Demographics of Nepal
Encyclopedia
The population of Nepal
is estimated at 29,391,883 people in July 2011, with a population growth rate of 1.596% and a median age of 21.6 years. Female median age is estimated at 22.5 years, and male median age at 20.7 years. Only 4.4% of the population are estimated to be more than 65 years old, comprising 681,252 females and 597,628 males, whereas 61.1% of the population is between 15 and 64 years old, and 34.6% is estimated at younger than 14 years. Birth rate
is estimated at 22.17 births/1,000 population with an infant mortality rate at 44.54 deaths per 1,000 live births. Life expectancy
at birth is estimated at 67.44 years for females and 64.94 years for males. Death rate is estimated at 681 deaths per 100,000 people. Net migration rate
is estimated at 61 migrants per 100,000 people. According to the 2001 census, only 48.6% of the total population is literate, of which 62.7% are male and 34.9% are female.
The words "Nepali" and "Nepalis" are gaining widespread popularity in English usage as opposed to Nepalese, which is an Anglicized version.
, Tibet
, India
, and parts of Burma and Yunnan
, along with native
tribal populations. Among the earliest inhabitants were the Madhesh
i of the Terai
who migrated to the hills. Ultimately, Newar of Kathmandu seems in today's form. Mithila history and history of Kapilvastu justify that the older settlers of Nepal were of Terai origin. Before 3000 years Gawala entered Kathmandu Valley
and then after lot of Terai origin people from Tirhut and Gangetic region entered in hilly area. Most of the Brahmin entered in hill area in the medieval period following the Muslim invasion in Plain India and Khasa (Chhetri) people were migrated from Kashmir
through Karnali region. Most of the Mongoloid people came from Tibet
and Mongolia
.
Indo-Aryan
and East Asian looking mixed people live in the hill region. The mountainous region is sparsely populated above 3000 m (9,842.5 ft), but in central and western Nepal ethnic Tibetans inhabit even higher semi-arid valleys north of the Himalaya. Kathmandu Valley, in the middle hill region, constitutes a small fraction of the nation's area but is the most densely populated, with almost 5 percent of the nation's population. Nepali society is multilingual
, multireligious and multiethnic.
is widespread as ever-more marginal land is cleared for agriculture, trees are cut down for firewood and leaves are harvested for fodder. Deforestation promotes erosion
in the hills, in turn causing alluvial buildup down on the Gangetic Plain that interferes with flood control
structures.
Population in the hills greatly exceeds agricultural productivity so chronic food deficits drive resettlement into the Inner Terai
to the detriment of indigenous Tharu people and eastward into Sikkim
and Bhutan
, where traditional practices of delayed marriage and diversion of significant population into monasteries
and nunneries otherwise checked population growth. Seeing the demographic writing on the wall after a population census in 1988, Bhutan expelled some 100,000 ethnic Nepalese who became Bhutanese refugees in camps in southeastern Nepal. Overpopulation also drives export of manpower to India, the Middle East, Europe, Australia and North America in search of employment, the so-called Nepalese Diaspora.
Refugees comprise 107,803 people from Bhutan
and 20,153 Tibetan people
.
Most refugees live in seven camps established by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
. Presence and activity of Tibetan refugees in Nepal also raise sporadic diplomatic conflicts with the People's Republic of China
.hey man there is nice & standard people too in nepal pls remove the pic...
Nepal's 2001 census enumerated 102 caste
s and ethnic groups.
Both Indo-Aryan and Mixed Indo-Mongoloid comprise 80% who consist of Chetri, Bahun, Newar, etc. While the Mongoloids including Magar, Gurung and Rai comprise 17% according to EBS Documentary 'World Travel with a Theme' made in 2010.
The following table is based on endogamous ethnicity, not language. References are according to the 2001 census.
, Tibeto-Burman, Mongolian
, and various indigenous language
isolates. According to the 2001 national census, 92 different living languages are spoken in Nepal (a 93rd category was "unidentified"). The major languages of Nepal (percent spoken as mother tongue) are Nepali
(48%)(2011 est.), Maithili
(12%), Bhojpuri
(5%), Tharu
(3%), Tamang
(2%), Gurung
(1.5%), Newari/Nepal Bhasa (1%), Magar
(1%), Awadhi (1%), Rai
(1%), Limbu
(1%) and Bajjika (1%). The remaining 81 languages are each spoken as mother tongue by less than one percent of the population.
Derived from Khas
bhasa, Nepali
is considered to be a member of Indo-European languae and is written in Devanagari
script. Nepali
was the language of the country's unifiers in the late 18th century and became the official, national language that serves as the lingua franca among Nepalese of different ethnolinguistic groups. Hindi—along with regional dialects Awadhi, Bhojpuri and Maithili—is spoken in the southern Terai Region. Other than those, most of the Nepali can also understand and speak Neighbouring country's language . Many Nepali in government and business uses English as well.
Other languages, particularly in the Inner Terai, hill and mountain regions are remnants of the country's pre-unification history of dozens of political entities isolated by mountains and gorges. These languages typically are limited to an area spanning about one day's walk. Beyond that distance dialects and languages lose mutual intelligibility.
3.6% other 1.2% (2006).
Religion is important in Nepal; the Kathmandu Valley alone has more than 2,700 religious shrines. The constitution of Nepal describes the country as a "Hindu kingdom", although it does not establish Hinduism as the state religion
. Nepal's constitution continues long-standing legal provisions prohibiting discrimination against other religions (but also proselytization). The king was deified as the earthly manifestation of the Hindu god Vishnu
. Then on May 19, 2006, the government facing a constitutional crisis
, the House of Representatives which had been just reformed, having been previously dissolved, declared Nepal a "secular state
".
The 2001 census identified 80.6% of the population as Hindu
and 10.7% as Buddhist (although many people labeled Hindu or Buddhist often practice a syncretic blend of Hinduism, Buddhism, or animist
traditions). 4.2% of the population is Muslim
and 3.6% of the population follows the indigenous Kirant Mundhum
religion. Christianity
is practiced by less than 0.5% of the population. http://www.cbs.gov.np/Nepal%20in%20figure/nepal%20in%20figures%202006.pdf
Buddhist and Hindu shrines and festivals are respected and celebrated by most Nepalese. Certain animist practices of old indigenous religions survive.
