:Nepal Government
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, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Yog Prasad UPADHYAYA; 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, 411604, 411613, 413890; FAX [977] (1) 419963
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
:Nepal Economy
Overview:
Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world.
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%, as compared with annual population
growth of 2.6%. Forty percent or more of the population is undernourished
partly because of poor distribution. Since May 1991, the government has been
encouraging privatization and foreign investment. It has introduced policies
to eliminate many business licenses and registration requirements in order
to simplify domestic and foreign investment procedures. Economic prospects
for the 1990s remain poor because the economy starts from such a low base.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $3.2 billion, per capita $165; real growth rate
3.5% (FY91)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
15.0% (December 1991)
Unemployment rate:
5%; underemployment estimated at 25-40% (1987)
Budget:
revenues $294.0 million; expenditures $624.0 million, including capital
expenditures of $396 (FY92 est.)
Exports:
$180 million (f.o.b., FY91) but does not include unrecorded border trade
with India
commodities:
clothing, carpets, leather goods, grain
partners:
US, India, Germany, UK
Imports:
$545 million (c.i.f., FY91 est.)
commodities:
petroleum products 20%, fertilizer 11%, machinery 10%
partners:
India, Singapore, Japan, Germany
External debt:
$2.5 billion (April 1990 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 6% (FY91 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, textile, carpet,
cement, and brick production; 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 (1980-89), $2,230 million; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $30 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $286
million
:Nepal Economy
Currency:
Nepalese rupee (plural - rupees); 1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa
Exchange rates:
Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1 - 42.7 (January 1992), 37.255 (1991), 29.370
(1990), 27.189 (1989), 23.289 (1988), 21.819 (1987)
Fiscal year:
16 July - 15 July
:Nepal 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); broadcast stations - 88 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
:Nepal Defense Forces
Branches:
Royal Nepalese Army, Royal Nepalese Army Air Service, Nepalese Police Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 4,798,984; 2,488,749 fit for military service; 225,873 reach
military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $34 million, 2% of GDP (FY92)