About Nepal
Nepal is a small landlocked country in South Asia, bordered by Tibet to its North and India to its South, East and West. Nepal is still in the process of recovery after a decade long civil war which ran from 1996-2006 in which the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) waged a ‘People's war' against the Nepali state in the hills of Nepal. The Maoist insurgency took its toll on the country resulting in more than 12,000 deaths and displacement of over 400,000 families. The civil war also resulted in the destruction of infrastructure worth at least US$250 million. In 2008 the Maoists formed a coalition government making Nepal a democratic republic for the first time in history. However the nation still suffers from political instability and is currently awaiting a formal conclusion of the peace process and a new constitution.
Nepal is one of the world's poorest countries with 55% of its 29 million-strong population living on less than US$1.25 per day. Nepal has an estimated per capita income of only US $459. The civil war and continued political instability has left the country with poor infrastructure, environmental degradation problems and land ownership/tenancy issues. The country is currently experiencing power outages for up to 15 hours a day. Also contributing to the poverty are adverse climatic conditions such as the annual monsoon rains that cause floods and landslides resulting in loss of lives, homes and infrastructure.
