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Communications

Internet country code [time series]

.np

Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]

917 (2003)

Internet users [time series]

80,000 (2002)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (January 2000)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: poor telephone and telegraph 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)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

371,800 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

50,400 (2003)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

1 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat

Budget [time series]

revenues: $665 million expenditures: $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY99/00 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency (code)) [time series]

Nepalese rupee (NPR)

Debt - external [time series]

$2.7 billion (2001)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

36.7 (FY95/96)

Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]

$424 million (FY00/01)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with 40% of its population living below the poverty line. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over 80% of the population and accounting for 40% of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Security concerns in the wake of 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.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

2.005 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports [time series]

142 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports [time series]

237 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - production [time series]

2.054 billion kWh (2002)

Exchange rates [time series]

Nepalese rupees per US dollar - 73.674 (2004), 76.141 (2003), 77.877 (2002), 74.949 (2001), 71.094 (2000)

Exports [time series]

$568 million f.o.b., but does not include unrecorded border trade with India (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain

Exports - partners [time series]

India 47.4%, US 22.7%, Germany 8.4% (2004)

Fiscal year [time series]

16 July - 15 July

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

$39.53 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 40% industry: 20% services: 40% (2002 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2004 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

3% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 29.8% (1995-96)

Imports [time series]

$1.419 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer

Imports - partners [time series]

India 46.3%, China 10.8%, UAE 9.3%, Saudi Arabia 4.1% (2004)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

8.7% (FY99/00)

Industries [time series]

tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette; cement and brick production

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

2.9% (2002 est.)

Labor force [time series]

10 million note: severe lack of skilled labor (1996 est.)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture 81%, industry 3%, services 16%

Oil - consumption [time series]

16,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports [time series]

Oil - imports [time series]

Oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

42% (1995-96)

Unemployment rate [time series]

47% (2001 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 140,800 sq km land: 136,800 sq km water: 4,000 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly larger than Arkansas

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

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

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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

Geographic coordinates [time series]

28 00 N, 84 00 E

Geography - note [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

11,350 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 2,926 km border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 21.68% permanent crops: 0.64% other: 77.68% (2001)

Location [time series]

Southern Asia, between China and India

Map references [time series]

Asia

Maritime claims [time series]

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore

Terrain [time series]

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

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

Constitution [time series]

9 November 1990

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Kingdom of Nepal conventional short form: Nepal

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador James F. MORIARTY embassy: Panipokhari, Kathmandu mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [977] (1) 411179 FAX: [977] (1) 419963

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Kedar Bhakta SHRESTHA chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550 FAX: [1] (202) 667-5534 consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: King GYANENDRA Bir Bikram Shah (succeeded to the throne 4 June 2001 following the death of his nephew, King DIPENDRA Bir Bikram Shah) head of government: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur DEUBA; note - the Prime Minister resigned in Februrary 2005 cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; note - the King dissolved the Cabinet in February 2005 elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch note: King BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev died in a bloody shooting at the royal palace on 1 June 2001 that also claimed the lives of most of the royal family; King BIRENDRA's son, Crown Price DIPENDRA, is believed to have been responsible for the shootings before fatally wounding himself; immediately following the shootings and while still clinging to life, DIPENDRA was crowned king; he died three days later and was succeeded by his uncle

Flag (Flag description) [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

Government type [time series]

parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy

Independence [time series]

1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah)

International organization participation [time series]

AsDB, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MICAH, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNOCI, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court or Sarbochha Adalat (chief justice is 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)

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

: bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council (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 3 and 17 May 1999 (next election NA); note - Nepal's Parliament was dissolved on 22 May 2002 election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NC 37.3%, CPN/UML 31.6%, NDP 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

National holiday [time series]

Birthday of King GYANENDRA, 7 July (1946)

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

Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist or CPN/UML [Madhav Kumar NEPAL, general secretary]; National Democratic Party or NDP (also called Rastriya Prajantra Party or RPP) [Surya Bahadur THAPA, chairman]; People's Front Nepal (Rastriya Jana Morcha) [Chitra BAHADUR, chairman]; Nepali Congress-Democratic [Sher Bahadur DEUBA, president]; Nepali Congress or NC [Girija Prasad KOIRALA, party president; Sushil KOIRALA, general secretary]; Nepal Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party or NSP [Bhadri Prasad MANDAL, acting party president]; Nepal Workers and Peasants Party or NWPP [Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE, party chairman]; Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal [leader NA]

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

Maoist guerrilla-based insurgency [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL, also known as PRAHANDA, chairman; Dr. Baburam BHATTARAI, from Communist Party of Nepal/Maoist, chief negotiator]; numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Introduction

Background [time series]

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, which the king subsequently tasked with paving the way for elections to be held in spring of 2005. Citing dissatisfaction with the government's lack of progress in addressing the Maoist insurgency, the king in February 2005 dissolved the government and assumed power.

Military

Manpower available for military service [time series]

males age 18-49: 6,107,091 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service [time series]

males age 18-49: 4.193 million (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually [time series]

males: 308,031 (2005 est.)

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Royal Nepalese Army (includes Royal Nepalese Army Air Service), Nepalese Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$99.2 million (2004)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

1.5% (2004)

Military service age and obligation [time series]

18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 39% (male 5,575,157/female 5,221,794) 15-64 years: 57.3% (male 8,137,410/female 7,720,691) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 499,039/female 522,456) (2005 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

31.45 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate [time series]

9.47 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

0.5% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

3,100 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

61,000 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 66.98 deaths/1,000 live births male: 65.25 deaths/1,000 live births female: 68.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 59.8 years male: 60.09 years female: 59.5 years (2005 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 45.2% male: 62.7% female: 27.6% (2003 est.)

Median age [time series]

total: 20.07 years male: 19.91 years female: 20.24 years (2005 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Nepalese (singular and plural) adjective: Nepalese

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Population [time series]

27,676,547 (July 2005 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.2% (2005 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.19 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

joint border commission continues to work on small disputed sections of boundary with India; India has instituted a stricter border regime to restrict transit of Maoist insurgents and illegal cross-border activities

Illicit drugs [time series]

illicit producer of cannabis and hashish for the domestic and international drug markets; transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West

Refugees and internally displaced persons [time series]

refugees (country of origin): 104,235 (Bhutan) IDPs: 100,000-200,000 (ongoing conflict between government forces and Maoist rebels; displacement spread across the country) (2004)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

46 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 9 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 37 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 29 (2004 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 13,223 km paved: 4,073 km unpaved: 9,150 km (1999 est.)

Railways [time series]

total: 59 km narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2004)