Ten Interesting Facts About Nepal

Nepal, a country with a rich cultural heritage, is wedged between India and China’s dominant pieces of land. One of the highlights of a trip to Nepal is seeing the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, which eventually touches the sky at 8,850 metres. More interesting is that Nepal contains a surprising eight out of ten of the world’s highest peaks within its comparatively tiny 143,000 km2 area. The capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, is the biggest city in the country. As per the country’s constitution, the sacred Cow has been designated as the national animal of Nepal. 

Home to the Everest

• The highest mountain is known to people on Earth; Mount Everest is the height of 8,850 metres.
• The natives call Everest’ Sagarmatha’, which translates to ‘the sky’s forehead.’
• A famous ethnic group of east Nepal, known as the ‘Sherpas,’ calls it ‘Chomolungma.’ This term designates the peak as the mother goddess of this world.

A LandLocked Territory

• The country is situated in the Himalayas and is geographically landlocked due to its borders with Asia’s most significant countries, with China to its north and India to its south.
• Nepal is a small country in comparison to its considerably sized neighbours. However, its vast and diverse range of landscapes, ranging from the lush forested plains of the Terai to the world’s highest and iciest alpine peaks, make it incredible in itself.

The Capital of Nepal

• It is affirmed that Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, was originally a lake as per mythological and geological investigations.
• According to Nepalese legend, Manjushri came to Kathmandu and, upon seeing the massive lake, slashed in half the Cobham’s crest with his sword and emptied the waters, allowing civilization to flourish in the fertile valley.
• A scientific hypothesis explains significant geological evidence that points towards Kathmandu being a lake. However, contrary to popular belief, geologists believe that the lake, rather than being drained all at once, was drained in phases over 15,000 years.

The Nepali National Flag

• It is the only flag in the world that is in the shape of a non-quadrilateral.
• The colour red is used in the flag to represent Nepal’s national flower, the rhododendron.
• It represents a triumph in war.
• The border of the flag – blue in colour, is used to represent peace.
• The two symbols – sun and moon – signify hope for the permanence of Nepal.
• The symbols also signify the inherent nature of the Nepalese – fierce and calm.

Nepal’s Most Important Religion

• It is believed that ‘Lumbini,’ a small village in Nepal, is the birthplace of Lord Buddha.
• However, Hinduism remains the most crucial religion in the country instead of Buddhism.
• Till 2006, Nepal was the only country to have Hinduism as its official religion. 80.6 percent of the population is Hindu, and only 10.7 percent are Buddhists.
• As per legend, Ne Muni’s sage introduced Hinduism to the country in prehistoric times. He lived in the Himalayas and preached his doctrines.
• He is also believed to have chosen the first Nepali king and laid the basis for the Gopala dynasty.

Land of the Gurkha Fighters

• Gurka soldiers are powerful fighters who serve in special units of the British and Indian armed forces.
• The British, impressed by the Gurkhas’ skills and fearlessness, first recruited them as fighters within the British East India Company army.
• The Khukri, employed in the First and Second World War, and the Anglo-Nepalese War, is one of the Gurkhas’ most famous weapons.

The Wildlife of Nepal

• The one-horned rhinoceros and the Bengal tiger can be found in the country.
• According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the one-horned rhino is an endangered species.
• In terms of the highest densities of Royal Bengal Tigers on the planet, Nepal comes in third (after India and Bangladesh).
• Nepal has put considerable effort into conserving wildlife; the result is that the Bengal Tiger (an endangered species) is no longer on the verge of extinction.
• Scientists have estimated that there are nearly 235 tigers now compared to the mere 120 in 2009.

Ten Interesting Trivia 

Twelve hours – The length of day-to-day power cuts scheduled by the Nepalese government to deal with an ever-increasing demand for electricity in Nepal.

1. 81.3% – The percentage of the country’s population belongs to Hinduism.
2. 2006 – The year when the parliament of Nepal declared the country officially secular.
3. June 2008 – The month and year when Nepal officially ended the age-old practice of monarchy and adopted a secular system.
4. Cows – Designated as the national animal of Nepal, the country has banned the slaughter of this animal.
5. 8,848 metres – The highest call (in terms of altitude) ever made from a mobile phone was at this height. This took place at the Everest’s summit in the year 2007.
6. The national flag of Nepal – It is the only flag in the world not in the shape of a square or a rectangle. The colour red is used in the flag to represent Nepal’s national flower, the rhododendron.
7. Eight out of ten – This is the number of the world’s highest peaks found in Nepal.
8. The Bengal tiger, red pandas, and the snow leopard – The list of recognized endangered species found in Nepal.
9.  Yeti – An imaginary tribe of ‘snowmen’ said to exist in Nepal, although nobody has ever found them.

Conclusion

India’s neighbouring country – Nepal, is a landlocked nation with China to its north and India to its south. The national animal of Nepal is the Cow, and the country is home to a list of endangered species. The capital of Nepal – Kathmandu (originally a lake as per mythological studies), is the largest city in the country. In this country that was once unable to meet its electricity needs, 12-hour daily power cuts were scheduled by the Nepalese government to deal with an ever-increasing demand for electricity in Nepal. To better understand Nepal, one may have a detailed study of the country’s constitutional framework and its history.