Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Sarbochha Adalat)
Leaders:
Chief of State:
King BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev (since 31 January 1972, crowned King 24
February 1985); Heir Apparent Crown Prince DIPENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev, son
of the King (born 21 June 1971)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Girija Prasad KOIRALA (since 29 May 1991)
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, UNPROFOR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Yog Prasad UPADHYAYA
chancery:
2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 667-4550
consulate general:
New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Julia Chang BLOCH
embassy:
Pani Pokhari, Kathmandu
mailing address:
use embassy street address
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 85% of foreign exchange earnings in
FY91. Apart from agricultural land and forests, 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%. More than 40% of the population is undernourished partly because of
poor distribution. The top 10% of the population receives 47% of total
income, the bottom 20% less than 5% of the total. Since May 1991, the
government has been encouraging trade and foreign investment, e.g., by
eliminating business licenses and registration requirements in order to
simplify domestic and foreign investment. The government also has been
cutting public expenditures by reducing subsides, privatizing state
industries, and laying off civil servants. Prospects for foreign trade and
investment in the 1990s remain poor, however, because of the small size of
the economy, its technological backwardness, and its remoteness.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $3.4 billion (FY92)
National product real growth rate:
3.1% (FY92)
National product per capita:
$170 (FY92)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
14% (November 1992)
Unemployment rate:
5% (1987); underemployment estimated at 25-40%
Budget:
revenues $308.0 million; expenditures $672.0 million, including capital
expenditures of $396 million (FY92 est.)
Exports:
$313 million (f.o.b., FY92 est.) but does not include unrecorded border
trade with India
commodities:
carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain
partners:
US, Germany, India, UK
Imports:
$751 million (c.i.f., FY92 est.)
commodities:
petroleum products 20%, fertilizer 11%, machinery 10%
partners:
India, Singapore, Japan, Germany
External debt:
$2 billion (FY92 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 6% (FY91 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP
Electricity:
300,000 kW capacity; 1,000 million kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita (1992)
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
*Nepal, Economy
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international drug
markets; probable transit point for heroin from Southeast Asia to the West
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
Currency:
1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa
Exchange rates:
Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1 - 43.200 (January 1993), 42.742 (1992),
37.255 (1991), 29.370 (1990), 27.189 (1989), 23.289 (1988)
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
Airports:
total:
37
usable:
37
with permanent-surface runways:
5
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
8
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 age 15-49 4,849,109; fit for military service 2,517,385; reach
military age (17) annually 234,060 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $34 million, 2% of GDP (FY91/92)
*Netherlands, Geography