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Communications

Airports [time series]

38 total, 38 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

5 major and 11 minor transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

5,958 km total (1986); 2,645 km paved, 815 km gravel or crushed stone, 2,257 km improved and unimproved earth; also 241 km of seasonally motorable tracks

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

52 km (1985), all 0.762-meter narrow gauge; all in Tarai close to Indian border; 10 km from Raxaul to Birganj is government owned

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radio communication and broadcast service; international radio communication service is poor; 30,000 telephones (1987); stations--4 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Royal Nepalese Army, Royal Nepalese Army Air Service, Nepalese Police Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

2% of GDP, or $58 million (1989 est.)

Military manpower [time series]

males 15-49, 4,531,660; 2,347,412 fit for military service; 225,349 reach military age (17) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 60% of GDP and 90% of work force; farm products--rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops, milk, buffalo meat; not self-sufficient in food, particularly in drought years

Aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $285 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-87), $1.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $30 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $273 million

Budget [time series]

revenues $296 million; expenditures $635 million, including capital expenditures of $394 million (FY89 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Nepalese rupee (plural--rupees); 1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa

Electricity [time series]

205,000 kW capacity; 535 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1--28.559 (January 1990), 27.189 (1989), 23.289 (1988), 21.819 (1987), 21.230 (1986), 18.246 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$374 million (f.o.b., FY89 est.), but does not include unrecorded border trade with India; commodities--clothing, carpets, leather goods, grain; partners--India 38%, US 23%, UK 6%, other Europe 9% (FY88)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.3 billion (December 1989 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

16 July-15 July

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$2.9 billion, per capita $158; real growth rate 1.5% (FY89)

Illicit drugs [time series]

illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international drug markets

Imports [time series]

$724 million (c.i.f., FY89 est.); commodities--petroleum products 20%, fertilizer 11%, machinery 10%; partners--India 36%, Japan 13%, Europe 4%, US 1% (FY88)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate - 4.5% (FY89 est.)

Industries [time series]

small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette, textiles, cement, brick; tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

8.1% (FY89 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with a per capita income of only $158. Real growth averaged 4% in the 1980s until FY89, when it plunged to 1.5% because of the ongoing trade/transit dispute with India. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over 90% of the population and accounting for 60% of GDP and about 75% of exports. Industrial activity is limited, and what there is involves the processing of agricultural produce (jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain). Apart from agricultural land and forests, the only other exploitable natural resources are mica, hydropower, and tourism. Despite considerable investment in the agricultural sector, production in the 1980s has not kept pace with the population growth of 2.7%, which has led to a reduction in exportable surpluses and balance-of-payments difficulties. Economic prospects for the 1990s remain grim.

Unemployment rate [time series]

5%; underemployment estimated at 25-40% (1987)

Geography

Climate [time series]

varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winter in south

Coastline [time series]

none--landlocked

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly larger than Arkansas

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution

Land boundaries [time series]

2,926 km total; China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km

Land use [time series]

17% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 13% meadows and pastures; 33% forest and woodland; 37% other; includes 2% irrigated

Maritime claims [time series]

none--landlocked

Natural resources [time series]

quartz, water, timber, hydroelectric potential, scenic beauty; small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore

Note [time series]

landlocked; strategic location between China and India

Terrain [time series]

Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north

Area (Total area) [time series]

140,800 km2; land area: 136,800 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti

Capital [time series]

Kathmandu

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

Communist Party of Nepal (CPN); factions include V. B. Manandhar, Man Mohan Adhikari/Sahana Pradhan, Bharat Raj Joshi, Rai Majhi, Tulsi Lal, Krishna Raj Burma

Constitution [time series]

16 December 1962

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Mohan Man SAINJU; Chancery at 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 667-4550; there is a Nepalese Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador Julia Chang BLOCH; Embassy at Pani Pokhari, Kathmandu; telephone [977] 411179 or 412718, 411601

Executive branch [time series]

monarch, chairman of the Council of State, Council of State, prime minister

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

1768, unified by Prithyi Narayan Shah

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court (Sarbochha Adalat) Chief of State--King BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev (since 31 January 1972, crowned King 24 February 1985); Heir Apparent Crown Prince DIPENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev, son of the King (born 21 June 1971); Head of Government--Prime Minister Marich Man Singh SHRESTHA (since 15 July 1986)

Legal system [time series]

based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Assembly (Rashtriya Panchayat)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Kingdom of Nepal

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ADB, CCC, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, NAM, SAARC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

National holiday [time series]

Birthday of His Majesty the King, 28 December (1945)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; Indian merchants in Tarai and capital; several small, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups operating from north India

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

all political parties outlawed but operate more or less openly; Nepali Congress Party (NCP), Ganesh Man Singh, K. P. Bhattarai, G. P. Koirala

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 21 National Assembly--last held on 12 May 1986 (next to be held May 1991); results--all independents since political parties are officially banned; seats--(140 total, 112 elected) independents 112

Government type (Type) [time series]

constitutional monarchy, but King Birendra exercises control over multitiered system of government

People

Birth rate [time series]

39 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

15 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Newars, Indians, Tibetans, Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs, Bhotias, Rais, Limbus, Sherpas, as well as many smaller groups

Infant mortality rate [time series]

99 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

4,100,000; 93% agriculture, 5% services, 2% industry; severe lack of skilled labor

Languages (Language) [time series]

Nepali (official); 20 languages divided into numerous dialects

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

50 years male, 50 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

20%

Nationality [time series]

noun--Nepalese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Nepalese

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

Teachers' Union, not officially recognized

Population [time series]

19,145,800 (July 1990), growth rate 2.4% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

only official Hindu state in world, although no sharp distinction between many Hindu (about 88% of population) and Buddhist groups; small groups of Muslims and Christians

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.6 children born/woman (1990)