Hill Hindus of the Khas
tribe (Bahun
and Chhetri castes) and the Newar ethnicity dominated the civil service, the judiciary and upper ranks of the army throughout the Shah regime (1768–2008). Nepali
was the national language and Sanskrit
became a required school subject. Children who spoke Nepali natively and who were exposed to Sanskrit had much better chances of passing the national examinations at the end of high school, which meant they had better employment prospects and could continue into higher education. Children who natively spoke local languages of the Terai
and Hills
, or Tibetan dialects prevailing in the high mountains were at a considerable disadvantage. This history of exclusion coupled with poor prospects for improvement created grievances that encouraged many in ethnic communities such as Madhesi
and Tharu in the Terai
and Kham Magar
in the mid-western hills to support the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and various other armed Maoist opposition groups such as the JTMM during and after the Nepalese Civil War. The negotiated end to this war forced King Gyanendra
to abdicate in 2008. Issues of ethnic and regional equity have tended to dominate the agenda of the new republican government and continue to be divisive.
estimates that 35,000 Nepali-born people are currently resident in the UK .
in Hong Kong are mainly the children of ex-Gurkha
s born in Hong Kong during their parents' service with the British Army
's Brigade of Gurkhas
, which was based in Hong Kong from the 1970s until the handover
. Large groups can be found in Shek Kong
, Yuen Long District
, of the main bases of the British army. Many ex-Gurkhas remained in Hong Kong after the end of their service under the sponsorship of their Hong Kong-born children, who held right of abode
.
Nepalis of middle age or older generations in Hong Kong are predominantly found in security
, while those of younger generations are predominantly found in the business industry.
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
is estimated at 29,391,883 people in July 2011, with a population growth rate of 1.596% and a median age of 21.6 years. Female median age is estimated at 22.5 years, and male median age at 20.7 years. Only 4.4% of the population are estimated to be more than 65 years old, comprising 681,252 females and 597,628 males, whereas 61.1% of the population is between 15 and 64 years old, and 34.6% is estimated at younger than 14 years. Birth rate
Birth rate
Crude birth rate is the nativity or childbirths per 1,000 people per year . Another word used interchangeably with "birth rate" is "natality". When the crude birth rate is subtracted from the crude death rate, it reveals the rate of natural increase...
is estimated at 22.17 births/1,000 population with an infant mortality rate at 44.54 deaths per 1,000 live births. Life expectancy
Life expectancy
Life expectancy is the expected number of years of life remaining at a given age. It is denoted by ex, which means the average number of subsequent years of life for someone now aged x, according to a particular mortality experience...
at birth is estimated at 67.44 years for females and 64.94 years for males. Death rate is estimated at 681 deaths per 100,000 people. Net migration rate
Net migration rate
Net migration rate is the difference of immigrants and emigrants of an area in a period of time, divided per 1,000 inhabitants...
is estimated at 61 migrants per 100,000 people. According to the 2001 census, only 48.6% of the total population is literate, of which 62.7% are male and 34.9% are female.
The words "Nepali" and "Nepalis" are gaining widespread popularity in English usage as opposed to Nepalese, which is an Anglicized version.
Demographic history
Nepali or Nepalese are descendants of migrants from parts of earlier Greater NepalGreater Nepal
Greater Nepal is a concept referring to the state of Nepal extending beyond present boundaries to include territories ceded to the British East India Company under the Sugauli Treaty that ended the Anglo-Nepalese War in 1814–16...
, Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and parts of Burma and Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, along with native
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
tribal populations. Among the earliest inhabitants were the Madhesh
Madhesh
Madhesh is a term given to areas of the Nepali outer Terai or to the outer Terai as a whole inhabited by peoples who are racially, culturally and linguistically related to people on the Indian side of the border. These peoples are referred to or refer to themselves as Madheshi...
i of the Terai
Terai
The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion...
who migrated to the hills. Ultimately, Newar of Kathmandu seems in today's form. Mithila history and history of Kapilvastu justify that the older settlers of Nepal were of Terai origin. Before 3000 years Gawala entered Kathmandu Valley
Kathmandu Valley
The Kathmandu Valley , located in Nepal, lies at the crossroads of ancient civilizations of Asia, and has at least 130 important monuments, including several places of pilgrimage for the Hindus and the Buddhists. There are seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites within this valley.-Etymology:The city of...
and then after lot of Terai origin people from Tirhut and Gangetic region entered in hilly area. Most of the Brahmin entered in hill area in the medieval period following the Muslim invasion in Plain India and Khasa (Chhetri) people were migrated from Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
through Karnali region. Most of the Mongoloid people came from Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
and Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
.
Indo-Aryan
Indo-Aryan
Indo-Aryan refers to:* Indo-Aryan languages* Indo-Aryan migration, a supposition that holds that the Indo-Aryans migrated to India.* Indigenous Aryans, a theory that holds that the Indo-Aryans are native to India....
and East Asian looking mixed people live in the hill region. The mountainous region is sparsely populated above 3000 m (9,842.5 ft), but in central and western Nepal ethnic Tibetans inhabit even higher semi-arid valleys north of the Himalaya. Kathmandu Valley, in the middle hill region, constitutes a small fraction of the nation's area but is the most densely populated, with almost 5 percent of the nation's population. Nepali society is multilingual
Multilingualism
Multilingualism is the act of using, or promoting the use of, multiple languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. Multilingualism is becoming a social phenomenon governed by the needs of...
, multireligious and multiethnic.
Population growth
Early, nearly universal marriage particularly among Hindus drives Nepal's annual population growth rate in excess of two percent, causing population to double about every 30 years. This severely strains the country's underdeveloped economy and finite natural resources. DeforestationDeforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
is widespread as ever-more marginal land is cleared for agriculture, trees are cut down for firewood and leaves are harvested for fodder. Deforestation promotes erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
in the hills, in turn causing alluvial buildup down on the Gangetic Plain that interferes with flood control
Flood control
In communications, flood control is a feature of many communication protocols designed to prevent overwhelming of a destination receiver. Such controls can be implemented either in software or in hardware, and will often request that the message be resent after the receiver has finished...
structures.
