Nepal

constitutional monarchyIndependence 1768, unified by Prithyi Narayan Shah

Nepal as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 67 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalKathmandu

Area140,800 km2

Populationas each edition published it

19.61 million July 1991 · 19.15m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.43% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 19.7 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 51.98 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

5.5 children per woman 1991 · 5.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

98 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 99 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $170 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.1% in 1993

Geography

11 fields

Total area

140,800km2

land area: 136,800 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than Arkansas

Land boundaries

2,926km total

China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km

Climate

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

Terrain

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

Natural resources

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

Land use

arable land 17%;
permanent crops NEGL%;
meadows and pastures 13%;
forest and woodland 33%;
other 37%;
includes irrigated 2%

Environment

contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks;
deforestation;
soil erosion;
water pollution

Note

landlocked; strategic location between China and India

People

14 fields

Population

19,611,900

(July 1991), growth rate 2.4% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

39Death

15Net migration

Literacy

26%

(male 38%, female 13%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality

noun--Nepalese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Nepalese

Ethnic divisions

Newars, Indians, Tibetans, Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs, Bhotias, Rais, Limbus, Sherpas, as well as many smaller groups

Religion

only official Hindu state in world, although no sharp distinction between many Hindu (about 90% of population) and Buddhist groups (about 5% of population); Muslims 3%, other 2% (1981)

Language

Nepali (official); 20 languages divided into numerous dialects

Labor force

4,100,000;
agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry 2%;
severe lack of skilled labor

Organized labor

Teachers' Union and many other nonofficially recognized unions

Government

Constitutional monarchy

17 fields

House of Representatives, 205 seats, elected 12 May 1991one dot, one seat

NCP 110CPN/UML 69UPF 9Terai Rights Sadbhavana Party 6NDP/Chand 3Rohit 2CPN (Democratic) 2NDP/Thapa 1independent 3

Percent of vote

NCP 38%CPN/UML 28%NDP/Chand 6%UPF 5%NDP/Thapa 5%Terai Rights Sadbhavana Party 4%Rohit 2%CPN (Democratic) 1%independent 4%other 7%

Administrative divisions

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

Legal system

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

National holiday

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

Executive branch

monarch, prime minister, Council of Ministers

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or National Council and a lower house or House of Representatives

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Sarbochha Adalat) 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 Girija Prasad KOIRALA (since 29 May 1991) ruling party--Nepali Congress Party (NCP), Girija Prasad KOIRALA, Ganesh Man SINGH, Krishna Prasad BHATTARAI;
center--the NDP has two factions:
- National Democratic Party/Chand (NDP/Chand),
- Lokinra Bahadur CHAND,
- and National Democratic Party/Thapa (NDP/Thapa),
- Surya Bahadur THAPA
;
Terai Rights Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party, G. N. Naryan SINGH;
Communist--Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist and Leninist (CPN/UML), Man Mohan ADIKHARY;
United People's Front (UPF), N. K. PRASAI;
Rohit Party, N. M. BIJUKCHHE;
Democratic Party, leader NA

Suffrage

universal at age 18 House of Representatives--last held on 12 May 1991 (next to be held May 1996);
results--NCP 38%, CPN/UML 28%, NDP/Chand 6%, UPF 5%, NDP/Thapa 5%, Terai Rights Sadbhavana Party 4%, Rohit 2%, CPN (Democratic) 1%, independent 4%, other 7%;
seats--(205 total) NCP 110, CPN/UML 69, UPF 9, Terai Rights Sadbhavana Party 6, NDP/Chand 3, Rohit 2, CPN (Democratic) 2, NDP/Thapa 1, independent 3;
note--the new Constitution of 9 November 1990 gives Nepal a multiparty democracy system for the first time in 32 years

Other political or pressure groups

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

Member of

AsDB, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

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] (1) 411179 or 412718, 411601, 411613, 413890

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

Economy

Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with a per capita income of less than $200.

17 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$3.0billion

per capita $160; real growth rate 2.1% (FY90)

Inflation, consumer prices

10.0%

(FY90 est.)

Unemployment rate

underemployment estimated at 25-40% (1987)

External debt

$2.5billion

(April 1990 est.)

Imports $454.3illion (c.i.f., FY90 est.)commodities, where a share is given

petroleum products

20%fertilizer

11%machinery

10%

; partners--India 36%, Japan 13%, Europe 4%, US 1% (FY88)

Budget

Revenues

$316.5 millionExpenditures

$618.5 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $398 (FY91 est.)

Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with a per capita income of less than $200. Real growth averaged 4% in the 1980s until FY89, when it plunged to 1.5% because of a trade/transit dispute with India. Though the impasse is over, political turmoil and inflated energy costs will probably constrain growth to under 4%. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over 90% of the population and accounting for 60% 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 87% of foreign exchange earnings in FY89.

Apart from agricultural land and forests, the only other exploitable natural resources are mica, hydropower, and tourism. Agricultural production in the late 1980s grew by about 5%, compared with a population growth of 2.6%. Forty percent or more of the population is undernourished partly because of poor distribution. Economic prospects for the 1990s are poor, with economic growth probably outpacing population growth only slightly.

Exports

$125 million (f.o.b., FY90), 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)

Industrial production

growth rate 6% (FY90 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP

Electricity

280,000 kW capacity; 540 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills;
cigarette, textiles, carpets, cement, brick;
tourism

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

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international drug markets

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $304 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-88), $2.0 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $30 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $286 million

Currency

Nepalese rupee (plural--rupees); 1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa

Exchange rates

Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1--30.805 (January 1991), 29.370 (1990), 27.189 (1989), 23.289 (1988), 21.819 (1987), 21.230 (1986), 18.246 (1985)

Fiscal year

16 July-15 July

Communications

5 fields

Airports, 37 total, 37 usable

permanent-surface runways

5runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

1runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

7,080Railroads

Highways: (1990); 2,898 km paved, 1,660 km gravel or crushed stone; also 2,522 km of seasonally motorable tracks · Railroads: (1990), all 0.762-meter narrow gauge; all in Terai close to Indian border; 10 km from Raxaul to Birganj is government owned