2003 Edition

Administrative divisions

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 39.7% (male 5,424,396; female 5,080,171) 15-64 years: 56.7% (male 7,692,134; female 7,320,059) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 468,697; female 484,112) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

45 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2002)

total

9

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

36 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7

under 914 m

28 (2002) Military Nepal

Area

land

136,800 sq km

total

140,800 sq km

water

4,000 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Arkansas

Background

In 1951, the Nepalese monarch ended the century-old system of rule by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system of government. Reforms in 1990 established a multiparty democracy within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. A Maoist insurgency, launched in 1996, has gained traction and is threatening to bring down the regime. In 2001, the Crown Prince massacred ten members of the royal family, including the king and queen, and then took his own life. In October 2002, the new king dismissed the prime minister and his cabinet for "incompetence" after they dissolved the parliament and were subsequently unable to hold elections because of the ongoing insurgency. The country is now governed by the king and his appointed cabinet, which has negotiated a cease-fire with the Maoist insurgents, until elections can be held at some unspecified future date. Geography Nepal

Birth rate

32.46 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY 99/00 est.)

revenues

$665 million

Capital

Kathmandu

Climate

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

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Constitution

9 November 1990

Country name

conventional long form

Kingdom of Nepal

conventional short form

Nepal

Currency

Nepalese rupee (NPR)

Currency code

NPR

Death rate

9.84 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$2.55 billion (FY 00/01)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Michael E. MALINOWSKI

embassy

Panipokhari, Kathmandu

mailing address

use embassy street address

telephone

[977] (1) 411179

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

Ambassador-designate Jai Pratap RANA

Disputes - international

joint border commission continues to work on small disputed sections of boundary with India; India has instituted a stricter border regime to restrict transit of Maoist insurgents

Distribution of family income - Gini index

36.7 (FY 95/96)

Economic aid - recipient

$424 million (FY 00/01)

Economy - overview

Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with 42% of its population living below the poverty line. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over 80% of the population and accounting for 40% of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Textile and carpet production, accounting for about 80% of foreign exchange earnings in recent years, contracted in 2001-02 due to the overall slowdown in the world economy and pressures by Maoist insurgents on factory owners and workers. Security concerns in the wake of the Maoist conflict and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US have led to a decrease in tourism, another key source of foreign exchange. Since 1991, the government has been moving forward with economic reforms, e.g., by reducing business licenses and registration requirements to simplify investment procedures, reducing subsidies, privatizing state industries, and laying off civil servants. Nepal has considerable scope for exploiting its potential in hydropower and tourism, areas of recent foreign investment interest. Prospects for foreign trade or investment in other sectors will remain poor, however, because of the small size of the economy, its technological backwardness, its remoteness, its landlocked geographic location, and its susceptibility to natural disaster. The international community's role of funding more than 60% of Nepal's development budget and more than 28% of total budgetary expenditures will likely continue as a major ingredient of growth.

Electricity - consumption

1.764 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

95 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

227 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

1.755 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

8.5%

hydro

91.5%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mount Everest 8,850 m (1999)

lowest point

Kanchan Kalan 70 m

Environment - current issues

deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives); contaminated water (with human and animal wastes, agricultural runoff, and industrial effluents); wildlife conservation; vehicular emissions

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

Ethnic groups

Brahman, Chetri, Newar, Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Sherpa, Tharu, and others (1995)

Exchange rates

Nepalese rupees per US dollar - 77.88 (2002), 74.95 (2001), 71.09 (2000), 68.24 (1999), 65.98 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister

chief of state

King GYANENDRA Bir Bikram Shah (succeeded to the throne 4 June 2001 following the death of his nephew, King DIPENDRA Bir Bikram Shah)

elections

none; the monarch is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch

head of government

Prime Minister Surya Bahadur THAPA (since 4 June 2003); note - Prime Minister CHAND resigned 30 May 2003

note

King BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev died in a bloody shooting at the royal palace on 1 June 2001 that also claimed the lives of most of the royal family; King BIRENDRA's son, Crown Price DIPENDRA, is believed to have been responsible for the shootings before fatally wounding himself; immediately following the shootings and while still clinging to life, DIPENDRA was crowned king; he died three days later and was succeeded by his uncle

Exports

$720 million f.o.b., but does not include unrecorded border trade with India (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities

carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain

Exports - partners

India 47.5%, US 27.6%, Germany 7.5% (2002)

