The people are highly religious and the practice of religious rituals is a part of everyday life. Hinduism is the main religion of Nepal. 86.5 percent of the people are Hindus, 7.8 percent Buddhists, 3.5 percent Muslims and 2.2 percent Jains, Christians and others. There is a unique blend of Hinduism and Buddhism. The two religions have overlapped and harmonised to an extent that Hindus and Buddhists worship the identical gods.

Nepali is the national language of the country and is written in Devanagari script. Other languages are Maithili, Bhojapuri, Newari, Gurung, Tamang, Tharu, Magar, Limbu, Rai, Kirati, Bhote and so on. English is spoken and understood by people in urban centres.

Nepal has preserved one of the world's oldest and richest continuous cultures. Her culture finds exquisite expression in the fields of religion, art, music, dance, social and socio-religious festivals. There are thousands of temples, shrines, pagodas, intricate wood carvings and bronze and stone images of great elegance.

Festivals are a prominent aspect of Nepalese life, in which all people participate enthusiastically. Dashain (Durga Puja), Tihar (festival of lights), Shiva Ratri (the night of lord Shiva), Indra Jatra (festival of Indra, the god of rain), Baishakh Purnima (to pay homage to lord Buddha), Gai Jatra (cow festival) and a host of other festivals are celebrated throughout the year.


Economy Society & Politics:

The Nepalese economy is based upon 90 % on agriculture. The industry produces mostly beverages, cigarettes and processed food. Clothing is connected to agriculture. The main exports are carpets, handicrafts and tourism plays an important role for Nepal. So the social structure is still based somehow in the old days, supported by the Hindu cast system, which divides all tribes into own categories.

Of course, mostly Brahmins have economical and political power, only few other have bigger influence, as in the tourism, Manangi, Sherpa does. Politically Nepal is not stable, as democracy is shortly introduced, so governments change often, which is a dangerous problem for the long term future development of the country. Nevertheless, for tourists this means in no way a danger, as the Nepalese do not extend their quarrels to "outsiders".