| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Asia |
| Geographical Location |
28° 00' North Latitude
84° 00' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
140,800 sq km |
| Climate |
Varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south |
| Natural Resources |
Quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Kingdom of Nepal |
| Capital City |
Kathmandu |
| Government Type |
Parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy |
| Administrative Divisions |
14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti |
| Independence Day |
1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
27,676,547 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Nepalese |
| Ethnic Groups |
Chhettri 15.5%, Brahman-Hill 12.5%, Magar 7%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang 5.5%, Newar 5.4%, Muslim 4.2%, Kami 3.9%, Yadav 3.9%, other 32.7%, unspecified 2.8% (2001 census) |
| Religion |
Hindu 80.6%, Buddhist 10.7%, Muslim 4.2%, Kirant 3.6%, other 0.9% (2001 census)
Note: only official Hindu state in the world |
| Languages |
Nepali 47.8%, Maithali 12.1%, Bhojpuri 7.4%, Tharu (Dagaura/Rana) 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.6%, Magar 3.3%, Awadhi 2.4%, other 10%, unspecified 2.5% (2001 census) |
| Population Growth Rate |
2.2% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Nepalese rupee (NPR) |
| Industries |
Tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette; cement and brick production |
| Labor Force |
10 million
Note: severe lack of skilled labor (1996 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 81%, industry 3%, services 16% |
| Agriculture Products |
Rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat |
| Export Commodities |
Carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain |
| Export Partners |
India 48.8%, US 22.3%, Germany 8.5% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer |
| Import Partners |
India 43%, UAE 10%, China 10%, Saudi Arabia 4.4%, Singapore 4% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
59 km |
| Highways |
13,223 km |
| Pipelines |
- |
| Airports |
46 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
- |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+977 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.np |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
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, especially after a negotiated cease-fire between the Maoists and government forces broke down in August 2003. 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. While stopping short of
reestablishing parliament, the king in June 2004 reinstated the most recently elected prime minister who formed a four-party coalition government, which the king subsequently
tasked with paving the way for elections to be held in spring of 2005. Citing dissatisfaction with the government's lack of progress in addressing the Maoist insurgency,
the King in February 2005 dissolved the government and assumed power in the Kingdom. |
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