ABSTRACT
In mid-1993 it was estimated that Nepal had a population of 19.3 million people. Nepal is ethnically diverse and complex with more than 75 ethnic groups speaking some 50 languages.
Broadly speaking, the population can be classified into three major ethnic groupings based on origin: Indo-Nepalese, Tibeto-Mongols and indigenous Nepalese. Coming into the country as they did from different directions, the two first groups are today found in different parts of the country at various altitudes. The Indo-Nepalese inhabit the Terai, the river valleys and the fertile lower hills while the Tibeto-Mongols (who have much in common with the Tibetans) occupy the higher northern mountain areas from west to east. In the central hill region there are many different groups of people among whom the Brahmans (13 per cent), the Chettris (16 per cent) and the Newars (5.6 per cent) are dominant. Generally speaking, the Indo-Nepalese peoples have been agriculturists while the Tibeto-Mongol groups can be considered agro-pastoralists, the emphasis on agriculture versus pastoralism shifting depending on the local environment. The third group, the indigenous Nepalese, consists of a number of tribal communities such as the Tharus and the Dhimals living in the Terai. Culturally and linguistically, these people are closely related to people in the north Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