Population in the hills greatly exceeds agricultural productivity so chronic food deficits drive resettlement into the Inner Terai
Inner Terai Valleys of Nepal
The Inner Terai Valleys or Bhitri tarai are various elongated valleys in Nepal situated between the Himalayan foothills, the 600–900 m high Siwalik or Churia Range and the 2,000-3,000 m high Mahabharat Range further north. Major examples are the Chitwan Valley southwest of Kathmandu and the...
to the detriment of indigenous Tharu people and eastward into Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
and Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
, where traditional practices of delayed marriage and diversion of significant population into monasteries
Bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
and nunneries otherwise checked population growth. Seeing the demographic writing on the wall after a population census in 1988, Bhutan expelled some 100,000 ethnic Nepalese who became Bhutanese refugees in camps in southeastern Nepal. Overpopulation also drives export of manpower to India, the Middle East, Europe, Australia and North America in search of employment, the so-called Nepalese Diaspora.
Refugees comprise 107,803 people from Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
and 20,153 Tibetan people
Tibetan people
The Tibetan people are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
.
Most refugees live in seven camps established by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to...
. Presence and activity of Tibetan refugees in Nepal also raise sporadic diplomatic conflicts with the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.hey man there is nice & standard people too in nepal pls remove the pic...
Ethnic groups
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
s and ethnic groups.
Both Indo-Aryan and Mixed Indo-Mongoloid comprise 80% who consist of Chetri, Bahun, Newar, etc. While the Mongoloids including Magar, Gurung and Rai comprise 17% according to EBS Documentary 'World Travel with a Theme' made in 2010.
The following table is based on endogamous ethnicity, not language. References are according to the 2001 census.
| Caste/ethnic group | Population | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| Khas Khas Originally the Khas / Khasas or Khasiyas are the mountain dwellers living in the southern shadow of the Himalayan range from Kashmir to Bhutan, but mostly in Nepal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, North Bengal, Sikkim and Bhutan,... - Chhetri (Kshatriya Kshatriya *For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism... ) |
3,593,496 | 15.5 |
| Khas Khas Originally the Khas / Khasas or Khasiyas are the mountain dwellers living in the southern shadow of the Himalayan range from Kashmir to Bhutan, but mostly in Nepal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, North Bengal, Sikkim and Bhutan,... - Bahun Bahun Bahun is a colloquial Nepali term for a member of the Pahari or "hill" Brahmin caste, who are traditionally educators, scholars and priests of Hinduism. They are also known as Barmu in Newari. By tradition—and by civil law until 1962—they represented the highest of the four Hindu... (Brahmin Brahmin Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self... ) |
2,896,477 | 12.5 |
| Magar | 1,622,421 | 7.0 |
| Tharu | 1,533,879 | 6.6 |
| Tamang Tamang The Tamangs are the ancient and original inhabitants of the mountains and plains of the Himalayan regions of Nepal and India. Their ancient capital being Yambu - modern day Kathmandu. They have their own distinct culture, language and religion. Their ancestral domain is popularly known as... |
1,282,304 | 5.5 |
| Newar Newar The Newa , Newār or Newāl) are the indigenous people and the creators of the historical civilization of Nepal's Kathmandu Valley. The valley and surrounding territory have been known from ancient times as Nepal Mandala, its limits ever changing through history.Newas have lived in the Kathmandu... |
1,245,232 | 5.4 |
| Muslim Islam in Nepal Islam is a minority religion in Nepal. According to the 2001 Nepal census, 4.27% of the population are Muslim.Islam is thought to have been introduced by Indian Muslims settling in Nepal.... |
971,056 | 4.2 |
| Kami Kami (caste) Kami is a community from Nepal which belongs to the Indo-Aryan ethnic group. Kamis are essentially blacksmiths who are scattered in almost all hilly districts of Nepal. They are the makers of famous Kukri knives which are used by the Gurkha Army... |
895,954 | 3.9 |
| Yadav | 895,423 | 3.9 |
| Rai Rai (ethnic group) The Rai are one of Nepal's most ancient indigenous ethnolinguistic groups. They were Raya meaning king. Once someone was recognized as a ruler then Hindus awarded the title Raja, Rai, Raya, Malla etc. When the king Pritivi Narayan Shah couldn't defeat Kirant king , he somehow took them in... |
635,151 | 2.79 |
| Gurung Gurung The Gurung people, also called Tamu, are an ethnic group that migrated from Mongolia in the 6th century to the central region of Nepal. Gurungs, like other east Asian featured peoples of Nepal such as Sherpa, Tamang, Thakali, Magar, Manaaggi, Mustaaggi, and Walunggi, are the indigenous people of... |
686,000 | 2.39 |
| Damai/Dholi | 390,305 | 1.72 |
| Limbu Limbu people The Yakthung or Limbu tribes and clans belong to the Kirati nation or to the Kirat confederation.They are indigenous to the hill and mountainous regions of east Nepal between the Arun and Mechi rivers to as far as Southern Tibet, Bhutan and Sikkim.... |
359,379 | 1.58 |
| Khas Khas Originally the Khas / Khasas or Khasiyas are the mountain dwellers living in the southern shadow of the Himalayan range from Kashmir to Bhutan, but mostly in Nepal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, North Bengal, Sikkim and Bhutan,... - Thakuri |
334,120 | 1.47 |
| Sarki | 318,989 | 1.40 |
| Teli Teli Teli is a business caste of oil pressers in India and Pakistan. Members may be either Hindu or Muslim; Muslim Teli are called Roshandaar or Teli Malik.... |
304,536 | 1.34 |
| Chamar Chamar Chamar |tanner]]"; from the Sanskrit Charmakara) is a prominent occupational caste in India, Pakistan and Nepal. Chamar is a Dalit sub-caste mainly found in the northern states, such as Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi and in Nepal at least north to the Himalayas... , Harijan Harijan Harijan was a term used by Gandhi for Dalits. Gandhi said it was wrong to call people 'untouchable', and called them Harijans, which means children of God... , Ram |
269,661 | 1.19 |
| Koiri | 251,274 | 1.11 |
| Kurmi Kurmi The Kurmi are a Hindu agricultural Jāti in India.The group has been associated with the Kunbi, though scholars differ as to whether the terms are synonymous. In 2006, the Indian government announced that Kurmi was considered synonymous with the Kunbi and Yellam castes in Maharashtra... |
