29th May: Nepal Republic Day

Today is Nepal Republic Day. Here are 10 things you didn't know about Nepal:

1. The highest point in Nepal is also the highest point in the entire world - Mount Everest, at 8,848 metres (29,029 ft). The locals call it Sagarmatha ("Goddess of the Sky". It's a good earner for Nepal, which makes $3.3 million a year from climbing fees alone.
2. There are two theories as to where the name of the country came from. One is that it derived from the Newar people, the indigenous people of Kathmandu valley; the other is that a Hindu sage named "Ne" once lived in the valley of Kathmandu in prehistoric times and the place was protected ("pala" in Pali) by him.
3. Possibly the most famous person to come from Nepal is a prince named Siddhartha Gautam, who renounced his position to lead an ascetic life and came to be known as the Buddha ("the awakened one" or "the enlightened one"). Most of the population of Nepal are Hindus. though.
4. The national flower of Nepal is the Rhododendron. The national animal is the Cow - sacred in the Hindu religion.
5. The Nepalese flag is the only national flag in the world not to be rectangular in shape. It is shaped like two triangles on top of each other. The Nepalese constitution gives geometric instructions on how to produce the correct shape. The red colour represents aggression, and/or the national flower. The blue stands for peace. The curved moon on the flag represents the peaceful and calm nature of the Nepalese people, while the sun represents the aggressiveness of their warriors.
6. Talking of warriors, the Gurkhas are soldiers from Nepal. They serve in armies all over the world, and are known for their bravery. The former Indian Army Chief of Staff Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, said "If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or is a Gurkha." Their traditional weapon is the Khukuri, a forward-curving Nepalese knife.
7. Kathmandu is the capital and largest city.
8. It's possibly not the best place for a road trip. Over a third of the population have a two hour walk before they reach their nearest reliable road. About 60% of the road network is impassable during the rainy season.
9. It's good for World Heritage sites. It has the densest concentration of them in the world, including seven in the Kathmandu Valley alone.
10. A popular sport in Nepal is polo - only using Elephants instead of Horses. The World Elephant Polo Championships are held in Nepal.