query: The Syrian Desert spans 500,000 km2 of the Middle East.

pos: Syrian Desert The Syrian Desert ( بادية الشام , bādiyat ash-shām ) also known as the Hamad , is a combination of steppe and true desert covering 500000 km2 the Middle East , covering parts of south-eastern Syria , northeastern Jordan , northern Saudi Arabia , and western Iraq . To the south it borders and merges into the Arabian Desert .  The land is open , gravely desert pavement , cut with occasional wadis .

neg: Middle East nuclear weapon free zone The Middle East nuclear weapon free zone ( MENWFZ ) is a proposed agreement similar to other nuclear-weapon-free zones in other regions . Steps towards the establishment of such a zone began in the 1960s led to a joint declaration by Egypt and Iran in 1974 which resulted in a General Assembly resolution ( broadened in 1990 through the Mubarak Initiative to cover all weapons of mass destruction ) . Following the 1995 NPT Review Conference , the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) held a series of meetings involving experts and academics to consider ways to advance this process .   Such a zone would strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ( NPT ) , would help to promote global nuclear disarmament and would also help the Middle East peace process as substantial confidence-building measures .   The United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 ( the ceasefire ending the Gulf War ) recognizes the goal of establishing the MENWFZ ( para 14 ) .   For the Egyptian government ( until the political changes of 2011 ) , a MENWFZ was seen as a central source of pressure on Israel to relinquish its ambiguous nuclear policy , and to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ( NPT ) . Until the Iranian nuclear program , Israel was believed to be the only Mideast country to have a nuclear deterrence capability , developed in the 1960s . As Avner Cohen , Gerald Steinberg and other experts have noted , Israeli policy has emphasized the link between nuclear demilitarization and a comprehensive peace settlement including Palestinian issues and with countries and potential threats in the region , including Syria and Iran . Israel maintains a veil of `` studied ambiguity '' ( `` amimut '' ) about its nuclear arsenal , and has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty .   Four countries in the Middle East have been found in non-compliance with their IAEA safeguards obligations under the NPT : Iraq , Libya , Iran , and Syria . Of these cases , Iran and Syria remain unresolved .   Following pressure from Egypt and the Arab League , the 2010 NPT Review Conference called for holding a conference on a MENWFZ which would primarily press Israel to end its policy of a ambiguity . Finland planned to host such an event in 2012 . However , no agreement was reached on the agenda and other issues , and the conference was called off in November 2012 .   An international group of concerned citizens , including former members of the Israeli Knesset , responded to the lack of progress in official talks by organizing an International Conference For A WMD-Free Middle East . It was held in Haifa in December 2013 .

neg: Shahba region The Shahba region ( Herêma Şehba , إقليم شهبا , -LSB- ܦܢܝܬܐ ܕܫܗܒܐ , translit = Ponyotho d'Shahba -RSB- ) or Shahba Canton ( Kantona Şehba , مقاطعة شهباء , -LSB- ܦܠܩܐ ܕܓܙܪܬܐ , translit = Pelqo d'Shahba -RSB- ) is a de facto autonomous region in the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria . The self-governing autonomous administrative region was established to administer the areas captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant between Kobani Canton and Afrin Canton .   The Shahba autonomous region was founded during the first and second conferences of the Shahba region in Afrin on 28 January 2016 and 2 -- 4 February 2016 . The conferences set up the Shahba Regional Assembly with its own council and senate and a de facto autonomous administration , created on 22 March 2016 . The borders of the autonomous region are subject to change as a result of military developments in the Syrian Civil War .

neg: Geography of Iran Geographically , Iran is located in West Asia and borders the Caspian Sea , Persian Gulf , and Gulf of Oman . Its mountains have helped to shape both the political and the economic history of the country for several centuries . The mountains enclose several broad basins , on which major agricultural and urban settlements are located . Until the 20th century , when major highways and railroads were constructed through the mountains to connect the population centers , these basins tended to be relatively isolated from one another .   Typically , one major town dominated each basin , and there were complex economic relationships between the town and the hundreds of villages that surrounded it . In the higher elevations of the mountains rimming the basins , tribally organized groups practiced transhumance , moving with their herds of sheep and goats between traditionally established summer and winter pastures . There are no major river systems in the country , and historically transportation was by means of caravans that followed routes traversing gaps and passes in the mountains . The mountains also impeded easy access to the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea .   With an area of 1648000 km2 , Iran ranks eighteenth in size among the countries of the world . Iran shares its northern borders with three post-Soviet states : Armenia , Azerbaijan , and Turkmenistan . These borders extend for more than 2000 km , including nearly 650 km of water along the southern shore of the Caspian Sea . Iran 's western borders are with Turkey in the north and Iraq in the south , terminating at the Arvand Rud .   The Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman littorals form the entire 1770 km southern border . To the east lie Afghanistan on the north and Pakistan on the far south . Iran 's diagonal distance from Azerbaijan in the northwest to Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast is approximately 2333 km .

neg: Caravan (travellers) A caravan ( from کاروان ) is a group of people traveling together , often on a trade expedition . Caravans were used mainly in desert areas and throughout the Silk Road , where traveling in groups aided in defense against bandits as well as helping to improve economies of scale in trade .   In historical times , caravans connecting East Asia and Europe often carried luxurious and lucrative goods , such as silks or jewelry . Caravans could therefore require considerable investment and were a lucrative target for bandits . The profits from a successfully undertaken journey could be enormous , comparable to the later European spice trade . The luxurious goods brought by caravans attracted many rulers along important trade routes to construct caravanserais . Caravanserais were roadside stations which supported the flow of commerce , information , and people across the network of trade routes covering Asia , North Africa , and southeastern Europe , especially along the Silk Road . Caravanserais provided water for human and animal consumption , washing , and ritual ablutions . Sometimes they had elaborate baths . They also kept fodder for animals and had shops for travelers where they could acquire new supplies . In addition , some shops bought goods from the traveling merchants .   However , the volume a caravan could transport was limited even by Classical or Medieval standards . For example , a caravan of 500 camels could only transport as much as a third or half of the goods carried by a regular Byzantine merchant sailing ship .   Present-day caravans in less-developed areas of the world often still transport important goods through badly passable areas , such as seeds required for agriculture in arid regions . An example are the camel trains traversing the southern edges of the Sahara Desert .

neg: Dabiq, Syria Dabiq ( دابق -LSB- / ˈdaːbiq / -RSB- ) is a town in northern Syria , about 40 km northeast of Aleppo and around south of Syria 's border with Turkey . It is administratively part of the Akhtarin nahiyah ( subdistrict ) of the A'zaz District of Aleppo Governorate . Nearby localities include Mare ' to the southwest , Sawran to the northwest , and Akhtarin town to the southeast . In the 2004 census , Dabiq had a population of 3,364 .   The town was the site of the battle of Marj Dabiq in 1516 , in which the Ottoman Empire decisively defeated the Mamluk Sultanate .   In Islamic eschatology , it is believed that Dabiq is one of two possible locations ( the other is Amaq ) for an epic battle between invading Christians and the defending Muslims which will result in a Muslim victory and mark the beginning of the end of times . The Islamic State believes Dabiq is where an epic and decisive battle will take place with Christian forces of the West , and have named their online magazine after the village .

neg: Al-Ghab Plain The Ghab Plain is a fertile depression lying mainly in the Al-Suqaylabiyah District in northwest Syria , near Muhradah ( 35 ° 15 ′ N 36 ° 35 ′ E ) , around 25 km north-west of Hama . The valley was flooded for centuries by the waters of the Orontes River , which rendered it a swamp . The `` Ghab project '' , beginning in the 1950s , drained the valley to make it habitable , arable land , providing an extra 41000 ha of irrigated farmland .   The valley separates the al-Ansariyah mountains in the west from the Zawiyah mountain range and the plateau region to the east . It is 63 km long and 12.1 km wide .

neg: Arab League The Arab League , formally the League of Arab States , is a regional organization of Arab countries in and around North Africa , the Horn of Africa and Arabia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members : Kingdom of Egypt , Kingdom of Iraq , Transjordan ( renamed Jordan in 1949 ) , Lebanon , Saudi Arabia , and Syria . Yemen joined as a member on 5 May 1945 . Currently , the League has 22 members , but Syria 's participation has been suspended since November 2011 , as a consequence of government repression during the Syrian Civil War .   The League 's main goal is to `` draw closer the relations between member States and co-ordinate collaboration between them , to safeguard their independence and sovereignty , and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries '' .   Through institutions , such as the Arab League Educational , Cultural and Scientific Organization ( ALECSO ) and the Economic and Social Council of the Arab League 's Council of Arab Economic Unity ( CAEU ) , the Arab League facilitates political , economic , cultural , scientific , and social programmes designed to promote the interests of the Arab world . It has served as a forum for the member states to coordinate their policy positions , to deliberate on matters of common concern , to settle some Arab disputes and to limit conflicts such as the 1958 Lebanon crisis . The League has served as a platform for the drafting and conclusion of many landmark documents promoting economic integration . One example is the Joint Arab Economic Action Charter , which outlines the principles for economic activities in the region .   Each member state has one vote in the League Council , and decisions are binding only for those states that have voted for them . The aims of the league in 1945 were to strengthen and coordinate the political , cultural , economic and social programs of its members and to mediate disputes among them or between them and third parties . Furthermore , the signing of an agreement on Joint Defence and Economic Cooperation on 13 April 1950 committed the signatories to coordination of military defence measures . In March 2015 , the Arab League General Secretary announced the establishment of a Joint Arab Force with the aim of counteracting extremism and other threats to the Arab States . The decision was reached while Operation Decisive Storm was intensifying in Yemen . Participation in the project is voluntary , and the army intervenes only at the request of one of the member states . The growing militarization of the region and the increase in violent civil wars as well as terrorist movements are the reason behind the creation of the JAF , financed by the rich Gulf countries .   In the early 1970s , the Economic Council of the League of Arab States put forward a proposal to create the Joint Arab Chambers of Commerce across the European states . That led , under the decree of the League of Arab States no . K1175/D52/G , to the decision by the Arab governments to set up the Arab British Chamber of Commerce which was mandated to `` promote , encourage and facilitate bilateral trade '' between the Arab world and its major trading partner , the United Kingdom .

