Global Quotient: Nepal

At this past Thursday night's meeting, DEP sisters eagerly anticipated next week's hike to the Himalayas as they debated whether Nepalese food would be more akin to Indian or Chinese food. Ms. C. "Are We Still Getting Our Food?" P. even remarked,"The Nepalese have their own food?" The confusion was merited: Nepal is a small South Asian country landlocked by Tibet to the north and India to the east, south and west. This week, we hope to demystify Nepal before we plunge our taste buds into Nepalese cuisine. So, What's your GQ? Today's subject is Nepal. All images in this posting link to articles so feel free to explore.

1. What is the official language of Nepal?
   (a) English
   (b) Nepali
   (c) Urdu
   (d) Hindi



2. True or False: Nepal is currently a politically stable country.



3. Which famous mountain is located between Nepal and Tibet?
   (a) The Matterhorn
   (b) Mount Everest
   (c) Mount Fuji
   (d) Mount Kilimanjaro



4. True or False: The Nepalese flag is not a rectangle.



5. What is the most common religion in Nepal?
   (a) Buddhism
   (b) Islam
   (c) Christianity
   (d) Hinduism



6. What is the official name of Nepal?
   (a) The Kingdom of Nepal
   (b) The Republic of Nepal
   (c) The United States of Nepal
   (d) Nepal IS the official name!

How Did You Do?

1. B. The Nepalese speak Nepali, an Indo-Aryan language with an estimated 35 million speakers.



2. False. The Nepalese Civil War began on February 13, 1996 between Government forces and Maoist rebels (Communist Party of Nepal). Only recently has there been any hope of peace. As a result of the conflict, an estimated 13,000 Nepalese have died and another 100,000 to 150,000 citizens have been internally displaced. In an attempt to snuff out the Maoist insurgency, on February 1, 2005, King Gyanendra took over rule of the country: he appointed a government led by himself, enforced martial law, and ignored numerous pleas for cease fire by opposition parties. Civil unrest and the organization of political alliances to dethrone the King resulted in Loktantra Andolan, the 2006 Nepalese Democracy Movement. When more than 300,000 citizens protested in Kathmandu against King Gyanendra, the King announced that he would return power to the people. A rewrite of the country's constitution is currently underway.



3. B. Mount Everest, the tallest peak in the world, is located in between Tibet and Nepal. Mount Kilimanjaro is an African stratovolcano in Tanzania. Mount Fuji is in Japan. The Matterhorn is in the European Alps, on the border between Switzerland and Italy.



4. True. Nepal is the only country with a flag that is NOT rectangular. By the way, the flag posted at the beginning of this posting was a huge hint!! Read more about the Nepalese Flag.



5. D. Hinduisim is the most popular religion in Nepal. 81% of Nepalese are Hindu, 11% are Buddhist, 4% are Muslim and 4% are Kirant.



6. A. The official name for Nepal is The Kingdom of Nepal. The population is 27 million and the capital is Kathmandu. The official currency is the Nepalese rupee.