Nepal (2004) | Svalbard (2008) | |
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.) |
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA |
Agriculture - products | rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat | - |
Airports | 46 (2003 est.) | 4 (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 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
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.) |
total: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2007) |
Area | total: 140,800 sq km
land: 136,800 sq km water: 4,000 sq km |
total: 61,020 sq km
land: 61,020 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island) |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Arkansas | slightly smaller than West Virginia |
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. | First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five years later it officially took over the territory. |
Birth rate | 31.96 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | NA |
Budget | revenues: $665 million
expenditures: $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY99/00 est.) |
revenues: $25.07 million
expenditures: $NA (2004 est.) |
Capital | Kathmandu | name: Longyearbyen
geographic coordinates: 78 13 N, 15 33 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Climate | varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south | arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 3,587 km |
Constitution | 9 November 1990 | - |
Country name | conventional long form: Kingdom of Nepal
conventional short form: Nepal |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen) |
Currency | Nepalese rupee (NPR) | - |
Death rate | 9.66 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | NA |
Debt - external | $2.7 billion (2001) | - |
Dependency status | - | territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was awarded to Norway |
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 |
- |
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 |
- |
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 | despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone |
Economic aid - recipient | $424 million (FY00/01) | $8.2 million from Norway (1998) |
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. | Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. The treaty of 9 February 1920 gave the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some hunting of seal, reindeer, and fox. |
Electricity - consumption | 1.764 billion kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - exports | 95 million kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - imports | 227 million kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - production | 1.755 billion kWh (2001) | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m
highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m (1999) |
lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 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) | Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998) |
Exchange rates | Nepalese rupees per US dollar - 76.1414 (2003), 77.8766 (2002), 74.9492 (2001), 71.0938 (2000), 68.2394 (1999) | Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 5.8396 (2007), 6.4117 (2006), 6.4425 (2005), 6.7408 (2004), 7.0802 (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 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: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)
head of government: Governor Per SEFLAND (since 1 October 2005); Assistant Governor Rune Baard HANSEN (since 2003) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice |
Exports | NA (2001) | $197.6 million (2004) |
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 | the flag of Norway is used |
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.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 28 00 N, 84 00 E | 78 00 N, 20 00 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 | northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area; Spitsbergen Island is the site of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a seed repository established by the Global Crop Diversity Trust and the Norwegian Government |
Heliports | - | 1 (2007) |
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) |
- |
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) | $NA |
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) | none (territory of Norway) |
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.) |
total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
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) | none |
Irrigated land | 11,350 sq km (1998 est.) | NA |
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.) |
NA |
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: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (no trees; the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) (2005) |
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) | Norwegian, Russian |
Legal system | based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | the laws of Norway, 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.) |
total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 45.2% male: 62.7% female: 27.6% (2003 est.) |
NA |
Location | Southern Asia, between China and India | Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway |
Map references | Asia | Arctic Region |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 4 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia |
Military - note | - | demilitarized by treaty on 9 February 1920 |
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 | ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic |
Natural resources | quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore | coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | NA |
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.) | 2,214 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 42% (1995-96) | - |
Population growth rate | 2.23% (2004 est.) | -0.007% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (January 2000) | AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998) |
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.) |
NA (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: country code - 977; radiotelephone communications; microwave landline to India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) |
general assessment: probably adequate
domestic: local telephone service international: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 371,800 (2003) | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 50,400 (2003) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998) | NA |
Terrain | Terai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north | wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north coasts |
Total fertility rate | 4.29 children born/woman (2004 est.) | NA |
Unemployment rate | 47% (2001 est.) | - |