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Background:
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In 1951, the Nepalese monarch ended the century-old system
of rule by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system
of government. Reforms in 1990 established a multiparty
democracy within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. A
Maoist insurgency, launched in 1996, has gained traction and
is threatening to bring down the regime. In 2001, the Crown
Prince massacred ten members of the royal family, including
the king and queen, and then took his own life. In October
2002, the new king dismissed the prime minister and his
cabinet for "incompetence" after they dissolved the
parliament and were subsequently unable to hold elections
because of the ongoing insurgency. The country is now governed
by the king and his appointed cabinet, which has negotiated a
cease-fire with the Maoist insurgents until elections can be
held at some unspecified future date.
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Location:
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Southern Asia,
between China and India |
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Map references:
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Asia |
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Area:
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total:
140,800 sq km
water: 4,000 sq km
land: 136,800 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger
than Arkansas |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
2,926 km
border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km |
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Coastline:
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0 km (landlocked) |
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Climate:
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varies from cool
summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and
mild winters in south |
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Terrain:
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Terai or flat
river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region,
rugged Himalayas in north |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Kanchan Kalan 70 m
highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m (1999) |
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Natural resources:
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quartz, water,
timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite,
copper, cobalt, iron ore |
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Land use:
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arable land:
20.27%
permanent crops: 0.49%
other: 79.24% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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11,350 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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severe
thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine
depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer
monsoons |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation
(overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives);
contaminated water (with human and animal wastes, agricultural
runoff, and industrial effluents); wildlife conservation;
vehicular emissions |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation |
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Geography - note:
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landlocked;
strategic location between China and India; contains eight of
world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest - the
world's tallest - on the border with China |
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Population:
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27,070,666 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
39.4% (male 5,500,698; female 5,151,705)
15-64 years: 57% (male 7,912,553; female 7,518,430)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 483,998; female 503,282)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
19.9 years
male: 19.7 years
female: 20 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.23% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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31.96
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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9.66 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
68.77 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 70.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 67.1 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 59.4 years
male: 59.73 years
female: 59.06 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.5% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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58,000 (2001
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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2,400 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Nepalese (singular and plural)
adjective: Nepalese |
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Ethnic groups:
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Brahman, Chetri,
Newar, Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Sherpa, Tharu, and
others (1995) |
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Religions:
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Hinduism
86.2%, Buddhism 7.8%, Islam 3.8%, other 2.2%
note: only official Hindu state in the world (1995) |
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Languages:
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Nepali (official;
spoken by 90% of the population), about a dozen other
languages and about 30 major dialects; note - many in
government and business also speak English (1995) |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 45.2%
male: 62.7%
female: 27.6% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Kingdom of Nepal
conventional short form: Nepal |
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Government type:
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parliamentary
democracy and constitutional monarchy |
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Capital:
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Kathmandu |
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Administrative divisions:
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14 zones (anchal,
singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki,
Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani,
Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti |
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Independence:
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1768 (unified by
Prithvi Narayan Shah) |
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National holiday:
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Birthday of King
GYANENDRA, 7 July (1946) |
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Constitution:
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9 November 1990 |
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Legal system:
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based on Hindu
legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: King GYANENDRA Bir Bikram Shah (succeeded to the
throne 4 June 2001 following the death of his nephew, King
DIPENDRA Bir Bikram Shah)
head of government: Prime Minister Surya Bahadur THAPA
(since 4 June 2003); note - Prime Minister CHAND resigned 30
May 2003
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following
legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or
leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime
minister by the monarch
note: King BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev died in a
bloody shooting at the royal palace on 1 June 2001 that also
claimed the lives of most of the royal family; King BIRENDRA's
son, Crown Price DIPENDRA, is believed to have been
responsible for the shootings before fatally wounding himself;
immediately following the shootings and while still clinging
to life, DIPENDRA was crowned king; he died three days later
and was succeeded by his uncle |
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Legislative branch:
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:
bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council (60
seats; 35 appointed by the House of Representatives, 10 by the
king, and 15 elected by an electoral college; one-third of the
members elected every two years to serve six-year terms) and
the House of Representatives (205 seats; members elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
note: Nepal's Parliament was dissolved on 22 May 2002
election results: House of Representatives - percent of
vote by party - NC 37.3%, CPN/UML 31.6%, NDP 10.4%, NSP 3.2%,
Rastriya Jana Morcha 1.4%, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 0.8%, NWPP
0.5%, others 14.8%; seats by party - NC 113, CPN/UML 69, NDP
11, NSP 5, Rastriya Jana Morcha 5, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 1,
NWPP 1
elections: House of Representatives - last held 3 and
17 May 1999 (next election NA 2004) |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court or
Sarbochha Adalat (chief justice is appointed by the monarch on
recommendation of the Constitutional Council; the other judges
are appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the
Judicial Council) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Communist Party
of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist or CPN/UML [Madhav Kumar
NEPAL, general secretary]; National Democratic Party or NDP
(also called Rastriya Prajantra Party or RPP) [Surya Bahadur
THAPA, chairman]; National People's Front (Rastriya Jana
Morcha) [Chitra BAHADUR, chairman]; Nepal Sadbhavana
(Goodwill) Party or NSP [Bhadri Prasad MANDAL, acting party
president]; Nepal Workers and Peasants Party or NWPP [Narayan
Man BIJUKCHHE, party chairman]; Nepali Congress or NC [Girija
Prasad KOIRALA, party president; Sushil KOIRALA, general
secretary]; Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal [Lila Mani POKHAREL,
general secretary] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Maoist
guerrilla-based insurgency [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL, also known as
PRAHANDA, chairman; Dr. Baburam BHATTARAI, from Communist
Party of Nepal/Maoist, chief negotiator]; numerous small,
left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small,
radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador (vacant)
FAX: [1] (202) 667-5534
consulate(s) general: New York
telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550
chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Michael E. MALINOWSKI
embassy: Panipokhari, Kathmandu
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [977] (1) 411179
FAX: [977] (1) 419963 |
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Economy - overview:
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Nepal is among
the poorest and least developed countries in the world with
42% of its population living below the poverty line.
Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a
livelihood for over 80% of the population and accounting for
40% of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing
of agricultural produce including jute, sugarcane, tobacco,
and grain. Security concerns in the wake of the Maoist
conflict and the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the US
have led to a decrease in tourism, a key source of foreign
exchange. Nepal has considerable scope for exploiting its
potential in hydropower and tourism, areas of recent foreign
investment interest. Prospects for foreign trade or investment
in other sectors will remain poor, however, because of the
small size of the economy, its technological backwardness, its
remoteness, its landlocked geographic location, its civil
strife, and its susceptibility to natural disaster. The
international community's role of funding more than 60% of
Nepal's development budget and more than 28% of total
budgetary expenditures will likely continue as a major
ingredient of growth. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $38.07 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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2.4% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $1,400 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
40%
industry: 20%
services: 40% (2002 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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42% (1995-96) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.9% (2002 est.) |
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Labor force:
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10 million
note: severe lack of skilled labor (1996 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 81%,
services 16%, industry 3% |
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Unemployment rate:
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47% (2001 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$665 million
expenditures: $1.1 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY99/00 est.) |
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Industries:
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tourism, carpet,
textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills;
cigarette; cement and brick production |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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8.7% (FY99/00) |
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Electricity - production:
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1.755 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
8.5%
hydro: 91.5%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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1.764 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - exports:
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95 million kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - imports:
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227 million kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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16,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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rice, corn,
wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat |
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Exports:
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$568 million
f.o.b., but does not include unrecorded border trade with
India (2002 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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carpets,
clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain |
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Exports - partners:
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India 47.9%, US
27.8%, Germany 7.6% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$1.419 billion
f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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gold, machinery
and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer |
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Imports - partners:
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India 21.5%,
China 13.3%, UAE 11.3%, Singapore 8.7%, Saudi Arabia 4.9%,
Hong Kong 4.6%, Kuwait 4.2% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$2.7 billion
(2001) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$424 million
(FY00/01) |
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Currency:
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Nepalese rupee
(NPR) |
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Currency code:
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NPR |
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Exchange rates:
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Nepalese rupees
per US dollar - 76.14 (2003), 77.88 (2002), 74.95 (2001),
71.09 (2000), 68.24 (1999) |
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Fiscal year:
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16 July - 15 July |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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327,700 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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21,900 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair
radiotelephone communication service and mobile cellular
telephone network
domestic: NA
international: country code - 977; radiotelephone
communications; microwave landline to India; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 6, FM 5,
shortwave 1 (January 2000) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (plus 9
repeaters) (1998) |
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Internet country code:
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.np |
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Internet hosts:
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1,206 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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80,000 (2002) |
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Railways:
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total: 59
km
narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2002) |
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Highways:
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total:
13,223 km
paved: 4,073 km
unpaved: 9,150 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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none |
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Ports and harbors:
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none |
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Airports:
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46 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 9
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 37
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 29 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Royal Nepalese
Army (includes Royal Nepalese Army Air Service), Nepalese
Police Force |
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Military manpower - military age:
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17 years of age
(2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age
15-49: 6,865,849 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 3,566,576 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males:
308,776 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$295 million
(FY03) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.6% (2003) |
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Disputes - international:
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joint border
commission continues to work on small disputed sections of
boundary with India; India has instituted a stricter border
regime to restrict transit of Maoist insurgents and illegal
cross-border activities |
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Illicit drugs:
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illicit producer
of cannabis for the domestic and international drug markets;
transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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