from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Nepal
Introduction
Background: 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, especially after
a negotiated cease-fire between the Maoists and
government forces broke down in August 2003. 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. While stopping short of reestablishing
parliament, the king in June 2004 reinstated the most
recently elected prime minister who formed a four-party
coalition government. Citing dissatisfaction with the
government's lack of progress in addressing the Maoist
insurgency and corruption, the king in February 2005
dissolved the government, declared a state of
emergency, imprisoned party leaders, and assumed power.
The king's government subsequently released party
leaders and officially ended the state of emergency in
May 2005, but the monarch retained absolute power until
April 2006. After nearly three weeks of mass protests
organized by the seven-party opposition and the
Maoists, the king allowed parliament to reconvene on 28
April 2006.
Geography
Location: Southern Asia, between China and India
Geographic 28 00 N, 84 00 E
coordinates:
Map Asia
references:
Area: total: 147,181 sq km
land: 143,181 sq km
water: 4,000 sq km
Area - slightly larger than Arkansas
comparative:
Land total: 2,926 km
boundaries: border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime none (landlocked)
claims:
Climate: varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to
subtropical summers and mild winters in south
Terrain: Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south,
central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north
Elevation lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m
extremes: highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m
Natural quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small
resources: deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore
Land use: arable land: 16.07%
permanent crops: 0.85%
other: 83.08% (2005)
Irrigated 11,700 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought,
hazards: and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and
duration of the summer monsoons
Environment - deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of
current alternatives); contaminated water (with human and
issues: animal wastes, agricultural runoff, and industrial
effluents); wildlife conservation; vehicular emissions
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
international Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
agreements: Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber
83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - landlocked; strategic location between China and India;
note: 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
People
Population: 28,287,147 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 38.7% (male 5,648,959/female 5,291,447)
15-64 years: 57.6% (male 8,365,526/female 7,925,941)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 513,777/female 541,497)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 20.3 years
male: 20.1 years
female: 20.4 years (2006 est.)
Population 2.17% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 30.98 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 9.31 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 65.32 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 63.56 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 67.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 60.18 years
expectancy at male: 60.43 years
birth: female: 59.91 years (2006 est.)
Total 4.1 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.5% (2001 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 61,000 (2001 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 3,100 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Nepalese (singular and plural)
adjective: Nepalese
Ethnic groups: Chhettri 15.5%, Brahman-Hill 12.5%, Magar 7%, Tharu
6.6%, Tamang 5.5%, Newar 5.4%, Muslim 4.2%, Kami 3.9%,
Yadav 3.9%, other 32.7%, unspecified 2.8% (2001 census)
Religions: Hindu 80.6%, Buddhist 10.7%, Muslim 4.2%, Kirant 3.6%,
other 0.9% (2001 census)
note: only official Hindu state in the world
Languages: Nepali 47.8%, Maithali 12.1%, Bhojpuri 7.4%, Tharu
(Dagaura/Rana) 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.6%, Magar
3.3%, Awadhi 2.4%, other 10%, unspecified 2.5% (2001
census)
note: many in government and business also speak
English
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 48.6%
male: 62.7%
female: 34.9% (2000-2004 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long and short form: Nepal
local long and short form: Nepal
Government parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy
type:
Capital: 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)
Administrative 14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri,
divisions: Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini,
Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti
Independence: 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah)
National Birthday of King GYANENDRA, 7 July (1946)
holiday:
Constitution: 9 November 1990
Legal system: based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: King GYANENDRA Bir Bikram Shah (since 4
branch: June 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Girija Prasad
KOIRALA (since 30 April 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers
Khadga Prasad OLI (since 2 May 2006) and Amik SHERCHAN
since June 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet historically appointed by the monarch
on the recommendation of the prime minister; note - the
prime minister selected the Cabinet in May 2006 in
consultation with the political parties
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; note -
following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or leader of a majority coalition
historically has been appointed prime minister by the
monarch
Legislative bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council
branch: (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 in May
1999; note - Parliament was dissolved in May 2002 but
was finally reconvened in April 2006 with most of the
members that were elected in 1999
election results: House of Representatives (for 1999
parliament) - percent of vote by party - NC 37.3%, CPN/
UML 31.6%, NDP (RPP) 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; note - NC, NSP, and NDP have since
each split into two parties
Judicial Supreme Court or Sarbochha Adalat (chief justice is
branch: 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 Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist or CPN
parties and /UML [Madhav Kumar NEPAL, general secretary]; National
leaders: Democratic Party or NDP (also called Rastriya Prajantra
Party or RPP) [Pashupati Shumsher RANA, chairman];
Nepali Congress-Democratic [Sher Bahadur DEUBA,
president]; Nepali Congress or NC [Girija Prasad
KOIRALA, party president, Sushil KOIRALA, vice
president]; Nepal Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party or NSP -
Mandal [Bhadri Prasad MANDAL, party president]; Nepal
Sadbhavana Party - Ananda Devi [Ananda DEVI,
president]; Nepal Workers and Peasants Party or NWPP
[Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE, party chairman]; People's Front
Nepal (Rastriya Jana Morcha) [Amik SHERCHAN, chairman];
Rastriya Janashakti Party or RJP [Surya Bahadur THAPA,
chairman]; note - split from RPP in March 2005;
Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal [leader NA]; note - merged
with People's Front Nepal or PFN in 2002
Political Maoist guerrilla-based insurgency [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL,
pressure also known as PRACHANDA, chairman; Dr. Baburam
groups and BHATTARAI]; numerous small, left-leaning student groups
leaders: in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese
antimonarchist groups
International AsDB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
organization ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
participation: IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP,
UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS,
UNOCI, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
representation chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
in the US: telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550
FAX: [1] (202) 667-5534
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador James F. MORIARTY
representation embassy: Panipokhari, Kathmandu
from the US: mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [977] (1) 411-1179
FAX: [977] (1) 441-9963
Flag red with a blue border around the unique shape of two
description: overlapping right triangles; the smaller, upper
triangle bears a white stylized moon and the larger,
lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun
Economy
Economy - Nepal is among the poorest and least developed
overview: countries in the world with almost one-third of its
population living below the poverty line. Agriculture
is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood
for three-fourths of the population and accounting for
38% of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the
processing of agricultural produce including jute,
sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Security concerns
relating to the Maoist conflict have led to a decrease
in tourism, a key source of foreign exchange. 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, its civil strife, and
its susceptibility to natural disaster.
GDP $39.14 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $6.655 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 2.7% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $1,400 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 38%
composition by industry: 21%
sector: services: 41% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 10.4 million
note: severe lack of skilled labor (2004 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 76%
by occupation: industry: 6%
services: 18%
Unemployment 42% (2004 est.)
rate:
Population 31% (2003-2004)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 2.6%
income or highest 10%: 39.1% (2003-2004)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 37.7 (FY04/05)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 7.8% (October 2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $1.153 billion
expenditures: $1.789 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY05/06)
Agriculture - rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water
products: buffalo meat
Industries: tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and
oilseed mills; cigarettes, cement and brick production
Industrial 3.8% (FY04/05)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 2.565 billion kWh (2005)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 8.5%
production by hydro: 91.5%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 1.85 billion kWh (2005)
consumption:
Electricity - 111 million kWh (2005)
exports:
Electricity - 241 million kWh (2005)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
production:
Oil - 11,980 bbl/day (2005 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: 11,760 bbl/day NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Exports: $822 million f.o.b.; note - does not include unrecorded
border trade with India (2005 est.)
Exports - carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain
commodities:
Exports - India 53.7%, US 17.4%, Germany 7.1% (2005)
partners:
Imports: $2 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products,
commodities: fertilizer
Imports - India 47.5%, UAE 11.2%, China 10.7%, Saudi Arabia 4.9%,
partners: Kuwait 4.1% (2005)
Debt - $3.34 billion (March 2005)
external:
Economic aid - $424 million (FY00/01)
recipient:
Currency Nepalese rupee (NPR)
(code):
Currency code: NPR
Exchange Nepalese rupees per US dollar - 71.368 (2005), 73.674
rates: (2004), 76.141 (2003), 77.877 (2002), 74.949 (2001)
Fiscal year: 16 July - 15 July
Communications
Telephones - 448,600 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 248,800 (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: poor telephone and telegraph
system: service; fair radiotelephone communication service and
mobile cellular telephone network
domestic: NA
international: country code - 977; radiotelephone
communications; microwave landline to India; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (January 2000)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 840,000 (1997)
Television 1 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 130,000 (1997)
Internet .np
country code:
Internet 17,789 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 6 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 175,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 48 (2006)
Airports - total: 10
with paved over 3,047 m: 1
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - total: 38
with unpaved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 29 (2006)
Railways: total: 59 km
narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 15,905 km
paved: 8,573 km
unpaved: 7,332 km (2003)
Military
Military Royal Nepalese Army (includes Royal Nepalese Army Air
branches: Service); Nepalese Police Force
Military 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
service age
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 6,107,091
available for females age 18-49: 5,744,989 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 4.193 million
for military females age 18-49: 3,853,102 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 308,031
reaching females age 18-49: 286,604 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $104.9 million (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 1.5% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - joint border commission continues to work on small
international: disputed sections of boundary with India; India has
instituted a stricter border regime to restrict transit
of Maoist insurgents and illegal cross-border
activities
Refugees and refugees (country of origin): 104,915 (Bhutan)
internally IDPs: 100,000-200,000 (ongoing conflict between
displaced government forces and Maoist rebels; displacement
persons: spread across the country) (2005)
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis and hashish for the
domestic and international drug markets; transit point
for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West