Everest, Kathmandu

CAPITAL CITY OF Nepal: Kathmandu
LANGUAGE OF Nepal: Nepali
CURRENCY OF Nepal: Nepalese rupee (NPR)
COMMENTS ABOUT Nepal:
Nepal is a landlocked country in Southern Asia, between China and India. Cities : Kathmandu (capital), Bhaktapur, Biratnagar, Birgunj, Dharan, Namche Bazaar, Nepalgunj, Patan
Best Places : Royal Chitwan National Park, Khumbu, Nagarkot, Daman, Dang-Deukhuri, Dhorpatan, Rara Tal
Calling Code : +977
Time Zone : UTC+5:45
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.
CLIMATE OF Nepal: varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south
RELIGION OF Nepal: Hinduism 86.2%, Buddhism 7.8%, Islam 3.8%, other 2.2%
note: only official Hindu state in the world (1995)
POPULATION OF Nepal: 27,070,666 (July 2004 est.)>>
ECONOMY OVERVIEW OF Nepal: 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.