Nepal

Branches

Royal Nepalese Army, Royal Nepalese Army Air Service, Nepalese Police Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $36 million, 1.2% of GDP (FY92/93)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49: 5,329,345 males fit for military service: 2,768,887 males reach military age (17) annually: 254,590 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 88, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

690,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radiotelephone communication service domestic: NA international: radiotelephone communications; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Telephones

82,774 (1995 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1988 est.)

Televisions

45,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Agriculture

rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat

Budget

revenues: $645 million expenditures: $1.05 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95 est.)

Currency

1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $310 million (1993) note: western and Japanese bilateral aid $215 million; multilateral aid $43 million (1994-95)

Economic overview

Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over 80% of the population and accounting for about one-half of GDP. Industrial activity is limited, mainly involving the processing of agricultural produce (jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain). Production of textiles and carpets has expanded recently and accounted for 85% of foreign exchange earnings in FY93/94. Apart from agricultural land and forests, exploitable natural resources are mica, hydropower, and tourism. Agricultural production in the late 1980s grew by about 5%, as compared with annual population growth of 2.6%. More than 40% of the population is undernourished. Since May 1991, the government has been moving forward with economic reforms particularly those that encourage trade and foreign investment, e.g., by eliminating business licenses and registration requirements in order to simplify investment procedures. The government has also been cutting public expenditures by reducing subsidies, privatizing state industries, and laying off civil servants. (In 1995 little progress was made in these areas because the communist government had trouble formulating and implementing policies.) The new coalition government is planning to pick up the pace of reforms in 1996, focusing primarily on raising revenues to develop the rural sector by increasing taxation and privatization. Prospects for foreign trade and investment, particularly in areas other than power development and tourism, will continue to remain poor because of the small size of the economy, its technological backwardness, its remoteness, and its susceptibility to natural disaster. The international community provides funding for 62% of Nepal's developmental budget and for 34% of total budgetary expenditures.

Electricity

capacity: 280,000 kW production: 920 million kWh consumption per capita: 41 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1 - 56.636 (January 1996), 51.890 (1995), 49.398 (1994), 48.607 (1993), 42.718 (1992), 37.255 (1991)

Exports

$430 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.) but does not include unrecorded border trade with India commodities: carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain partners: India, US, Germany, UK

External debt

$2.3 billion (FY94/95 est.)

Fiscal year

16 July - 15 July

GDP

purchasing power parity - $25.2 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture: 49.3% industry: 18.4% services: 32.3% (1993)

GDP per capita

$1,200 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

2.3% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international drug markets; transit point for heroin from Southeast Asia to the West

Imports

$1.4 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.) commodities: petroleum products 20%, fertilizer 11%, machinery 10% partners: India, Singapore, Japan, Germany

Industrial production growth rate

14.7% (FY94/95 est.)

Industries

tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette; cement and brick production

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6.7% (FY94/95)

Labor force

8.5 million (1991 est.) by occupation: agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry 2% note: severe lack of skilled labor

Unemployment rate

NA%; substantial underemployment (1995)

Area

total area: 140,800 sq km land area: 136,800 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Arkansas

Climate

varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Environment

current issues: the almost total dependence on wood for fuel and cutting down trees to expand agricultural land without replanting has resulted in widespread deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution (use of contaminated water presents human health risks) natural hazards: severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

Geographic coordinates

28 00 N, 84 00 E

Geographic note

landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

9,430 sq km (1989)

Land boundaries

total: 2,926 km border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km

Land use

arable land: 17% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 13% forest and woodland: 33% other: 37%

Location

Southern Asia, between China and India

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural resources

quartz, water, timber, hydropower potential, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore

Terrain

Terai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m highest point: Mount Everest 8,848 m

Administrative divisions

14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti

Capital

Kathmandu

Constitution

9 November 1990

Data code

NP

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Basudev Prasad DHUNGANA chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550 consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch

chief of state: King BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev (succeeded to the throne 31 January 1972 following the death of his father King MAHENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev, crowned king 24 February 1975) is a constitutional monarch; Heir Apparent Crown Prince DIPENDRA Bir Bikram head of government: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur DEUBA (since 12 September 1995); note - in 1994, the king appointed Man Mohan ADHIKARI to be prime minister using the standard criterion - he was the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives following the last election; however, in September 1995, a parliamentary coalition of the Nepali Congress Party, the Rastriya Prajantra Party, the Nepal Sadbhavana Party, and independents voted against Prime Minister ADHIKARI; Sher Bahadur DEUBA, the leader of the Nepali Congress Party, then formed the new government and was appointed the new prime minister by the king cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the king on recommendation of the prime minister

FAX

[977] (1) 419963

Flag

red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping right triangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a white stylized moon and the larger, lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun

House of Representatives

elections last held 15 November 1994 (next to be held NA); results - NCP 33%, CPN/UML 31%, NDP 18%, Terai Rights Sadbhavana Party 3%, NWPP 1%; seats - (205 total) CPN/UML 88, NCP 83, NDP 20, NWPP 4, Terai Rights Sadbhavana Party 3, independents 7

Independence

1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah)

International organization participation

AsDB, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, SAARC, UN, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIH, UNPROFOR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Sarbochha Adalat), chief justice is appointed by the king on recommendation of the Constitutional Council, the other judges are appointed by the king on the recommendation of the Judicial Council

Legal system

based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament

Name of country

conventional long form: Kingdom of Nepal conventional short form: Nepal

National Council

consists of 60 members (50 appointed by House of Representatives and 10 by the king)

National holiday

Birthday of His Majesty the King, 28 December (1945)

Other political or pressure groups

numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups

Political parties and leaders

Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist and Leninist (CPN/UML), Man Mohan ADHIKARI, president; Nepali Congress Party (NCP), Krishna Prasad BHATTARAI (president), Girija Prasad KOIRALA, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur DEUBA; National Democratic Party (NDP), leader NA; Terai Rights Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party, Gajendra Narayan SINGH; Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP), leader NA; Nepal Sadbhavana Party, leader NA; Rastriya Prajantra Party, leader NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

parliamentary democracy as of 12 May 1991

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Sandra L. VOGELGESANG embassy: Pani Pokhari, Kathmandu mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [977] (1) 411179

Age structure

0-14 years: 42% (male 4,776,245; female 4,563,000) 15-64 years: 55% (male 6,172,821; female 5,945,626) 65 years and over: 3% (male 320,350; female 315,991) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

37 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

12.56 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Newars, Indians, Tibetans, Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs, Bhotias, Rais, Limbus, Sherpas

Infant mortality rate

79 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Nepali (official), 20 other languages divided into numerous dialects

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 53.63 years male: 53.35 years female: 53.93 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 27.5% male: 40.9% female: 14%

Nationality

noun: Nepalese (singular and plural) adjective: Nepalese

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

22,094,033 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

2.45% (1996 est.)

Religions

Hindu 90%, Buddhist 5%, Muslim 3%, other 2% (1981) note: only official Hindu state in world, although no sharp distinction between many Hindu and Buddhist groups

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female all ages: 1.04 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.06 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 43 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 3 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 27 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 10 (1995 est.)

Highways

total: 9,933 km paved: 3,421 km unpaved: 6,512 km (1995 est.)

Ports

none

Railways

total: 101 km; note - all in Terai close to Indian border narrow gauge: 101 km 0.762-m gauge