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Compare Nepal (2005) - India (2008)

Compare Nepal (2005) z India (2008)

 Nepal (2005)India (2008)
 NepalIndia
Administrative divisions 14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti 28 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Puducherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal
Age structure 0-14 years: 39% (male 5,575,157/female 5,221,794)


15-64 years: 57.3% (male 8,137,410/female 7,720,691)


65 years and over: 3.7% (male 499,039/female 522,456) (2005 est.)
0-14 years: 31.8% (male 188,208,196/female 171,356,024)


15-64 years: 63.1% (male 366,977,821/female 346,034,565)


65 years and over: 5.1% (male 27,258,259/female 30,031,289) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry; fish
Airports 46 (2004 est.) 346 (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: 250


over 3,047 m: 18


2,438 to 3,047 m: 52


1,524 to 2,437 m: 75


914 to 1,523 m: 84


under 914 m: 21 (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: 96


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 7


914 to 1,523 m: 40


under 914 m: 47 (2007)
Area total: 140,800 sq km


land: 136,800 sq km


water: 4,000 sq km
total: 3,287,590 sq km


land: 2,973,190 sq km


water: 314,400 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Arkansas slightly more than one-third the size of the US
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. Citing dissatisfaction with the government's lack of progress in addressing the Maoist insurgency, the king in February 2005 dissolved the government and assumed power. Aryan tribes from the northwest infiltrated onto the Indian subcontinent about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. The Maurya Empire of the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. - which reached its zenith under ASHOKA - united much of South Asia. The Golden Age ushered in by the Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th centuries A.D.) saw a flowering of Indian science, art, and culture. Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkic in the 12th were followed by those of European traders, beginning in the late 15th century. By the 19th century, Britain had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands. Indian armed forces in the British army played a vital role in both World Wars. Nonviolent resistance to British colonialism led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU brought independence in 1947. The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. India's nuclear weapons testing in 1998 caused Pakistan to conduct its own tests that same year. The dispute between the countries over the state of Kashmir is ongoing, but discussions and confidence-building measures have led to decreased tensions since 2002. Despite impressive gains in economic investment and output, India faces pressing problems such as significant overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious strife.
Birth rate 31.45 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 22.69 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $665 million


expenditures: $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY99/00 est.)
revenues: $145.2 billion


expenditures: $182.4 billion (2007 est.)
Capital Kathmandu name: New Delhi


geographic coordinates: 28 36 N, 77 12 E


time difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 7,000 km
Constitution 9 November 1990 26 January 1950; amended many times
Country name conventional long form: Kingdom of Nepal


conventional short form: Nepal
conventional long form: Republic of India


conventional short form: India


local long form: Republic of India/Bharatiya Ganarajya


local short form: India/Bharat
Death rate 9.47 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 6.58 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $2.7 billion (2001) $165.4 billion (30 June 2007)
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
chief of mission: Ambassador David C. MULFORD


embassy: Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021


mailing address: use embassy street address


telephone: [91] (011) 2419-8000


FAX: [91] (11) 2419-0017


consulate(s) general: Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay)
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
chief of mission: Ambassador Ranendra SEN


chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note - Consular Wing located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 939-7000