212,842 | 0.94 |
| Khas Khas Originally the Khas / Khasas or Khasiyas are the mountain dwellers living in the southern shadow of the Himalayan range from Kashmir to Bhutan, but mostly in Nepal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, North Bengal, Sikkim and Bhutan,... -Sanyasi |
199,127 | 0.88 |
| Dhanuk Dhanuk The Dhanuk are an ethnic group found in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. In India, the Dhanuk, who are also known as Dharhi and are found in the states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. They have been granted Scheduled Caste status. In Nepal, they are settled in the Terai districts of Saptari,... |
188,150 | 0.83 |
| Musahar Musahar The Musahar are a Hindu scheduled caste found in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India, & Terai. They are also known as Arya or Banbasi.- Origin :... |
172,434 | 0.76 |
| Dusad Dusadh The Dusadh are a Hindu caste, found in the states of Uttar Pradesh Bihar in India.-Etymology:William Crooke noted: attempt has been made to derive the name from the Sanskrit dusk "to be corrupted" and ad "to eat;" or from dauh-sâdhika, "a porter." But the name is more probably of non-Aryan... /Paswan/Pasi Pasi (caste) The Pasi are a caste found in India, in the states of Bihar, Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. A small number of Pasi are also found in the Terai region of Nepal. They are one of the Scheduled caste but not Untouchables. The Pasi are also known as Paswan.-Origin:The Pasi claim their descent from... |
158,525 | 0.70 |
| Sherpa | 154,622 | 0.68 |
| Sunar Sunar Sunar is a Hindu caste in India and Nepal referring to the community of people who work as goldsmiths... |
145,088 | 0.64 |
| Kewat Kewat The Kewat are a Hindu caste, found in the states of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh in India. They are the traditional boatmen of North India.-History and origin:... |
136,953 | 0.60 |
| Terai Terai The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion... -Brahmin Brahmin Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self... |
134,496 | 0.59 |
| Baniya | 126,971 | 0.56 |
| Gharti/Bhujel Bhujel Bhujel is an indigenous ethnic group of Nepal. The Bhuji and Nishi area in Baglung are the ancestral land of Bhujels. They are culturally and historically close to the Magars... |
117,568 | 0.52 |
| Mallah Mallaah The Mallah are the traditional boatmen caste and ethnic group of North India, East India and Pakistan. A small number of Mallah are also found in Nepal.... |
115,986 | 0.51 |
| Kalwar Kalwar The Kalwar, Kalal or Kalar is a geographical title used by the Kalwar clan of Chandravanshi or Somvanshi Rajputs and Thakurs of Kalwar Thikana near Jaipur in Rajasthan referring to various geographical locations present globally viz. Kalal province in Pakistan, Qalal Azerbaijan, Kalar Iraq, Kalar... |
115,606 | 0.51 |
| Kumal | 99,389 | 0.44 |
| Hajam/Thakur Hajjam Hajjam , alternately pronounced and spelled as Hajaam , are a ethnic group found in North India and Pakistan. In Pakistan, they are settled in Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan. The word Hajaam is derived from the Urdu word Hajaamat which in Urdu means barber and hairdresser... |
98,169 | 0.43 |
| Kanu Kandu The Kandu are a Hindu caste in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. They traditionally provided parched grains and are one of the Bania castes in the Vaishya Varna. In Bihar, Kandu often use Gupta as a surname. Kandu living in Nepal are also called Kanu... |
95,826 | 0.42 |
| Rajbansi Rajbanshi Rajbanshi . According to the local myths, their ancestor Koch king Hajo established the kingdom of Kampur by the end of 15th century. There is also another legend concerning the ancestry of the Rajbanshis. When Parshuram had started destroying the Chhetria dynasty in India as his father's revenge,... |
95,812 | 0.42 |
| Sunuwar | 95,254 | 0.42 |
| Sudhi Jaiswal Jaiswal or Jayswal or Jayaswal is a geographical title referring to Jayasnagar or Jassowal or Jaisalmer or Jaswal,_Pakistan or Jaswal Pani or Jaswan or Jais Province, shared by several communities in India including"* Jaiswal Brahmins... |
89,846 | 0.40 |
| Lohar Lohar Lohar is an ethnic sub-caste found among Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims in Northern India and Northern Pakistan. Originally this community was a warrior tribe living in provinces of Kermanshah in Iran right up to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. In India the Lohars are also known as Vishwakarma, Sharma,... |
82,637 | 0.36 |
| Tatma Tattama - Origin :The Tattama are one of the traditional weaving castes of south Bihar and Jharkhand. According to their traditions, they are descended from the sweat of the Hindu god Shiva. They are have three sub-divisions, the Kanaujiya, Maghaiya and Tirhutia... |
76,512 | 0.34 |
| Khatwe | 74,972 | 0.33 |
| Dhobi Dhobi The Dhobi are a caste group found in Pakistan and India who specialize in washing clothes. The word Dhobi is derived from Hindi word dhona, which means to wash. They are found throughout North India, Gujarat, Maharashtra as well as the Punjab province of Pakistan, where they are known as Gazar... |
73,413 | 0.32 |
| Majhi | 72,614 | 0.32 |
| Nuniya | 66,873 | 0.29 |
| Kumhar Kumhar Kumhar or Kumbhar ; also known as Prajapati, is a caste or community of India, mainly belonging to the Hindu religion. The word "Kumhar" literally means "potter" in Indian languages, pottery being the traditional occupation of the Kumhars.... |
54,413 | 0.24 |
| Danuwar | 53,229 | 0.23 |
| Chepang Chepang Chepang is the commonly used name given to an indigenous ethnic group living in central and southern Nepal.The language is also known as Chepang but is called Chyo-bang by the people themselves. Some Bahun Chettri castes call these people the "Praja" meaning "political subjects"... |
52,237 | 0.23 |
| Haluwai Halwai The Halwai are a ethnic group found in India and Pakistan. The Arabic word Halwa means sweet and Halvai or Halwai means sweet-maker. In Pakistan they are considered a community while in India they are considered a caste. They are also known as Mithaya in Madhya Pradesh, Gudia in Orissa, Mayara in... |
50,583 | 0.22 |
| Rajput Rajput A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India... |
48,454 | 0.21 |
| Kayastha Kayastha Kayastha or Kayasth or Kayeth is a caste or community of Hindus originating in India. Kayastha means "scribe" in Sanskrit, and has traditionally denoted members of the writer caste.... |
46,071 | 0.20 |
