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NEPAL COUNTRY INFORMATION

Introduction about Nepal

The Nepal Himalaya has always been known as "the abode of the Gods". Many of the primordial history, religion, culture and tradition as well as legends and myths emanate from the awesome Himalaya. The Nepal Himalaya harbors many holy Temple and Shrines, Monasteries and sacred lakes in the wilderness and remote parts of the region. These sites are frequently visited by pilgrims. It is a land of piety and stillness.

The Himalayas is the youngest and highest mountain chain on earth. A full third of its stretches - the formidable Great Himalayan Range of 800 km. Lies within the Nepal Himalaya. It has convergence of 1310 magnificent peaks of 6000 meters, including 8 of the world's highest 14 peaks of 8000 meters. Nestling in the rain shadows of these unique vistas of soaring summits unravel a profusion of lofty foothills, the home of the many Nepalese who delight in warm hospitality and friendship. These verdant terraced hill meander down to lush green valleys with turbulent rivers and to the tropical lowland and jungles teeming with countless wildlife.

In this immensely diverse and undulating topography, varied climate and mix of people Nepal combines to produce a magical attraction for outsiders. Many foreign visitors come to trek one or more beautiful trekking regions. To trek, one does not have to be bizarre, neither a mountaineer nor an athlete. Anyone with a pair of strong legs and the spirit for adventure to explore the exotic will enjoy the thrills of trekking in the hills of Nepal. Walking in the interior of the country follows ancient foot trails which meander through the scenic river banks, intricately terraced fields and the forested ridges connecting picturesque hamlets and mountain villages. These highly developed and well defined trails have been used for centuries and are the hive of activities to come in contact with the locals.

For visitors on extended holidays and with less restraint, there is an even more varied spectrum of adventure - be it rafting on the sparkling rivers, safaris in the jungles, trekking to explore deeper into the alpine valley with perpetual snow and glistering glaciers. The more intrepid traveler may venture further up to scale any of the 18 minor trekking peaks.

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. 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.

Geography of Nepal:

Location: Southern Asia, between China and India
Geographic coordinates: 28 00 N, 84 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area: total: 147,181 sq km
Water: 4,000 sq km
Land: 136,800 sq km
Land boundaries: total: 2,926 km
Border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south
Terrain: Terai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m
Highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m (1999)
Natural resources: quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore
Land use: Arable land: 20.27%
Permanent crops: 0.49%
Other: 79.24% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 11,350 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons
Environment - current issues: 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
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
Signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note: 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

People Nepal
Population: 26,469,569 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 39.7% (male 5,424,396; female 5,080,171) 15-64 years: 56.7% (male 7,692,134; female 7,320,059)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 468,697; female 484,112) (2003 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.26% (2003 est.)
Birth rate: 32.46 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate: 9.84 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 populations (2003 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: 0.97 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 70.57 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 72.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 68.95 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: Total population: 59 years
Male: 59.36 years
Female: 58.63 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.39 children born/woman (2003 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
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

Economy Nepal
Economy - overview: 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. Textile and carpet production, accounting for about 80% of foreign exchange earnings in recent years, contracted in 2001-02 due to the overall slowdown in the world economy and pressures by Maoist insurgents on factory owners and workers. Security concerns in the wake of the Maoist conflict and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US have led to a decrease in tourism, another key source of foreign exchange. Since 1991, the government has been moving forward with economic reforms, e.g., by reducing business licenses and registration requirements to simplify investment procedures, reducing subsidies, privatizing state industries, and laying off civil servants. 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, 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.
GDP: Purchasing power parity - $37.32 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: -0.6% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita: Purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: Agriculture: 40%
Industry: 20%
Services: 40% (2002 est.)
Population below poverty line: 42% (1995-96)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.8% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate: 47% (2001 est.)
Budget: Revenues: $665 million
Expenditures: $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY 99/00 est.)
Industries: tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette; cement and brick production
Industrial production growth rate: 8.7% (FY 99/00)
Agriculture - products: rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat
Exports: $720 million f.o.b., but does not include unrecorded border trade with India (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain
Exports - partners: India 47.5%, US 27.6%, Germany 7.5% (2002)
Imports: $1.6 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer
Imports - partners: India 21.2%, China 13%, UAE 11.1%, Singapore 8.5%, Hong Kong 5.9%, Saudi Arabia 4.9%, Kuwait 4.1% (2002)
Currency: Nepalese rupee (NPR)
Currency code: NPR
Exchange rates: Nepalese rupees per US dollar - 77.88 (2002), 74.95 (2001), 71.09 (2000), 68.24 (1999), 65.98 (1998)
Fiscal year: 16 July - 15 July

Transportation Nepal
Railways: total: 59 km
Narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2002)
Highways: Total: 13,223 km
Paved: 4,073 km
Unpaved: 9,150 km (1999 est.)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 45 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 9
Over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 36
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1914 to 1,523 m: 7
Under 914 m: 28 (2002)