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Data
code:
NP
Government
type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Kathmandu
Administrative
divisions:
14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki,
Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha,
Seti
Independence:
1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah)
National
holiday:
Birthday of His Majesty the King, 28 December (1945)
Constitution:
9 November 1990
Legal
system:
based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive
branch:
chief of state: King
head of government: Prime Minister
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
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
to be held NA May 2004)
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
Judicial
branch:
Supreme Court (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
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
ECONOMY:Agriculture
is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over 80% of
the population and accounting for 41% of GDP. Industrial activity mainly
involves the processing of agricultural produce including jute, sugarcane,
tobacco, and grain. Production of textiles and carpets has expanded recently
and accounted for about 80% of foreign exchange earnings in the past three
years. Agricultural production is growing by about 5% on average as compared
with annual population growth of 2.3%.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $27.4 billion (1999 est.)
GDP
- real growth rate:
3.4% (1999 est.)
GDP
- per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,100 (1999 est.)
GDP
- composition by sector:
agriculture: 41%
industry: 22%
services: 37% (1998)
Industries:
tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills;
cigarette; cement and brick production
Electricity
- production: 1.17 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity
- production by source:
fossil fuel: 5.13%
hydro: 94.87%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity
- consumption:
1.212 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity
- exports:
72 million kWh (1998)
Electricity
- imports:
196 million kWh (1998)
Agriculture
- products:
rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat
Exports:
$485 million (f.o.b., 1998), but does not include unrecorded border trade
with India
Exports
- commodities:
carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain
Exports
- partners:
India 33%, US 26%, Germany 25% (FY97/98)
Imports:
$1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports
- commodities:
gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer
Imports
- partners:
India 31%, China/Hong Kong 16%, Singapore 14% (FY97/98)
Currency:
1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa
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