neg: Winston's Hiccup `` Winston 's Hiccup '' ( also known as `` Churchill 's Sneeze '' ) ( Arabic : حازوقة وينستون ) refers to the abruptly concave section of Jordan 's eastern border with Saudi Arabia , causing the border to resemble a zigzag shape , supposedly created arbitrarily in 1921 when Winston Churchill ( then serving as the Secretary of State for the Colonies ) drew the boundary of the British protectorate of Transjordan following a `` particularly liquid lunch '' . The legend arose after Churchill himself boasted in his later years that he had created Jordan `` with the stroke of a pen , one Sunday afternoon in Cairo '' . Nevertheless , the supposed involvement of alcohol in the drawing of the border as well as Churchill 's claimed sole responsibility over it are almost certainly apocryphal .   Although the modern border is a result of a later territorial exchange between Jordan and Saudi Arabia , the general angle of the Hiccup remains similar , while the location of the vertex remains the same . The two straight borderlines making up the modern Winston 's Hiccup consist of one line running 90 miles northwest , at whose end the border creates an acute angle , and the continuing line which runs for 130 miles northeast towards the Iraqi border . The acute angle created points directly towards the Dead Sea on the other side of Jordan . The triangular part of Saudi Arabia bordering Winston 's Hiccup and thus jutting into Jordan is also the closest part of the country to Jerusalem , at just over 100 miles .   Complex and seemingly arbitrary Middle Eastern borders such as Winston 's Hiccup often took the movements and lands of tribal nomads into consideration in attempting to create practical borders . In the modern era , Jordan 's boundaries with Saudi Arabia , Syria , and Iraq do not generally hamper nomads in their movements , although for a few tribes the borders do technically separate them from traditional grazing areas . Conversely , the border between Jordan and Israel is governed more heavily . Officially , the borders were set by a series of agreements between the United Kingdom and the government of what eventually became Saudi Arabia , first formally defined in the Hadda Agreement of 1925 . In 1965 , Jordan and Saudi Arabia concluded a bilateral agreement that realigned and defined the boundary . The realignment resulted in some exchange of territory , and Jordan 's coastline on the Gulf of Aqaba was lengthened by about 18 kilometers .

neg: Arab Liberation Movement The Arab Liberation Movement ( حركة التحرر العربي Ḥarakat Al-Tahrir Al - ` Arabiy , ALM ) was a Syrian political party founded on 25 August 1952 by the President of Syria Adib Shishakli , during his government was the only legal party in Syria until 1954 .   Shishakli then dissolved all political parties and banned many newspapers , in a return to military rule . Among those to suffer persecution under his rule were the National Party of Damascus , the People 's Party of Aleppo , the Communist Party , the Ba'ath Party , and the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood . He also outlawed all newspapers that were not pro-Shishakli , and banished the Ba'ath leaders Akram al-Hawrani , Michel Aflaq , and Salah al-Bitar to Lebanon , where they then actively worked against his government .   He was a skilled public speaker , however , and relied greatly on the radio to transmit his speeches to every-day Syrians . On 25 August 1952 , he established an official government party , the Arab Liberation Movement , but it was boycotted by powerful representatives of the civilian political society , such as Hashim al-Atassi . The party was progressive and accepted women among its ranks and calling for a limited degree of socialism . Some said that he viewed himself as `` an Arab Caesar . '' In mid-1953 Shishakli staged an election to make himself President , but he was by now facing mounting dissent .   Shishakli continued to rule the country until 1954 , when growing public opposition forced him to resign and leave the country . The national government was restored , but again to face instability , this time coming from abroad . After the overthrow of President Shishakli in a 1954 coup , continued political maneuvering supported by competing factions in the military eventually brought Arab nationalist and socialist elements to power .   Growing discontent eventually led to another coup , in which Shishakli was overthrown in February 1954 . The plotters included members of the Syrian Communist Party , Druze officers , and Ba'ath Party members and possibly had Iraqi backing . He had also arrested a lot of active officers in the Syrian Army , including the rising young Adnan al-Malki , also a prominent Baathist . Leading the anti-Shishakli movement were former President Atassi and the veteran Druze leader Sultan al-Atrash . The largest anti-Shishakli conference had been held in Atassi 's home in Homs . Shishakli had responded by arresting Atassi and Atrash 's sons , Adnan and Mansur ( both of whom were ranking politicians in Syria ) .   When the insurgency reached its peak , Shishakli backed down , refusing to drag Syria into civil war . He fled to Lebanon , but when the Druze leader Kamal Jumblat threatened to have him killed , he fled to Brazil . Prior to the union between Syria and Egypt in 1958 , Shishakli toyed with the idea of returning to Syria to launch a coup d'état , using funds provided by Iraq . The coup was foiled by Syrian intelligence and Shishakli was sentenced to death in absentia .   After the Syrian parliamentary election , 1954 the party obtained 2 seats in the Syrian Parliament , in 1958 was banned by the Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser .   In the Syrian parliamentary election , 1961 the Arab Liberation Movement gained 4 seats in the Syrian parliament   The party was dissolved in March 8 , 1963 , following the Ba'athist revolution

neg: Demographics of Syria In 2011 , the Syrian population was estimated at roughly 23 million permanent inhabitants , including people with refugee status from Palestine and Iraq and are an overall indigenous Levantine people . While most modern-day Syrians are commonly described as Arabs by virtue of their modern-day language and bonds to Arab culture and history , they are , in fact , largely a blend of the various Semitic-speaking groups indigenous to the region .

neg: Near East The Near East is a geographical term that roughly encompasses Western Asia . Despite having varying definitions within different academic circles , the term was originally applied to the maximum extent of the Ottoman Empire . The term has fallen into disuse in English and has been replaced by the terms Middle East and Western Asia .   According to the National Geographic Society , the terms Near East and Middle East denote the same territories and are `` generally accepted as comprising the countries of the Arabian Peninsula , Cyprus , Egypt , Iraq , Iran , Israel , Jordan , Lebanon , Palestinian territories , Syria , and Turkey '' . The Food and Agriculture Organization ( FAO ) of the United Nations defines the region similarly , but also includes Afghanistan while excluding the countries of North Africa and the Palestinian territories .

neg: Saharan Air Layer The Saharan Air Layer ( SAL ) is an extremely hot , dry and sometimes dust-laden layer of the atmosphere that often overlies the cooler , more-humid surface air of the Atlantic Ocean . In the Sahara Desert region of North Africa , where it originates , it is the prevalent atmosphere , extending from the surface upwards several kilometers . As it drives , or is driven , out over the ocean , it is lifted above the denser marine air . This arrangement is an inversion where the temperature increases with height . The boundary between the SAL and the marine layer suppresses or `` caps '' any convection originating in the marine layer . Since it is dry air , the lapse rate within the SAL itself is steep , that is , the temperature falls rapidly with height .   Disturbances such as large thunderstorm complexes over North Africa periodically result in vast dust and sand storms , some of which extend as high as 6,000 meters . These can be driven out to sea within the SAL as far west as North America .   In the case of Africa , winds blow twenty percent of dust from a Saharan storm out over the Atlantic Ocean , and twenty percent of that , or four percent of a single storm 's dust , reaches all the way to the western Atlantic . The remainder settles out into the ocean or washes out of the air with rainfall . Scientists think that the July 2000 measurements made in Puerto Rico , nearly 8 million tonnes , equaled about one-fifth of the total year 's dust deposits .   The SAL passes over the Canary Islands where the phenomenon is named `` Calima '' and manifests as a fog that reduces visibility and deposits a layer of dust over everything .   These clouds of dust are visible in satellite photos as a milky white to gray shade , similar to haze .   Findings to date indicate that the iron-rich dust particles that often occur within the SAL reflect solar radiation , thus cooling the atmosphere . The particles also reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the ocean , thus reducing the amount of heating of the ocean . They also tend to increase condensation as they drift into the marine layer below , but not precipitation as the drops formed are too small to fall and tend not to readily coelesce . These tiny drops are subsequently more easily evaporated as they move into drier air laterally or dry air mixes down from the SAL aloft . Research on aerosols also shows that the presence of small particles in air tends to suppress winds . The SAL has also been observed to suppress the development and intensifying of tropical cyclones , which may be related directly to these factors .   The SAL is a subject of ongoing study and research .

