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| Introduction | Nepal |
| Background: | 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. |
| People | Nepal |
| Population: | 27,070,666 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 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.) |
| Median age: | total: 19.9 years male: 19.7 years female: 20 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 2.23% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 31.96 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 9.66 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | 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.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | 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 |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 59.4 years male: 59.73 years female: 59.06 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 4.29 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.5% (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 58,000 (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 2,400 (2001 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Nepalese (singular and plural) adjective: Nepalese |
| Ethnic groups: | Brahman, Chetri, Newar, Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Sherpa, Tharu, and others (1995) |
| Religions: | Hinduism 86.2%, Buddhism 7.8%, Islam 3.8%, other 2.2% note: only official Hindu state in the world (1995) |
| Languages: | 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) |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 45.2% male: 62.7% female: 27.6% (2003 est.) |
| Government | Nepal |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Kingdom of Nepal conventional short form: Nepal |
| Government type: | parliamentary democracy and 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 Prithvi Narayan Shah) |
| National holiday: | Birthday of King GYANENDRA, 7 July (1946) |
| Constitution: | 9 November 1990 |
| Legal system: | based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | 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 Sher Bahadur DEUBA (since 3 June 2004); note - Prime Minister THAPA resigned 7 May 2004 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 |
| Legislative branch: | : 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) |
| Judicial branch: | 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) |
| Political parties and leaders: | 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] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | 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 |
| International organization participation: | AsDB, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Kedar Bhakta SHRESTHA FAX: [1] (202) 667-5534 consulate(s) general: New York telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550 chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador James F. MORIARTY embassy: Panipokhari, Kathmandu mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [977] (1) 411179 FAX: [977] (1) 419963 |
| Flag description: | 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 |
| Communications | Nepal |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 371,800 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 50,400 (2003) |
| Telephone system: | 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) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (January 2000) |
| Radios: | 840,000 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 1 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998) |
| Televisions: | 130,000 (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .np |
| Internet hosts: | 917 (2003) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 6 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 80,000 (2002) |
| Transportation | Nepal |
| Railways: | total: 59 km narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2003) |
| Highways: | total: 13,223 km paved: 4,073 km unpaved: 9,150 km (1999 est.) |
| Ports and harbors: | none |
| Airports: | 46 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 9 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 37 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 29 (2004 est.) |
| Military | Nepal |
| Military branches: | Royal Nepalese Army (includes Royal Nepalese Army Air Service), Nepalese Police Force |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 6,865,849 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 3,566,576 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 308,776 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $295 million (FY03) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 1.6% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Nepal |
| Disputes - international: | 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 |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons: | refugees (country of origin): 104,235 (Bhutan) IDPs: 100,000-200,000 (ongoing conflict between government forces and Maoist rebels; displacement spread across the country) (2004) |
| Illicit drugs: | 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 16 December, 2004 |
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