Nepal

Nepal is one of the world's poorest countries ranking 138 out of 177 in the human development index .Nepal is naturally beautiful country of 147,181 sq.km in the south Asia region having 885 km in the east- west direction and with a mean north-south width of 193 km. Nepal is renowed for it's socio-cultural diversity having having more than 101 ethnic groups, 92 languages , 10 religions and 3 geographical regions with a population of 23.1 milliom people living157 persons per sqkm which was just 40 in 1911. The 2001 census showed that 57.5% of the population belonged to caste, 2/3 of them living in hills and 1/3 living in the Terai.Dalits who make up 13.6% of the population are one the most disadvantages and backward groups. It has five development regions:Eastern, Central ,Western, Mid-western and Far-western development region.Nepal has 14 zones , 58 municipalities and 3915 village development regions which was further dividing into small political units called wards.

National standard living survey 2003/4 reports that poverty incidence decreased from 42% in 1995/6 to 31% in 2003/4, however rural urban disparity still exist.A significant increase in remmittances, increase in wages, improved connectivity and access to markets , urbanization ,and falling birth rtes were behind decline.Life expectancy at birth is 61.4 years ( female has lower) whereas adult literacy rate is 48% and 80% people are economically active in agriculture.