neg: Palestinian territories `` Palestinian territories '' and `` occupied Palestinian territories '' ( OPT or oPt ) are descriptions often used to describe the West Bank ( including East Jerusalem ) and the Gaza Strip , which are occupied or otherwise under the control of Israel . Israeli governments have maintained that the area involved is within territorial dispute . The extent of the territories , while subject to future negotiations , have frequently been defined by the Green Line .   The term `` Palestinian Territory , Occupied '' was used by the United Nations ( UN ) and other international organizations between 1998 to 2013 in order to refer to areas controlled by the Palestinian National Authority . In December 2012 , UN Secretariat communications replaced this by the term State of Palestine . The ISO adopted the name change in 2013 . But , as of August 2015 , the UN Security Council continues to treat Palestine as a non-sovereign entity ; This prevents its admission to UN General Assembly membership .   Israel occupied the territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the Six-Day War of 1967 and has since maintained control . Previously , these territories had been occupied by Jordan and Egypt , respectively , since the 1948 founding of Israel . In 1980 , Israel officially absorbed East Jerusalem and has proclaimed the whole of Jerusalem to be its capital . The inclusion , though never formally amounting to legal annexation , was condemned internationally and declared `` null and void '' by the United Nations Security Council . The Palestinian National Authority , the United Nations , the international legal and humanitarian bodies and the international community regard East Jerusalem as part of the West Bank , and consequently a part of the Palestinian territories . The Palestinian National Authority never exercised sovereignty over the area , although it housed its offices in Orient House and several other buildings as an assertion of its sovereign interests .   Israel shut them down in response to the Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing . Israeli sovereignty , however , has not been recognized by any country , since the unilateral annexation of territory occupied during war contravenes the Fourth Geneva Convention . The cost of the occupation for Israel over four decades ( 1967 -- 2007 ) is estimated to amount to $ 50 billion . The World Bank estimates the annual cost in 2013 to the Palestinian economy of Israeli occupation at $ 3.4 billion .   In 1988 , with the Palestine Liberation Organization ( PLO ) intention to declare a Palestinian State , Jordan renounced all territorial claims to the West Bank , including East Jerusalem . Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988 , 135 UN Member Nations have recognized the State of Palestine , comprising the Palestinian territories . It has not been recognized by Israel and some Western nations , including the United States .   In 1993 , following the Oslo Accords , parts of the territories politically came under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian National Authority ( Areas A and B ) . Israel still exercises full military control and , civil control over 61 % of the West Bank ( Area C ) . The Oslo Accords established access to the sea for Gaza within 20 nautical miles from the shore . The Berlin Commitment of 2002 reduced this to 12 mi . In October 2006 Israel imposed a 6-mile limit , and at the conclusion of the Gaza War restricted access to a 3-nautical-mile limit , beyond which a no-go zone exists . As a result , more than 3,000 Palestinian fishermen are denied access to 85 % of the maritime areas agreed to in 1995 . The majority of the Dead Sea area is off-limits to Palestinian use , and Palestinians are denied access to its coast line .   Israel disengaged from the Gaza Strip in 2005 , however the international community considers the West Bank and the Gaza Strip still to be occupied by Israel . The Hamas takeover of Gaza in 2007 divided the Palestinian territories politically . Abbas 's Fatah largely ruled the West Bank and was recognized internationally as the official Palestinian Authority ( see : Fatah-Hamas conflict ) . In 2014 , the two political groups agreed to hold elections and form a compromise unity government . The 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict intervened ; however , the unity government survived .

neg: Edom Edom ( -LSB- ˈiːdəm -RSB- or -LSB- ˈiː.dʌm -RSB- ; Assyrian : Udumi ; Syriac : ܐܕܘܡ ) is a country located initially in Transjordan , between Ammon to the north , the Dead Sea and the Arabah to the west , and the Arabian desert to the south and east . Edom appears in written sources relating to the late Bronze Age and to the Iron Age in the Levant , such as the Hebrew Bible and Egyptian and Mesopotamian records . In classical antiquity the cognate name Idumea was used for a smaller area in the same general region .   Edom and Idumea are two related but distinct terms relating to a historically contiguous population , but two separate , if adjacent , territories occupied at different periods of their history by the Edomites/Idumeans . The Edomites first established a kingdom ( `` Edom '' ) in the southern area of modern Jordan , and later migrated into southern parts of the Kingdom of Judah ( `` Idumea '' , or modern southern Israel/Negev ) when Judah was first weakened , then destroyed by the Babylonians in the 6th century BC .   Edom is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible , but also in a list of the Egyptian pharaoh Seti I from c. 1215 BC , and in the chronicle of a campaign by Ramses III ( r. 1186 -- 1155 BC ) . The Edomites , who have been identified archaeologically , were a Semitic people who probably arrived in the region around the 14th century BC . Archaeological investigation showed that the country flourished between the 13th and 8th centuries BC , and was destroyed after a period of decline in the 6th century BC by the Babylonians . After the loss of the kingdom , the Edomites were pushed westward towards southern Judah by nomadic tribes coming from the east ; among these were the Nabateans , who first appear in the historical annals of the 4th century BC and already establish their own kingdom in what used to be Edom by the first half of the 2nd century BC . More recent excavations show that the process of Edomite settlement in the southern parts of the Kingdom of Judah and parts of the Negev desert down to Timna had started already before the destruction of the kingdom by Nebuchadnezzar II in 587/86 BCE , both by peaceful penetration and by military means , taking advantage of the already weakened state of Judah .   Once pushed out of their territory , the Edomites settled during the Persian period in an area comprising the southern hills of Judea down to the area north of Be'er Sheva . Here the people appear under the graecized form of their old name , as Idumeans or Idumaeans , and their new territory is called Idumea or Idumaea ( Greek : Ἰδουμαία , Idoumaía ; Latin : Idūmaea ) , a term used in New Testament times .

neg: Hejaz The Hejaz , also Al-Hijaz ( اَلْـحِـجَـاز , , literally `` the Barrier '' ) , is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia . The region is so called as it separates the land of the Najd in the east from the land of Tihamah in the west . It is also known as the `` Western Province . '' It is bordered on the west by the Red Sea , on the north by Jordan , on the east by the Najd , and on the south by ` Asir Region . Its main city is Jeddah , but it is probably better known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina . As the site of Islam 's holiest places , the Hejaz has significance in the Arab and Islamic historical and political landscape .   Historically , the Hejaz has always seen itself as separate from the rest of Saudi Arabia . The Hejaz is the most populated region in Saudi Arabia ; 35 % of all Saudis live in Hejaz . Hejazi Arabic is the most widely spoken dialect in the region . Saudi Hejazis are of ethnically diverse origins .   The Hejaz is the most cosmopolitan region in the Arabian Peninsula . People of Hejaz have the most strongly articulated identity of any regional grouping in Saudi Arabia . Their place of origin alienates them from the Saudi state , which invokes different narratives of the history of the Arabian Peninsula . Thus , Hejazis experienced tensions with people of Najd .

neg: Harb tribe Harb `` War '' is a large Sunni Tribe in the Arabian peninsula . There is no official tribe population count but it is estimated to be approximately four million in Saudi Arabia . It is originally a Qahtani tribe . Several authentic sources on Arab tribes genealogy state that the great-grandfather of Harb tribe is Harb ibn Saad ibn Saad ibn Khawlan ibn Amr ibn Qadha'ah ibn Himyar ibn Qahtan . Harb tribal lands extend from the Red Sea coast in Tihamah ( Western Part of Saudi Arabia ) to the heart of Najd in the central region of Saudi Arabia , and from North the Harbi lands extend from Madinah ( a holy city for Muslims ) to Al Qunfudhah in the south . The tribe 's reach extends to other countries like Kuwait , Iraq , Egypt and UAE .   The origins of Harb tribe came from the 2nd century of the Islamic calendar . When Qahtani tribes emigrated from the south of Arabian Peninsula to Hijaz around 131 AH for water and land space after some battles with their cousins Banu Ar-Rabi ` ah bin Saad . As a result , this caused several tribal conflicts with the native and mostly Adnani Arab tribes of Hijaz and Tihamah such as Juhainah , Inazah , Muzianah , and Sulaim over land and water . After around three centuries in Hijaz , Harb tribe became a dominant tribe in the heart of Hijaz with territories surrounding the holy city of Medina . It is important to note that Harb now , like many other Arabian tribes , is a federation of tribes and families , a good example is that Muzaynah in Saudi Arabia are considered from Harb but it is well known that it was a tribe of its own with a known presence in Hijaz in the Pre-Islamic Arabia as well as the time of the Prophet Muhammed -- i.e. , before the origin of Harb tribe in Hijaz .   Currently , many of the tribe sons have migrated in recent decades to the three major metropolitan centers of Saudi Arabia , namely Riyadh , Jeddah , and Dammam , in search of better education and employment . One of the main branches of the tribe such as Banu Shaker left al Hejaz and set off to the west coasts of Palestine to start business in agriculture . For the coast of Palestine is well known all around the world for its fertile soil . Banu Shaker that trace there ancestry to Al Hassan Al Muthana are also known to be the Abunamous and Al Shaker Families from Yaffa or Jaffa have developed their reputation of being prominent landowners in Yaffa city   In the Arab World outside of Saudi Arabia , the Harb family became prominent in the Christian population of Ramallah , Palestine .

neg: Desert A desert is a barren area of land where little precipitation occurs and consequently living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life . The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to the processes of denudation . About one third of the land surface of the world is arid or semi-arid . This includes much of the polar regions where little precipitation occurs and which are sometimes called polar deserts or `` cold deserts '' . Deserts can be classified by the amount of precipitation that falls , by the temperature that prevails , by the causes of desertification or by their geographical location .   Deserts are formed by weathering processes as large variations in temperature between day and night put strains on the rocks which consequently break in pieces . Although rain seldom occurs in deserts , there are occasional downpours that can result in flash floods . Rain falling on hot rocks can cause them to shatter and the resulting fragments and rubble strewn over the desert floor is further eroded by the wind . This picks up particles of sand and dust and wafts them aloft in sand or dust storms . Wind-blown sand grains striking any solid object in their path can abrade the surface . Rocks are smoothed down , and the wind sorts sand into uniform deposits . The grains end up as level sheets of sand or are piled high in billowing sand dunes . Other deserts are flat , stony plains where all the fine material has been blown away and the surface consists of a mosaic of smooth stones . These areas are known as desert pavements and little further erosion takes place . Other desert features include rock outcrops , exposed bedrock and clays once deposited by flowing water . Temporary lakes may form and salt pans may be left when waters evaporate . There may be underground sources of water in the form of springs and seepages from aquifers . Where these are found , oases can occur .   Plants and animals living in the desert need special adaptations to survive in the harsh environment . Plants tend to be tough and wiry with small or no leaves , water-resistant cuticles and often spines to deter herbivory . Some annual plants germinate , bloom and die in the course of a few weeks after rainfall while other long-lived plants survive for years and have deep root systems able to tap underground moisture . Animals need to keep cool and find enough food and water to survive . Many are nocturnal and stay in the shade or underground during the heat of the day . They tend to be efficient at conserving water , extracting most of their needs from their food and concentrating their urine . Some animals remain in a state of dormancy for long periods , ready to become active again when the rare rains fall . They then reproduce rapidly while conditions are favorable before returning to dormancy .   People have struggled to live in deserts and the surrounding semi-arid lands for millennia . Nomads have moved their flocks and herds to wherever grazing is available and oases have provided opportunities for a more settled way of life . The cultivation of semi-arid regions encourages erosion of soil and is one of the causes of increased desertification . Desert farming is possible with the aid of irrigation and the Imperial Valley in California provides an example of how previously barren land can be made productive by the import of water from an outside source . Many trade routes have been forged across deserts , especially across the Sahara Desert , and traditionally were used by caravans of camels carrying salt , gold , ivory and other goods . Large numbers of slaves were also taken northwards across the Sahara . Some mineral extraction also takes place in deserts and the uninterrupted sunlight gives potential for the capture of large quantities of solar energy .