| Badhai Barhai The Barhai , or sometimes pronounced Badhai are Hindu caste, found in North India. They are also known as Panchali, Chowrasia,and Kolash. A small number are also found in the Terai region of Nepal. -History and origin:... |
45,975 | 0.20 |
| Marwadi | 43,971 | 0.19 |
| Santhal/Satar Santals The Santhal , are the largest tribal community in India, who live mainly in the states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, and Assam. There is also a significant Santal minority in neighboring Bangladesh, and a small population in Nepal.... |
42,698 | 0.19 |
| Dhagar/Jhagar | 41,764 | 0.18 |
| Bantar | 35,839 | 0.16 |
| Barai Barai (caste) The Barai are a Hindu caste found in the state Uttar Pradesh in India. They are also known as Chaurasia, and are a sub-group within the larger Tamboli community of South Asia. -Origin:... |
35,434 | 0.16 |
| Kahar Kahar Kahar is an ancient community of India. They are divided in to Hindu ,Muslim and Sikhs respectively. The muslim kahar chiefly found in Punjab,Haryana and western belt of Uttar Pradesh... |
34,531 | 0.15 |
| Gangai | 31,318 | 0.14 |
| Lodha Lodha There are a large number of Indians in this world with the title Lodha. There is no unique origin for all these people. Some Lodhas are members of a caste called Oswal. It is a social group of people from the Indian States of Rajasthan. Oswals are mainly Jain following the Swetambara tradition,... |
24,738 | 0.11 |
| Rajbhar Bhar The Bhar are a Hindu caste found in North India. They are also known as Rajbhar. British historian General Cunningham said that Bhars are branch of the Ahir tribe.-History and origin:... |
24,263 | 0.11 |
| Thami Thami The Thami are an indigenous tribe of hills east of Kathmandu, Nepal's capital. They mainly live in Dolakha district in East-Central Nepal. They are locally known as Thangmi. Their language is Kirant. According to the 2001 Nepal Census there are a total of 22,999 Thami of which 55.74% were... |
22,999 | 0.10 |
| Dhimal Dhimal Dhimal or Dhemal is a little known indigenous community of the Terai. They mainly reside in Morang and Jhapa districts of Nepal and Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India... |
19,537 | 0.09 |
| Bhote Bhotiya The Bhotiya are groups of ethno-linguistically Tibetan people living in the trans-Himalayan region that divides India from the People's Republic of China, and were originally a hill tribe. Their name, Bhotiya, derives from the word Bod , which is the Classical Tibetan name for Tibet... |
19,261 | 0.08 |
| Binga/Binda Bind (tribe) The Bind are scheduled caste, found in North India. They are also known as Chatai Bin or Chai.-History and origin:They originate from the Vindhya hills in central India. According to their traditions, the daughter of Nisadh, on the way to her husband's house, was passing by a river, when she was... |
18,720 | 0.08 |
| Bhediyar/Gaderi Gaderia Gaderia is exclusively used for the cattle grazing community of North India. Gaderia, Charvaha, Gwala and Gujar are synonyms of herdsman.... |
17,729 | 0.08 |
| Nurang | 17,522 | 0.08 |
| Yakkha Yakkha Yakkha is an indigenous ethnic group of Nepal . It is one of the progenies of Nepal's prehistoric Kirat dynasty of around 100 BC.-Etymology:... |
17,003 | 0.07 |
| Darai | 14,859 | 0.07 |
| Tajpuriya | 13,250 | 0.06 |
| Thakali Thakali The Thakali are ethnolinguistic group originated from the Thak Khola region of the Mustang District in the Dhaulagiri zone of Nepal. Thakali, like Mutanggi their ancestors, culture and traditions are traced back to ancient himalayan region... |
12,973 | 0.06 |
| Chidimar Mirshikar The Mirshikar are a Muslim community, found in North India . They are also known as Chirimar.-History and origin:The word Mirshikar is a combination of two Urdu words, mir meaning lord and shikar meaning a hunt, and their name means a leader of a hunting party. They were a community who were... |
12,296 | 0.05 |
| Pahari Pahari people The Pahari people, ; also called Pahadi, Parbati, Khāsā, or Chhetri, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group of the Himalaya living in Nepal, India, and Pakistan. In Nepal, the Pahari constituted the single largest ethnic group at about 20,000,000, or three-fifths of the Nepalese population through the 1990s... |
11,505 | 0.05 |
| Mali Mali caste The Mali are an occupational caste found among the Hindus who traditionally worked as gardners. They also call themselves Phul Mali, who derived their names from their occupation of growing flowers. The Mali are found throughout North India, East India as well as the Terai region of Nepal and... |
11,390 | 0.05 |
| Bangali Bengali people The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী... |
9,860 | 0.04 |
| Chhantyal Chhantyal Chhantyal ' is an ethnic group among nearly seventy ethnicities existing in Nepal. Chhantyals are considered an indigenous group by the Government of Nepal. Most of the Chhantyal dwellings are concentrated in the western part of the country. Baglung and Myagdi are two districts in the Dhaulagiri... |
9,814 | 0.04 |
| Dom Domba The Domba or Dom are an ethnic or social group, or groups, scattered across India. They are usually segregated from the mainstream community as outcastes.The Domba are sometimes also called "Chandala". Both terms also came to be used in the sense of "outcaste" in general... |
8,931 | 0.04 |
| Kamar Kamar Kamar , is a town in western Tajikistan . It is located in Sughd province.-External links:*... |
8,761 | 0.04 |
| Bote | 7,969 | 0.04 |
| Brahmu/Baramu | 7,383 | 0.03 |
| Gaine/Gandarbha Gandarbha Gandarbha or Gaine is a Dalit community which belongs to the Indo-Aryan ethnic group. from central hilly region of Nepal. By tradition they make their living by singing Gandarbha Geet or Gaine Geet, a type of folk song. They use Sarangi, a type of violin as their main musical instrument... |
5,887 | 0.03 |
| Jirel Jirel The Jirels of eastern Nepal are both ethnically and linguistically related to both the Sherpas and Sunuwars. Their population of 5,300 is centered on the Jiri Valley.... |
5,316 | 0.02 |
| Adivasi Adivasi Adivasi is an umbrella term for a heterogeneous set of ethnic and tribal groups claimed to be the aboriginal population of India. They comprise a substantial indigenous minority of the population of India... /Janajati |
5,259 | 0.02 |
| Dura Dura Dura may refer to:* Dura , a Palestinian town in the southern West Bank located eleven kilometers southwest of Hebron in the Hebron Governorate* Dura language, a critically endangered language of Nepal... |
5,169 | 0.02 |
| Churaute | 4,893 | 0.02 |
| Badi Badi (caste) The Badi or Badhi are a Hindu caste found in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. They have scheduled caste status in Uttar Pradesh.-Origin:... |
4,442 | 0.02 |
| Meche | 3,763 | 0.02 |
| Lepcha Lepcha people The Lepcha or Róng people , also called Róngkup , Mútuncí Róngkup Rumkup , and Rongpa , are the aboriginal people of Sikkim, who number between 30,000 and 50,000... |
3,660 | 0.02 |
| Halkhor Halalkhor The Halalkhor are a Dalit Muslim community , found in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India . They are mostly Shias. The Halalkhor are also known as Shaikhra or Shahani in Bihar and Muslim Bhangi and Mehtar in Uttar Pradesh.... |
3,621 | 0.02 |
| Punjab Punjab region The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi... i/Sikh Sikh A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"... |
3,054 | 0.01 |
| Kisan Kisan Kisan may refer to:* Kisan Tribe, an ethnic group in India* kisan, an Indian word that can be translated as peasant or farmer* Kisan , a Malayalam film from 2006* KISAN, Kus Indian Sut Asla Nicaragua ra... |
2,876 | 0.01 |
| Raji | 2,399 | 0.01 |
| Byangsi | 2,103 | 0.01 |
| Hayu Hayu The Hayus are a member of the Kirant tribe speaking their own language, Wayu or Hayu. Little is known about them. They are Animist by religion. According to the 2001 Nepal census, there are 1821 Hayu in the country,of which 70.29% were Hindus and 23.61% were animists.- External links :* *... |
1,821 | 0.01 |
| Koche | 1,429 | 0.01 |
| Dhunia Behna The Behna are a Muslim community, found in North India . In eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, they were known as Dhuna or Dhunia. They also known as Naddaf in South India and Pinjara in Gujarat and Rajasthan... |
1,231 | 0.01 |
| Walung Walung Walung was the smallest of the original five municipalities of the state of Kosrae, Micronesia. Since the 1980s, it has been part of the municipality of Tafunsak.-Geography:... |
1,148 | 0.01 |
| Jain Jain community The Jains in India have been the last direct representatives of the Shramana tradition in India. They follow Jainism, as the dharma taught by the 24 Tirthankaras, the last of whom was Mahavira.-Cultural influence:... |
1,015 | 0.00 |
| Munda Munda people The Munda are tribal people of the Chota Nagpur Plateau region.They are found across Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Assam states of India, and into parts of Bangladesh... |
660 | 0.00 |
| Raute Raute Raute are a nomadic ethnic group officially recognized by the Government of Nepal. They are known especially for their hunting of langur and macaque monkeys for subsistence. They also gather wild forest tubers, fruits, and greens on a regular basis. They normally do no gardening, farming, or work... |
658 | 0.00 |
| Hyalmo | 579 | 0.00 |
| Pattharkatta/Kuswariya | 552 | 0.00 |
| Kusunda Kusunda The Kusunda or Ban Raja , known to themselves as the Mihaq or Myahq The Kusunda or Ban Raja ("people of the forest"), known to themselves as the Mihaq or Myahq The Kusunda or Ban Raja ("people of the forest"), known to themselves as the Mihaq or Myahq (The Kusunda or Ban Raja ("people of the... |
164 | 0.00 |
| Unspecified Khas Khas Originally the Khas / Khasas or Khasiyas are the mountain dwellers living in the southern shadow of the Himalayan range from Kashmir to Bhutan, but mostly in Nepal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, North Bengal, Sikkim and Bhutan,... Dalit |
173,401 | 0.76 |
| Caste/Ethnicity not stated | 231,641 | 1.02 |
| Total | 22,736,934 | 100.00 |
Languages
Nepal's diverse linguistic heritage evolved from four major language groups: Indo-AryanIndo-Aryan languages
The Indo-Aryan languages constitutes a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, itself a branch of the Indo-European language family...
, Tibeto-Burman, Mongolian
Mongolian language
The Mongolian language is the official language of Mongolia and the best-known member of the Mongolic language family. The number of speakers across all its dialects may be 5.2 million, including the vast majority of the residents of Mongolia and many of the Mongolian residents of the Inner...
, and various indigenous language
Indigenous language
An indigenous language or autochthonous language is a language that is native to a region and spoken by indigenous peoples but has been reduced to the status of a minority language. This language would be from a linguistically distinct community that has been settled in the area for many generations...
isolates. According to the 2001 national census, 92 different living languages are spoken in Nepal (a 93rd category was "unidentified"). The major languages of Nepal (percent spoken as mother tongue) are Nepali
Nepali language
Nepali or Nepalese is a language in the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family.It is the official language and de facto lingua franca of Nepal and is also spoken in Bhutan, parts of India and parts of Myanmar...
(48%)(2011 est.), Maithili
Maithili language
Maithili language is spoken in the eastern region of India and South-eastern region of Nepal. The native speakers of Maithili reside in Bihar, Jharkhand,parts of West Bengal and South-east Nepal...
(12%), Bhojpuri
Bhojpuri language
Bhojpuri is a language spoken in parts of north-central and eastern India. It is spoken in the western part of state of Bihar, the northwestern part of Jharkhand, and the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh , as well as adjoining parts of the Nepal Terai. Bhojpuri is also spoken in Guyana,...
(5%), Tharu
Tharu language
Tharu is an Eastern zone Indo-Aryan language, or cluster of languages, spoken by the Tharu people. Not all Tharu speak distinct languages, but the languages of those who do may be divided as follows,...
(3%), Tamang
Tamang language
Tamang is a term used to collectively refer to a dialect cluster spoken in parts of Nepal and Sikkim. It comprises Eastern Tamang, Northwestern Tamang, Southwestern Tamang, Eastern Gorkha Tamang, and Western Tamang...
(2%), Gurung
Gurung language
Gurung is spoken by the Gurung people in two dialects with limited mutual intelligibility. Total number of all Gurung speakers in Nepal is 227,918...
(1.5%), Newari/Nepal Bhasa (1%), Magar
Magar language
Not to be confused with the Magyar language, known in English as HungarianMagar मगर भाषा Magar bhasa is a language spoken in parts of Nepal and Sikkim in India by Magar people. It is divided into two groups: Eastern and Western, and further dialect divisions give distinct tribal identity...
(1%), Awadhi (1%), Rai
Rai people
The Rai are one of Nepal's most ancient indigenous ethnolinguistic groups. They were Raya meaning king. Once someone was recognized as a ruler then Hindus awarded the title Raja, Rai, Raya, Malla etc. When the king Pritivi Narayan Shah couldn't defeat Kirant king , he somehow took them in...
