Nepal

Nepal is a small country. It lies between China and India. It is nearly 500 miles long and 100 miles broad. The population of our country is seventeen million. Most of the people live in the valleys and the plains.
Nepal is the land of the Himalayas. The major portion of the Himalayas lies in our country. It contains some of the highest peaks, such as Everest, Dhaulagiri, Makalu, Lhotse and Annapurna. To the south of the mountains, there is a narrow plain called the Terai. The chief rivers of our country are the Koshi, the Gandaki and the Karnali.
The climate is cold in the north and hot in the south. The Terai is very hot in summer. The monsoon blowing from the Bay of Bengal brings rain in summer. The rainfall is good in all parts of the country, but it decreases as we go from the east to the west.
Agriculture is the main occupation of the people. It is carried on mainly in the Terai and the valleys. The Terai produces rice, jute, sugarcane, oil-seeds, etc. The valleys produce maize, pulses, beans, fruits, etc. The high mountains are snow-covered; the hills are forested. Sheep and goats are reared on the hills-sides.
Our country is poor in minerals but the lack of minerals has been compensated by hydro-electric power. We have some hydro-electric projects in operation, while some big projects are under construction. There are some big industries at Biratnagar, Janakpur, Birgunj and Bhairahawa. The main hindrance to the progress of our country is the shortage of roads. As more and more roads are constructed, our country will achieve greater progress.
Nepal is a Hindu state but people enjoy freedom of religion. There are different religious classes, the major ones being the Hindus and the Buddhists. Some people are Muslims. There is a small number of Christians, Sikhs are Jains also.
The people of our country are divided into various classes and sub-classes. They speak different dialects, wear different kinds of clothes and eat different varieties of food. The people living near the northern border are of Mongolian stock while those near the Gorkhalis and the Newars. The different religious and racial classes live in peace and harmony and are proud to belong to the Nepali nation.
A few years ago, Nepali was a backward country. It was ruled by the Rana family. In 1950, democracy was introduced in our country. In 1960, the party system of democracy was replaced by the Panchayat System. Now we have a democratic government again. We hope it will work for the good of the people.
Nepal is slowly marching ahead on the road to progress . We should all work togother for the prosperity of our country.