neg: Achaemenid Assyria Athura ( ð ð ° ð cents ð 1/4 ð Aθurā ) , also called Assyria Babylonia , was a geographical area within the Persian Achaemenid Empire held by the last nobility of Aššur ( Akkadian ) , known as Athura ( Neo-Aramaic ) or Atouria ( Greek ) , during the period of 539 BC to 330 BC as a military protectorate state of Persia under the rule of Cyrus the Great . Although sometimes regarded as a satrapy , Achaemenid royal inscriptions list it as a dahyu , a concept generally interpreted as meaning either a group of people or both a country and its people , without any administrati   It mostly incorporated the original Assyrian kingdom , corresponding with modern northern Iraq in the upper Tigris , the middle and upper Euphrates , modern-day north eastern Syria ( Eber-Nari ) and part of south-east Anatolia ( modern Turkey ) . The Neo-Assyrian Empire collapsed after a period of violent civil wars , followed by an invasion by a coalition of some of its former subject peoples , the Iranian peoples ( Medes , Persians and Scythians ) , Babylonians and Cimmerians in the late 7th century BC , culminating in the Battle of Nineveh , and Assyria had fallen completely by 605 BC . Between 605 and 559 BC , Assyria was divided between the Median Empire to the east and the Neo-Babylonian Empire to the west . Both parts were subsumed into the Achaemenid Empire in 539 BC , and it has been argued that they constituted the satrapies of Media and Athura , respectively . In Herodotus ' account the Ninth Tributary District comprised `` Babylonia and the rest of Assyria '' , and excluded Eber-Nari .   Despite a few rebellions , Assyria functioned as an important part of the Achaemenid Empire . The Assyrian people were given the right to govern themselves throughout Achaemenid rule , and the Assyrian ( Aramaic ) language was used diplomatically by the Persians . Known for their combat skills , Assyrian soldiers ( along with the Lydians ) constituted the main heavy infantry of the Achaemenid empire 's military . Due to the major destruction of Assyria during the fall of its empire , some early scholars described the area as an `` uninhabited wasteland . '' Other Assyriologists , however , such as John Curtis and Simo Parpola , have strongly disputed this claim , citing how Assyria would eventually become one of the wealthiest regions among the Achaemenid Empire . This wealth was due to the land 's great prosperity for agriculture that the Persians used effectively for almost 200 years . In contrast to the policy of the Assyrian Empire , the Achaemenid Persians did not intervene in the internal affairs of their ruling satrapies as long as they continued the flow of tribute and taxes back to Persia .

neg: Grand Erg Oriental The Grand Erg Oriental ( English : ` Great Eastern Sand Sea ' ) is a large erg or `` field of sand dunes '' in the Sahara Desert . Situated for the most part in Saharan lowlands of northeast Algeria , the Grand Erg Oriental covers an area some 600 km wide by 200 km north to south . The erg 's northeastern edge spills over into neighbouring Tunisia .

neg: Destruction of Syria's chemical weapons The destruction of Syria 's chemical weapons began in September 2013 on the basis of several international agreements with Syria that stipulated an initial destruction deadline of 30 June 2014 . United Nations Security Council Resolution 2118 of 27 September 2013 required Syria to assume responsibility for and follow a timeline for the destruction of its chemical weapons and its chemical weapon production facilities . The resolution bound Syria to the implementation plan presented in a decision of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons ( OPCW ) . On 23 June 2014 , the last declared chemical weapons were shipped out of Syria for destruction . The destruction of the most dangerous chemical weapons was performed at sea aboard the Cape Ray , a vessel of the United States Maritime Administration 's Ready Reserve Force , crewed with U.S. civilian merchant mariners . The actual destruction operations , performed by a team of U.S. Army civilians and contractors , destroyed 600 metric tons of chemical agents in 42 days . However , despite these efforts , the use of chemical weapons in Syria have continued to be reported , with the latest being the chemical attack on Khan Shaykhun in April 2017 , which has been alleged to have been perpetrated by the Syrian government .   The chemical weapons agreements arose at a time when the United States and France headed a coalition of countries on the verge of carrying out air strikes on Syria in response to the 21 August 2013 Ghouta chemical-weapon attacks . To avoid a military intervention , the United States , Russia and Syria agreed to the `` Framework for Elimination of Syrian Chemical Weapons '' on 14 September 2013 , which called for the elimination of Syria 's chemical weapon stockpiles by mid-2014 . Syria agreed to accede to the Chemical Weapons Convention and to the destruction of its chemical weapons stockpiles .   The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons ( OPCW ) began preliminary inspections of Syria 's chemical weapons arsenal on 1 October 2013 , and actual destruction began on 6 October . Under OPCW supervision Syrian military personnel began `` destroying munitions such as missile warheads and aerial bombs and disabling mobile and static mixing and filling units . '' The destruction of Syria 's declared chemical weapons production , mixing , and filling equipment was successfully completed by 31 October deadline . The destruction of the chemical weapons fell well behind schedule . The entire chemical weapons stockpile had been scheduled to be completely removed from the country by 6 February 2014 . Only on 23 June 2014 , had Syria finished shipping the remaining declared chemicals . On 18 August 2014 , all of the most toxic chemicals had been destroyed offshore . Western officials such as British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant have expressed concerns about the completeness of Syria 's disclosures , and believe the OPCW mission should remain in place following the removal of chemical weapons until verification tasks can be completed .   Chlorine , a common industrial chemical , is outside the scope of the disarmament agreement ; however , its use as a poison gas would violate the Chemical Weapons Convention , which Syria joined in 2013 . Various parties , including Western governments , have accused Assad of conducting illegal chlorine attacks in 2014 and 2015 . A late disclosure in 2014 regarding Syria 's ricin program raised doubts about completeness of the government 's declaration of its chemical weapons stockpile , and in early May 2015 , OPCW announced that inspectors had found traces of sarin and VX nerve agent at a military research site in Syria that had not been declared previously by the Assad regime .


query: Nepal has borders.

pos: Nepal fi     Nepal ( -LSB- Nepālhelp = no -RSB- -RCB- -RCB- -LSB- neˈpal -RSB- ) , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal , is a landlocked central Himalayan country in South Asia . Nepal is divided into 7 provinces and 75 districts and 744 local units including 4 metropolises , 13 sub-metropolises , 246 municipal councils and 481 villages . It has a population of 26.4 million and is the 93rd largest country by area . Bordering China in the north and India in the south , east , and west , it is the largest sovereign Himalayan state . Nepal does not border Bangladesh , which is located within only 27 km ( 17 mi ) of its southeastern tip . Neither does it border Bhutan due to the Indian state of Sikkim being located in between . Nepal has a diverse geography , including fertile plains , subalpine forested hills , and eight of the world 's ten tallest mountains , including Mount Everest , the highest point on Earth . Kathmandu is the nation 's capital and largest city . It is a multiethnic nation with Nepali as the official language .   The territory of Nepal has a recorded history since the Neolithic age . The name `` Nepal '' is first recorded in texts from the Vedic Age , the era which founded Hinduism , the predominant religion of the country . In the middle of the first millennium BCE , Gautama Buddha , the founder of Buddhism , was born in southern Nepal . Parts of northern Nepal were intertwined with the culture of Tibet . The Kathmandu Valley in central Nepal became known as Nepal proper because of its complex urban civilisation . It was the seat of the prosperous Newar confederacy known as Nepal Mandala . The Himalayan branch of the ancient Silk Road was dominated by the valley 's traders . The cosmopolitan region developed distinct traditional art and architecture . By the 18th century , the Gorkha Kingdom achieved the unification of Nepal . The Shah dynasty established the Kingdom of Nepal and later formed an alliance with the British Empire , under its Rana dynasty of premiers . The country was never colonised but served as a buffer state between Imperial China and Colonial India . In the 20th century , Nepal ended its isolation and forged strong ties with regional powers . Parliamentary democracy was introduced in 1951 , but was twice suspended by Nepalese monarchs in 1960 and 2005 . The Nepalese Civil War resulted in the proclamation of a republic in 2008 , ending the reign of the world 's last Hindu monarchy .   Modern Nepal is a federal secular parliamentary republic . It has seven states . Nepal is a developing nation , ranking 144th on the Human Development Index ( HDI ) in 2016 . The country struggles with the transition from a monarchy to a republic . It also suffers from high levels of hunger and poverty . Despite these challenges , Nepal is making steady progress , with the government declaring its commitment to elevate the nation from least developed country status by 2022 . Nepal also has a vast potential to generate hydropower for export .   Nepal 's foreign relations expanded after the Anglo-Nepal Treaty of 1923 , which was recognised by the League of Nations . After a Soviet veto in 1949 , Nepal was admitted to the United Nations in 1955 . Friendship treaties were signed with the Dominion of India in 1950 and the People 's Republic of China in 1960 . Nepal hosts the permanent secretariat of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation ( SAARC ) , of which it is a founding member . Nepal is also a member of the Non Aligned Movement and the Bay of Bengal Initiative . The military of Nepal is the fifth largest in South Asia and is notable for its Gurkha history , particularly during the world wars , and has been a significant contributor to United Nations peacekeeping operations .

