Nepal

highest point:

Mount Everest (highest peak in Asia and highest point on earth above sea level) 8,849 m

lowest point:

Kanchan Kalan 70 m

mean elevation:

2,565 m

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

• 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 mountains - on the borders with China and India respectively

noun:

Nepali (singular and plural)

adjective:

Nepali

• Nepali (official) 44.6%, Maithali 11.7%, Bhojpuri 6%, Tharu 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.2%, Bajjika 3%, Magar 3%, Doteli 3%, Urdu 2.6%, Avadhi 1.9%, Limbu 1.3%, Gurung 1.2%, Baitadeli 1%, other 6.4%, unspecified 0.2%;
• note - 123 languages reported as mother tongue in 2011 national census;
• many in government and business also speak English (2011 est.)

major-language sample(s):

विश्व तथ्य पुस्तक,आधारभूत जानकारीको लागि अपरिहार्य स्रोत (Nepali); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

0.87 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.88 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.91 male(s)/female

total population:

0.96 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

degree of risk:

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases:

Japanese encephalitis, malaria, and dengue fever

total:

0.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

0.13 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

30.4% (2020 est.)

male:

47.9% (2020 est.)

female:

12.8% (2020 est.)

women married by age 15:

7.9%

women married by age 18:

32.8%

men married by age 18:

9% (2019 est.)

• deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives);
• forest degradation;
• soil erosion;
• contaminated water (with human and animal wastes, agricultural runoff, and industrial effluents);
• unmanaged solid-waste;
• wildlife conservation;
• vehicular emissions

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Marine Life Conservation

particulate matter emissions:

94.33 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

9.11 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

41.15 megatons (2020 est.)

urban population:

21.9% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

3.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

degree of risk:

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases:

Japanese encephalitis, malaria, and dengue fever

municipal:

147.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial:

29.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural:

9.32 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Nepal

local long form:

none

local short form:

Nepal

etymology:

• the Newar people of the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding areas apparently gave their name to the country;
• the terms "Nepal," "Newar," "Nepar," and "Newal" are phonetically different forms of the same word

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)

etymology:

• name derives from the Kasthamandap temple that stood in Durbar Square;
• in Sanskrit, kastha means "wood" and mandapa means "pavilion";
• the three-story structure was made entirely of wood, without iron nails or supports, and dated to the late 16th century;
• it collapsed during a 2015 earthquake

• Constitution Day, 20 September (2015);
• note - marks the promulgation of Nepal’s constitution in 2015 and replaces the previous 28 May Republic Day as the official national day in Nepal;
• the Gregorian day fluctuates based on Nepal’s Hindu calendar

history:

several previous; latest approved by the Second Constituent Assembly 16 September 2015, signed by the president and effective 20 September 2015

amendments:

• proposed as a bill by either house of the Federal Parliament;
• bills affecting a state border or powers delegated to a state must be submitted to the affected state assembly;
• passage of such bills requires a majority vote of that state assembly membership;
• bills not requiring state assembly consent require at least two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses of the Federal Parliament;
• parts of the constitution on the sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty vested in the people cannot be amended;
• amended 2016, 2020

citizenship by birth:

yes

citizenship by descent only:

yes

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

15 years

chief of state:

President Bidhya Devi BHANDARI (since 29 October 2015); Vice President Nanda Bahadar PUN (since 31 October 2015)

head of government:

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur DEUBA (since 13 July 2021); deputy prime ministers Ishwar POKHREL, Upendra YADAV (since 1 June 2018) (an)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister; cabinet dominated by the Nepal Communist Party

elections/appointments:

• president indirectly elected by an electoral college of the Federal Parliament and of the state assemblies for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held 13 March 2018 (next to be held in 2023);
• prime minister indirectly elected by the Federal Parliament

election results:

Bidhya Devi BHANDARI reelected president; electoral vote - Bidhya Devi BHANDARI (CPN-UML) 39,275, Kumari Laxmi RAI (NC) 11,730

highest court(s):

Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and up to 20 judges)

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the Constitutional Council, a 5-member, high-level advisory body headed by the prime minister;
• other judges appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the Judicial Council, a 5-member advisory body headed by the chief justice;
• the chief justice serves a 6-year term;
• judges serve until age 65

subordinate courts:

High Court; district courts

• Federal Socialist Forum, Nepal or FSFN [Upendra YADAV]
• Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) or CPN-UMC [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL]
• Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) [Madhav Kumar NEPAL]
• Janamat Party [Chandra Kant RAUT]
• Loktantrik Samajwadi Party [Mahantha THAKUR]
• Naya Shakti Party, Nepal [Baburam BHATTARAI]
• Nepal Communist Party or CPN-UML [Khadga Prasad OLI]
• Nepali Congress or NC [Sher Bahadur DEUBA]
• Nepal Mazdoor Kisan Party (Nepal Workers' and Peasants' Party) or NWPP [Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE]
• People's Socialist Party [Upendra YAKAV]
• Rastriya Janamorcha (National People's Front) [Chitra Bahadur K.C.]
• Rastriya Janata Party (National People's Party, Nepal) or RJPN [Mahanta THAKUR]
• Rastriya Prajatantra Party (National Democratic Party) or RPP [Rajendra Prasad LINGDEN]
• Rastriya Swatantra Party or RSP [Rabi LAMICHHANE]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Sridhar KHATRI (since 19 April 2022)

chancery:

2730 34 th Place NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone:

[1] (202) 667-4550

FAX:

[1] (202) 667-5534

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://us.nepalembassy.gov.np/

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Randy BERRY (since 25 October 2018)

embassy:

Maharajgunj, Kathmandu

mailing address:

6190 Kathmandu Place, Washington DC 20521-6190

telephone:

[977] (1) 423-4000

FAX:

[977] (1) 400-7272

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://np.usembassy.gov/

• crimson 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

total World Heritage Sites:

4 (2 cultural, 2 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Kathmandu Valley (c);
• Sagarmatha National Park (n);
• Chitwan National Park (n);
• Lumbini, Buddha Birthplace (c)

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

agriculture:

69%

industry:

12%

services:

19% (2015 est.)

total:

20.5%

male:

19.2%

female:

22.5% (2017 est.)

lowest 10%:

3.2%

highest 10%:

29.5% (2011)

production:

28,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

consumption:

839,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports:

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports:

811,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves:

1 million metric tons (2019 est.)

total petroleum production:

0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

49,400 bbl/day (2019 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate exports:

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports:

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

0 barrels (2021 est.)

production:

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

consumption:

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports:

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports:

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves:

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

• state operates 3 TV stations, as well as national and regional radio stations;
• 117 television channels are licensed, among those 71 are cable television channels, three are distributed through Direct-To-Home (DTH) system, and four are digital terrestrial;
• 736 FM radio stations are licensed and at least 314 of those radio stations are community radio stations (2019)

number of registered air carriers:

6 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 39

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

3,296,953 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

4.66 million (2018) mt-km

total:

59 km (2018)

narrow gauge:

59 km (2018) 0.762-m gauge

total:

27,990 km (2016)

paved:

11,890 km (2016)

unpaved:

16,100 km (2016)

• the Army's inventory includes a mix of older equipment largely of British, Chinese, Indian, Russian, and South African origin;
• since 2010, Nepal has received limited amounts of newer hardware from several countries, including
  • China,
  • Italy,
  • and Russia (2022)

• 790 Central African Republic (MINUSCA);
• 1,150 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO);
• 400 Golan Heights (UNDOF);
• 870 Lebanon (UNIFIL);
• 235 Liberia (UNSMIL);
• 175 Mali (MINUSMA);
• 1,750 (plus about 220 police) South Sudan (UNMISS) (May 2022)