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Compare Nepal (2003) - West Bank (2008)

Compare Nepal (2003) z West Bank (2008)

 Nepal (2003)West Bank (2008)
 NepalWest Bank
Administrative divisions 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: 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.)
0-14 years: 42.4% (male 551,243/female 524,800)


15-64 years: 54.2% (male 704,209/female 670,382)


65 years and over: 3.4% (male 36,175/female 49,118) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products
Airports 45 (2002) 3 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 9


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2002)
total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 36


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 28 (2002)
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Area total: 140,800 sq km


land: 136,800 sq km


water: 4,000 sq km
total: 5,860 sq km


land: 5,640 sq km


water: 220 sq km


note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967
Area - comparative slightly larger than Arkansas slightly smaller than Delaware
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. 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. The September 1993 Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements provided for a transitional period of Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under a series of agreements signed between May 1994 and September 1999, Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and Gaza. Negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza stalled following the outbreak of an intifada in September 2000, as Israeli forces reoccupied most Palestinian-controlled areas. In April 2003, the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement was postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that both sides had not followed through on their commitments. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004, Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A month later, Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments in an effort to move the peace process forward. In September 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and withdrew settlers and redeployed soldiers from four small northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless, Israel controls maritime, airspace, and most access to the Gaza Strip. A November 2005 PA-Israeli agreement authorized the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and Egyptian control. In January 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The international community refused to accept the HAMAS-led government because it did not recognize Israel, would not renounce violence, and refused to honor previous peace agreements between Israel and the PA. HAMAS took control of the PA government in March 2006, but President ABBAS had little success negotiating with HAMAS to present a political platform acceptable to the international community so as to lift economic sanctions on Palestinians. The PLC was unable to convene throughout most of 2006 as a result of Israel's detention of many HAMAS PLC members and Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on other PLC members. Violent clashes took place between Fatah and HAMAS supporters in the Gaza Strip in 2006 and early 2007, resulting in numerous Palestinian deaths and injuries. ABBAS and HAMAS Political Bureau Chief MISHAL in February 2007 signed the Mecca Agreement in Saudi Arabia that resulted in the formation of a Palestinian National Unity Government (NUG) headed by HAMAS member Ismail HANIYA. However, fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, and in June, HAMAS militants succeeded in a violent takeover of all military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip. ABBAS dismissed the NUG and through a series of presidential decrees formed a PA government in the West Bank led by independent Salam FAYYAD. HAMAS rejected the NUG's dismissal and has called for resuming talks with Fatah, but ABBAS has ruled out negotiations until HAMAS agrees to a return of PA control over the Gaza Strip and recognizes the FAYYAD-led government. FAYYAD and his PA government initiated a series of security and economic reforms to improve conditions in the West Bank. ABBAS participated in talks with Israel's Prime Minister OLMERT and secured the release of some Palestinian prisoners and previously withheld customs revenue. During a November 2007 international meeting in Annapolis Maryland, ABBAS and OLMERT agreed to resume peace negotiations with the goal of reaching a final peace settlement by the end of 2008.
Birth rate 32.46 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 30.99 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $665 million


expenditures: $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY 99/00 est.)
revenues: $1.149 billion


expenditures: $2.31 billion


note: includes Gaza Strip (2006)
Capital Kathmandu -
Climate varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 9 November 1990 -
Country name conventional long form: Kingdom of Nepal


conventional short form: Nepal
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: West Bank
Currency Nepalese rupee (NPR) -
Death rate 9.84 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 3.85 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $2.55 billion (FY 00/01) $NA
Diplomatic representation from the US 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 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 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 West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region
Economic aid - recipient $424 million (FY 00/01) $1.4 billion; (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)
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. The West Bank - the larger of the two areas comprising the Palestinian Authority (PA) - has experienced a general decline in economic conditions since the second intifada began in September 2000. The downturn has been largely a result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of closures and access restrictions in response to security concerns in Israel - which disrupted labor and trading relationships. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in PA areas resulted in the destruction of capital, the disruption of administrative structures, and widespread business closures. International aid of at least $1.14 billion to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2004 prevented the complete collapse of the economy and allowed some reforms in the government's financial operations. In 2005, high unemployment and limited trade opportunities - due to continued closures both within the West Bank and externally - stymied growth. Israel's and the international community's financial embargo of the PA when HAMAS ran the PA during March 2006 - June 2007 has interrupted the provision of PA social services and the payment of PA salaries. Since June the Fayyad government in the West Bank has restarted salary payments and the provision of services but would be unable to operate absent high levels of international assistance.
Electricity - consumption 1.764 billion kWh (2001) NA kWh
Electricity - exports 95 million kWh (2001) -
Electricity - imports 227 million kWh (2001) NA kWh
Electricity - production 1.755 billion kWh (2001) NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 8.5%


hydro: 91.5%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m


highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m (1999)
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m
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 adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment
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 Brahman, Chetri, Newar, Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Sherpa, Tharu, and others (1995) Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17%
Exchange rates Nepalese rupees per US dollar - 77.88 (2002), 74.95 (2001), 71.09 (2000), 68.24 (1999), 65.98 (1998) new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003)
Executive branch 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 NA (2001) $301 million f.o.b.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Exports - commodities carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone
Exports - partners India 47.5%, US 27.6%, Germany 7.5% (2002) Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006)
Fiscal year 16 July - 15 July calendar year
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 -
GDP purchasing power parity - $37.32 billion (2002 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 40%


industry: 20%


services: 40% (2002 est.)
agriculture: 8%


industry: 13%


services: 79% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate -0.6% (2002 est.) -8% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates 28 00 N, 84 00 E 32 00 N, 35 15 E
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 landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 242 West Bank settlements and 29 East Jerusalem settlements in addition to at least 20 occupied outposts (August 2005 est.)
Highways total: 13,223 km


paved: 4,073 km


unpaved: 9,150 km (1999 est.)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 3.2%


highest 10%: 29.8% (1995-96)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international drug markets; transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West -
Imports NA (2001) $2.44 billion c.i.f.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Imports - commodities gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer food, consumer goods, construction materials
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) Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006)
Independence 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah) -
Industrial production growth rate 8.7% (FY 99/00) 2.4% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Industries tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette; cement and brick production generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers
Infant mortality rate 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.)
total: 18.67 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 20.59 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 16.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.8% (2001 est.) 3.6% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006)
International organization participation 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) 6 (2000) -
Irrigated land 11,350 sq km (1998 est.) 150 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003)
Judicial branch 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 10 million


note: severe lack of skilled labor (1996 est.)
605,000 (2006)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 81%, services 16%, industry 3% agriculture: 18%


industry: 15%


services: 67% (2006)
Land boundaries total: 2,926 km


border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
total: 404 km


border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km
Land use arable land: 20.27%


permanent crops: 0.49%


other: 79.24% (1998 est.)
arable land: 16.9%


permanent crops: 18.97%


other: 64.13% (2001)
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) Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
Legal system based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction -
Legislative branch 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: 59 years


male: 59.36 years


female: 58.63 years (2003 est.)
total population: 73.46 years


male: 71.68 years


female: 75.35 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 45.2%


male: 62.7%


female: 27.6% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 92.4%


male: 96.7%


female: 88% (2004 est.)
Location Southern Asia, between China and India Middle East, west of Jordan
Map references Asia Middle East
Maritime claims none (landlocked) none (landlocked)
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) NA
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 Birthday of King GYANENDRA, 7 July (1946) -
Nationality noun: Nepalese (singular and plural)


adjective: Nepalese
noun: NA


adjective: NA
Natural hazards severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons droughts
Natural resources quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore arable land
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) 2.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders 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 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 26,469,569 (July 2003 est.) 2,535,927


note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line 42% (1995-96) 46% (2007 est.)
Population growth rate 2.26% (2003 est.) 2.985% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors none -
Radio broadcast stations AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (January 2000) AM 0, FM 25, shortwave 0 (2008)
Railways total: 59 km


narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2002)
-
Religions Hinduism 86.2%, Buddhism 7.8%, Islam 3.8%, other 2.2%


note: only official Hindu state in the world (1995)
Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8%
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.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.736 male(s)/female


total population: 1.038 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal -
Telephone system 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)
general assessment: NA


domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services; the Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services


international: country code - 970 (2004)
Telephones - main lines in use 236,816 (January 2000) 349,000 (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA 1.095 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Television broadcast stations 1 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998) 30 (2008)
Terrain Terai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east
Total fertility rate 4.39 children born/woman (2003 est.) 4.17 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 47% (2001 est.) 18.6% (2006)
Waterways none -
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