neg: Geology of the Himalaya The geology of the Himalaya is a record of the most dramatic and visible creations of modern plate tectonic forces . The Himalayas , which stretch over 2400 km between the Namche Barwa syntaxis in Tibet and the Nanga Parbat syntaxis in India , are the result of an ongoing orogeny -- the result of a collision between two continental tectonic plates . This immense mountain range was formed by tectonic forces and sculpted by weathering and erosion . The Himalaya-Tibet region supplies fresh water for more than one-fifth of the world population , and accounts for a quarter of the global sedimentary budget . Topographically , the belt has many superlatives : the highest rate of uplift ( nearly 10 mm/year at Nanga Parbat ) , the highest relief ( 8848 m at Mt. Everest Chomolangma ) , among the highest erosion rates at 2 -- 12 mm/yr , the source of some of the greatest rivers and the highest concentration of glaciers outside of the polar regions . This last feature earned the Himalaya its name , originating from the Sanskrit for `` the abode of the snow '' .

neg: Bhojpur, Nepal Bhojpur Municipality is a town in Eastern Nepal . It was established on 18 May 2014 merging the existing Bhaisipankha , Bokhim , Bhojpur , Taksar Village Development Committees It is the district headquarters of Bhojpur district , a hilly/mountainous district in Kosi Zone . At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 5823 people living in 1199 households .   Bhojpur bazaar is home to many Newar businessmen as well as skilled Newar craftsmen , and is famous for its metalwork , particularly khukuri knives . Other major towns in the district include Dingla to the north , Ghoretar to the south , and Taksar near the airstrip , from where flights connect to Biratnagar and Kathmandu . A road is currently under construction to link Bhojpur bazaar with Hile , Dhankuta , Dharan , and the rest of Nepal 's North-South Koshi Highway .   Historically it is a part of Majh Kirat ( middle Kirat / Khambuwan ) , and used to be called `` east number 4 '' . Middle Kirat consists mainly of Bhojpur and Khotang districts , the traditional home of kirat Rai people , an indigenous ethnic group of Nepal . In addition to Rais , other ethnic groups include Magars , Gurungs , and Tamangs , as well as castes like Chhetris , Bahuns , and Dalits .   Bhojpur was recently the site of a major incident involving Maoist rebels and the Nepali national security forces on March 3 , 2004 . An estimated 1,500 Maoists attacked the camps of the security forces at the district headquarters . This incident was the most serious one since the Maoists called off the cease-fire on August 24 , 2003 . 32 security personnel were killed ( both army and police ) , as well as 42 Maoists rebels , including some women . The telephone tower and the buildings of the District Administrative Office were completely destroyed , while those buildings housing the District Land Revenue Office , Rashtriya Banijya Bank and some private houses were partially destroyed .   Tensions between Maoists and security forces emerged in February 2001 when the Bhojpur VDC headquarters were destroyed . The Khumbuwan Liberation Front ( KLF ) , destroyed the 250-kilowatt micro-hydropower project built by the Chinese on the Pikhuwa river on January 26 , 2002 . On April 18 , 2002 , a group of 50-60 rebels destroyed the airport tower by breaking through the gate of the tower , setting it ablaze by pouring kerosene , and destroying important devices by hurling a powerful bomb . Several minor skirmishes had also occurred in northern areas of the district , leading up to the deadly clash in March 2004 .

neg: Sub-Himalayan Range The Sub-Himalayan Range are the southernmost mountains in the Himalayan range . Their average height varies between 600 and 1200 meters , and are not so high in altitude as compared to other mountain ranges in the Himalaya range .   Himalayan foot hills form the sub-Himalayan zone and from Punjab to Assam these hills are consist of a narrow belt of folded neogene molasse type sediments ( siwaliks ) . Southward , the folded siwaliks sequence is covered by Indo Gangetic Alluvium . An acute fault is `` Himalayan front fault '' cut the aluvium in foot hill region , this fault is a series of en-echlon faults which are parallel to the strike of the hills between Punjab and Assam . Northward , this sequence is terminated by MBT , which is a set of north dipping faults and forms the boundary between Southern Himalayas and Lesser Himalayas .   Category : Mountain ranges of India

neg: Madhesh Madhesh is a province and an autonomous state in the Terai belt of Nepal . The native Nepalese people who have cultural and demographic connections to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh across the borders in India are called Madhesi people . The indigenous inhabitants of the Terai are Tharu people who consider themselves to be Madhesi people .   The eastern part of the Nepal Terai along with northern parts in Bihar is part of the cultural Mithila region .

neg: Mahottari District Mahottari District ( -LSB- : ne : महोत्तरी जिल्ला , महोत्तरी जिल्ला -RSB- , ) , a part of Province No. 2 , is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal . The district , with Jaleshwar as its district headquarters , covers an area of 1,002 km ² and had a population of 553,481 in 2001 and 627,580 in 2011 .   Its headquarters is located in Jaleshwar , a neighbouring town of the historical city of Janakpur . The name Jaleshwar means the ` God in Water ' . One can find a famous temple of Lord Shiva in Water there . Jaleshwar lies at a few kilometres distance from the Nepal-India border and has a majority of Maithili people .  In janakpur zone there are two districts ; mahottari and dhanusha and both are in a distance of 1 hour .

neg: Nepal Oil Corporation Nepal Oil Corporation Limited ( NOC ) is a state owned trading enterprise of Nepal that imports , stores and distributes various petroleum products in the country . It was established on 1970 by the Government of Nepal under the `` Company Act , 2021 ( 1964 ) '' . The government owns 98.36 % of its share and rest is contributed by four other state owned enterprises : Rastriya Beema Sansthan , National Trading Ltd. , Nepal Bank Ltd. and Rastriya Banijya Bank .   In the very beginning , the trading activities of NOC were started by storing two products in two drums under the leadership of the late Mr. Subarna Bikram Thapa appointed by Government of Nepal . His persistent endeavor to develop NOC resulted in more than 30,000 kilolitres ( kL ) of storage facilities for petroleum products in different development regions of Nepal .   Nepal , being one of the land locked countries of south Asia , has to depend on India for the supply and distribution of various petroleum products as the eastern , southern and western part of the country is attached with India . The prospect of crude oil exploration in Nepal has not yet been proven a feasible one , so the entire national demand is met by import alone . From the very beginning of NOC 's trading activities , a special and long-term supply arrangement has existed with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. ( IOC ) , a leading national oil company of India , having more than 55 % of the market share .   NOC , headquartered in Kathmandu , has over the years expanded and now has five regional offices , branch offices , fuel depots , and aviation fuel depots , with total existing storage capacity of 71,558 kilolitres ( kL ) and employing 508 permanent and other contract work force .   The highest policy making and controlling body of NOC is its Board of Directors . The Board is represented by all the shareholders .   Currently the Chief Executive Officer ( CEO ) of NOC is the Managing Director who has the overall responsibility for day-to-day operations besides the Member-Secretary of NOC Board . Basically , the operations of NOC are coordinated under two broad categories of Marketing and Finance cum administration , each headed by Deputy Managing Director .

neg: Gandaki River The Gandaki River ( also known as the Narayani in southern Nepal and the Gandak in India ) is one of the major rivers of Nepal and a left bank tributary of the Ganges in India . In Nepal the river is notable for its deep gorge through the Himalayas and its enormous hydroelectric potential . It has a total catchment area of 46300 km2 , most of it in Nepal . The basin also contains three of the world 's 14 mountains over 8000 m , Dhaulagiri , Manaslu and Annapurna I. Dhaulagiri is the highest point of the Gandaki basin . It lies between the similar Kosi system to the east and the Karnali ( Ghaghara ) system to the west .

neg: Mechi Zone Mechi ( -LSB- : ne : मेची अञ्चल , मेची अञ्चल -RSB- is one of the fourteen zones of Nepal , comprising four districts ; namely Ilam , Jhapa , Panchthar and Taplejung . Its headquarters are at Ilam . It comes under the Eastern Development Region of Nepal . The Indian state of Bihar is to the south and Tibet to the north . The largest town is Damak in the Terai . The majority of the population in Mechi are Kirantis ( Limbu and Rai ) and other ethnic groups like Koche and Meche , and hill castes like Bahun and Chhetris .   Mechi is divided into four districts :   Among the four districts , Jhapa is in the Terai and it is more developed than the other three districts . Ilam and Panchthar are in the hilly region . Ilam is also in a developing stage . Ilam is naturally very beautiful , with many tourists visiting Ilam annually . Kanyam is popular for its tea garden . At Antu the rising sun can be viewed . Panchthar is the least developed of the four districts . Taplejung is in the mountainous zone .   There are two airports within Mechi : one in Bhadrapur and one in Taplejung .

neg: Langtang National Park The Langtang National Park is the fourth national park in Nepal and was established in 1976 as the first Himalayan national park . The protected area exceeds an altitudinal range of 6450 m and covers an area of 1710 km2 in the Nuwakot , Rasuwa and Sindhulpalchok districts of the central Himalayan region encompassing 26 Village Development Committees . It is linked with the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve in Tibet . The high altitude sacred lake of Gosainkunda falls within the park . The Gosainkunda lake ( 4300 m ) and the Dorje Lakpa range ( 6988 m ) bisect the park from east -- west to south -- east . The summit of Langtang Lirung ( 7245 m ) is the highest point in the park .   The northern and eastern border of the national park coincide with the international border to Tibet . The western boundary follows the rivers Bhote Kosi and Trisuli . The southern border lies 32 km north of the Kathmandu Valley .   This protected area represents both Indo-Malayan and Palearctic ecozones .

neg: Law enforcement in Nepal The Nepalese Police Force is the national police of Nepal . It is independent of the Nepalese Army . Although once brought under the Army in the name of `` Unified Command '' , it is taken as a force separate from the Army .  In the days of its establishment , Nepal Police personnel were mainly drawn from the armed forces of the Nepali Congress Party which fought against feudal Rana autocracy in Nepal .

