ABOUT NEPAL PAGE 2
Nepal is a multicultural and multiethnic country. It is home to 126 distinct ethnic groups, speaking 123 different languages. The major religion in Nepal is Hinduism with 81.3% of the population, followed by Buddhism 9%; Islam 4.4%, Kirant 3%, Christianity 1.3% and other folk religions at 0.4%. Nepal has the largest population of Hindus in the world. Nepal was officially a Hindu Kingdom until 2006, and Shiva was considered the guardian deity of the country By percentage of population, Nepalese societies generally enjoy religious tolerance and harmony among all religions, with only isolated incidents of religiously motivated violence. On May 18, 2006 the House of Representatives unanimously voted to curtail the power of the king and declared Nepal a secular state, ending its official status as a Hindu Kingdom.
Tourism is one of the largest industries in Nepal, employing more than a million people and contributing 7.9% of the total GDP. It is also one of the fastest growing. The number of international visitors crossed one million in 2018 for the first time, a 59% increase from 736,000 in the Nepal Tourism Year 2011, despite setbacks from the devastating 2015 earthquake.
Nepal
About Nepal Page 1
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