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: 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: arable land 17%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 13%; forest and woodland 33%; other 37%; includes irrigated 2% Environment: contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution Note: landlocked; strategic location between China and India PEOPLE Population: 19,611,900 (July 1991), growth rate 2.4% (1991) Birth rate: 39 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 15 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 98 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 51 years male, 50 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 5.5 children born/woman (1991) 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 90% of population) and Buddhist groups (about 5% of population); Muslims 3%, other 2% (1981) Language: Nepali (official); 20 languages divided into numerous dialects Literacy: 26% (male 38%, female 13%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) Labor force: 4,100,000; agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry 2%; severe lack of skilled labor Organized labor: Teachers' Union and many other nonofficially recognized unions GOVERNMENT Long-form name: Kingdom of Nepal Type: constitutional monarchy 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: 9 November 1990 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) 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) Leaders: Chief of State--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); Head of Government--Prime Minister Girija Prasad KOIRALA (since 29 May 1991) Political parties and leaders: ruling party--Nepali Congress Party (NCP), Girija Prasad KOIRALA, Ganesh Man SINGH, Krishna Prasad BHATTARAI; center--the NDP has two factions: National Democratic Party/Chand (NDP/Chand), Lokinra Bahadur CHAND, and National Democratic Party/Thapa (NDP/Thapa), Surya Bahadur THAPA; Terai Rights Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party, G. N. Naryan SINGH; Communist--Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist and Leninist (CPN/UML), Man Mohan ADIKHARY; United People's Front (UPF), N. K. PRASAI; Rohit Party, N. M. BIJUKCHHE; Democratic Party, leader NA Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: House of Representatives--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%, independent 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, independent 3; note--the new Constitution of 9 November 1990 gives Nepal a multiparty democracy system for the first time in 32 years Communists: Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) Other political or pressure groups: numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups Member of: AsDB, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, 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 Julia Chang BLOCH; Embassy at Pani Pokhari, Kathmandu; telephone 977 (1) 411179 or 412718, 411601, 411613, 413890 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 less than $200. Real growth averaged 4% in the 1980s until FY89, when it plunged to 1.5% because of a trade/transit dispute with India. Though the impasse is over, political turmoil and inflated energy costs will probably constrain growth to under 4%. 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 87% of foreign exchange earnings in FY89. Apart from agricultural land and forests, the only other exploitable natural resources are mica, hydropower, and tourism. Agricultural production in the late 1980s grew by about 5%, compared with a population growth of 2.6%. Forty percent or more of the population is undernourished partly because of poor distribution. Economic prospects for the 1990s are poor, with economic growth probably outpacing population growth only slightly. GDP: $3.0 billion, per capita $160; real growth rate 2.1% (FY90) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10.0% (FY90 est.) Unemployment rate: 5%; underemployment estimated at 25-40% (1987) Budget: revenues $316.5 million; expenditures $618.5 million, including capital expenditures of $398 (FY91 est.) Exports: $125 million (f.o.b., FY90), but does not include unrecorded border trade with India; commodities--clothing, carpets, leather goods, grain; partners--India 38%, US 23%, UK 6%, other Europe 9% (FY88) Imports: $454.3illion (c.i.f., FY90 est.); commodities--petroleum products 20%, fertilizer 11%, machinery 10%; partners--India 36%, Japan 13%, Europe 4%, US 1% (FY88) External debt: $2.5 billion (April 1990 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 6% (FY90 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP Electricity: 280,000 kW capacity; 540 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette, textiles, carpets, cement, brick; tourism Agriculture: 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 Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international drug markets Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $304 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-88), $2.0 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $30 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $286 million Currency: Nepalese rupee (plural--rupees); 1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa Exchange rates: Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1--30.805 (January 1991), 29.370 (1990), 27.189 (1989), 23.289 (1988), 21.819 (1987), 21.230 (1986), 18.246 (1985) Fiscal year: 16 July-15 July COMMUNICATIONS Railroads: 52 km (1990), all 0.762-meter narrow gauge; all in Terai close to Indian border; 10 km from Raxaul to Birganj is government owned Highways: 7,080 km total (1990); 2,898 km paved, 1,660 km gravel or crushed stone; also 2,522 km of seasonally motorable tracks Civil air: 5 major and 11 minor transport aircraft Airports: 37 total, 37 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 8 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; 50,000 telephones (1990); stations--88 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station DEFENSE FORCES Branches: Royal Nepalese Army, Royal Nepalese Army Air Service, Nepalese Police Force Manpower availability: males 15-49, 4,669,421; 2,420,398 fit for military service; 233,404 reach military age (17) annually Defense expenditures: $38 million, 2% of GDP (FY91)