A look at a current news item through the lens of different Gale electronic resources.
By Michelle Eickmeyer
Oh Nepal… This week’s earthquake, the following tidal wave of repeated avalanches and mudslides, and the heartbreak of loss has shown a new light on this little-known part of the world. Such a tiny country, the majority of the world know Nepal as merely the home of Mt. Everest. As with most of the world, the history of Nepal is marked with conflict, evolving borders, and the quest for singular identity. It is the birthplace of Buddha and the home of about 28 million people. Its beautiful and full of prayer flags and industrious sherpas. Beyond that, what do you know?
Fundamental life in Nepal is drastically different from the U.S., and many of these differences are key in making the recovery from the recent earthquake and subsequent mudslides, avalanches and other suffering dramatically more difficult. It is slightly larger than the state of Arkansas (with a scant 3 million residents), and divided into 3 regions. A Nepalese resident will use 99.28% LESS electricity, 98.9% LESS oil, and make 97.16% LESS money than the average American. They will be more likely to be unemployed, die sooner (if they make it through infancy) and have more children. Life in Nepal is difficult (source). Nepal ranks 121st (of 158) in this year’s world happiness report. Some comparisons: Canada, 5; Australia, 10; United States, 15; United Kingdom, 21. (source)
In many ways, Nepal is the cultural center of finding yourself. Whether its through the physical dedication to a life-threatening climb, or through the mental dedication of peace and wisdom of Buddhism. Serendipitous these two activities occur in the same location? Probably not.
Here’s a look at Nepal through four online resources from Gale.
Whether it’s the first reference in 1924 or one of 11 mentions by former president and first female elected judge of the International Court of Justice, world leaders have expressed interest in Nepal and the Himalayan region more than 700 times at Chatham House.
GVRL, Ethics, Science, Technology, and Engineering
In their basic definition, earthquakes result in two techtonic plates moving against each other, sharply. Mountains, generally, are where two plates jam into each other and push upward. The Himalayan region is known to have some of the most active earthquake zones, with 92 active faults in the country. What of active quake zones in the U.S. and Canada? With several mountain ranges and numerous fault lines between us, we do what we can to plan and prepare for events. Learn more about the importance of engineering for earthquakes in this new title.
Through its evolution as a country through this week’s disasters, users of this resource can access materials originating in different parts of the globe. Get a more true understanding of an issue with this continually updated resources, featuring reference and contemporary periodicals, journals and more,
Religion and Philosophy Collection
The birthplace of Buddha, Nepal has a deep history with religion, peace, and harmony. Provide your student and faculty researchers access to more than 200 academic journals and magazine, updated daily, with focused content on religion and the related areas of philosophy and anthropology.
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About the Author
Michelle is an “anytime!” traveler and language enthusiast. She has degrees in talking from Central Michigan and Michigan State University. She is currently becoming a runner and used to play golf in high school.
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