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

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 28.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 15.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 1.2% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 12.5% (2018 est.)
Forest: 25.4% (2018 est.)
Other: 45.8% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 13,320 km² (2012)

Major rivers
By length in km: Brahmaputra (shared with India, China, Bangladesh, and Bhutan) - 3,969 km; Ganges (shared with Bangladesh and India) - 2,704 km

Major watersheds area km²: Indian Ocean drainage: Brahmaputra (651,335 km²), Ganges (1,016,124 km²), Indus (1,081,718 km²)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 147.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Industrial: 29.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 9.32 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 210.2 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

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: 30,424,878 (July 2021 est.)
Growth rate: 0.81% (2021 est.)
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%; note - 123 languages reported as mother tongue in 2011 national census; many in government and business also speak English (2011 est.)
Major language samples:

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.)

Population growth rate: 0.81% (2021 est.)

Birth rate: 17.78 births/1000 population (2021 est.)

Death rate: 5.57 deaths/1000 population (2021 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.12 migrant(s)/1000 population (2021 est.)

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: 21% of total population (2021)
Rate of urbanization: 3.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 1.472 million KATHMANDU (capital) (2021)

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, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Marine Life Conservation

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 94.33 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 9.11 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 41.15 megatons (2020 est.)

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: 21.6 years (2016 est.)
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-49

Maternal mortality ratio: 186 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 25.73 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 27.13 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 24.25 deaths/1000 live births (2021 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.12 years
Male: 71.38 years
Female: 72.9 years (2021 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.93 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 46.7% (2019)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 91.7% of population
Improved rural: 91.4% of population
Improved total: 91.5% of population
Unimproved urban: 8.3% of population
Unimproved rural: 8.6% of population
Unimproved total: 8.5% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 5.8% (2018)

Physicians density: 0.75 physicians/1000 population (2018)

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

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 91.7% of population
Improved rural: 71.9% of population
Improved total: 75.7% of population
Unimproved urban: 7.3% of population
Unimproved rural: 28.1% of population
Unimproved total: 24.3% of population (2017 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2020 est.)
People living with hivaids: 30,000 (2020 est.)
Deaths: <1000 (2020 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2020)
Food or water borne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
Vector borne diseases: Japanese encephalitis, malaria, and dengue fever

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 4.1% (2016)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 24.4% (2019)

Education expenditures: 4.4% of GDP (2018)

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)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 21.4%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 19.7%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 23.9% (2017 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Nepal
Local long form: none
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 (pradesh, singular - pradesh); Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali, Lumbini, Province No. One, Province No. Two, Sudurpashchim

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; amended 2016, 2020

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 descentonly: 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 29 October 2015); Vice President Nanda Bahadar PUN (since 31 October 2015)
Head of government: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur DEUBA (since 13 July 2021); 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
Elections and appointments: 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

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral Federal Parliament consists of:
National Assembly (59 seats; 56 members, including at least 3 women, 1 Dalit, 1 member with disabilities, or 1 minority indirectly elected by an electoral college of state and municipal government leaders, and 3 members, including 1 woman, nominated by the president of Nepal on the recommendation of the government; members serve 6-year terms with renewal of one-third of the membership every 2 years)
House of Representatives (275 seats; 165 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 110 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed-list proportional representation vote, with a threshold of 3% overall valid vote to be allocated a seat; members serve 5-year terms); note - the House of Representatives was dissolved on 22 May 2021, but on 13 July, the Supreme Court directed its reinstatement
Elections: first election for the National Assembly held on 7 February 2018 (next to be held in 2024)
first election for House of Representatives held on 26 November and 7 December 2017 (next scheduled for 12, 19 November 2021)
Election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NCP 42, NC 13, FSFN 2, RJPN 2; composition - men 37, women 22, percent of women 37.3%
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NCP 174, NC 63, RJPN 17, FSFN 16, other 4, independent 1; composition - men 185, women 90, percent of women 32.7%; note - total Federal Parliament percent of women 33.5%

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 Yuba Raj KHATIWADA (since 17 February 2021)
In the us chancery: 2,730 34^th 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 email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Randy BERRY (since 25 October 2018)
From the us embassy: Maharajgunj, Kathmandu
From the us mailing address: 6,190 Kathmandu Place, Washington DC  20,521-6,190
From the us telephone: [977] (1) 423-4,000
From the us FAX: [977] (1) 400-7,272
From the us email address and website:

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)
Lyrics and music: 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:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate: 7.9% (2017 est.)

0.6% (2016 est.)

3.3% (2015 est.)

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

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: rice, vegetables, sugar cane, potatoes, maize, wheat, buffalo milk, milk, fruit, mangoes/guavas

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

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

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

Unemployment rate: 3% (2017 est.)

3.2% (2016 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 21.4%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 19.7%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 23.9% (2017 est.)

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

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 32.8 (2010 est.)

47.2 (2008 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.)

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

Public debt: 26.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

27.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Revenue
From forest resources forest revenues: 0.45% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: 16 July - 15 July

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.5% (2017 est.)

9.9% (2016 est.)

Current account balance: -$93 million (2017 est.)

$1.339 billion (2016 est.)

Exports: $1.79 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

$2.73 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

$2.68 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Partners: India 68%, United States 10% (2019)
Commodities: palm oil, clothing and apparel, carpets, soybean oil, flavored water (2019)

Imports: $10.68 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

$13.83 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

$14.65 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Partners: India 70%, China 15% (2019)
Commodities: refined petroleum, iron, broadcasting equipment, natural gas, rice (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $9.091 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$8.506 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt external: $5.849 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$4.321 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Exchange rates:

Electricity
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.)
Consumption: 4.983 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Exports: 2.69 million kWh (FY 2017 est.)
Imports: 2.175 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 943,100 kW (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 5% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 92% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources: 3% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

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

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

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 799,368 (2018)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2.85 (2018 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 39,178,451 (2018)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 130.6 (2019 est.)

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: 10.78 million (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 34% (2019 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 791,961 (2018)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1.82 (2019 est.)

Military expenditures: 1.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

1.6% of GDP (2019)

1.6% of GDP (2018)

1.7% of GDP (2017)

1.7% of GDP (2016)

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) (2021)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service (including women); no conscription (2021)

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 Appendix T

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 mt-km (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 9N

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

Railways
Total: 59 km (2018)
Narrowgauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2018)

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

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 country of origin: 12,540 (Tibet/China), 6,365 (Bhutan) (2020)
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