neg: Thamel Thamel is a commercial neighbourhood in Kathmandu , the capital of Nepal . Thamel has been the centre of the tourist industry in Kathmandu for over four decades , starting from the hippie days when many artists came to Nepal and spent weeks in Thamel . Even though Thamel has been referred to as a `` ghetto '' by some , many low-budget travellers consider it a hot-spot for tourism .   Thamel is distinguished by its narrow alleys crowded with various shops and vendors . Commonly sold goods include food , fresh vegetables/fruits , pastries , trekking gear , walking gear , music , DVDs , handicrafts , souvenirs , woolens , and clothes . Travel agencies , small grocery stores , budget hotels and restaurants also line the streets . Cars , cycle rickshaws , two-wheelers and taxis ply these narrow streets alongside hundreds of pedestrians .   There are many restaurants in Thamel that serve traditional and continental cuisine , although prices are significantly higher than in non-tourist areas . Thamel also acts as the pre-base camp for mountaineers . It boasts a wide range of mountaineering gear shops , foreign money exchange booths , mobile phone shops , pubs , clubs , and nightlife along with the numerous travel agents and guest houses . Thamel is home to a wide range of the Nepalese population , and serves both entertainment and employment purposes .   On Wednesday , 28 September 2011 , Thamel was declared a full Wi-Fi zone . It is the first Wi-Fi zone of Nepal .

neg: Gauriganj, Nepal Gauriganj गौरीगञ्ज is a village and village development committee in the SW corner of Jhapa District in the Mechi Zone of south-eastern Nepal . It is in a flat agricultural district in the extreme SE of Nepal , between Kadamgachhi and Hukkagachhi , and only about 3 km from the border with Bihar , India .

neg: List of wars involving Nepal Nepal has been involved in many wars in its history . This list describes wars involving the historical Gorkha Kingdom as well as modern Nepal .

neg: Tamang people The Tamang ( Devnagari : तामाङ ; tāmāng ) , or Murmi , are the indigenous inhabitants of the Himalayan regions of Nepal and India , their ancestral land is called Tamsaling . They are the aborigines of Yambu , or Kathmandu Valley , who had self-rule and autonomous roughly 2 centuries before present , systematically displaced during the expansion period of Gorkha Kingdom and this continues to the present day , the Central Development Region , Nepal remains where 70 % of the population reside . The traditionally Buddhist Tamang are the largest Tibeto-Burman ethnic group within Nepal , constituting 5.6 % of the national population of over 1.3 million in 2001 , increasing to 1,539,830 as of 2011 census , yet contested . Tamang are also a significant minority in Sikkim and Darjeeling District of West Bengal of India as permanent settlers ; their languages are fifth most spoken in Nepal ( note all Tamang languages are not mutually intelligible ) . They were one of the aborigines who were least affected by Nepalisation . Peculiar to Tamang people are complex marriage restrictions within the community .

neg: Human rights in Nepal A conflict between the Nepalese government forces and the Communist Party of Nepal ( CPN - Maoist ) occurred between 1996 and 2006 , resulting in an increase in human rights abuses throughout the country . Both sides have been accused of torture , unlawful killings , arbitrary arrests , and abductions . Nepal was home to the most disappearances in the world during the conflict .   The conflict also resulted in a reduction in human rights in the realms of poverty , health , education , and gender equality . Issues in these realms continue to persist today . Nepalis face discrimination based on ethnicity , caste , and gender , and citizens living in rural parts of Nepal lack access to adequate health care , education , and other resources . Violence continues to plague the country , particularly towards women . Economic inequality is prevalent , and health issues persist -- including high child mortality rates in some areas , mental illness , and insufficient health care services .

neg: Indira Col The Indira Col ( altitude 5,764 m ) is a col ( mountain pass , also called La in the local language ) on the Indira Ridge in the Siachen Muztagh in the Karakoram Range . It is within 3 km of Sia Kangri to the west , the summit of which is the tripoint where territories controlled by India , Pakistan and China meet .   The col is a saddle between the Siachen Glacier to the south and the Urdok Glacier to the north , on the watershed between the Indus River basin and the Tarim Basin . It is too steep to easily descend north from the col to the Urdok Glacier .   The term Indira Col has also been applied to another , higher col 2.4 km further east on the Indira Ridge at ( altitude 5,988 m ) , from which it is possible to descend to the north . This eastern col was named Indira Col in 1912 by Bullock Workman , after one of the names of the goddess Lakshmi .   Colonel Narendra `` Bull '' Kumar reached Indira Col ( the western col ) in 1981 . In 1998 Harish Kapadia reached the same col ; on his map and text he refers to it as the `` main Indira Col '' and `` Indira Col West '' , whereas he refers to the col 2.4 km to the east as `` Indira Col East ( Workman ) . ''   The Indira Col is 2 km east of the point ( about a km southeast of the peak of Sia Kangri ) where the Actual Ground Position Line between Indian and Pakistani forces meets the border with China . Territories on all sides are disputed . The land immediately to the south of the col is claimed by both Pakistan and India and is controlled by India . The land to the north of Indira Col is part of the Trans Karakoram Tract , controlled by China under a 1963 border agreement with Pakistan but claimed by India .

neg: United Mission to Nepal The United Mission to Nepal ( UNM ) was established in 1954 as a co-operative missionary endeavour between the people of Nepal and a number of Christian groups working along the border in India . The mission has grown to include a large group of Christian organisations from 18 countries in four different continents , who seek to `` serve the people of Nepal , particularly those who live in poverty . . inspired by the love and teachings of Jesus Christ . ''   Several remarkable coincidences led to the formation of the United Mission to Nepal . During the 1951 revolution fighting had taken place just over the border from Raxaul and wounded combatants from both sides were treated at Duncan Hospital . As a result of this service , Dr Trevor Strong and Ernest Oliver were invited to visit Kathmandu after the revolution . They walked for several days and whilst in Kathmandu had an interview with B.P. Koirala , the Home Minister in His Majesty 's Government of Nepal ( HMGN ) , to explore the possibility of mission work . They were told that medical and educational work would be welcome , but open preaching prohibited . ( Pritchard 1973:91 ) These discussions dovetailed with a separate approach by the authorities in Tansen , a large hill-town half way between Nautanwa and Pokhara , to American missionaries Bob and Bethel Fleming and Carl and Betty Friedericks ( representing Methodist and Presbyterian missions ) . Contact had been made as a result of ornithological trips into Nepal in October 1949 and the winter of 1951 -- 52 during which medical assistance had been given to the people of Tansen . Eventually a letter came from S.K. Dikshit in the Department of Foreign Affairs , permitting a hospital in Tansen and clinics in Kathmandu . ( Lindell 1979 : 140-142 )   Lindell rightly refers to the foundation of UMN as `` some of the finest missionary statesmanship that has been exercised in the modern missionary movement ... the mistakes seen in India and other countries resulting from competition and independent action by denominational and separate organisations should not be repeated in Nepal . '' ( 1979:143 ) Methodist Bishop J.W. Pickett circulated an invitation letter from HMGN to other missions associated with the NBF in conjunction with the National Christian Council ( NCC ) of India with a view to `` establishing a Christian mission in Nepal on the widest possible cooperative basis , a combined interdenominational and international approach . '' ( Lindell 1979:144 ) The NCC endorsed this and the United Christian Mission to Nepal was founded in Nagpur in March 1954 .   There were eight founding missions . Bishop Pickett was the founding President of the Board and Ernest Oliver the first Executive Secretary . The Flemings had already commenced medical work in Kathmandu in January 1954 , and the Friedericks began medical work in Tansen in June 1954 , but the work quickly expanded and diversified into other areas , such as education and development of hydropower . The activities of the UMN have been clearly defined in five-yearly agreements , in the past with HMGN , and now with the Government of Nepal . There have always been clear prohibitions on proselytising , but the Christian nature of UMN and the personal faith of its workers is known and accepted . `` The Mission takes the terms seriously ... and has learned that its stay in Nepal rests on a mixture of invitation , permission and mutual agreement ; that it is temporary ... that it is in partnership with Nepali society . '' ( Lindell 1979:200 )

neg: Malangawa Malangwa is a town and municipality and the headquarter of Sarlahi District in the Janakpur Zone of Nepal . It is located at 26 ° 52 ' 0N 85 ° 34 ' 0E with an altitude of 79 metres ( 262 feet ) near the border with India at Sonbarsa . There is a customs checkpoint at the border crossing .

neg: Israel–Nepal relations Israel -- Nepal relations , established on 1 June 1960 , are the relations between Israel and Nepal making Nepal one of the first Asian countries to have diplomatic ties with Israel .   Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala , Prime Minister of Nepal from 1959 to 1960 , had a strongly pro-Israel foreign policy . Various head of states , including king , head of government , ministers etc. have visited Israel and continued his foreign policy . Except for a brief 9 months period of Maoist government in Nepal , all other Nepalese government in general have had a strongly pro-Israel foreign policy . However , Nepal is not one of the nations that refrained from allowing Palestine an observer status unlike nations such as the United States , Australia , Canada , Israel , Marshall Islands , Micronesia , Palau , Panama , Czech Republic , and Nauru .

neg: Rasuwa Fort Rasuwa Fort or Rasuwa Gadhi ( Nepali : रसुवागढी ) is a historical fort ruin in the Rasuwa District of Nepal near the border with Tibet , China . It is located along the Trishuli River 3 km north of the Nepalese town of Timure in Langtang National Park .   A trekking permit obtained in Kathmandu will allow tourists to visit the border , but not to cross the bridge into Tibet .


query: Pregnancy can occur.

