1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winter in south
Coastline
none--landlocked
Comparative area
slightly larger than Arkansas
Environment
contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
Land boundaries
2,926 km total; China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
Land use
17% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 13% meadows and pastures; 33% forest and woodland; 37% other; includes 2% irrigated
Maritime claims
none--landlocked
Natural resources
quartz, water, timber, hydroelectric potential, scenic beauty; small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore
Note
landlocked; strategic location between China and India
Terrain
Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north
Total area
140,800 km2; land area: 136,800 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
39 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
15 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
Newars, Indians, Tibetans, Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs, Bhotias, Rais, Limbus, Sherpas, as well as many smaller groups
Infant mortality rate
99 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
4,100,000; 93% agriculture, 5% services, 2% industry; severe lack of skilled labor
Language
Nepali (official); 20 languages divided into numerous dialects
Life expectancy at birth
50 years male, 50 years female (1990)
Literacy
20%
Nationality
noun--Nepalese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Nepalese
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
Teachers' Union, not officially recognized
Population
19,145,800 (July 1990), growth rate 2.4% (1990)
Religion
only official Hindu state in world, although no sharp distinction between many Hindu (about 88% of population) and Buddhist groups; small groups of Muslims and Christians
Total fertility rate
5.6 children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti
Capital
Kathmandu
Communists
Communist Party of Nepal (CPN); factions include V. B. Manandhar, Man Mohan Adhikari/Sahana Pradhan, Bharat Raj Joshi, Rai Majhi, Tulsi Lal, Krishna Raj Burma
Constitution
16 December 1962
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Mohan Man SAINJU; Chancery at 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 667-4550; there is a Nepalese Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador Julia Chang BLOCH; Embassy at Pani Pokhari, Kathmandu; telephone [977] 411179 or 412718, 411601
Elections
National Assembly--last held on 12 May 1986 (next to be held May 1991); results--all independents since political parties are officially banned; seats--(140 total, 112 elected) independents 112
Executive branch
monarch, chairman of the Council of State, Council of State, prime minister
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
Independence
1768, unified by Prithyi Narayan Shah
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (Sarbochha Adalat)
Leaders
Chief of State--King BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev (since 31 January 1972, crowned King 24 February 1985); Heir Apparent Crown Prince DIPENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev, son of the King (born 21 June 1971); Head of Government--Prime Minister Marich Man Singh SHRESTHA (since 15 July 1986)
Legal system
based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly (Rashtriya Panchayat)
Long-form name
Kingdom of Nepal
Member of
ADB, CCC, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, NAM, SAARC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
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; Indian merchants in Tarai and capital; several small, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups operating from north India
Political parties and leaders
all political parties outlawed but operate more or less openly; Nepali Congress Party (NCP), Ganesh Man Singh, K. P. Bhattarai, G. P. Koirala
Suffrage
universal at age 21
Type
constitutional monarchy, but King Birendra exercises control over multitiered system of government
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 60% of GDP and 90% of work force; farm products--rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops, milk, buffalo meat; not self-sufficient in food, particularly in drought years
Aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $285 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-87), $1.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $30 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $273 million
Budget
revenues $296 million; expenditures $635 million, including capital expenditures of $394 million (FY89 est.)
Currency
Nepalese rupee (plural--rupees); 1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa
Electricity
205,000 kW capacity; 535 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1--28.559 (January 1990), 27.189 (1989), 23.289 (1988), 21.819 (1987), 21.230 (1986), 18.246 (1985)
Exports
$374 million (f.o.b., FY89 est.), but does not include unrecorded border trade with India; commodities--clothing, carpets, leather goods, grain; partners--India 38%, US 23%, UK 6%, other Europe 9% (FY88)
External debt
$1.3 billion (December 1989 est.)
Fiscal year
16 July-15 July
GDP
$2.9 billion, per capita $158; real growth rate 1.5% (FY89)
Illicit drugs
illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international drug markets
Imports
$724 million (c.i.f., FY89 est.); commodities--petroleum products 20%, fertilizer 11%, machinery 10%; partners--India 36%, Japan 13%, Europe 4%, US 1% (FY88)
Industrial production
growth rate - 4.5% (FY89 est.)
Industries
small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette, textiles, cement, brick; tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
8.1% (FY89 est.)
Overview
Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with a per capita income of only $158. Real growth averaged 4% in the 1980s until FY89, when it plunged to 1.5% because of the ongoing trade/transit dispute with India. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over 90% of the population and accounting for 60% of GDP and about 75% of exports. Industrial activity is limited, and what there is involves the processing of agricultural produce (jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain). Apart from agricultural land and forests, the only other exploitable natural resources are mica, hydropower, and tourism. Despite considerable investment in the agricultural sector, production in the 1980s has not kept pace with the population growth of 2.7%, which has led to a reduction in exportable surpluses and balance-of-payments difficulties. Economic prospects for the 1990s remain grim.
Unemployment rate
5%; underemployment estimated at 25-40% (1987)
Communications
Airports
38 total, 38 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
5 major and 11 minor transport aircraft
Highways
5,958 km total (1986); 2,645 km paved, 815 km gravel or crushed stone, 2,257 km improved and unimproved earth; also 241 km of seasonally motorable tracks
Railroads
52 km (1985), all 0.762-meter narrow gauge; all in Tarai close to Indian border; 10 km from Raxaul to Birganj is government owned
Telecommunications
poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radio communication and broadcast service; international radio communication service is poor; 30,000 telephones (1987); stations--4 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
Royal Nepalese Army, Royal Nepalese Army Air Service, Nepalese Police Force
Defense expenditures
2% of GDP, or $58 million (1989 est.)
Military manpower
males 15-49, 4,531,660; 2,347,412 fit for military service; 225,349 reach military age (17) annually