<item><hi format=bold>Independence:</hi> 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah)
<item><hi format=bold>National holiday:</hi> Birthday of His Majesty the King, 28 December (1945)
<item><hi format=bold>Constitution:</hi> 9 November 1990
<item><hi format=bold>Legal system:</hi> based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
<item><hi format=bold>Suffrage:</hi> 18 years of age; universal
<item><hi format=bold>Executive branch:</hi>
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<item>• <hi format=ital>head of government:</hi> Prime Minister Girija Prasad KOIRALA (since 29 May 1991)
<item>• <hi format=ital>chief of state:</hi> 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)
<item>• <hi format=ital>cabinet:</hi> Cabinet; appointed by the king on recommendation of the prime minister
<item><hi format=bold>National Council:</hi> consists of a 60-member body, 50 appointed by House of Representatives and 10 by the King
<item><hi format=bold>House of Representatives:</hi> elections last held on 12 May 1991 (next to be held May 1996); results —NCP 38%, CPN/UML 28%, NDP/Chand 6%, UPF 5%, NDP/Thapa 5%, Terai Rights Sadbhavana Party 4%, Rohit 2%, CPN (Democratic) 1%, independents 4%, other 7%; seats—(205 total) NCP 110, CPN/UML 69, UPF 9, Terai Rights Sadbhavana Party 6, NDP/Chand 3, Rohit 2, CPN (Democratic) 2, NDP/Thapa 1, independents 3; note—the new Constitution of 9 November 1990 gave Nepal a multiparty democracy system for the first time in 32 years
<item><hi format=bold>Political parties and leaders:</hi> Nepali Congress Party (NCP), president Krishna Prasad BHATTARAI, Prime Minister Girija Prasad KOIRALA, Supreme Leader Ganesh Man SINGH; The Conservative National Democratic Party (NDP/Thapa), Surya Bahadur THAPA; Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist and Leninist (CPN/UML), Man Mohan ADHIKARI; Terai Rights Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party, Gajendra Narayan SINGH; United People's Front (UPF), Lila Mani POKHREL; Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP), Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE; National Democratic Party/Chand (NDP/Chand), Lokendra Bahadur CHAND; Rohit Party, N. M. BIJUKCHHE; Communist Party of Nepal (Democratic-Manandhar), B. B. MANANDHAR
<item><hi format=bold>Other political or pressure groups:</hi> numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups
<item><hi format=bold>Flag:</hi> 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