Turks and Caicos Islands (2008) | Nepal (2008) | |
Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 31.3% (male 3,466/female 3,345)
15-64 years: 64.8% (male 7,398/female 6,690) 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 394/female 453) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 38.3% (male 5,721,720/female 5,360,391)
15-64 years: 57.9% (male 8,597,037/female 8,134,115) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 528,113/female 560,414) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish | rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, jute, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat |
Airports | 8 (2007) | 47 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
total: 10
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
total: 37
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 30 (2007) |
Area | total: 430 sq km
land: 430 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 147,181 sq km
land: 143,181 sq km water: 4,000 sq km |
Area - comparative | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly larger than Arkansas |
Background | The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands remain a British overseas territory. | 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, gained traction and threatened 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. Citing dissatisfaction with the government's lack of progress in addressing the Maoist insurgency and corruption, the king in February 2005 dissolved the government, declared a state of emergency, imprisoned party leaders, and assumed power. The king's government subsequently released party leaders and officially ended the state of emergency in May 2005, but the monarch retained absolute power until April 2006. After nearly three weeks of mass protests organized by the seven-party opposition and the Maoists, the king allowed parliament to reconvene in April 2006. Following a November 2006 peace accord between the government and the Maoists, an interim constitution was promulgated and the Maoists were allowed to enter parliament in January 2007. The peace accord calls for the creation of a Constituent Assembly to draft a new constitution. The Constituent Assembly elections, already twice delayed, are set for April 2008. |
Birth rate | 21.48 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 30.46 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $47 million
expenditures: $33.6 million (1997-98 est.) |
revenues: $1.153 billion
expenditures: $1.927 billion (FY06/07) |
Capital | name: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
geographic coordinates: 21 28 N, 71 08 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October |
name: Kathmandu
geographic coordinates: 27 43 N, 85 19 E time difference: UTC+5.75 (10.75 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry | varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south |
Coastline | 389 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2006 (effective 9 August 2006) | 9 November 1990; note - a new interim constitution was promulgated in January 2007; the November 2006 peace agreement calls for the election of a constituent assembly to draft a new permanent constitution |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands abbreviation: TCI |
conventional long and short form: Nepal
local long and short form: Nepal |
Death rate | 4.23 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 9.14 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $3.07 billion (March 2006) |
Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission: Ambassador Nancy J. POWELL
embassy: Maharajgunj, Kathmandu mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [977] (1) 400-7200 FAX: [977] (1) 400-7272 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission: Ambassador Suresh Chandra CHALISE
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 | have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder | joint border commission continues to work on contested sections of boundary with India, including the 400 square kilometer dispute over the source of the Kalapani River; India has instituted a stricter border regime to restrict transit of Maoist insurgents and illegal cross-border activities; approximately 106,000 Bhutanese Lhotshampas (Hindus) have been confined in refugee camps in southeastern Nepal since 1990 |
Economic aid - recipient | $4.1 million (1997) | $427.9 million (2005) |
Economy - overview | The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, offshore financial services, and fishing. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than three-quarters of the 175,000 visitors that arrived in 2004. Major sources of government revenue also include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts. | Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with almost one-third of its population living below the poverty line. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for three-fourths of the population and accounting for 38% of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Security concerns relating to 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. |
Electricity - consumption | 10.76 million kWh (2005) | 1.96 billion kWh (2006) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 101 million kWh (2006) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 266 million kWh (2006) |
Electricity - production | 11.57 million kWh (2005) | 2.511 billion kWh (2006) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Hills 49 m |
lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m
highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m |
Environment - current issues | limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater | deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives); contaminated water (with human and animal wastes, agricultural runoff, and industrial effluents); wildlife conservation; vehicular emissions |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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 | black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10% | 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) |
Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | Nepalese rupees per US dollar - NA (2007), 72.446 (2006), 72.16 (2005), 73.674 (2004), 76.141 (2003) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Richard TAUWHARE (since 11 July 2005)
head of government: Premier Michael Eugene MISICK (since 15 August 2003); note - the office of premier was created in the 2006 constitution cabinet: Cabinet consists of the governor, the premier, six ministers appointed by the governor from among the members of the House of Assembly, and the attorney general elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed premier by the governor |
chief of state: Girija Prasad KOIRALA (since 30 April 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Girija Prasad KOIRALA (since 30 April 2006) cabinet: Cabinet historically appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; note - the prime minister selected the Cabinet in May 2006 in consultation with the political parties elections: following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition historically has been appointed prime minister by the monarch |
Exports | 0 bbl/day (2004) | 0 bbl/day (2004) |
Exports - commodities | lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells | carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain |
Exports - partners | US, UK (2006) | India 67.9%, US 11.7%, Germany 4.7% (2006) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 16 July - 15 July |
Flag description | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus | 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 - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 38%
industry: 20% services: 42% (FY05/06 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.9% (2000 est.) | 2.5% (2007 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 21 45 N, 71 35 W | 28 00 N, 84 00 E |
