Nepal

Nepal is a country of soaring mountains and valleys in the Himalayas.  Because of the steep terrain, lack of natural resources and inaccessibility, it has remained poor. Nepal has the lowest per capita Gross National Product  in South Asia (a mere US$ 238 in 1997), making it one of the very poorest countries in the world by every evaluation.

The majority of people in Nepal live in rural areas and work in agriculture.

However, the pressures of change, both internal and external, have led to rapid re-adjustment of this situation. Between 1970 and 1990, the proportion of the population living in cities increased from 4% to 11%.

 

Children and urbanisation in South Asia

Over 120 million children live in the cities and towns of South Asia.

• The numbers of street and working children are increasing.
• Most of the children are subject to sexual and economic exploitation.
• Gastro-enteritis is endemic in most cities and children of the poor are the main victims.
• Recent studies reveal that municipal revenue is generally not used for direct child development activities in most cities and towns in South Asia.

The idyll of rural Nepal hides a desperately poor population and whilst the

 Kathmandu Valley holds a wealth of culture....

                                               

rapid development has given rise to appalling living conditions in parts of Kathmandu.

 

You can learn more about Nepal, it's culture and it's people by visiting the

Tibetan Cultural Region Directory at Kotan.org, a comprehensive on-line directory of websites relating to Tibet.