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

noun:

Nepali (singular and plural)

adjective:

Nepali

at birth:

1.04 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.87 male(s)/female

total population:

0.96 male(s)/female (2011 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)

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)

• 15 January 2007 (interim Constitution);
• note - in April 2008, a Constituent Assembly was elected as an interim parliament to draft and promulgate a new constitution by May 2010;
• the deadline has been extended four times, most recently until May 2012

chief of state:

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

head of government:

Prime Minister Baburam BHATTARAI (since 29 August 2011); Deputy Prime Ministers Bijay Kumar GACHCHADAR (since 29 August 2011) and Narayan Kaji SHRESTHA

cabinet:

cabinet was formed in August-September 2011 by a majority coalition made up of the United Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist, Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Democratic, Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Republic, Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Nepal, Terai-Madhes Democratic Party, and several smaller parties; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

elections:

• president elected by Parliament;
• term extends until the new constitution is promulgated;
• election last held on 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 [Badri Prasad NEUPANE];
• Communist Party of Nepal-Marxist Leninist or CPN-ML [C.P. MAINALI];
• Communist Party of Nepal-Marxist Leninist Samaibadi [Jaqat Bahadur BOGATI];
• Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist [Mohan BAIDYA, also known as KIRAN];
• Communist Party of Nepal-Unified [Raj Singh SHRIS];
• Communist Party of Nepal-United [Chandra Dev JOSHI];
• Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist or CPN-UML [Jhalanath KHANAL];
• Dalit Janajati Party [Vishwendraman PASHWAN];
• Federal Democratic National Forum;
• Federal Democratic National Party [Yogendra CHAUDBARI];
• Federal Sadbhayana Party [Anil JHAL];
• Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Democratic [Bijay Kumar GACHHADAR];
• Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Nepal [Upendra YADAV];
• Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Republic [Jaya Prakash GUPTA];
• Nepal Loktantrik Samajbadi Dal [Laxmi Lal CHAUDBARY];
• Nepal Pariwar Dal [Eknath DHAKAL];
• Nepal Workers and Peasants Party [Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE];
• Nepali Congress or NC [Sushil KOIRALA];
• Nepali Janata Dal [Harish Chandra SHA];
• Newa Rastriya Party [Keshav Man SHAKYA];
• Rastriya Janamorcha [Chitra Bahadur K.C.];
• Rastriya Janamukti Party [Malwar Singh THAPA];
• Rastriya Janashakti Party or RJP [Surya Bahadur THAPA];
• Rastriya Prajantantra Party [Pashupati Shumsher RANA];
• Rastriya Prajantantra Party Nepal [Kamal THAPA];
• Sadbhavana Party [Rajendra MAHATO];
• Sadbhavana Party-Anandi Devi [Sarita GIRI];
• Samajbadi Prajatantrik Janata Party Nepal [Prem Bahadur SINGH];
• Terai Madhes Democratic Party [Mahantha THAKUR];
• Terai Madhes Democratic Party-Nepal [Mahendra YADAVI];
• Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL, also known as PRACHANDA]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Shankar Prasad SHARMA

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 Peter W. BODDE

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 displays a white 12-pointed sun;
• the color red represents the rhododendron (Nepal's national flower) and is a sign of victory and bravery, the blue border signifies peace and harmony;
• the two right triangles are a combination of two single pennons (pennants) that originally symbolized the Himalaya Mountains while their charges represented the families of the king (upper) and the prime minister, but today they are understood to denote Hinduism and Buddhism, the country's two main religions;
• the moon represents the serenity of the Nepalese people and the shade and cool weather in the Himalayas, while the sun depicts the heat and higher temperatures of the lower parts of Nepal;
• the moon and the sun are also said to express the hope that the nation will endure as long as these heavenly bodies

note: Nepal is the only country in the world whose flag is not rectangular or square

name:

"Sayaun Thunga Phool Ka" (Hundreds of Flowers)

lyrics/music:

Pradeep Kumar RAI/Ambar GURUNG

note: adopted 2007; after the abolition of the monarchy in 2006, a new anthem was required because of the previous anthem's praise for the king

agriculture:

75%

industry:

7%

services:

18% (2010 est.)

lowest 10%:

3.2%

highest 10%:

29.5% (2011)

general assessment:

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

domestic:

mobile-cellular telephone subscribership base is increasing with roughly 90% of the population living in areas covered by mobile carriers

international:

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

• state operates 2 TV stations as well as national and regional radio stations;
• roughly 30 independent TV channels are registered with only about half in regular operation;
• nearly 400 FM radio stations are licensed with roughly 300 operational (2007)

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: 118

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 (2011)

males age 16-49:

6,941,152

females age 16-49:

7,618,397 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

5,260,878

females age 16-49:

5,947,512 (2010 est.)

male:

380,172

female:

367,103 (2010 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):

57,381 (Bhutan); 15,000 (Tibet/China) (2011)

IDPs:

50,000 (remaining from ten-year Maoist insurgency that officially ended in 2006; figure does not include people displaced since 2007 by inter-communal violence and insecurity in the Terai region) (2012)