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.

Map reference: Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 140,800 km²
Land: 136,800 km²

Land boundaries: total 2,926 km, China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none; landlocked

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

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

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

Land use
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 13%
Forest and woodland: 33%
Other: 37%

Irrigated land: 9,430 km² (1989)

Population: 20,535,466 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 2.43% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Nepalese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Nepalese

Ethnic groups:

Languages: Nepali (official), 20 languages divided into numerous dialects

Religions: Hindu 90%, Buddhist 5%, Muslim 3%, other 2% (1981)

Population growth rate: 2.43% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 37.99 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 13.66 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Environment
Current issues: contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
Current issues note: landlocked; strategic location between China and India

Infant mortality rate: 85.8 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 51.98 years
Male: 51.84 years
Female: 52.12 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.33 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 26%
Female: 13%

Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Nepal
Conventional short form: Nepal

Government type: parliamentary democracy as of 12 May 1991

Capital: Kathmandu

Administrative divisions:

Independence: 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah)

National holiday
Birthday of His Majesty the King 28 December 1945 ruling party: Nepali Congress Party (NCP), Party president Krishna Prasad
BHATTARAI Prime Minister Girija Prasad KOIRALA Ganesh Man SINGH center:
Communist:

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 branch: monarch, prime minister, Council of Ministers

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or National Council and a lower house or House of Representatives

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Sarbochha Adalat)

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Yog Prasad UPADHYAYA
In the us chancery: 2,131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: (202) 667-4,550
In the us consulate general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Julia Chang BLOCH
From the us embassy: Pani Pokhari, Kathmandu
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: 977 (1) 411,179 or 412,718, 411,604, 411,613, 413,890
From the us fax: 977 (1) 419,963

Flag description: 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

Economy overview: Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over 90% of the population and accounting for 60% of GDP. Industrial activity is limited, mainly involving the processing of agricultural produce (jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain). Production of textiles and carpets has expanded recently and accounted for 85% of foreign exchange earnings in FY91. by about 5%, as compared with annual population growth of 2.6%. More than 40% of the population is undernourished partly because of poor distribution. The top 10% of the population receives 47% of total income, the bottom 20% less than 5% of the total. Since May 1991, the government has been encouraging trade and foreign investment, e.g., by eliminating business licenses and registration requirements in order to simplify domestic and foreign investment. The government also has been cutting public expenditures by reducing subsides, privatizing state industries, and laying off civil servants. Prospects for foreign trade and investment in the 1990s remain poor, however, because of the small size of the economy, its technological backwardness, and its remoteness.

Real gdp growth rate: 3.1% (FY92)

Real gdp per capita: $170 (FY92)

Agriculture products: 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

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

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 6% (FY91 est.), accounts for 7% of GDP

Labor force: 8.5 million (1991 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 93%
By occupation services: 5%
By occupation industry: 2% (severe lack of skilled labor)

Unemployment rate: 5% (1987; underemployment estimated at 25-40%

Budget: revenues $308.0 million; expenditures $672.0 million, including capital expenditures of $396 million (FY92 est.)

Fiscal year: 16 July - 15 July

Exports: $313 million (f.o.b., FY92 est.) but does not include unrecorded border trade with India
Commodoties: carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain
Partners: US, Germany, India, UK

Imports: $751 million (c.i.f., FY92 est.)
Commodoties: petroleum products 20%, fertilizer 11%, machinery 10%
Partners: India, Singapore, Japan, Germany

Exchange rates: Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1 - 43.200 (January 1993), 42.742 (1992), 37.255 (1991), 29.370 (1990), 27.189 (1989), 23.289 (1988)

Electricity
Production: 300,000 kW capacity; 1,000 million kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita (1992)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $34 million, 2% of GDP (FY91/92)

Airports: 37
Usable: 37
With permanentsurface runways: 5
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 1
With runways 1220-2439 m: 8

Disputes international: none

Illicit drugs: