Country Profile

A Hindu nation, located strategically between China and India, Nepal is slightly larger than the state of Arkansas. It is among the poorest and least developed nations in the world. More than half of the population live below the poverty line. Children under age 15 make up 42% of the 23.7 million people in the country. Illiteracy is high, 59% among males and 86% among females. Land in the southern Terai region is flat and fertile. Terraced cultivation and swift rivers mark the central hills. The Himalayas in the north boast 8 of the 10 highest mountain peaks in the world.

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, especially after a negotiated cease-fire between the Maoists and government forces broke down in August 2003. 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. While stopping short of reestablishing parliament, the king in June 2004 reinstated the most recently elected Prime Minister who formed a four-party coalition government, which the king subsequently tasked with paving the way for elections to be held in spring of 2005.

HFC Update

We understand Maoist rebels kidnap children and force them to become child soldiers. Please pray for these children's safety.