Nepal

Kingdom of Nepal

parliamentary democracy as of 12 May 1991Independence 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah)

Nepal as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 75 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

LocationSouth Asia, in the Himalayas, between China and India

Populationas each edition published it

20.54 million July 1993 est. · 19.15m in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.43% 1993 est. · 0.66% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 19.7 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

51.98 years 1993 est. · 73 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

5.33 children per woman 1993 est. · 5.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

85.8 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 99 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$170 $5,000 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

3.1% 3.7% in 2025

Geography

South Asia, in the Himalayas, between China and India

14 fields

Land useshare of 140,800 km2

arable land 17%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 13%forest and woodland 33%other 37%irrigated 9,430 km2 (1989)

Area

140,800km2

land area: 136,800 km2comparative area: slightly larger than Arkansas

Coastline

0km

(landlocked)Maritime claims: none; landlocked

Land boundaries

2,926km

total · China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km

Location

South Asia, in the Himalayas, between China and India

Climate

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

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

20,535,466

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 2.43% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

37.99Death

13.66Net migration

Religions(1981)

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

Labor force

8.5million

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

Literacy

15and over can read and write

age · (1990)total population: 26%male: 38%female: 13%

Infant mortality rate

85.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 51.98 years male: 51.84 years
female:: 52.12 years (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Nepalese (singular and plural)
adjective:: Nepalese

Ethnic divisions

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

Languages

Nepali (official), 20 languages divided into numerous dialects

Government

Parliamentary democracy as of 12 May 1991

21 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

38%

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

Names

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

Type

parliamentary democracy as of 12 May 1991

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)

Political parties and leaders

ruling party:: Nepali Congress Party (NCP), Party president Krishna Prasad BHATTARAI, Prime Minister Girija Prasad KOIRALA, Ganesh Man SINGH
center:
the NDP has two factions:: National Democratic Party/Chand (NDP/Chand), Lokendra Bahadur CHAND;
and National Democratic Party/Thapa (NDP/Thapa), Surya Bahadur THAPA;
Terai Rights Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party, Gayendra Narayan SINGH
Communist:: Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist and Leninist (CPN/UML), Man Mohan ADIKHARY;
United People's Front (UPF), N. K. PRASAI, Lila Mani POKHAREL;
Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, leader NA;
Rohit Party, N. M. BIJUKCHHE;
Democratic Party, leader NA

note: the two factions of the NDP announced a merger in late 1991

Other political or pressure groups

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

Elections

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%, independents 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, independents 3;
note - the new Constitution of 9 November 1990 gave Nepal a multiparty democracy system for the first time in 32 years

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

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 Girija Prasad KOIRALA (since 29 May 1991)

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, UNPROFOR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Yog Prasad UPADHYAYA
chancery:: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: (202) 667-4550
consulate general:: New York

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Julia Chang BLOCH
embassy:: Pani Pokhari, Kathmandu
mailing address:: use embassy street address
telephone:: [977] (1) 411179 or 412718, 411604, 411613, 413890
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

Economy

19 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$170

(FY92)

Real growth rate

3.1%

(FY92)industrial production growth: growth rate 6% (FY91 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

14%

(November 1992)

Unemployment rate

(1987); underemployment estimated at 25-40%

Budget

Revenues

$308.0 millionExpenditures

$672.0 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $396 million (FY92 est.)

Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world. 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 85% of foreign exchange earnings in FY91.

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 partly because of poor distribution.

The top 10% of the population receives 47% of total income, the bottom 20% less than 5% of the total. Since May 1991, the government has been encouraging trade and foreign investment, e.g., by eliminating business licenses and registration requirements in order to simplify domestic and foreign investment.

The government also has been cutting public expenditures by reducing subsides, privatizing state industries, and laying off civil servants. Prospects for foreign trade and investment in the 1990s remain poor, however, because of the small size of the economy, its technological backwardness, and its remoteness.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $3.4 billion (FY92)

Exports

$313 million (f.o.b., FY92 est.) but does not include unrecorded border trade with India

commodities:: carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain
partners:: US, Germany, India, UK

Imports

$751 million (c.i.f., FY92 est.)

commodities:: petroleum products 20%, fertilizer 11%, machinery 10%
partners:: India, Singapore, Japan, Germany

External debt

$2 billion (FY92 est.)

Electricity

300,000 kW capacity; 1,000 million kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills;
cigarette, textile, carpet, cement, and brick production;
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; probable transit point for heroin from Southeast Asia to the West

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $304 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $2,230 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $30 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $286 million

Currency

1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa

Exchange rates

Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1 - 43.200 (January 1993), 42.742 (1992), 37.255 (1991), 29.370 (1990), 27.189 (1989), 23.289 (1988)

Fiscal year

16 July - 15 July

Communications

4 fields

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