Geography - note | about 40 islands (eight inhabited) | landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga - the world's tallest and third tallest - on the borders with China and India respectively |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 40.6% (2004) |
Illicit drugs | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe | illicit producer of cannabis and hashish for the domestic and international drug markets; transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West |
Imports | 83.55 bbl/day (2004) | 11,530 bbl/day (2006 est.) |
Imports - commodities | food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials | gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer |
Imports - partners | US, UK (2006) | India 61.8%, China 3.8%, Indonesia 3.3% (2006) |
Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan SHAH) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 2.2% (FY05/06) |
Industries | tourism, offshore financial services | tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarettes, cement and brick production |
Infant mortality rate | total: 14.7 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 17 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
total: 63.66 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 61.87 deaths/1,000 live births female: 65.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4% (1995) | 8.6% (November 2006 est.) |
International organization participation | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU | ADB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Irrigated land | NA | 11,700 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal | Supreme Court or Sarbochha Adalat (chief justice is appointed by the monarch on recommendation of the Constitutional Council; the other judges are appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the Judicial Council) |
Labor force | 4,848 (1990 est.) | 11.11 million
note: severe lack of skilled labor (2006 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | note: about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services | agriculture: 76%
industry: 6% services: 18% (2004 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 2,926 km
border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km |
Land use | arable land: 2.33%
permanent crops: 0% other: 97.67% (2005) |
arable land: 16.07%
permanent crops: 0.85% other: 83.08% (2005) |
Languages | English (official) | 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 (2001 est.) |
Legal system | based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas | based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats of which 15 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 9 February 2007 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - PNP 60%, PDM 40%; seats by party - PNP 13, PDM 2 |
a 330 seat Interim Parliament was formed on 15 January 2007 following the promulgation of an interim constitution
elections: Constituent Assembly elections orginally scheduled for June 2007 are expected to be held on 10 April 2008 election results: Interim Parliament seats by party - NC 85, CPN/M 83, CPN/UML 83, NC/D 48, RPP 9, NSP/AD 5, NWPP 4, People's Front Nepal (Amik Sherchan Group) 4, People's Front Nepal (Chitra Bahadur K.C. Group) 3, UFL 3, People's Front Nepal (Chitra Bahadur Ale Group) 2, NSP 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 74.95 years
male: 72.69 years female: 77.32 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 60.56 years
male: 60.78 years female: 60.33 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98% male: 99% female: 98% (1970 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 48.6% male: 62.7% female: 34.9% (2001 census) |
Location | Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti | Southern Asia, between China and India |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2007) | - |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | - |
Military branches | - | Nepalese Army, Armed Police Force (2008) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1.6% (2006) |
National holiday | Constitution Day, 30 August (1976) | in 2006, Parliament abolished the birthday of King GYANENDRA (7 July) and Constitution Day (9 November) as national holidays |
Nationality | noun: none
adjective: none |
noun: Nepalese (singular and plural)
adjective: Nepalese |
Natural hazards | frequent hurricanes | severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons |
Natural resources | spiny lobster, conch | quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore |
Net migration rate | 9.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
People - note | destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, The Bahamas, and the US | - |
Political parties and leaders | People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Floyd SEYMOUR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK] | Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist or CPN/UML [Madhav Kumar NEPAL]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Pashupati Shumsher RANA] (also called Rastriya Prajantra Party or RPP); Nepal Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party or NSP - Mandal [Bhadri Prasad MANDAL]; Nepal Sadbhavana Party - Ananda Devi [Ananda DEVI]; Nepal Workers and Peasants Party or NWPP [Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE]; People's Front Nepal (Amik Sherchan Group); People's Front Nepal (Chitra Bahadur Ale Group); People's Front Nepal (Chitra Bahadur K.C. Group); Rastriya Janashakti Party or RJP [Surya Bahadur THAPA] (split from RPP in March 2005); Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal (merged with People's Front Nepal or PFN in 2002); United Leftist Front or UFL [C.P. MAINALI] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Maoist guerrilla-based insurgency [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL, also known as PRACHANDA, chairman; Dr. Baburam BHATTARAI]; numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups |
Population | 21,746 (July 2007 est.) | 28,901,790 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 30.9% (2004) |
Population growth rate | 2.722% (2007 est.) | 2.132% (2007 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2003) | AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2000) |
Railways | - | total: 59 km
narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2006) |
Religions | Baptist 40%, Anglican 18%, Methodist 16%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990) | 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 |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.036 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.106 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.073 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.067 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.057 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.942 male(s)/female total population: 1.056 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: fully digital system with international direct dialing
domestic: full range of services available; GSM wireless service available international: country code - 1-649; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic telecommunications submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
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) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 5,700 (2002) | 595,800 (2006) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,700 (1999) | 1.042 million (2006) |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (broadcasts received from The Bahamas; 2 cable television networks) (2003) | 1 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998) |
Terrain | low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps | Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north |
Total fertility rate | 3.02 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 4.01 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 10% (1997 est.) | 42% (2004 est.) |