(1%), Limbu
Limbu language
Limbu is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Kashmir and Darjeeling district, West Bengal, India, by the Limbu community. Virtually all Limbus are bilingual in Nepali....
(1%) and Bajjika (1%). The remaining 81 languages are each spoken as mother tongue by less than one percent of the population.
Derived from Khas
Khas
Originally the Khas / Khasas or Khasiyas are the mountain dwellers living in the southern shadow of the Himalayan range from Kashmir to Bhutan, but mostly in Nepal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, North Bengal, Sikkim and Bhutan,...
bhasa, Nepali
Nepali language
Nepali or Nepalese is a language in the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family.It is the official language and de facto lingua franca of Nepal and is also spoken in Bhutan, parts of India and parts of Myanmar...
is considered to be a member of Indo-European languae and is written in Devanagari
Devanagari
Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...
script. Nepali
Nepali language
Nepali or Nepalese is a language in the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family.It is the official language and de facto lingua franca of Nepal and is also spoken in Bhutan, parts of India and parts of Myanmar...
was the language of the country's unifiers in the late 18th century and became the official, national language that serves as the lingua franca among Nepalese of different ethnolinguistic groups. Hindi—along with regional dialects Awadhi, Bhojpuri and Maithili—is spoken in the southern Terai Region. Other than those, most of the Nepali can also understand and speak Neighbouring country's language . Many Nepali in government and business uses English as well.
Other languages, particularly in the Inner Terai, hill and mountain regions are remnants of the country's pre-unification history of dozens of political entities isolated by mountains and gorges. These languages typically are limited to an area spanning about one day's walk. Beyond that distance dialects and languages lose mutual intelligibility.
Religion
Hinduism 80.2%, Buddhism 10.7%, Islam 4.2%, Yuma Samyo or YumaismMundhum
Mundhum is the ancient religious scripture and folk literature of the Kirat people of Nepal, central to Kirat Mundhum, the ancient, indigenous religion of Nepal. Mundhum means "the power of great strength" in the Kiranti languages...
3.6% other 1.2% (2006).
Religion is important in Nepal; the Kathmandu Valley alone has more than 2,700 religious shrines. The constitution of Nepal describes the country as a "Hindu kingdom", although it does not establish Hinduism as the state religion
State religion
A state religion is a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state...
. Nepal's constitution continues long-standing legal provisions prohibiting discrimination against other religions (but also proselytization). The king was deified as the earthly manifestation of the Hindu god Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
. Then on May 19, 2006, the government facing a constitutional crisis
Constitutional crisis
A constitutional crisis is a situation that the legal system's constitution or other basic principles of operation appear unable to resolve; it often results in a breakdown in the orderly operation of government...
, the House of Representatives which had been just reformed, having been previously dissolved, declared Nepal a "secular state
Separation of church and state
The concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state....
".
The 2001 census identified 80.6% of the population as Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
and 10.7% as Buddhist (although many people labeled Hindu or Buddhist often practice a syncretic blend of Hinduism, Buddhism, or animist
Animism
Animism refers to the belief that non-human entities are spiritual beings, or at least embody some kind of life-principle....
traditions). 4.2% of the population is Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
and 3.6% of the population follows the indigenous Kirant Mundhum
Kirant Mundhum
Kirat Mundhum is the religion of the Kirat people of Nepal. The practice is also known as Kirat Veda, Kirat Veda, Kirat-Ko Veda or Kirat Koved. According to some scholars, such as Tom Woodhatch, it is a blend of animism , Saivite Hinduism, and Tibetan Buddhism...
religion. Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
is practiced by less than 0.5% of the population. http://www.cbs.gov.np/Nepal%20in%20figure/nepal%20in%20figures%202006.pdf
Buddhist and Hindu shrines and festivals are respected and celebrated by most Nepalese. Certain animist practices of old indigenous religions survive.
Ethnic and regional equity
PahariPahari people
The Pahari people, ; also called Pahadi, Parbati, Khāsā, or Chhetri, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group of the Himalaya living in Nepal, India, and Pakistan. In Nepal, the Pahari constituted the single largest ethnic group at about 20,000,000, or three-fifths of the Nepalese population through the 1990s...
Hill Hindus of the Khas
Khas
Originally the Khas / Khasas or Khasiyas are the mountain dwellers living in the southern shadow of the Himalayan range from Kashmir to Bhutan, but mostly in Nepal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, North Bengal, Sikkim and Bhutan,...
tribe (Bahun
Bahun
Bahun is a colloquial Nepali term for a member of the Pahari or "hill" Brahmin caste, who are traditionally educators, scholars and priests of Hinduism. They are also known as Barmu in Newari. By tradition—and by civil law until 1962—they represented the highest of the four Hindu...
and Chhetri castes) and the Newar ethnicity dominated the civil service, the judiciary and upper ranks of the army throughout the Shah regime (1768–2008). Nepali
Nepali language
Nepali or Nepalese is a language in the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family.It is the official language and de facto lingua franca of Nepal and is also spoken in Bhutan, parts of India and parts of Myanmar...
was the national language and Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
became a required school subject. Children who spoke Nepali natively and who were exposed to Sanskrit had much better chances of passing the national examinations at the end of high school, which meant they had better employment prospects and could continue into higher education. Children who natively spoke local languages of the Terai
Terai
The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion...
and Hills
Hill Region
Nepal's Hill region consists predominantly of the land area from 600 metres to 1,800 metres above sea level.The area consists of the historically important then state: Gorkha district, Syangja, Kaski, Lamjung, and Tanahun, among others....
, or Tibetan dialects prevailing in the high mountains were at a considerable disadvantage. This history of exclusion coupled with poor prospects for improvement created grievances that encouraged many in ethnic communities such as Madhesi
Madhesi
The Madhesi are the native people of Nepal who reside in the southern, plains region the Terai which they refer to as Madhesh. Madhesis comprise about 40% of the total population of Nepal...
and Tharu in the Terai
Terai
The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion...
and Kham Magar
Kham Magar
Kham Magar and Northern Magar are descriptive terms invented by academic linguists and anthropologists for a nationality in the Middle Hills of mid-western Nepal inhabiting highlands extending through eastern Rukum and northern Salyan, Rolpa and Pyuthan Districts in Rapti Zone as well as adjacent...
in the mid-western hills to support the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and various other armed Maoist opposition groups such as the JTMM during and after the Nepalese Civil War. The negotiated end to this war forced King Gyanendra
Gyanendra of Nepal
Gyanendra Shah was the last King of Nepal. During his life, he has held the title of the King twice: first between 1950 and 1951 as a child when his grandfather Tribhuvan was forced into exile in India with the rest of his family; and from 2001 to 2008, following the Nepalese royal massacre.King...
to abdicate in 2008. Issues of ethnic and regional equity have tended to dominate the agenda of the new republican government and continue to be divisive.