FAX

[1] (202) 667-5534

[977] (1) 419963

chancery

2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

consulate(s) general

New York

telephone

[1] (202) 667-4550

Fiscal year

16 July - 15 July Communications Nepal

Flag description

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 Economy Nepal

GDP

purchasing power parity - $37.32 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

40%

industry

20%

services

40% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-0.6% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

28 00 N, 84 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest - the world's tallest - on the border with China People Nepal

Government type

parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy

Highways

paved

4,073 km

total

13,223 km

unpaved

9,150 km (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.5% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

2,400 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

58,000 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

29.8% (1995-96)

lowest 10%

3.2%

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international drug markets; transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Imports

$1.6 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities

gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer

Imports - partners

India 21.2%, China 13%, UAE 11.1%, Singapore 8.5%, Hong Kong 5.9%, Saudi Arabia 4.9%, Kuwait 4.1% (2002)

Independence

1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah)

Industrial production growth rate

8.7% (FY 99/00)

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

72.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

68.95 deaths/1,000 live births

total

70.57 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.8% (2001 est.)

International organization participation

AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Internet country code

.np

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

6 (2000)

Internet users

60,000 (2002) Transportation Nepal

Irrigated land

11,350 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

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

Labor force

10 million

note

severe lack of skilled labor (1996 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 81%, services 16%, industry 3%

Land boundaries

border countries

China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km

total

2,926 km

Land use

arable land

20.27%

other

79.24% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

0.49%

Languages

Nepali (official; spoken by 90% of the population), about a dozen other languages and about 30 major dialects; note - many in government and business also speak English (1995)

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

: bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council (60 seats; 35 appointed by the House of Representatives, 10 by the king, and 15 elected by an electoral college; one-third of the members elected every two years to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives (205 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) note: Nepal's Parliament was dissolved on 22 May 2002 election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NC 37.3%, CPN/UML 31.6%, NDP 10.4%, NSP 3.2%, Rastriya Jana Morcha 1.4%, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 0.8%, NWPP 0.5%, others 14.8%; seats by party - NC 113, CPN/UML 69, NDP 11, NSP 5, Rastriya Jana Morcha 5, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 1, NWPP 1 elections: House of Representatives - last held 3 and 17 May 1999 (next election NA)

Life expectancy at birth

female

58.63 years (2003 est.)

male

59.36 years

total population

59 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

27.6% (2003 est.) Government Nepal

male

62.7%

total population

45.2%

Location

Southern Asia, between China and India

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Median age

female

19.9 years (2002)

male

19.6 years

total

19.7 years

Military branches

Royal Nepalese Army (includes Royal Nepalese Army Air Service), Nepalese Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$57.22 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.1% (FY02) Transnational Issues Nepal

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49

6,674,014 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49

3,467,511 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - military age

17 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

303,222 (2003 est.)

National holiday

Birthday of King GYANENDRA, 7 July (1946)

Nationality

adjective

Nepalese

noun

Nepalese (singular and plural)

Natural hazards

severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons

Natural resources

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

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

16,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Political parties and leaders

Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist or CPN/UML [Madhav Kumar NEPAL, general secretary]; National Democratic Party or NDP (also called Rastriya Prajantra Party or RPP) [Surya Bahadur THAPA, chairman]; National People's Front (Rastriya Jana Morcha) [Chitra Bahadur, chairman]; Nepal Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party or NSP [Bhadri Prasad MANDAL, acting party president]; Nepal Workers and Peasants Party or NWPP [Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE, party chairman]; Nepali Congress or NC [Girija Prasad KOIRALA, party president; Sushil KOIRALA, general secretary]; Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal [Lila Mani POKHAREL, general secretary]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Maoist guerrilla-based insurgency [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL also known as Prahanda, chairman; and chief negotiator, Dr. Baburam BHATTARAI, from Communist Party of Nepal/Maoist]; numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups

Population

26,469,569 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

42% (1995-96)

Population growth rate

2.26% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

none

Radio broadcast stations

AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (January 2000)

Radios

840,000 (1997)

Railways

narrow gauge

59 km 0.762-m gauge (2002)

total

59 km

Religions

Hinduism 86.2%, Buddhism 7.8%, Islam 3.8%, other 2.2%

note

only official Hindu state in the world (1995)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.05 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

NA

general assessment

poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radiotelephone communication service and mobile cellular telephone network

international

radiotelephone communications; microwave landline to India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

236,816 (January 2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular

NA

Television broadcast stations

1 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998)

Televisions

130,000 (1997)

Terrain

Terai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north

Total fertility rate

4.39 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

47% (2001 est.)

Waterways

none