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$Unique_ID{bob00399}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Nepal
Statistical Profile of Nepal}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Central Intelligence Agency}
$Affiliation{United States Government}
$Subject{km
nepalese
rate
million
population
government
groups
india
nepal
king
hear
audio
hear
sound
see
pictures
see
figures
}
$Date{1990}
$Log{Hear National Anthem*56402010.aud
See Map of Nepal*0039901.scf
See Flag of Nepal*0039902.scf
}
Title: Nepal
Book: CIA World Factbook
Author: Central Intelligence Agency
Affiliation: United States Government
Date: 1990
[Hear National Anthem]
[See Map of Nepal]
[See Flag of Nepal]
Statistical Profile of Nepal
Geography
Total area: 140,800 km2; land area: 136,800 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Arkansas
Land boundaries: 2,926 km total; China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Climate: varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to
subtropical summers and mild winter in south
Terrain: Tarai 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: 17% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 13% meadows and
pastures; 33% forest and woodland; 37% other; includes 2% irrigated
Environment: contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks;
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
Note: landlocked; strategic location between China and India
People
Population: 18,699,884 (July 1989), growth rate 2.4% (1989)
Birth rate: 40 births/1,000 population (1989)
Death rate: 15 deaths/1,000 population (1989)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1989)
Infant mortality rate: 101 deaths/1,000 live births (1989)
Life expectancy at birth: 50 years male, 49 years female (1989)
Total fertility rate: 5.7 children born/woman (1989)
Nationality: noun--Nepalese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Nepalese
Ethnic divisions: Newars, Indians, Tibetans, Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs,
Bhotias, Rais, Limbus, Sherpas, as well as many smaller groups
Religion: only official Hindu state in world, although no sharp
distinction between many Hindu (about 88% of population) and Buddhist groups;
small groups of Muslims and Christians
Language: Nepali (official); 20 languages divided into numerous dialects
Literacy: 20%
Labor force: 4,100,000; 93% agriculture, 5% services, 2% industry;
severe lack of skilled labor
Organized labor: Teachers' Union, not officially recognized
Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Nepal
Type: nominally a constitutional monarchy; King Birendra exercises
autocratic control over multitiered system of government
Capital: Kathmandu
Administrative divisions: 14 zones (anchal, singular and plural);
Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali,
Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani,
Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti
Independence: 1768, unified by Prithyi Narayan Shah
Constitution: 16 December 1962
Legal system: based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Birthday of His Majesty the King, 28 December (1945)
Branches: Council of Ministers (appointed by king); Rastriya Panchayat
(National Assembly); 140 members, including 112 directly elected and 28
appointed by king, who serve five-year terms
Leaders: Chief of State Head of Government BIRENDRA Bir
Bikram
Shah Dev, King (since
1973);
Marich Man Singh SHRESTHA, Prime Minister (since 1986)
Suffrage: universal over age 21
Elections: general election last held May 1986; National Assembly
election scheduled for spring 1991
Political parties and leaders: all political parties outlawed but operate
more or less openly; Nepali Congress Party (NCP), Ganesh Man Singh, K. P.
Bhattarai, G. P. Koirala
Communists: Communist Party of Nepal (CPN); factions include V. B.
Manandhar, Man Mohan Adhikari/Sahana Pradhan, Bharat Raj Joshi, Rai Majhi,
Tulsi Lal, Krishna Raj Burma
Other political or pressure groups: numerous small, left-leaning student
groups in the capital; Indian merchants in Tarai and capital; several small,
radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups operating from north India
Member of: ADB, CCC, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, NAM, SAARC, UN, UN Security
Council 1988-89, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Mohan Man SAINJU; Chancery at 2131
Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 667-4550; there is a
Nepalese Consulate General in New York;
US--Ambassador Milton FRANK; Embassy at Pani Pokhari, Kathmandu;
telephone [977] 411179 or 412718, 411601
Flag: 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 with a per capita income of only $170. Agriculture is the mainstay of the
economy, providing a livelihood for over 90% of the population, and accounting
for 60% of GDP and about 75% of exports. Industrial activity is limited,
and what there is involves the processing of agricultural produce (jute,
sugarcane, tobacco, and grain). Apart from agricultural land and forests, the
only other exploitable natural resources are mica, hydropower, and tourism.
Despite considerable investment in the agricultural sector, production in
the 1980s has not kept pace with the population growth of 2.7%, which has led
to a reduction in exportable surpluses and balance-of-payments difficulties.
GDP: $3.1 billion, per capita $170; real growth rate 7.1% (FY88)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10.9% (FY88)
Unemployment rate: 5%; underemployment estimated at 25-40% (1987)
Budget: revenues $388 million; expenditures $813 million, including
capital expenditures of $553 million (FY89)
Exports: $139 million (f.o.b., FY87), but does not include unrecorded
border trade with India; commodities--clothing, carpets, leather goods,
grain; partners--India 43%, US 26%, UK 10%, other Europe 17%
Imports: $507 million (c.i.f., FY87); commodities--petroleum
products 20%, fertilizer 11%, machinery 10%; partners--India 40%,
Europe 13%, Japan 13%, US 2%
External debt: $1.1 billion (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 10.4% (FY88 est.)
Electricity: 203,000 kW capacity; 530 million kWh produced,
30 kWh per capita (1988)
Industries: small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette,
textiles, cement, brick; tourism
Agriculture: rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, oilseeds; an illegal
producer of cannabis for the international drug trade
Aid: NA
Currency: Nepalese rupee (plural--rupees);
1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa
Exchange rates: Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1--25.250 (January 1989),
23.289 (1988), 21.819 (1987), 21.230 (1986), 18.246 (1985)
Fiscal year: 16 July-15 July
Communications
Railroads: 52 km (1985), all 0.762-meter narrow gauge; all in Tarai close
to Indian border; 10 km from Raxaul to Birganj is government owned
Highways: 5,958 km total (1986); 2,645 km paved, 815 km gravel or crushed
stone, 2,257 km improved and unimproved earth; also 241 km of seasonally
motorable tracks
Civil air: 5 major and 11 minor transport aircraft
Airports: 38 total, 38 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with
runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radio
communication and broadcast service; international radio communication service
is poor; 30,000 telephones (1987); stations--4 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 satellite
ground station
Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Nepalese Army, Royal Nepalese Army Air Service, Nepalese
Police Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 4,403,354; 2,279,700 fit for military
service; 216,890 reach military age (17) annually
Military budget: $39 million, 15.2% of central government budget (FY89)