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.)
Median age:
total: 19.7 years
male: 19.6 years
female: 19.9 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
2.26% (2003 est.)