Nepal
Kingdom of Nepal
parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchyIndependence 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah)
Nepal as the 2003 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 117 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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
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, 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
- 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
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
19 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2003 est.)
Male · female
Religions(1995)
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.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 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
- total population:
- 1.05 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Ethnic groups
Brahman, Chetri, Newar, Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Sherpa, Tharu, and others (1995)
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)
Government
Parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy; King GYANENDRA Bir Bikram Shah (succeeded to the throne 4 June 2001 following the death of his nephew, King DIPENDRA Bir Bikram Shah); Prime Minister Surya Bahadur THAPA (since 4 June 2003)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
House of Representatives, 205 seats, elected 3 and 17 May 1999one dot, one seat
Percent 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 GYANENDRA Bir Bikram Shah (succeeded to the throne 4 June 2001 following the death of his nephew, King DIPENDRA Bir Bikram Shah)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Surya Bahadur THAPA (since 4 June 2003); note - Prime Minister CHAND resigned 30 May 2003
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister
- 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
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
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)
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)
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
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)
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador-designate Jai Pratap RANA
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 667-5534
- consulate(s) general:
- New York
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 667-4550
- chancery:
- 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
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
- FAX:
- [977] (1) 419963
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 42% of its population living below the poverty line.
37 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2002 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
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.
Industries
- tourism, carpet, textile;
- small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills;
- cigarette;
- cement and brick production
Exchange rates
Nepalese rupees per US dollar - 77.88 (2002), 74.95 (2001), 71.09 (2000), 68.24 (1999), 65.98 (1998)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radiotelephone communication service and mobile cellular telephone network
- domestic:
- NA
- international:
- radiotelephone communications;
- microwave landline to India;
- satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Transportation
7 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
Military
Royal Nepalese Army (includes Royal Nepalese Army Air Service), Nepalese Police Force
7 fieldsMilitary branches
Royal Nepalese Army (includes Royal Nepalese Army Air Service), Nepalese Police Force
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - 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
Illicit drugs
illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international drug markets; transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Nepal.” The World Factbook 2003. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/nepal/2003.