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References: Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives

  1. Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis, Summary for Policymakers - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - The official summary behind this chapter's sea-level and glacier facts, including the 0.20 m rise from 1901 to 2018 and the likely ranges for 2100. Look for sections A.1.7 and B.5.3.

  2. Beyond GDP: Bhutan's pursuit of wellbeing and happiness revealed in latest GNH results - Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), University of Oxford - Reports the 2022 GNH Index results, including the score of 0.781 and the share of people classed as deeply, extensively and narrowly happy or unhappy. A good antidote to the idea that everyone in Bhutan is happy.

  3. Bhutan's Constitution of 2008 - Constitute Project - The full English text of Bhutan's Constitution. Search it for "Gross National Happiness," "Dzongkha" and "forest cover" to read the original wording behind facts in this chapter.

  4. Maldives - Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Illinois - A short outreach profile of the Maldives covering its 26 atolls, its very low elevation, the arrival of Islam and its independence in 1965.

  5. Population, total (SP.POP.TOTL) - World Bank Open Data - The source for the 2025 populations of Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives. You can compare how fast each country has grown since 1960.

  6. Personal remittances, received (% of GDP): Nepal - World Bank Open Data - Shows how much of Nepal's economy comes from money sent home by workers abroad, about 32% of GDP in 2025. It connects this chapter to the diaspora in Chapter 21.

  7. Ex-Kathmandu mayor Balen set to become Nepal premier - Anadolu Agency (7 March 2026) - A news report on early results of Nepal's 5 March 2026 election, held after the September 2025 youth-led protests. Check newer news for the latest on Nepal's government.

  8. One lakh Bhutanese refugees resettled outside Nepal - The Himalayan Times (November 2015) - Reports the milestone of more than 100,000 Bhutanese refugees resettled from camps in eastern Nepal, about 85,000 of them in the United States. Useful background for the Whose Story? box.

  9. Sherpa people - Wikipedia - An overview of Sherpa history, language, religion and the meaning of the name "Sherpa." Use its citations to find books and studies by Sherpa and other scholars.

  10. Kathmandu Valley - Wikipedia - A starting point on the valley's history and its seven UNESCO monument zones, with links to the UNESCO listing and to each temple and square.