GEOGRAPHY
Landlocked in Southern Asia in between China and India, Nepal is a small nation that is about the size of New York State. The country’s terrain can be divided up into three distinct locations. There is the flat plains near the Ganges River in the south, the hills in the center of the country, and the Himalayan mountain range in the north. The climate varies depending on location. The north has cool summers with harsh winters, and the south has subtropical summers with mild winters. Nepal is home to the tallest mountain in the world, Mount Everest. It also houses the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th highest peaks on earth.
THE PEOPLE
Nepal has a diverse population of just over 29 million. The population is divided into 125 reported ethnic groups. Although Nepali is the official language and is spoken by 44.6% of people, Nepal has 123 languages spoken in its country. It is 81.3% Hindu, with 9% Buddhists and 4.4% Muslims.
ECONOMY
Agriculture employs about 70% of Nepalese people. This accounts for the country’s low unemployment rate of 3.3%. Nonetheless, Nepal remains as one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world. Their Gross Domestic Product per capita of $2,700 ranks 195th of 228 reporting countries and territories. About 25.2% of their people live below the poverty line and when the country was hit with a large earthquake in 2015, the economy took a large hit.
EDUCATION
Nepal has seen a substantial increase in literacy rate since the turn of the century. The rate has risen from 54.1% to 64.7% in the past 15 years. This is still about twenty percentage points below the worldwide average, but it is clear that Nepal is beginning to make improvements to its education system. Even with these improvements, only 24% of students enroll into secondary education and the government will have to work on improving this number if it wants its citizens to achieve higher education.
HEALTH CARE
The healthcare system in Nepal is not great compared to that of its neighbors, resulting in a higher prevalence of disease among Nepalese. Healthcare facilities are low quality, and many people do not have access to care due to the high costs and limited locations for treatment. Thankfully, Nepal has been making progress in improving their healthcare system, but there is still much work to do.
HEMOPHILIA IN NEPAL
According to the World Federation of Hemophilia, there are 573 people in Nepal living with Hemophilia. With a poor healthcare infrastructure, those who need treatment struggle to get it and there are likely many Nepalese who are living undiagnosed. The Nepal Hemophilia Society works to raise awareness of the condition and help provide education for those who have it.
