Background: During the late 18th-early 19th centuries, the principality of Gorkha united many of the other principalities and states of the sub-Himalayan region into a Nepali Kingdom. Nepal retained its independence following the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814-16 and the subsequent peace treaty laid the foundations for two centuries of amicable relations between Britain and Nepal. (The Brigade of Gurkhas continues to serve in the British Army to the present day.) In 1951, the Nepali monarch ended the century-old system of rule by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system that brought political parties into the government. That arrangement lasted until 1960, when political parties were again banned, but was reinstated in 1990 with the establishment of a multiparty democracy within the framework of a constitutional monarchy.

Geographic coordinates: 28 00 N, 84 00 E

Map reference: Asia

Area
Total: 147,181 km²
Land: 143,351 km²
Water: 3,830 km²
Rank: 95
Comparative: slightly larger than New York state

Land boundaries
Total: 3,159 km
Border countries: (2) China 1389 km; , India 1770 km

Coastline: 0 km
Note: (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

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 with rugged Himalayas in north

Elevation
Mean elevation: 2,565 m
Lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m
Highest point: Mount Everest (highest peak in Asia and highest point on earth above sea level) 8,849 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 28.8% (2011 est.)
Forest: 25.4% (2011 est.)
Other: 45.8% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 13,320 km² (2012)

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

Geography
Note: 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

Population
Distribution: most of the population is divided nearly equally between a concentration in the southern-most plains of the Tarai region and the central hilly region; overall density is quite low: 30,327,877 (July 2020 est.)
Rank: 46
Growth rate: 0.98% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 106
Below poverty line: 25.2% (2011 est.)

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

Ethnic groups: Chhettri 16.6%, Brahman-Hill 12.2%, Magar 7.1%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang 5.8%, Newar 5%, Kami 4.8%, Muslim 4.4%, Yadav 4%, Rai 2.3%, Gurung 2%, Damai/Dholii 1.8%, Thakuri 1.6%, Limbu 1.5%, Sarki 1.4%, Teli 1.4%, Chamar/Harijan/Ram 1.3%, Koiri/Kushwaha 1.2%, other 19% (2011 est.)
Note:  125 caste/ethnic groups were reported in the 2011 national census

Languages: 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% (2011 est.)
Note: 123 languages reported as mother tongue in 2011 national census; many in government and business also speak English

Religions: Hindu 81.3%, Buddhist 9%, Muslim 4.4%, Kirant 3.1%, Christian 1.4%, other 0.5%, unspecified 0.2% (2011 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 28.36% (male 4,526,786/female 4,073,642)
15-24 years: 20.93% (male 3,276,431/female 3,070,843)
25-54 years: 38.38% (male 5,251,553/female 6,387,365)
55-64 years: 6.64% (male 954,836/female 1,059,360)
65 years and over: 5.69% (male 852,969/female 874,092) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 53
Youth dependency ratio: 44.1
Elderly dependency ratio: 8.9
Potential support ratio: 11.2 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 25.3 years
Male: 23.9 years
Female: 26.9 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 161

Population growth rate: 0.98% (2020 est.)
Rank: 106

Birth rate: 18.1 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 88

Death rate: 5.7 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 176

Net migration rate: -3.1 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 177

Population distribution: most of the population is divided nearly equally between a concentration in the southern-most plains of the Tarai region and the central hilly region; overall density is quite low

Urbanization
Urban population: 20.6% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 3.15% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 1.424 million KATHMANDU (capital) (2020)

Environment
Current issues: 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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.82 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 20.8 years (2016 est.)
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Infant mortality rate
Total: 25.1 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 26.3 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 23.8 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 67

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.8 years
Male: 71.1 years
Female: 72.6 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 160

Total fertility rate: 1.96 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 116

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 52.6% (2016/17)

Drinking water source
Urban: 8.3% of population
Rural: 8.6% of population
Total: 8.5% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 5.6% (2017)

Physicians density: 0.91 physicians/1000 population (2017)

Hospital bed density: 0.3 beds/1000 population (2012)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 7.3% of population
Rural: 28.1% of population
Total: 24.3% of population (2017 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2019 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 127
People living with hivaids: 30,000 (2019 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 75
Deaths note: <1000 (2019 est.)

Major infectious diseases
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

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 4.1% (2016)
Rank: 187

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 27.2% (2016)
Rank: 11

Education expenditures: 5.1% of GDP (2018)
Rank: 55

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 67.9%
Male: 78.6%
Female: 59.7% (2018)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 13 years (2019)

Country name
Conventional long form: Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
Conventional short form: Nepal
Local long form: Sanghiya Loktantrik Ganatantra Nepal
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

Government type: federal parliamentary republic

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): 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

Administrative divisions: 7 provinces; Gandaki Pradesh, Karnali Pradesh, Province No. One, Province No. Two, Province No. Three, Province No. Five, Sudurpashchim Pradesh

Independence: 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan SHAH)

National holiday: 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

Constitution
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; last amended 2016

Legal system: English common law and Hindu legal concepts; note - new criminal and civil codes came into effect on 17 August 2018

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 15 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Bidhya Devi BHANDARI (since October 2015)
Head of government: Prime Minister Khadga Prasad (KP) Sharma OLI (since 15 February 2018); 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
Electionsappointments: 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
Head of state: President Bidhya Devi BHANDARI (since 29 October 2015); Vice President Nanda Bahadar PUN (since 31 October 2015)

