NEPAL, or NIPAL. An independent State on the southern slope of the Himalayas, bordering on Northern India (Map; India. 1) 3). It is bounded by Tibet on the north, by the native State of Sikhim and Bengal on the east. mid by Bongal and the United Provinces of Agra and Ondh on the south and west. its area is esti mated at 54.000 square miles.
Th, southern portion, known as the tend, is a level -trip of land, partly covered with forests and well cultivated, The rest of the country be longs to the region of the llimalayas (q.v.). and contains some of the highest mountains in the world. such as Mount Everest (2.9.000 feet) and phawalagini, which tare covered with perpetual snow, There are a number of minor ranges inter secting each other and inclosing numerous val leys. The eountry belongs to the basin of the gauges, its chief rivers being the Karnali and the Sarin in the west. the Gandak in the eentre, and the Kusi in the cast, The climate varies vousia vrahly in accordance with the configuration of the surface. In the mountainous part it is naturally void, while in the flat region along the southern boundary and in some of the valleys of the in terior it is hot :and humid. The average tem perature at Khatinandu (over -1:100 feet) is about 62°. DI'llOsits of iron, lignite. copper, lead, and zinc are found and exploited to some extent by the natives. There are also many mineral springs and some deposits of gold and silver. The chief occupation of the inhabitants is agri culture: although carried on in a primitive way, it is highly intensive. owing to the searcity of agricultural land. The slopes of the hills and ledge, even, didieult a.f neves,, are utilized for agricultural purposes. and the methods employed for diverting mountain torrents for irrigational needs exhibit noticeable and varying degrees of ingenuity.
The chief crops in the ventral valleys are sev eral varieties of rice. wheat, pulse, corn, sugar cane, potatoes, and various vegetables. In the feral region arc cultivated tea, cotton, tobacco, etc. Many European fruits are successfully cul tivated. The chief manufactures are coarse cloth, paper, brass bells, utensils, and ornaments. Ex cellent pottery is produced in some parts of the country and the wonderful wood-carving found in the temples testifies to the skill of the natives, The commerce of Nepal is chiefly with British India and Tibet. From British India are im
ported cotton goods. silver. spices, salt, brass, cop per, sugar. iron. leather goods, etc. These are partly reexported to Tibet, which sends in return drugs. tea. woolen cloth, salt, paper plant, do animals. honey, wax. silver. gold, etc. The chief exports to British India arc rice, oil seeds, cattle. tobacco. hides, timber, and glue. The exports to and imports from British India amounted in 1900-01 to $5.087,019 and $5.257,372 respectively. Goods are usually transported by human carriers or pack animals.
Theoretically Nepal is an monarchy, but the actual rulers of the State are the Prime iNlinister and his party. There are a State Coun cil and a number of eourts. The savage native Node has been humanized by ltritish influence. The revenue of the Government is derived chiefly from land tax, customs. mines, forests, and monopolies. There is an efficient arm of about 50.000. which can he greatly enlarged in case of necessity in view of the fact that the Gurkhas (q.v.) are all adlicient fighters.
No reliable figures as to the population of Nepal are available. Native statistics place it at 5.000,000, but these figures are probably exag gerated. The great mass of the population of Nepal are by some considered to be Mongolic, with large infusions of Dravidian and Aryan blood, while others regard them as a mixed race of Indo-Afg,han and Mongolic descent. The chief divisions are the Kulu-lahuli and Paharins in the west, and the Mangars and Gurkhas in the east. Some of the hill-tribes have, perhaps, more of than other blood, but the effects of the llindu invasions from the twelfth century down are seen everywhere. The typical representatives of the Nepalese are the Gurkhas (q.v.), whose Aryan ancestors from Ilajputana mixed with the aborigines. In religion the majority of the Nepalese are Hindus, but there are also several humored thousand Buddhists. The Kulu-lahulis are doliehocephalie and below the average in stature. Education is entirely in the hands of the priests and the hulk of the population are illiterate. The children of the wealthy classes are sent to the educational establishments of British India. ('apital, Klmtmandu (q.v.).