FAX: [1] (202) 265-4351


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco
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 since China and India launched a security and foreign policy dialogue in 2005, consolidated discussions related to the dispute over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, Indian claims that China transferred missiles to Pakistan, and other matters continue; various talks and confidence-building measures have cautiously begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, particularly since the October 2005 earthquake in the region; Kashmir nevertheless remains the site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); India and Pakistan have maintained the 2004 cease fire in Kashmir and initiated discussions on defusing the armed stand-off in the Siachen glacier region; Pakistan protests India's fencing the highly militarized Line of Control and construction of the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, which is part of the larger dispute on water sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries; UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India and Pakistan seek technical resolution of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch in the Arabian Sea; Pakistani maps continue to show its Junagadh claim in Indian Gujarat State; discussions with Bangladesh remain stalled to delimit a small section of river boundary, to exchange territory for 51 Bangladeshi exclaves in India and 111 Indian exclaves in Bangladesh, to allocate divided villages, and to stop illegal cross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous border; Bangladesh protests India's attempts to fence off high-traffic sections of the border; dispute with Bangladesh over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; India seeks cooperation from Bhutan and Burma to keep Indian Nagaland and Assam separatists from hiding in remote areas along the borders; Joint Border Committee with Nepal continues to examine contested boundary sections, including the 400 square kilometer dispute over the source of the Kalapani River; India maintains a strict border regime to keep out Maoist insurgents and control illegal cross-border activities from Nepal
Economic aid - recipient $424 million (FY00/01) $1.724 billion (2005)
Economy - overview Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with 40% 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 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. India's diverse economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of services. Services are the major source of economic growth, accounting for more than half of India's output with less than one third of its labor force. About three-fifths of the work force is in agriculture, leading the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to articulate an economic reform program that includes developing basic infrastructure to improve the lives of the rural poor and boost economic performance. The government has reduced controls on foreign trade and investment. Higher limits on foreign direct investment were permitted in a few key sectors, such as telecommunications. However, tariff spikes in sensitive categories, including agriculture, and incremental progress on economic reforms still hinder foreign access to India's vast and growing market. Privatization of government-owned industries remains stalled and continues to generate political debate; populist pressure from within the UPA government and from its Left Front allies continues to restrain needed initiatives. The economy has posted an average growth rate of more than 7% in the decade since 1997, reducing poverty by about 10 percentage points. India achieved 8.5% GDP growth in 2006, and again in 2007, significantly expanding production of manufactures. India is capitalizing on its large numbers of well-educated people skilled in the English language to become a major exporter of software services and software workers. Economic expansion has helped New Delhi continue to make progress in reducing its federal fiscal deficit. However, strong growth combined with easy consumer credit and a real estate boom fueled inflation concerns in 2006 and 2007, leading to a series of central bank interest rate hikes that have slowed credit growth and eased inflation concerns. The huge and growing population is the fundamental social, economic, and environmental problem.
Electricity - consumption 2.005 billion kWh (2002) 488.5 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 142 million kWh (2002) 67 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 237 million kWh (2002) 1.764 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 2.054 billion kWh (2002) 661.6 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m


highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,598 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 deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable throughout the country; huge and growing population is overstraining natural resources
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
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Chhettri 15.5%, Brahman-Hill 12.5%, Magar 7%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang 5.5%, Newar 5.4%, Muslim 4.2%, Kami 3.9%, Yadav 3.9%, other 32.7%, unspecified 2.8% (2001 census) Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000)
Exchange rates Nepalese rupees per US dollar - 73.674 (2004), 76.141 (2003), 77.877 (2002), 74.949 (2001), 71.094 (2000) Indian rupees per US dollar - 41.487 (2007), 45.3 (2006), 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004), 46.583 (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; note - the Prime Minister resigned in Februrary 2005


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; note - the King dissolved the Cabinet in February 2005


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: President Pratibha PATIL (since 25 July 2007); Vice President Hamid ANSARI (since 11 August 2007)


head of government: Prime Minister Manmohan SINGH (since 22 May 2004)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister


elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of the states for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 21 July 2007 (next to be held in July 2012); vice president elected by both houses of Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 12 August 2002 (next to be held August 2007); prime minister chosen by parliamentary members of the majority party following legislative elections; election last held April - May 2004 (next to be held May 2009)


election results: Pratibha PATIL elected president; percent of vote - 65.8%; Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT - 34.2%
Exports NA 350,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain petroleum products, textile goods, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals, leather manufactures
Exports - partners India 47.4%, US 22.7%, Germany 8.4% (2004) US 17%, UAE 8.3%, China 7.7%, UK 4.3% (2006)
Fiscal year 16 July - 15 July 1 April - 31 March
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 three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange) (top), white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small orange disk centered in the white band
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 40%


industry: 20%


services: 40% (2002 est.)
agriculture: 16.6%


industry: 28.4%


services: 55% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2004 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 3% (2004 est.) 8.5% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 28 00 N, 84 00 E 20 00 N, 77 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 dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the world, lies on the border with Nepal
Heliports - 30 (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)
lowest 10%: 3.6%


