Languages

Nepal is rich in language and culture. According to the geographical structure the languages were also varied.

Nepali is the official language, although some 20 different languages divided into numerous dialects are spoken. Nepali is spoken by about 90% of the population and is the language for most intertribal communication; it is used in government publications and has been the language of most of the written literature since the Gurkha unification of Nepal. More than 11% of the people speak Maithili as their first language, 7.6% Bhojpuri, 4% Tharu, and about 3% Newari and Tamang each. Except in primary schools, where children are taught in their own language, Nepali is the medium of instruction. English is taught as a second language in secondary schools and colleges and is widely understood in business and government circles.

Even though Nepali (written in Devanagari script, the same as Sanskrit and Hindi) was the national language and was mentioned as the mother tongue by approximately 58 percent of the population, there were several other languages and dialects. Other languages included Maithili, Bhojpuri, Tharu, Tamang, Newari, and Abadhi. Non-Nepali languages and dialects rarely were spoken outside their ethnic enclaves. In order to estimate the numerical distribution of different ethnic groups, the census data indicating various mother tongues spoken in the country must be used.