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Compare British Virgin Islands (2002) - Nepal (2003)

Compare British Virgin Islands (2002) z Nepal (2003)

 British Virgin Islands (2002)Nepal (2003)
 British Virgin IslandsNepal
Administrative divisions none (overseas territory of the UK) 14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti
Age structure 0-14 years: 22.4% (male 2,401; female 2,351)


15-64 years: 72.7% (male 7,962; female 7,509)


65 years and over: 4.9% (male 565; female 484) (2002 est.)
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.)
Agriculture - products fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat
Airports 3 (2001) 45 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
total: 9


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
total: 36


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 28 (2002)
Area total: 153 sq km


land: 153 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada
total: 140,800 sq km


land: 136,800 sq km


water: 4,000 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC slightly larger than Arkansas
Background First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in 1672 by the English. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency. 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.
Birth rate 15.09 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 32.46 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $121.5 million


expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)
revenues: $665 million


expenditures: $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY 99/00 est.)
Capital Road Town Kathmandu
Climate subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south
Coastline 80 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 1 June 1977 9 November 1990
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: British Virgin Islands


abbreviation: BVI
conventional long form: Kingdom of Nepal


conventional short form: Nepal
Currency US dollar (USD) Nepalese rupee (NPR)
Death rate 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 9.84 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $36.1 million (1997) $2.55 billion (FY 00/01)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission: Ambassador Michael E. MALINOWSKI


embassy: Panipokhari, Kathmandu


mailing address: use embassy street address


telephone: [977] (1) 411179


FAX: [977] (1) 419963
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Jai Pratap RANA


chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550


FAX: [1] (202) 667-5534


consulate(s) general: New York
Disputes - international none 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
Economic aid - recipient NA $424 million (FY 00/01)
Economy - overview The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the dollar as its currency since 1959. 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.
Electricity - consumption 39.1 million kWh (1999) 1.764 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 95 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (1999) 227 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 42 million kWh (1999) 1.755 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (1999)
fossil fuel: 8.5%


hydro: 91.5%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m


highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m (1999)
Environment - current issues limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments) 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
Ethnic groups black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed Brahman, Chetri, Newar, Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Sherpa, Tharu, and others (1995)
Exchange rates the US dollar is used Nepalese rupees per US dollar - 77.88 (2002), 74.95 (2001), 71.09 (2000), 68.24 (1999), 65.98 (1998)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002)


head of government: Chief Minister Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 15 May 1995)


cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor
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 Surya Bahadur THAPA (since 4 June 2003); note - Prime Minister CHAND resigned 30 May 2003


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
Exports $6.2 million NA (2001)
Exports - commodities rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain
Exports - partners Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US India 47.5%, US 27.6%, Germany 7.5% (2002)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 16 July - 15 July
Flag description blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful) 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
GDP purchasing power parity - $311 million (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $37.32 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 2%


industry: 6%


services: 92% (1996 est.)
agriculture: 40%


industry: 20%


services: 40% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4.4% (2000 est.) -0.6% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 18 30 N, 64 30 W 28 00 N, 84 00 E
Geography - note strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico 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
Highways total: 177 km


paved: 177 km


unpaved: 0 km (2000)
total: 13,223 km


paved: 4,073 km


unpaved: 9,150 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 3.2%


highest 10%: 29.8% (1995-96)
Illicit drugs transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international drug markets; transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West
Imports $230 million (2000 est.) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer
Imports - partners Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US India 21.2%, China 13%, UAE 11.1%, Singapore 8.5%, Hong Kong 5.9%, Saudi Arabia 4.9%, Kuwait 4.1% (2002)
Independence none (overseas territory of the UK) 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah)
Industrial production growth rate 4% (1985) 8.7% (FY 99/00)
Industries tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette; cement and brick production
Infant mortality rate 19.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) total: 70.57 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 68.95 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 72.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3.3% (2000) 2.8% (2001 est.)
International organization participation Caricom (associate), CDB, ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate) AsDB, CP, ESCAP, 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, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 16 (2000) 6 (2000)
Irrigated land NA sq km 11,350 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction 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)
Labor force 4,911 (1980) 10 million


note: severe lack of skilled labor (1996 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% agriculture 81%, services 16%, industry 3%
Land boundaries 0 km total: 2,926 km


border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
Land use arable land: 20%


permanent crops: 6.67%


other: 73.33% (1998 est.)
arable land: 20.27%


permanent crops: 0.49%


other: 79.24% (1998 est.)
Languages English (official) 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)
Legal system English law based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 17 May 1999 (next to be held NA 2003)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - VIP 7, CCM 1, NDP 5
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)


elections: House of Representatives - last held 3 and 17 May 1999 (next election NA)


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
Life expectancy at birth total population: 75.85 years


male: 74.9 years


female: 76.84 years (2002 est.)
total population: 59 years


male: 59.36 years


female: 58.63 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)


male: NA%


female: NA%
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 45.2%


male: 62.7%


female: 27.6% (2003 est.)
Location Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico Southern Asia, between China and India
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Asia
Maritime claims exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 3 NM
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 70,285 GRT/6,946 DWT


ships by type: passenger 1 (2002 est.)
-
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK -
Military branches - Royal Nepalese Army (includes Royal Nepalese Army Air Service), Nepalese Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $57.22 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 1.1% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 6,674,014 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 3,467,511 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 17 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 303,222 (2003 est.)
National holiday Territory Day, 1 July Birthday of King GYANENDRA, 7 July (1946)
Nationality noun: British Virgin Islander(s)


adjective: British Virgin Islander
noun: Nepalese (singular and plural)


adjective: Nepalese
Natural hazards hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons
Natural resources NEGL quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore
Net migration rate 10.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Political parties and leaders Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL] 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 NA Maoist guerrilla-based insurgency [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL also known as Prahanda, chairman; and chief negotiator, Dr. Baburam BHATTARAI, from Communist Party of Nepal/Maoist]; numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups
Population 21,272 (July 2002 est.) 26,469,569 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 42% (1995-96)
Population growth rate 2.16% (2002 est.) 2.26% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Road Town none
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (January 2000)
Radios 9,000 (1997) -
Railways 0 km total: 59 km


narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2002)
Religions Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 2%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991) Hinduism 86.2%, Buddhism 7.8%, Islam 3.8%, other 2.2%


note: only official Hindu state in the world (1995)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.17 male(s)/female


total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
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.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: worldwide telephone service


domestic: NA


international: submarine cable to Bermuda
general assessment: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radiotelephone communication service and mobile cellular telephone network


domestic: NA


international: radiotelephone communications; microwave landline to India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 10,000 (1996) 236,816 (January 2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA NA
Television broadcast stations 1 (plus one cable company) (1997) 1 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998)
Terrain coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly Terai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north
Total fertility rate 1.72 children born/woman (2002 est.) 4.39 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 3% (1995) 47% (2001 est.)
Waterways none none
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