highest 10%: 31.1% (2004)
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 world's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit international drug markets; transit point for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries; illicit producer of methaqualone; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system; licit ketamine and precursor production
Imports NA 2.098 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer crude oil, machinery, gems, fertilizer, chemicals
Imports - partners India 46.3%, China 10.8%, UAE 9.3%, Saudi Arabia 4.1% (2004) China 8.7%, US 6%, Germany 4.7%, Singapore 4.6% (2006)
Independence 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah) 15 August 1947 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate 8.7% (FY99/00) 10% (2007 est.)
Industries tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette; cement and brick production textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software
Infant mortality rate total: 66.98 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 65.25 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 68.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
total: 34.61 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 39.42 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 29.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.9% (2002 est.) 5.9% (2007 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, WTO (observer) ADB, AfDB, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIMSTEC, BIS, C, CERN (observer), CP, EAS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land 11,350 sq km (1998 est.) 558,080 sq km (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) Supreme Court (one chief justice and 25 associate justices are appointed by the president and remain in office until they reach the age of 65 or are removed for "proved misbehavior")
Labor force 10 million


note: severe lack of skilled labor (1996 est.)
516.4 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 81%, industry 3%, services 16% agriculture: 60%


industry: 12%


services: 28% (2003)
Land boundaries total: 2,926 km


border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
total: 14,103 km


border countries: Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463 km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km
Land use arable land: 21.68%


permanent crops: 0.64%


other: 77.68% (2001)
arable land: 48.83%


permanent crops: 2.8%


other: 48.37% (2005)
Languages Nepali 47.8%, Maithali 12.1%, Bhojpuri 7.4%, Tharu (Dagaura/Rana) 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.6%, Magar 3.3%, Awadhi 2.4%, other 10%, unspecified 2.5% (2001 census)


note: many in government and business also speak English
English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people; there are 21 other official languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanscrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language
Legal system based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus
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
bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States or Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more than 250 members up to 12 of whom are appointed by the president, the remainder are chosen by the elected members of the state and territorial assemblies; members serve six-year terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha (545 seats; 543 elected by popular vote, 2 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)


elections: People's Assembly - last held 20 April through 10 May 2004 (next must be held before May 2009)


election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - INC 147, BJP 129, CPI (M) 43, SP 38, RJD 23, DMK 16, BSP 15, SS 12, BJD 11, CPI 10, NCP 10, JD (U) 8, SAD 8, PMK 6, JMM 5, LJSP 4, MDMK 4, TDP 4, TRS 4, independent 6, other 29, vacant 13; note - seats by party as of December 2006
Life expectancy at birth total population: 59.8 years


male: 60.09 years


female: 59.5 years (2005 est.)
total population: 68.59 years


male: 66.28 years


female: 71.17 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: 61%


male: 73.4%


female: 47.8% (2001 census)
Location Southern Asia, between China and India Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan
Map references Asia Asia
Maritime claims none (landlocked) territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine - total: 477 ships (1000 GRT or over) 8,350,093 GRT/14,339,440 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 101, cargo 220, chemical tanker 18, combination ore/oil 1, container 9, liquefied gas 19, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 10, petroleum tanker 95, roll on/roll off 1


foreign-owned: 5 (China 1, Hong Kong 1, UAE 2, UK 1)


registered in other countries: 54 (Barbados 1, Comoros 2, Cyprus 1, Dominica 2, North Korea 1, Liberia 2, Malta 3, Mauritius 2, Panama 25, Singapore 9, St Kitts and Nevis 1, St Vincent and The Grenadines 5, unknown 2) (2007)
Military branches Royal Nepalese Army (includes Royal Nepalese Army Air Service), Nepalese Police Force Army, Navy (includes naval air arm), Air Force, Coast Guard, various security or paramilitary forces (includes Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, National Security Guards, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Special Frontier Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Railway Protection Force, and Defense Security Corps)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $99.2 million (2004) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.5% (2004) 2.5% (2006)
National holiday Birthday of King GYANENDRA, 7 July (1946) Republic Day, 26 January (1950)
Nationality noun: Nepalese (singular and plural)


adjective: Nepalese
noun: Indian(s)


