Part of the country series of articles.
TRAVEL ADVISORY: NORMAL PRECAUTIONSThe Commonwealth advises travellers to exercise normal precautions when travelling in this country. Travellers should familiarise themselves with local laws and customs and consular availability.
| Confederation of the Himalayas | |
|---|---|
| Confederation of Kingdoms | |
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| Capital | Kathmandu |
| Languages | Nepali, Dzongkha, Sikkimese, Naga, and many other languages |
| Population | 12,400,000 |
The Confederation of the Himalayas is a federal union of mountain kingdoms occupying the high ranges and foothills between India and China, comprising Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and the northeastern hill states of Kumeng, Subansiri, Siang, Lohit, Tirap and Nagaland. The confederation formed during the collapse of the British Raj and the subsequent Eastern Emergency, securing independence through a combination of difficult terrain and deliberate neutrality. Its position as a buffer state between India and China – which maintain an active territorial rivalry – has been a stabilising factor in its continued independence.
The confederation has a limited industrial base. Income derives principally from tourism, managed with varying degrees of restriction by the member kingdoms, and from tea exported to Commonwealth, European and Japanese markets. The hill states of the northeast produce several of the most valued varieties in Asia. Kathmandu serves as the federal capital and the confederation’s most connected city, while each member kingdom retains its own court, administrative customs and considerable autonomy. The confederation’s federal institutions are small and the member states have divergent political traditions.