pos: Pregnancy Pregnancy , also known as gestation , is the time during which one or more offspring develops inside a woman . A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring , such as with twins . Pregnancy can occur by sexual intercourse or assisted reproductive technology . Childbirth typically occurs around 40 weeks from the last menstrual period ( LMP ) . This is just over nine lunar months , where each month is about 29 1/2 days . When measured from conception it is about 38 weeks . An embryo is the developing offspring during the first eight weeks following conception , after which , the term fetus is used until birth . Symptoms of early pregnancy may include missed periods , tender breasts , nausea and vomiting , hunger , and frequent urination . Pregnancy may be confirmed with a pregnancy test .   Pregnancy is typically divided into three trimesters . The first trimester is from week one through 12 and includes conception . Conception is when the sperm fertilizes the egg . The fertilized egg then travels down the fallopian tube and attaches to the inside of the uterus , where it begins to form the embryo and placenta . The first trimester carries the highest risk of miscarriage ( natural death of embryo or fetus ) . The second trimester is from week 13 through 28 . Around the middle of the second trimester , movement of the fetus may be felt . At 28 weeks , more than 90 % of babies can survive outside of the uterus if provided with high-quality medical care . The third trimester is from 29 weeks through 40 weeks .   Prenatal care improves pregnancy outcomes . Prenatal care may include taking extra folic acid , avoiding drugs and alcohol , regular exercise , blood tests , and regular physical examinations . Complications of pregnancy may include high blood pressure of pregnancy , gestational diabetes , iron-deficiency anemia , and severe nausea and vomiting among others . Term pregnancy is 37 to 41 weeks , with early term being 37 and 38 weeks , full term 39 and 40 weeks , and late term 41 weeks . After 41 weeks , it is known as post term . Babies born before 37 weeks are preterm and are at higher risk of health problems such as cerebral palsy . Delivery before 39 weeks by labor induction or caesarean section is not recommended unless required for other medical reasons .   About 213 million pregnancies occurred in 2012 , of which , 190 million were in the developing world and 23 million were in the developed world . The number of pregnancies in women ages 15 to 44 is 133 per 1,000 women . About 10 % to 15 % of recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage . In 2013 , complications of pregnancy resulted in 293,000 deaths , down from 377,000 deaths in 1990 . Common causes include maternal bleeding , complications of abortion , high blood pressure of pregnancy , maternal sepsis , and obstructed labor . Globally , 40 % of pregnancies are unplanned . Half of unplanned pregnancies are aborted . Among unintended pregnancies in the United States , 60 % of the women used birth control to some extent during the month pregnancy occurred .

neg: Abortion in Burundi Abortion in Burundi is only legal if the abortion will save the woman 's life or if the pregnancy gravely endangers the woman 's physical , or potentially mental , health . In Burundi , two certified physicians must agree that the pregnancy is threatening before giving medical assistance . Even in cases in which an abortion practitioner has deemed that the pregnancy has endangered the woman , both the physician and woman may be subject to prison time and fines .

neg: Abortion in Nicaragua Abortion in Nicaragua is completely illegal . Prior to a change in the law , which took effect on 18 November 2006 , the law allowed pregnancies to be terminated for `` therapeutic '' reasons , but this clause is no longer in effect .

neg: Premature Premature may refer to :   Premature birth , a preterm baby birth  Premature ejaculation , a condition in which a man ejaculates earlier than he or his partner would like him to

neg: Male pregnancy Male pregnancy is the incubation of one or more embryos or fetuses by male members of some species . In nearly all heterogamous animal species , offspring are ordinarily carried by the female until birth , but in fish of the Syngnathidae family ( pipefish , seahorses and the leafy seadragon ) , males perform this function . There are different ideas concerning whether a human male could become pregnant , and , by some definitions of gender identity , human men have become pregnant . Male humans incubating fetuses are also a recurring theme in speculative fiction .

neg: Pregnancy in art Pregnancy in art covers any artistic work that portrays pregnancy in women . In art as in life , it is often unclear whether an actual state of pregnancy is intended to be shown . A common visual indication is the gesture of the woman placing a protective open hand on her abdomen . Historically , married women were at some stage of pregnancy for much of their life until the menopause , but the depiction of this in art is relatively uncommon , and generally restricted to some specific contexts . This probably persists even in contemporary culture ; despite several recent artworks depicting heavily pregnant women , one writer was `` astonished at the shortage of visual images ... of pregnant women in public visual culture '' . A research study conducted by Pierre Bourdieu in 1963 found that the great majority of 693 French subjects thought that a photo of a pregnant woman could not , by definition , be beautiful .   There are two subjects often depicted in Western narrative art , or history painting , where pregnancy is an important part of the story . These are the unhappy scene usually called Diana and Callisto , showing the moment of discovery of Callisto 's forbidden pregnancy , and the biblical scene of the Visitation . Gradually , portraits of pregnant women began to appear , with a particular fashion for `` pregnancy portraits '' in elite portraiture of the years around 1600 .   As well as being a subject for depiction in art , pregnant women were also consumers of art , with some special types of work developed for them , including Madonna del Parto images of Mary .

neg: Abortion in Mexico Induced abortion , or the voluntary termination of pregnancy , is a controversial issue in Mexico . The procedure is offered on request to any woman with up to twelve weeks into a pregnancy in Mexico City , but forbidden in 18 out of 32 Mexican state constitutions ( except in case of rape ) and only 13 allow it when the life of the mother is in danger . , 138,792 abortions have been carried out in the capital city since its decriminalization ( 2007 ) . Conversely , more than a 679 women haven been accused or sentenced for abortion in conservative-leaning states , such as Guanajuato .

neg: Breastfeeding in public Breastfeeding in public is the practice of breastfeeding babies in a public or semi-public place in open view of the general public . Social attitudes and legal protection of the practice varies widely . In many countries , both in the Global South and in a number of Western countries , breastfeeding in public is common and generally not regarded as an issue . In those countries , laws protect the nursing mother . In many parts of the world including Australia , some parts of the United States , and Europe , along with some countries in Asia , women have an express legal right to nurse in public and in the workplace . A few countries , such as Saudi Arabia , expressly forbid women to expose their breasts in public , even to breastfeed .   Even though the practice may be legal or socially accepted , some mothers may nevertheless be reluctant to expose a breast in public to breastfeed due to actual or potential objections by other people , negative comments , or harassment . It is estimated that around 63 % of mothers across the world have publicly breast-fed . The media have reported a number of incidents in which workers or members of the public have objected to or forbidden women breastfeeding . Some mothers avoid the negative attention and choose to move to another location . But some mothers have protested their treatment , and if the practice is permitted by law , have taken legal action or engaged in protests . Protests have included a public boycott of the offenders business , organizing a `` nurse-in '' or a breastfeeding flash mob , in which groups of nursing mothers gather at the location where the complaint originated and nursed their babies at the same time . In response , some companies have apologised and agreed to train their employees .

neg: Sex after pregnancy Sex after pregnancy is often delayed for several weeks or months , and may be difficult and painful for women . Injury to the perineum or surgical cuts ( episiotomy ) to the vagina during childbirth can cause sexual dysfunction . Sexual activity other than sexual intercourse is possible sooner , but some women experience a prolonged loss of sexual desire after giving birth , which may be associated with postnatal depression . Common issues that may last more than a year after birth are greater desire by the man than the woman , and a worsening of the woman 's body image .

neg: Menstrual taboo A menstrual taboo is any social taboo concerned with menstruation . In some societies it involves menstruation being perceived as unclean or embarrassing , extending even to the mention of menstruation both in public ( in the media and advertising ) and in private ( amongst the friends , in the household , and with men ) . Many traditional religions consider menstruation ritually unclean .   Different cultures view menstruation differently . Studies in the early 1980s showed that nearly all girls in the United States believed that girls should not talk about menstruation with boys , and more than one-third of girls did not believe that it was appropriate to discuss menstruation with their fathers . The basis of many conduct norms and communication about menstruation in western industrial societies is the belief that menstruation should remain hidden .   In other societies certain menstrual taboos may be practised without the connotation of uncleanness . According to the anthropologists Buckley and Gottlieb cross-cultural study shows that , while taboos about menstruation are nearly universal , a wide range of distinct rules for conduct during menstruation `` bespeak quite different , even opposite , purposes and meanings '' with meanings that are `` ambiguous and often multivalent '' .

neg: Teenage pregnancy in the United States Teenage pregnancy in the United States relates to girls under the age of 20 who become pregnant . Most occurrences take place out-of-wedlock .

neg: Pregnancy options counseling Pregnancy options counseling is a form of counseling that provides information and support regarding a women 's pregnancy . Woman seeking pregnancy options counseling are typically doing so in the case of an unintended pregnancy . Limited access to birth control and family planning resources , as well as misuse of birth control are some of the major contributing factors to unintended pregnancies around the world . In 2012 , the global rate of unintended pregnancies was estimated to be 40 percent , or eighty-five million pregnancies .   Pregnancy options counselors educate women about the different options that are available and help guide them to a decision on how to proceed with their pregnancy . The options include abortion , adoption , or parenting . The job of a pregnancy options counselor is to neither encourage nor discourage a woman 's particular decision , nor do they profit from the woman 's choice . Rather , they present unbiased information about each of the options non-judgmentally , then help the woman explore her feelings and come to a decision that fits her best based on her values , culture , future plans , etc. . Pregnancy options counseling centers are not the same thing as crisis pregnancy centers , which may not provide unbiased information .

neg: Estrous cycle The estrous cycle ( also oestrus cycle ; derived from Latin oestrus and originally from Greek οἶστρος meaning sexual desire ) comprises the recurring physiologic changes that are induced by reproductive hormones in most mammalian therian females . Estrous cycles start after sexual maturity in females and are interrupted by anestrous phases or pregnancies . Typically , estrous cycles continue until death . Some animals may display bloody vaginal discharge , often mistaken for menstruation , also called a `` period '' .

neg: Abortion in Costa Rica Abortion in Costa Rica is severely restricted by criminal law . Currently , abortions are allowed in Costa Rica only in order to preserve the life or physical health of the woman . Abortions are illegal in almost all cases , including when the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest and when the fetus suffers from medical problems or birth defects . Both social and economic factors have led to this legal status . It remains unclear whether abortions are legal to preserve the mental health of the woman .