Nepali in the U.K.
According to latest figure from Office for National StatisticsOffice for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
estimates that 35,000 Nepali-born people are currently resident in the UK .
Nepali in Hong Kong
Nepali peopleNepali people
Nepali people can refer to:*People of Nepal*Ethnic Nepalis of Indian citizenry residing in Gorkhaland area of West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and other parts of India.* Indian Gorkhas*Lhotshampas of Bhutan.*Nepali diaspora the world over....
in Hong Kong are mainly the children of ex-Gurkha
Gurkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the Gorkha District. Gurkhas are best known for their history in the Indian Army's Gorkha regiments, the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Nepalese Army. Gurkha units are closely associated with the kukri, a forward-curving Nepalese knife...
s born in Hong Kong during their parents' service with the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
's Brigade of Gurkhas
Brigade of Gurkhas
The Brigade of Gurkhas is the collective term for units of the current British Army that are composed of Nepalese soldiers. The brigade, which is 3,640 strong, draws its heritage from Gurkha units that originally served in the British Indian Army prior to Indian independence, and prior to that of...
, which was based in Hong Kong from the 1970s until the handover
Handover
In cellular telecommunications, the term handover or handoff refers to the process of transferring an ongoing call or data session from one channel connected to the core network to another...
. Large groups can be found in Shek Kong
Shek Kong
Shek Kong is an area north of Tai Mo Shan, located near Kam Tin and Pat Heung, New Territories, Hong Kong.Shek Kong Airfield is located in Shek Kong. A sizable Nepal Gurkha population presents in the area even after the withdrawal of British military....
, Yuen Long District
Yuen Long District
Yuen Long District , is one of the districts of Hong Kong located in the northwest of the New Territories. It had a population of 449,070 in 2001. The district has the youngest population of Hong Kong and the lowest income in the New Territories.-Geography:...
, of the main bases of the British army. Many ex-Gurkhas remained in Hong Kong after the end of their service under the sponsorship of their Hong Kong-born children, who held right of abode
Right of abode issue, Hong Kong
The right of abode in Hong Kong is the right to legally reside in Hong Kong and was governed by rules both under British and Chinese administration. As the People's Republic of China stood to resume sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997, the nationality of Hong Kongers as well as their right of abode...
.
Nepalis of middle age or older generations in Hong Kong are predominantly found in security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
, while those of younger generations are predominantly found in the business industry.
Nepali overseas
| Country | Articles | Overseas Nepali Population |
|---|---|---|
| India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... |
Nepali Indian Nepali Indian Nepali Indian are people who are citizens or full-time residents of India whose ethnic origins lie fully or partially in the South Asian nation of Nepal... |
4,100,000 |
| Myanmar Myanmar Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south.... |
Burmese Gurkha Burmese Gurkha Gurkha People are a group of people of Gurkha ethnic origin living in the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar... |
400,000 |
| Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World... |
Nepalis in Saudi Arabia Nepalis in Saudi Arabia Nepalis in Saudi Arabia are migrants from Nepal to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, mostly migrant workers and expatriates. Saudi Arabia has emerged as one of the top destinations for migrant Nepalese laborers. Approximately 200,000 Nepalese laborers, skilled and semi skilled, work in the country... |
350,000 |
| Malaysia | Nepalese people in Malaysia Nepalese people in Malaysia There is a large community of Nepalese people in Malaysia, consisting mostly of Gurkhas recruited from Nepal, foreign workers and their families... |
300,000 |
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Nepalese American Nepalese American Nepalese Americans or Nepali Americans are the Citizens or Permanent Residents staying in United States whose ethnic origins lie fully or partially in the Asian nation of Nepal. But this list also include other Nepali language speaking people migrated from India, Bhutan or Myanmar... |
110,616 |
| Bhutan Bhutan Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China... |
Lhotshampa Lhotshampa Lhotshampa, or Lhotsampa, means "southerners" in Dzongkha, the national language of Bhutan. The term refers to the heterogeneous ethnic Nepalese population of Bhutan.-History:... |
110,000 |
| Qatar Qatar Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its... |
Nepalis in Qatar Nepalis in Qatar Nepalis in Qatar are migrants from Nepal to Qatar, mostly migrant workers and permanent residents, as well as their locally born descendants.-Overview:... |
100,000 |
| Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
Nepalis in Japan Nepalis in Japan Nepalis in Japan comprise migrants from Nepal to Japan, including temporary expatriates and permanent residents, as well as their locally-born descendants. Japan was a popular destination for Nepalese immigrants as they could earn ten times the average wage in Nepal even in low - skilled manual... |
100,000 |
| United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a... |
Nepalis in the United Arab Emirates | 50,000 |
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
Nepalis in the United Kingdom Nepalis in the United Kingdom Nepalese in the United Kingdom are British citizens or full time residents of the United Kingdom whose ethnic origins lie fully or partially in the South Asian nation of Nepal.-History:... |
35,000 |
| Iraq Iraq Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert.... |
30,000 | |
| China People's Republic of China China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres... |
Nepalis in China Nepalis in China The community of Nepalis in China consists of Nepalese immigrants and expatriates to China as well as Chinese citizens of Nepalese descent.-History:... |
21,000 |
| Continental Europe Continental Europe Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands.... |
20,000 | |
| Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour... |
Nepalis in Hong Kong | 16,000 |
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
Nepalese Australian | 10,000 |
| South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
Nepalis in South Korea Nepalis in South Korea Nepalis in South Korea comprise migrants from Nepal to South Korea, including temporary expatriates and permanent residents, as well as their locally-born descendants.-Migration history:... |
100,000 |
| Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
Nepalese Canadian Nepalese Canadian Nepalese Canadians or Nepali Canadians are Canadians with roots in the South Asian country of Nepal.-Migration History:Nepalis are recent immigrants in Canada and their numbers are relatively small. According to the 1991 report on immigration and citizenship, only 125 people indicated Nepal as... |
6,000 |
| Total Overseas Nepal Population | ~5,643,000 |