Compare Nepal (2004) - British Indian Ocean Territory (2002)

Compare Nepal (2004) z British Indian Ocean Territory (2002)

	Nepal (2004)	British Indian Ocean Territory (2002)

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: 39.4% (male 5,500,698; female 5,151,705) 15-64 years: 57% (male 7,912,553; female 7,518,430) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 483,998; female 503,282) (2004 est.)	-
Agriculture - products	rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat	-
Airports	46 (2003 est.)	1 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 9 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2004 est.)	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 37 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 29 (2004 est.)	-
Area	total: 140,800 sq km land: 136,800 sq km water: 4,000 sq km	total: 60 sq km land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
Area - comparative	slightly larger than Arkansas	about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
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, especially after a negotiated cease-fire between the Maoists and government forces broke down in August 2003. 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. While stopping short of reestablishing parliament, the king in June 2004 reinstated the most recently elected Prime Minister who formed a four-party coalition government, which the king subsequently tasked with paving the way for elections to be held in spring of 2005.	Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.
Birth rate	31.96 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)	-
Budget	revenues: $665 million expenditures: $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY99/00 est.)	-
Capital	Kathmandu	-
Climate	varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south	tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Coastline	0 km (landlocked)	698 km
Constitution	9 November 1990	-
Country name	conventional long form: Kingdom of Nepal conventional short form: Nepal	conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT
Currency	Nepalese rupee (NPR)	-
Death rate	9.66 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)	-
Debt - external	$2.7 billion (2001)	-
Dependency status	-	overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador James F. MORIARTY embassy: Panipokhari, Kathmandu mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [977] (1) 411179 FAX: [977] (1) 419963	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Kedar Bhakta SHRESTHA chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550 FAX: [1] (202) 667-5534 consulate(s) general: New York	none (overseas territory of the UK)
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 and illegal cross-border activities	Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain
Economic aid - recipient	$424 million (FY00/01)	-
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. Security concerns in the wake of the Maoist conflict and the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the US have led to a decrease in tourism, a key source of foreign exchange. 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, its civil strife, 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.	All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing.
Electricity - consumption	1.764 billion kWh (2001)	NA kWh
Electricity - exports	95 million kWh (2001)	-
Electricity - imports	227 million kWh (2001)	-
Electricity - production	1.755 billion kWh (2001)	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m (1999)	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 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	NA
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation	-
Ethnic groups	Brahman, Chetri, Newar, Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Sherpa, Tharu, and others (1995)	-
Exchange rates	Nepalese rupees per US dollar - 76.1414 (2003), 77.8766 (2002), 74.9492 (2001), 71.0938 (2000), 68.2394 (1999)	-
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 Sher Bahadur DEUBA (since 3 June 2004); note - Prime Minister THAPA resigned 7 May 2004 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	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
Exports	NA (2001)	-
Exports - commodities	carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain	-
Exports - partners	India 50.7%, US 26%, Germany 6.6% (2003)	-
Fiscal year	16 July - 15 July	-
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	white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag
GDP	purchasing power parity - $38.29 billion (2003 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 40% industry: 20% services: 40% (2002 est.)	-
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2003 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	3% (2003 est.)	-
Geographic coordinates	28 00 N, 84 00 E	6 00 S, 71 30 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	archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility
Highways	total: 13,223 km paved: 4,073 km unpaved: 9,150 km (1999 est.)	total: NA km paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 29.8% (1995-96)	-
Illicit drugs	illicit producer of cannabis and hashish for the domestic and international drug markets; transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West	-
Imports	NA (2001)	-
Imports - commodities	gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer	-
Imports - partners	India 22.9%, China 13.4%, UAE 12.5%, Singapore 7.1%, Saudi Arabia 5.5%, Kuwait 4.6% (2003)	-
Independence	1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah)	-
Industrial production growth rate	8.7% (FY99/00)	-
Industries	tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette; cement and brick production	-
Infant mortality rate	total: 68.77 deaths/1,000 live births male: 67.1 deaths/1,000 live births female: 70.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)	-
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	2.9% (2002 est.)	-
International organization participation	AsDB, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MICAH, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNOCI, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO, WTrO (observer)	-
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	1 (2000)
Irrigated land	11,350 sq km (1998 est.)	0 sq km (1998 est.)
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.)	-
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 81%, industry 3%, services 16%	-
Land boundaries	total: 2,926 km border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 21.68% permanent crops: 0.64% other: 77.68% (2001)	arable land: NEGL permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
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)	-
Legal system	based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
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 2004) 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: 59.4 years male: 59.73 years female: 59.06 years (2004 est.)	-
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 45.2% male: 62.7% female: 27.6% (2003 est.)	-
Location	Southern Asia, between China and India	Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia
Map references	Asia	Political Map of the World
Maritime claims	none (landlocked)	exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
Military branches	Royal Nepalese Army (includes Royal Nepalese Army Air Service), Nepalese Police Force	-
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$295 million (FY03)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1.6% (2003)	-
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 6,865,849 (2004 est.)	-
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 3,566,576 (2004 est.)	-
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 308,776 (2004 est.)	-
National holiday	Birthday of King GYANENDRA, 7 July (1946)	-
Nationality	noun: Nepalese (singular and plural) adjective: Nepalese	-
Natural hazards	severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons	NA
Natural resources	quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore	coconuts, fish, sugarcane
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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]; People's Front Nepal (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]; Nepali Congress-Democratic [Sher Bahadur DEUBA, president]; Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal [NA leader]	-
Political pressure groups and leaders	Maoist guerrilla-based insurgency [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL, also known as PRAHANDA, chairman; Dr. Baburam BHATTARAI, from Communist Party of Nepal/Maoist, chief negotiator]; numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups	-
Population	27,070,666 (July 2004 est.)	no indigenous inhabitants note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line	42% (1995-96)	-
Population growth rate	2.23% (2004 est.)	-
Ports and harbors	none	Diego Garcia
Radio broadcast stations	AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (January 2000)	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios	-	NA
Railways	total: 59 km narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2003)	-
Religions	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: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2004 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: country code - 977; radiotelephone communications; microwave landline to India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)	general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
Telephones - main lines in use	371,800 (2003)	NA
Telephones - mobile cellular	50,400 (2003)	-
Television broadcast stations	1 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998)	1 (1997)
Terrain	Terai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north	flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation)
Total fertility rate	4.29 children born/woman (2004 est.)	-
Unemployment rate	47% (2001 est.)	-
Waterways	-	none

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