2. People
• Ethnic Groups: 125 reported in 2011
• Chhettri, Brahman-Hill, Magar, among highest
• Languages: Nepali 44.6%, but 123 languages were reported as
mother tongue in 2011
• Religion
• Hindu 81.3%
• Buddhist 9%
• Muslim 4.4%
• Kirant, Christian, and others below 3% of population
4. People
• Urban Population: 17%
• Kathmandu: 1.015 Million
• Life expectancy: 67.19 years
• Exposure to improved drinking water: 88.1%
• Exposure to improved sanitation: 36.7%
• Risk of Major Infectious Diseases: High
• Bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, typhoid, malaria, dengue
fever
• Most rural people are sustenance farmers
• 70% of households have less than 1 hectare and may depend on
plots too small for food
5. People
• Literacy (ages 15< can read/write): 57.4%
• Male: 71.1%
• Female: 46.7%
• Child labor (ages 5-14): 2,467,549
• Education
• 72% from government schools failed last years School Leaving
Certificate exam
• Civil war damaged education system
• Teacher absenteeism is common
• Education has improved, new education official is bringing change
6. Caste System
• Affects family life, food, dress, jobs, culture
• Brought to Nepal by Indians
• Based on heredity
• Castes
• Brahmin (priests, scholars, educators)
• Kshatriya (soldiers, governors, kings)
• Vaishya (Merchants, farmers, cattle herders)
• Sudra (laborers, artisans, service providers)
• 36 castes
• Dalit: untouchables
• Punishments for breaking one’s caste are illegal now
• Caste system technically no longer exists, but can still be seen
• Arranged Marriage
7. Customs & Courtesies
• Greeting: “namaste” with palms held together
• To be formal or respectful add –ji to end of name
• “namaste, Jonn-ji”
• Yes: tilt head to one side and back other way
• No: hold one hand up in front, palm forwards, swivel wrist
subtly
• Point with chin rather than finger
8. Customs & Courtesies
• Once food has touch lips, it’s polluted for others
• “Waterfall” drinks
• Don’t eat off other plates or offer food you’ve taken a bite of
• Don’t touch cooked food unless you bought it already
• If eating with hands, only use right
• Don’t wipe your mouth or pass food with the left hand
• Give & receive with right hands only
• Offer money or gifts with both hands or the right while the
left touches the wrist
9. Customs & Courtesies
• Men: always wear a shirt and pants if possible in public (shorts
on trails)
• Looking clean and well groomed shows respect
• forehead is most sacred part of body, impolite to touch
• Feet are unclean, don’t put them up or point soles at anyone
• Handshaking has increased, but not all women feel
comfortable shaking a mans hand
10. Customs & Courtesies
• Hindu temples
• Usually off-limits to nonbelievers
• Take off shoes
• No photos unless you ask
• Leave rupees in donation box
• Don’t wear leather
• Buddhist temples
• Walk around Buddhist stupas and monuments clockwise
• Private homes
• Fruit or sweets are good gifts, but don’t expect thanks
• Take shoes off or follow example of host
• Eat first, take less than you can eat
• Don’t throw trash or scraps in the family hearth
11. Customs & Courtesies
• Touts
• Lone entrepreneurs and middlemen
• Ignore or ask nicely
• Don’t give to street children and watch your wallet
12. Food
• Dal Bhat (pulses and rice) is main food of Nepal, eaten twice a
day
• Other Nepalese recipes usually include different spices like
ginger, garlic, pepper, cumin, chiles, or yak butter
• Higher castes: vegetarian and do not drink
• Lower castes may drink and some eat pork and beef
• Restaurants weren’t popular but are increasing due to tourism
• Masu: spiced or curried meat with gravy
13. Architecture
• Urban areas have shikhara temples, buddhist stupas, palaces,
brick houses, and some Western-style buildings
• Rural architecture is simple, usually made of the materials
available
