Nepal

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

Nepal as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 116 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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CapitalKathmandu
LocationSouthern Asia, in the Himalayas, between China and India
1994

Every edition of Nepal

Populationas each edition published it
21.04 million July 1994 est. · 19.15m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.44% 1994 est. · 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
5.24 children per woman 1994 est. · 5.6 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
83.5 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 99 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$1,000 1993 est. · $170 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
2.9% 3.1% in 1993

Geography

Southern Asia, in the Himalayas, between China and India

22 fields
Coastline
0km
(landlocked)Maritime claims: none; landlocked
Land boundaries
2,926km
total · China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
Irrigated land
9,430sq km
(1989)

Location

Southern Asia, in the Himalayas, between China and India

Map references

Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

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

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

arable land

17%

permanent crops

0%

meadows and pastures

13%

forest and woodland

33%

other

37%

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

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

international agreements

  • party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Tropical Timber, Wetlands;
  • signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

Note

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

People

23 fields
Population
21,041,527
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 2.44% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
37.63Death
13.28Net migration
0

Religions(1981)

Hindu 90%Buddhist 5%Muslim 3%other 2% (1981)
Labor force
8.5million
(1991 est.)
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

83.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

52.53 years

male

52.35 years

female

52.73 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.24 children born/woman (1994 est.)

noun

Nepalese (singular and plural)

adjective

Nepalese

Ethnic divisions

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

note

only official Hindu state in world, although no sharp distinction between many Hindu and Buddhist groups

Languages

Nepali (official), 20 languages divided into numerous dialects

total population

26%

male

38%

female

13%

by occupation

agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry 2%

note

severe lack of skilled labor

Government

Parliamentary democracy as of 12 May 1991

31 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%

Legislature, 205 seatsone dot, one seat

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

conventional long form

Kingdom of Nepal

conventional short form

Nepal

Type

parliamentary democracy as of 12 May 1991

Capital

Kathmandu

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah)

National holiday

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

Constitution

9 November 1990

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

head of government

Prime Minister Girija Prasad KOIRALA (since 29 May 1991)

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)

cabinet

Cabinet; appointed by the king on recommendation of the prime minister

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament

National Council

consists of a 60-member body, 50 appointed by House of Representatives and 10 by the King

House of Representatives

  • elections 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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Sarbochha Adalat)

Political parties and leaders

  • Nepali Congress Party (NCP), president Krishna Prasad BHATTARAI, Prime Minister Girija Prasad KOIRALA, Supreme Leader Ganesh Man SINGH;
  • The Conservative National Democratic Party (NDP/Thapa), Surya Bahadur THAPA;
  • Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist and Leninist (CPN/UML), Man Mohan ADHIKARI;
  • Terai Rights Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party, Gajendra Narayan SINGH;
  • United People's Front (UPF), Lila Mani POKHREL;
  • Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP), Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE;
  • National Democratic Party/Chand (NDP/Chand), Lokendra Bahadur CHAND;
  • Rohit Party, N. M. BIJUKCHHE;
  • Communist Party of Nepal (Democratic-Manandhar), B. B. MANANDHAR

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, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

(vacant)

chancery

2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

(202) 667-4550

consulate(s) general

New York

chief of mission

Ambassador Sandra VOGELGESANG

embassy

Pani Pokhari, Kathmandu

mailing address

use embassy street address

telephone

[977] (1) 411179 or 412718, 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

26 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$1,000
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
2.9%
(FY93)industrial production growth: growth rate 6% (FY91 est.); accounts for 16% of GDP
Inflation, consumer prices
9%
(September 1993)
Unemployment rate
5%
underemployment estimated at 25%-40% (1987)

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 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 FY94.

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 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 subsidies, 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, its remoteness, and susceptibility to natural disaster. Nepal experienced severe flooding in August 1993 which caused at least $50 million in damage to the country's infrastructure.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $20.5 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$457 million

expenditures

$725 million, including capital expenditures of $427 million (FY93 est.)

Exports

$369 million (f.o.b., FY93) but does not include unrecorded border trade with India

commodities

carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain

partners

US, Germany, India, UK

Imports

$789 million (c.i.f., FY93 est.)

commodities

petroleum products 20%, fertilizer 11%, machinery 10%

partners

India, Singapore, Japan, Germany

External debt

$2 billion (FY93 est.)

capacity

300,000 kW

production

1 billion kWh

consumption per capita

50 kWh (1992)

Industries

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

Agriculture

  • accounts for 60% of GDP and 93% 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; transit point for heroin from Southeast Asia to the West

recipient

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $304 million;
  • Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $2.23 billion;
  • 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 - 49.240 (January 1994), 48.607 (1993), 42.742 (1992), 37.255 (1991), 29.370 (1990), 27.189 (1989)

Fiscal year

16 July - 15 July

Communications

11 fields

Railroads

  • 52 km (1990), all 0.762-meter narrow gauge;
  • all in Terai close to Indian border;
  • 10 km from Raxaul to Birganj is government owned

total

7,080 km

paved

2,898 km

unpaved

gravel, crushed stone 1,660 km; seasonally motorable tracks 2,522 km (1990)

total

37

usable

37

with permanent-surface runways

5

with runways over 3,659 m

0

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

1

with runways 1,220-2,439 m

8

Telecommunications

  • poor telephone and telegraph service;
  • fair radio communication and broadcast service;
  • international radio communication service is poor;
  • 50,000 telephones (1990);
  • broadcast stations - 88 AM, no FM, 1 TV;
  • 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

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

3 fields

Branches

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

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 5,003,661;
  • fit for military service 2,598,507;
  • reach military age (17) annually 241,405 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $34 million, 2% of GDP (FY91/92)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Nepal.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/nepal/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →