Post #2

Nepal is a country rich with history and culture. As of the 2011 census, 123 different first languages are spoken around the country with Nepali regarded as the official language. According to Dr. Oishimaya Sen Nag, these languages can be broken down into two major categories; Indo-Ayran and Sino-Tibetan languages. Nepali has deep roots within the Indo-Ayran family, but has some influences from Sino-Tibetan languages. While Nepali is undoubtedly the most widely spoken language in Nepal, around 75 per cent of the 123 languages belong to the Sino-Tibetan category. While many of these are spoken languages, there are several that are sign languages. Many of these languages are classified as either “vulnerable” or “endangered” by UNESCO. This poses some issues when people from rural areas try to communicate in larger cities. Unless one knows Nepali, it is near impossible to travel to a larger city and be understood. This presents a further gap in income as people from poor, rural areas cannot move to larger cities for work unless they know Nepali (WorldAtlas).

Nepal is involved in numerous international organizations such as the IMF, the WTO, and UN. As a member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Nepal is involved in mutually beneficial financial relationships with other nations. Nepal participates through the exchange of financial knowledge and research in order to strengthen economies worldwide. This responsibility is also carried out through their membership in the World Bank. Nepal joined both of these organizations on September 6, 1961 (NepalRastraBank). Nepal joined the World Trade Organization on April 23, 2004. It was the second to last developed nation to join the organization, providing much-needed representation for struggling countries. As a member, Nepal is aided in their need for trade. Sandwiched in between two trading powerhouses, it used to be extremely difficult for Nepal to strike deals with other nations. Nepal’s main job in the WTO is to provide representation for the countries not yet developed enough to be apart of the organization (WTO). Nepal has also been a member of the United Nations since December 14, 1955. Its job in the UN varies from investigative work, to maintenance. Nepal even aided in the creation of the list of Human Rights. As of currently, Nepal is serving on the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2018-2020 term. After this, they plan on continuing their involvement wherever necessary (UN).

Nepal’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was last recorded in 2018. This value was adjusted for the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) and was discovered to be $2724 US Dollars. This places Nepal at 15% of the world average proving that Nepal is one of the developed world’s poorest countries (TradingEconomicsGDP).

Fear of the Coronavirus outbreak has reached nearly every corner of the world. Nepal saw their first confirmed case in late January 2020 and have since shut their borders to China. This was a very difficult decision for the country as they rely on their open borders for trade. As of Sunday, February 2nd, a group of Nepalis stuck in the Hubei providence of China requested that they be evacuated and brought home. This providence holds the city of Wuhan, where the outbreak first began. A total of 180 people are asking their government to bring them back. Nepal is not only struggling with the logistics of bringing their people back, but also how to quarantine them once they arrive in the country. Not only do they have to be careful not to endanger the pilots or flight crew that will fly the people back, they also need to ensure that the Nepalis in China don’t infect each other while in close proximity. While Nepal announced to the world that it would be bringing its people home a week ago, as of Sunday February 9th, no progress has been made and the Nepali people in China are beginning to loose hope (TheKathmanduPost).