Nepal
Kingdom of Nepal
parliamentary democracy as of 12 May 1991Independence 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah)
Nepal as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 98 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Southern Asia, between China and India
18 fieldsLand useshare of 140,800 sq km
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, hydropower potential, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore
Natural hazards
severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons
Environment - 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)
Environment - international agreements
- party to :
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note
- landlocked;
- strategic location between China and India;
- contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks
People
16 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1997 est.)
Religions(1981)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 42% (male 4,994,992; female 4,692,691)
- 15-64 years:
- 55% (male 6,458,616; female 6,205,947)
- 65 years and over:
- 3% (male 376,962; female 378,256) (July 1997 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth :
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 1 male(s)/female
- total population :
- 1.05 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
People - note
refugee issue over the presence in Nepal of approximately 100,000 Bhutanese refugees, 90% of whom are in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps
Government
Parliamentary democracy as of 12 May 1991; King BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev (succeeded to the throne 31 January 1972 following the death of his father King MAHENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev, crowned king 24 February 1975); Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur CHAND (since 12 March 1997)
21 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- King BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev (succeeded to the throne 31 January 1972 following the death of his father King MAHENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev, crowned king 24 February 1975);
- Heir Apparent Crown Prince DIPENDRA Bir Bikram
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur CHAND (since 12 March 1997);
- note - in 1995, the king appointed Sher Bahadur DEUBA to be prime minister;
- DEUBA's parliamentary coalition fell apart when two Nepali Congress Party (NCP) members did not show up at a parliamentary confidence vote;
- a coalition of the Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist (CPN/UML) and the National Democratic Party (NDP) of Prime Minister CHAND was subsequently approved by the king
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the king on the recommendation of the prime minister
- elections:
- none;
- the king is a constitutional monarch;
- following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the king
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)
- elections:
- House of Representatives - last held 15 November 1994 (next to be held by 15 November 1999)
- election results :
- House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NCP 33%, CPN/UML 31%, NDP 18%, Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party 3%, NWPP 1%;
- seats by party - CPN/UML 88, NCP 83, NDP 20, NWPP 4, Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party 3, independents 7;
- note - subsequent to the election, there was a change in the distribution of seats;
- the new distribution is as follows - CPN/UML 90, NCP 87, NDP 19, NWPP 3, Sadbhavana Party 3, independents 3
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (Sarbochha Adalat), chief justice is appointed by the king on recommendation of the Constitutional Council, the other judges are appointed by the king on the recommendation of the Judicial Council
Political parties and leaders
- Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist (CPN/UML), Man Mohan ADHIKARI, party president;
- Nepali Congress Party (NCP), Krishna Prasad BHATTARAI, Girija Prasad KOIRALA, party president;
- National Democratic Party (NDP; also called Rastriya Prajantra Party or RPP), Surya Bahadur THAPA;
- Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party, Gajendra Narayan SINGH, president;
- Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP), Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE, party chair
Political pressure groups and leaders
numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups
International organization participation
AsDB, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFCTU, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNTAES, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Bekh Bahadur THAPA
- chancery:
- 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 667-4550
- consulate(s) general :
- New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Sandra L. VOGELGESANG
- embassy:
- Pani Pokhari, Kathmandu
- mailing address :
- use embassy street address
- telephone:
- [977] (1) 411179
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 is among the poorest and least developed | countries in the world with about 60% of the population living below | the poverty line.
22 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(1996 est.)
Economy - overview
Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with about 60% of the 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 more than 40% of GDP. Industrial activity is limited, mainly involving the processing of agricultural produce including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain.
Production of textiles and carpets has expanded recently and accounted for about 80% of foreign exchange earnings in the past two years. Apart from agricultural land and forests, exploitable natural resources are mica, hydropower, and tourism. Agricultural production is growing about 5% on average as compared with annual population growth of 2.5%. Since May 1991, the government has been moving forward with economic reforms particularly those that encourage trade and foreign investment, e.g., by eliminating business licenses and registration requirements in order to simplify investment procedures.
The government has also been cutting expenditures by reducing subsidies, privatizing state industries, and laying off civil servants. The government made some progress in 1996, signing trade agreements with countries including India, and attracting substantial foreign investment in hydropower.
Prospects for foreign trade and investment in areas besides hydropower and tourism will continue to remain poor because of the small size of the economy, its technological backwardness, its remoteness, and its landlocked geographic location highly susceptible to natural disaster.
The international community provides funding for more than 60% of Nepal's development budget and more than 30% of total budgetary expenditures.
Industries
- tourism, carpet, textile;
- small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills;
- cigarette;
- cement and brick production
Exports
- total value:
- $343 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) but does not include unrecorded border trade with India
- commodities:
- carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain
- partners :
- India, US, Germany, UK
Imports
- total value:
- $1.3 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
- commodities:
- petroleum products 20%, fertilizer 11%, machinery 10%
- partners:
- India, Singapore, Japan, Germany
Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $310 million (1993) note: total bilateral and multilateral aid of $217 million in 1996
Exchange rates
Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1 - 57.030 (January 1997), 56.692 (1996), 51.890 (1995), 49.398 (1994), 48.607 (1993), 42.718 (1992)
Communications
6 fieldsTelephone system
poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radiotelephone communication service
- domestic:
- NA
- international:
- radiotelephone communications; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Transportation
6 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Networkskm
Military
Royal Nepalese Army, Royal Nepalese Army Air | Service, Nepalese Police Force
7 fieldsTransnational Issues
2 fieldsIllicit drugs
illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international drug markets; transit point for heroin from Southeast Asia to the West NETHERLANDS
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Nepal.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/nepal/1997.