adjective: Indian
Natural hazards severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes
Natural resources quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) -0.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines - condensate/gas 9 km; gas 7,488 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,861 km; oil 7,883 km; refined products 6,422 km (2007)
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]; Nepali Congress-Democratic [Sher Bahadur DEUBA, president]; Nepali Congress or NC [Girija Prasad KOIRALA, party president; Sushil KOIRALA, general secretary]; Nepal Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party or NSP [Bhadri Prasad MANDAL, acting party president]; Nepal Workers and Peasants Party or NWPP [Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE, party chairman]; Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal [leader NA] Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP [MAYAWATI]; Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Rajnath SINGH]; Biju Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen PATNAIK]; Communist Party of India or CPI [Ardhendu Bhushan BARDHAN]; Communist Party of India-Marxist or CPI-M [Prakash KARAT]; Dravida Munnetra Kazagham or DMK [M. KARUNANIDHI]; Indian National Congress or INC [Sonia GANDHI]; Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) [Sharad YADEV]; Jharkhand Mukti Morcha or JMM [Shibu SOREN]; Lok Jan Shakti Party or LJSP [Ram Vilas PASWAN]; Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or MDMK [VAIKU]; Nationalist Congress Party or NCP [Sharad PAWAR]; Pattali Makkal Katchi or PMK [S. RAMADOSS]; Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD [Laloo Prasad YADAV]; Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam Singh YADAV]; Shiromani Akali Dal or SAD [Prakash Singh BADAL]; Shiv Sena or SS [Bal THACKERAY]; Telangana Rashtra Samithi or TRS [K. Chandrasekhar RAO]; Telugu Desam Party or TDP [Chandrababu NAIDU]; note - India has dozens of national and regional political parties; only parties with four or more seats in the People's Assembly are listed
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 numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations, including Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh; various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy, including the All Parties Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir Valley and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland in the Northeast
Population 27,676,547 (July 2005 est.) 1,129,866,154 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 42% (1995-96) 25% (2007 est.)
Population growth rate 2.2% (2005 est.) 1.606% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (January 2000) AM 153, FM 91, shortwave 68 (1998)
Railways total: 59 km


narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2004)
total: 63,221 km


broad gauge: 46,807 km 1.676-m gauge (17,343 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 13,290 km 1.000-m gauge (165 km electrified); 3,124 km 0.762-m gauge and 0.610-m gauge (2006)
Religions Hindu 80.6%, Buddhist 10.7%, Muslim 4.2%, Kirant 3.6%, other 0.9% (2001 census)


note: only official Hindu state in the world
Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)
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 (2005 est.)
at birth: 1.12 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.098 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.061 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.908 male(s)/female


total population: 1.064 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 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: recent deregulation and liberalization of telecommunications laws and policies have prompted rapid growth; local and long distance service provided throughout all regions of the country, with services primarily concentrated in the urban areas; steady improvement is taking place with the recent admission of private and private-public investors, but combined fixed and mobile telephone density remains low at about 20 for each 100 persons nationwide and much lower for persons in rural areas; fastest growth is in cellular service with modest growth in fixed lines


domestic: mobile cellular service (both CDMA and GSM) introduced in 1994 and organized nationwide into four metropolitan areas and 19 telecom circles each with about three private service providers and one state-owned service provider; in recent years significant trunk capacity added in the form of fiber-optic cable and one of the world's largest domestic satellite systems, the Indian National Satellite system (INSAT), with 6 satellites supporting 33,000 very small aperture terminals (VSAT)


international: country code - 91; a number of major international submarine cable systems, including Sea-Me-We-3 with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay), Sea-Me-We-4 with a landing site at Chennai, Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) with a landing site at Mumbai (Bombay), South Africa - Far East (SAFE) with a landing site at Cochin, the i2i cable network linking to Singapore with landing sites at Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai (Madras), and Tata Indicom linking Singapore and Chennai (Madras), provide a significant increase in the bandwidth available for both voice and data traffic; satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); 9 gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, and Ernakulam
Telephones - main lines in use 371,800 (2003) 49.75 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 50,400 (2003) 166.1 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 1 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998) 562 (1997)
Terrain Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
Total fertility rate 4.19 children born/woman (2005 est.) 2.81 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 47% (2001 est.) 7.2% (2007 est.)
Waterways - 14,500 km


note: 5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for mechanized vessels (2006)
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