Nepal

Three-quarters of the country is mountainous, and eight of the world's ten highest mountains are in Nepal, including Mount Everest at 8,848m. The southern part of the country, sandwiched between the giants China and India, is fertile plains. The further north you go, the higher the mountains and the sparser the settlements. The Country#39;s only major city is the capital, Kathmandu. Most of the Nepalese people live in village settlements. Overall, Nepal is a very poor and underdeveloped country. Religion dominates Nepalese culture and everyday life. 80% of the people in Nepal are Hindus and 10% are Buddhists - some are both. Nepal was a Hindu monarchy until 2007, but is now a secular republic. Christians and other religious minorities have increased in number. Christians have experienced a revival like that of the Acts of the Apostles. At the end of 2017, however, an anti-conversion law was introduced. Since then, it has been forbidden in Nepal to recruit anyone to change their religion, regardless of the means used. Violations of the law can be punished with up to five years in prison or a fine. Minorities complain that this restricts their freedom of religion. For Christians, the law creates a great deal of uncertainty. The basically secular constitution protects Nepal's traditional religions, Hinduism and Buddhism. Unfortunately, in recent years there has been repeated persecution of religious minorities in Nepal by Nepalese Hindu nationalists. -