Judicial branch
Highest courts: 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

Political parties and leaders: the Election Commission of Nepal granted ballot access under the proportional system to 88 political parties for the November-December 2017 House of Representatives election to the Federal Parliament; of these, the following 8 parties won seats:Federal Socialist Forum, Nepal or FSFN [Upendra YADAV]Naya Shakti Party, Nepal [Baburam BHATTARAI]Nepal Communist Party or NCP [Khadga Prasad OLI, Pushpa Kamal DAHAL]Nepali Congress or NC [Sher Bahadur DEUBA]Nepal Mazdoor Kisan Party [Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE]Rastriya Janamorcha [Chitra Bahadur K.C.]Rastriya Janata Party or RJPN [Mahanta THAKUR]Rastriya Prajatantra party or RPP [Kamal THAPA]

International organization participation: ADB, BIMSTEC, CD, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Arjun Kumar KARKI (since 18 May 2015)
In the us chancery: 2,730 34th Place NW, Washington, DC 20,007
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 667-4,550
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 667-5,534
In the us consulate: Chicago (IL), New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Randy BERRY (since 25 October 2018)
From the us telephone: [977] (1) 423-4,000
From the us embassy: Maharajgunj, Kathmandu
From the us mailing address: US Embassy, Maharajgunj Chakrapath, Kathmandu, Nepal 44,600
From the us FAX: [977] (1) 400-7,272

Flag description: 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

National symbols: rhododendron blossom; national color: red

National anthem
Name: Sayaun Thunga Phool Ka (Hundreds of Flowers)
Lyricsmusic: 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

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:
Real note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 8

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Rank: 181

Gross national saving:
Rank: 7

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 78% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 11.7% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 33.8% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 8.7% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 9.8% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -42% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 27% (2017 est.)
Industry: 13.5% (2017 est.)
Services: 59.5% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: pulses, rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, jute, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat

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

Industrial production growth rate: 12.4% (2017 est.)
Rank: 7

Labor force: 16.81 million (2017 est.)
Note: severe lack of skilled labor
Rank: 32
By occupation agriculture: 69%
By occupation industry: 12%
By occupation services: 19% (2015 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 38

Population below poverty line: 25.2% (2011 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.2%
Highest 10: 29.5% (2011)

Budget
Revenues: 5.925 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 5.945 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -0.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 48

Taxes and other revenues: 23.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 122

Public debt:
Rank: 171

Fiscal year: 16 July - 15 July

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 177

Current account balance:
Rank: 85

Exports:
Rank: 168
Partners: India 53.1%, US 11.8%, Turkey 7.2% (2017)
Commodities: clothing, pulses, carpets, textiles, juice, jute goods

Imports:
Rank: 107
Commodities: petroleum products, machinery and equipment, gold, electrical goods, medicine
Partners: India 70.2%, China 7.5% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 76

Debt external:
Rank: 129

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access population without electricity: 2 million (2019)
Access electrification total population: 93% (2019)
Access electrification urban areas: 94% (2019)
Access electrification rural areas: 93% (2019)
Production: 4.244 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 125
Consumption: 4.983 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 124
Exports: 2.69 million kWh (FY 2017 est.)
Exports rank: 94
Imports: 2.175 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 57
Installed generating capacity: 943,100 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 130
Generation sources fossil fuels: 5% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 202
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 152
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 92% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 10
Generation sources other renewable sources: 3% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 128

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 181
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 173
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 174
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 176

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 185
Products consumption: 27,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 126
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 187
Products imports: 26,120 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 106

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 177
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 181
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 159
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 164
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 175

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 8.396 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 115

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 855,926
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2.85 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 80
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 41,880,311
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 139.45 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 36

Broadcast media: 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)

Internet
Country code: .np
Users total: 10,103,980
Users percent of population: 34% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 52

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 791,961
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2018 est.)
Rank: 75

Military expenditures:
Rank: 75

Military and security forces: Nepal Army (includes Air Wing); Nepal Armed Police Force (under the Ministry of Home Affairs; paramilitary force responsible for border and internal security, including counter-insurgency, and assisting the Army in the event of an external invasion) (2019)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service (including women); no conscription (2019)

Terrorist groups: Indian Mujahedeen (2019)
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in a title='Appendix-T' href='../appendix/appendix-t.html'>Appendix-T/a>

National air transport system
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
Note: mt-km (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 9N (2016)

Airports: 47 (2013)
Rank: 92
With paved runways total: 11 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 36 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 29 (2013)

Railways
Total: 59 km (2018)
Narrow gauge: 59 km
Note: 0.762-m gauge (2018)
Rank: 131

Roadways
Total: 27,990 km (2016)
Paved: 11,890 km (2016)
Unpaved: 16,100 km (2016)
Rank: 100

Disputes international: joint border commission continues to work on contested sections of boundary with India, including the 400 km² dispute over the source of the Kalapani River; India has instituted a stricter border regime to restrict transit of illegal cross-border activities

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 12,540 (Tibet/China), 6,396 (Bhutan) (2019)
Stateless persons: undetermined (2016); note - the UNHCR is working with the Nepali Government to address the large number of individuals lacking citizenship certificates in Nepal; smaller numbers of Bhutanese Hindu refugees of Nepali origin (the Lhotshampa) who were stripped of Bhutanese nationality and forced to flee their country in the late 1980s and early 1990s - and undocumented Tibetan refugees who arrived in Nepal prior to the 1990s - are considered stateless

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