Nepal

total:

10.18 cu km/yr (3%/1%/96%)

per capita:

375 cu m/yr (2000)

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

• 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

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Marine Life Conservation

• landlocked;
• strategic location between China and India;
• contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga - the world's tallest and third tallest - on the borders with China and India respectively

at birth:

1.04 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.89 male(s)/female

total population:

0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

degree of risk:

high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease:

Japanese encephalitis, malaria, and dengue fever (2009)

noun:

Nepalese (singular and plural)

adjective:

Nepalese

conventional long form:

Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal

conventional short form:

Nepal

local long form:

Sanghiya Loktantrik Ganatantra Nepal

local short form:

Nepal

name:

Kathmandu

geographic coordinates:

27 43 N, 85 19 E

time difference:

UTC+5.75 (10.75 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

chief of state:

President Ram Baran YADAV (as of 23 July 2008); Vice President Paramananda JHA (as of 23 July 2008)

head of government:

Prime Minister Madhav Kumar NEPAL (as of 25 May 2009); Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Kumar GACHHEDAR

cabinet:

cabinet formed in August 2008 by a majority coalition made up of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist-Leninist, Madhesi People's Rights Forum, and several smaller parties

elections:

• president elected by Parliament;
• term extends until the new constitution is promulgated;
• election last held 21 July 2008;
• date of next election NA

election results:

Ram Baran YADAV elected president by the Constituent Assembly in a second round of voting on 21 July 2008; Ram Baran YADAV 308, Ram Jaja Prasad SINGH 282

• Chure Bhawar Rastriya Ekata Party [Keshav Prasad MAINALI];
• Communist Party of Nepal (ML) [C.P. MAINALI];
• Communist Party of Nepal (Unified) [Raj Singh SHRIS];
• Communist Party of Nepal (United) [Ganesh SHAH];
• Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist or CPN/UML [Jhalanath KHANAL];
• Dalit Janajati Party [Vishwendraman PASHWAN];
• Madhesi People's Rights Forum [Upendra YADAV];
• National Democratic Party or NDP [Pashupati Shumsher RANA] (also called Rastriya Prajatantra Party or RPP);
• Nepal Loktantrik Samajbadi Dal [Upendra GACHCHHADAR];
• Nepal Pariwar Dal [Vinod DANGI];
• Nepal Rastriya Party [Khushilal YADAV];
• Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandi Devi) [Shyam Sundar GUPTA];
• Nepal Workers and Peasants Party or NWPP [Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE];
• Nepali Congress or NC [Girija Prasad KOIRALA];
• Nepali Janata Dal [Bharat Prasad MAHATO];
• Rastriya Janamorcha [Chitra BAHADUR K.C.];
• Rastriya Janamukti Party [Malwar Singh THAPA];
• Rastriya Janashakti Party or RJP [Surya Bahadur THAPA];
• Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal [Kamal THAPA];
• Sadbhavana Party (Mahato) [Rajendra MAHATO];
• Samajbadi Prajatantrik Janata Party Nepal [Prem Bahadur SINGH];
• Sanghiya Loktantrik Rastriya Manch [Kamal CHHARAHANG];
• Terai-Madhes Democratic Party [Mahantha THAKUR];
• United Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL, also known as PRACHANDA, chairman]

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Kali POKHREL

chancery:

2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 667-4550

FAX:

[1] (202) 667-5534

consulate(s) general:

New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Nancy J. POWELL

embassy:

Maharajgunj, Kathmandu

mailing address:

use embassy street address

telephone:

[977] (1) 400-7200

FAX:

[977] (1) 400-7272

• 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

agriculture:

76%

industry:

6%

services:

18% (2004 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.7%

highest 10%:

40.6% (2006)

• tourism, carpets, textiles;
• small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills;
• cigarettes, cement and brick production

general assessment:

poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radiotelephone communication service and mobile-cellular telephone network

domestic:

combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone service subscribership base only about 15 per 100 persons

international:

• country code - 977;
• radiotelephone communications;
• microwave landline to India;
• satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2008)

total:

59 km

country comparison to the world: 130

narrow gauge:

59 km 0.762-m gauge (2008)

total:

17,282 km

country comparison to the world: 120

paved:

10,142 km

unpaved:

7,140 km (2007)

• 18 years of age for voluntary military service;
• 15 years of age for military training;
• no conscription (2008)

males age 16-49:

7,322,965

females age 16-49:

6,859,064 (2008 est.)

males age 16-49:

4,886,103

females age 16-49:

5,525,764 (2009 est.)

male:

365,567

female:

352,643 (2009 est.)

• joint border commission continues to work on contested sections of boundary with India, including the 400 square kilometer dispute over the source of the Kalapani River;
• India has instituted a stricter border regime to restrict transit of Maoist insurgents and illegal cross-border activities;
• approximately 106,000 Bhutanese Lhotshampas (Hindus) have been confined in refugee camps in southeastern Nepal since 1990

refugees (country of origin):

107,803 (Bhutan); 20,153 (Tibet/China)

IDPs:

50,000-70,000 (remaining from ten-year Maoist insurgency that officially ended in 2006; displacement spread across the country) (2007)