neg: Synactive Theory of Newborn Behavioral Organization and Development The Synactive Theory of Newborn Behavioral Organization and Development ( Synaction n. , or Synactive adj. -LSB- from the Greek syn `` together '' and the Latin actio `` action , '' resulting in : `` together in action '' -RSB- ) suggests that development of the human fetus , and later newborn , proceeds through the constant balancing of approach and avoidance behaviors , leading to : 1 ) a continuous interaction of the subsystems ( i.e. , Autonomic , Motor , State and Attention/Interaction , and Regulatory ) and their increasingly defined delineations within the organism , that is the infant , and 2 ) the organism 's interaction with the environment at large . This process is aimed at bringing about the increasingly well-defined species-unique developmental agenda .   Figure 1 ( below ) , provides a graphic representation of the Synactive Theory of development , as applied to both fetal and newborn stages . It focuses upon the infant 's within-organism , four subsystems of functioning , and their continuous interaction with each other and with the environment across time ( i.e. , `` together in action , '' or synaction ) . The four subsystems include the :   Autonomic Subsystem : Expressed in the pattern of respiration ( e.g. , fast , slow , pauses ) color changes ( e.g. , pink , pale , red ) , neurological indicators ( e.g. , seizures , tremulousness ) , and visceral or gut signals such as bowel movements , gagging , and hiccoughing ;   Motor Subsystem : Observable through the tone , posture and movement patterns of the infant ;   State and Attention/Interaction Subsystem : Expressed via : 1 ) the range of states available to the infant ( i.e. , deep sleep , light sleep , drowsy , alert , hyperalert , and cry ) , 2 ) how clearly it is to observably differentiate one state from the other , and 3 ) the patterns of transitions from one state to another ( e.g. , smooth well-differentiated state transitions versus abrupt unorganized state transitions ) .   The attention/interaction system is set within this state continuum ( i.e. , from deep sleep to cry ) and represented by the infant 's ability to adjust the robustness and increasing refinement of an alert , attentive state . The infant uses this state to take in cognitive and social information from the environment as well as to bring forth and modify inputs from the surrounding world ; and   Regulatory Subsystem : Behaviorally represented via the observable strategies the infant uses ( Self-Regulation ) in maintaining a balanced , relatively stable and relaxed state of subsystem of functioning or in returning to this a state of subsystem functioning if imbalance , or stress has occurred within the subsystems .   An additional component of the regulatory subsystem is observable in the kind and amount of support offered by the caregiver ( e.g. , supporting a soft , tucked , flexed position of the infant 's arms and legs ) or by the environment ( e.g. , dimming the lights in the nursery ) . This Co-Regulation may be necessary to help the infant 's return to balance in situations when his/her own self-regulatory capacities are exceeded .   Reproduced with permission from Als , H. Toward a synactive theory of development : Promise for the assessment of infant individuality . Infant Mental Health Journal . 1982 : ( 3 ) : 229-243 ; p. 234 .   The graphic representation of the Synactive Theory above depicts the developing organism , that is , the infant , in constant interaction with the environment from within the womb to the newborn intensive care unit ( NICU ) , and the caregiving family 's support in the NICU , to the family in their home . Newborn infants are actively striving for their next steps in development , while depending upon `` good enough '' environments and care to assure progress along their developmental agenda .   The Synactive Theory of Development continues to be instrumental in guiding clinicians ( e.g. , neonatologist , nurses , psychologists , developmental specialists , physical/occupational therapists , etc. ) and researchers in their understanding of the often very small steps in development that prematurely born and other high risk newborns attempt to accomplish ( which are major steps for their immature or injured brain ) . This theory gives professionals the framework and tools with which to identify the infant 's strengths , challenges and accomplishments . Such accomplishments may include breathing , sucking and swallowing in a coordinated sequence ; moving food down into and through the stomach and intestinal track instead of upwards , leading to reflux and vomiting ; looking at the caregiver and breathing at the same time , as well as many others .   The Synactive Theory is the foundation of both : 1 ) the Assessment of Preterm Infants ' Behavior ( APIB ) , a standardized comprehensive newborn test , and 2 ) the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program ( NIDCAP ) , which is the care and intervention approach , that focuses on each infant 's behavioral cues ( e.g. , hand ( s ) to mouth , bracing with feet against a supporting surface ) in order to support the infant 's strengths and reduce the infant 's vulnerabilities . The infant 's family is viewed as the infant 's most important nurturer and is integrated in all care from the infant 's birth on throughout the infant 's hospitalization .

neg: Female infanticide Female infanticide is the deliberate killing of newborn female children . In countries with a history of female infanticide , the modern practice of sex-selective abortion is often discussed as a closely related issue . Female infanticide is a major cause of concern in several nations such as China and India . It has been argued that the `` low status '' in which women are viewed in patriarchal societies creates a bias against females .   In 1978 , anthropologist Laila Williamson , in a summary of data she had collated on how widespread infanticide was among both tribal and developed , or `` civilized '' nations , found that infanticide had occurred on every continent and was carried out by groups ranging from hunter gatherers to highly developed societies and that rather than this practice being an exception , it has been commonplace . The practice has been well documented among the indigenous peoples of Australia , Northern Alaska and South Asia , and Barbara Miller argues the practice to be `` almost universal '' , even in the West . Miller contends that in regions where women are not employed in agriculture and regions in which dowries are the norm then female infanticide is commonplace , and in 1871 in The Descent of Man , and Selection in Relation to Sex , Charles Darwin wrote that the practice was commonplace among the aboriginal tribes of Australia .   In 1990 , Amartya Sen writing in the New York Review of Books estimated that there were 100 million fewer women in Asia than would be expected , and that this amount of `` missing '' women `` tell -LSB- s -RSB- us , quietly , a terrible story of inequality and neglect leading to the excess mortality of women . '' Initially Sen 's suggestion of gender bias was contested and it was suggested that hepatitis B was the cause of the alteration in the natural sex ratio . However it is now widely accepted that the numerical worldwide deficit in women , is due to gender specific abortions , infanticide and neglect .   In seventh-century Arabia , before Islamic culture became established , female infanticide was widely practiced . This is attributed by scholars to the fact that women were deemed `` property '' within those societies . Others have speculated that to prevent their daughters from a life of misery , the mothers would kill the child . With the arrival of Islamic rule the practice was made illegal .

neg: Sperm competition Sperm competition is the competitive process between spermatozoa of two or more different males to fertilize the same egg during sexual reproduction . Competition can occur when females have multiple potential mating partners . Greater choice and variety of mates increases a female 's chance to produce more viable offspring . However , multiple mates for a female means an individual male has decreased chances of producing offspring .  Sperm competition is an evolutionary pressure on males , and has led to the development of adaptations to increase males ' chance of reproductive success . Sperm competition results in a sexual conflict of interest between males and females . Males have evolved several defensive tactics including : mate-guarding , mating plugs , and releasing toxic seminal substances to reduce female re-mating tendencies to cope with sperm competition . Offensive tactics of sperm competition involve direct interference by one male on the reproductive success of another male , for instance by physically removing another male 's sperm prior to mating with a female . For an example , see Gryllus bimaculatus .   Sperm competition is often compared to having tickets in a raffle ; a male has a better chance of winning ( i.e. fathering offspring ) the more tickets he has ( i.e. the more sperm he inseminates a female with ) . However , sperm are not free to produce , and as such males are predicted to produce sperm of a size and number that will maximize their success in sperm competition . By making many spermatozoa , males can buy more `` raffle tickets '' , and it is thought that selection for numerous sperm has contributed to the evolution of anisogamy with very small sperm ( because of the energy trade-off between sperm size and number ) . Alternatively , a male may evolve faster sperm to enable his sperm to reach and fertilize the female 's ovum first . Dozens of adaptations have been documented in males that help them succeed in sperm competition .

neg: Maternal health in Angola Maternal health in Angola is a very complicated issue . In the Sub-Saharan region of Africa where Angola is located , poor maternal health has been an ongoing problem contributing to the decreased level of health in the population in the early 21st century .   According to the World Health Organization ( WHO ) , maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy , childbirth , and the postpartum period . Maternal health is an important factor in determining the status of health in all countries as the health of newborns , which depends on the health of the mother , has an effect on the developmental stages of each individual . In Angola , maternal health is affected by many different factors , including the country 's history , economic state , and overall prevalence of infectious diseases .   The WHO lists the leading causes of maternal death as severe bleeding , infections , high blood pressure during pregnancy , obstructed labor , and unsafe abortions . These causes compose approximately 80 percent of all maternal mortalities worldwide with the vast majority occurring in developing countries . The other remaining factors that contribute to maternal death include malaria , anemia , and HIV/AIDS during pregnancy . The WHO also states that the reasons why so many women die during childbirth are usually poverty , long distance to care , lack of information , inadequate service , and cultural practices . All of these causes of maternal death , and the corresponding reasons , are very familiar among women in Angola .

neg: List of women who died in childbirth This is a list of notable women , either famous themselves or closely associated with someone well known , who suffered maternal death as defined by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) :   `` the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy , irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy , from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes . ''   Note that this wording includes abortion , miscarriage , stillbirth , and ectopic pregnancy . Generally , there is a distinction between a direct maternal death that is the result of a complication of the pregnancy , delivery , or management of the two , and an indirect maternal death that is a pregnancy-related death in a woman with a pre-existing or newly developed health problem unrelated to pregnancy . Fatalities during but unrelated to a pregnancy are termed accidental , incidental , or non-obstetrical maternal deaths .   However , the WHO definition is only one of many ; other definitions may include accidental and incidental causes . Cases with `` incidental causes '' include deaths secondary to violence against women that may be related to the pregnancy and be affected by the socioeconomic and cultural environment . Also , it has been reported that about 10 % of maternal deaths may occur late , that is after 42 days after a termination or delivery ; thus , some definitions extend the period of observation to one year after the end of gestation .

neg: Pregnancy vegetarianism Pregnancy vegetarianism is the practice of adhering to a vegetarian diet during pregnancy . Vegetarianism is `` the principle or practice of excluding all meat and fish , and sometimes , in the case of vegans , all animal products ( such as eggs , milk , cheese , etc ) from one 's diet . '' Although some people frown upon pregnant women practicing vegetarianism , there is no evidence that vegetarianism -- practiced properly -- is unhealthful during pregnancy . There are millions of healthy babies born each year from vegetarian households .

neg: Melasma Melasma ( also known as chloasma faciei , or the mask of pregnancy when present in pregnant women ) is a tan or dark skin discoloration . Although it can affect anyone , melasma is particularly common in women , especially pregnant women and those who are taking oral or patch contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy ( HRT ) medications .