment of land, which is very small in Nepal. Therefore, they preferred to marry their sons immediately to one girl, giving all the land to one family and not dividing it. In such families, the woman is in the rank of queen.

As in India, the dead are cremated in Nepal. Moreover, relatives do not show frank grief. The funeral is crowded and spectacular, people rejoice for the one who has found eternal peace. The body is burned in a temple on the banks of the river, and the ashes and bones are thrown into the water.

Art of Nepal

It is interesting to learn about the various crafts that have developed here: