NAVIGATION
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NAVIGATION
Kingdom of Nepal
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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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 insugency, launched in 1996, has gained traction and is threatening to bring down the regime. Ten members of the royal family, including the king and queen, were massacred in a family dispute in 2001. 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. The country is now governed by the king and his appointed cabinet until elections can be held at some unspecified future date. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Southern Asia, between China and India |
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Geographic coordinates:
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28 00 N, 84 00 E |
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Map references:
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Asia |
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Area:
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total: 140,800 sq km
water: 4,000 sq km land: 136,800 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than Arkansas |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,926 km
border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km |
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Coastline:
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0 km (landlocked) |
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Maritime claims:
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none (landlocked) |
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Climate:
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varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south |
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Terrain:
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Terai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m
highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m (1999 est.) |
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Natural resources:
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quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore |
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Land use:
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arable land: 20.27%
permanent crops: 0.49% other: 79.24% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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11,350 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation |
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Geography - note:
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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 |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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25,873,917 (July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 40% (male 5,346,422; female 5,007,416)
15-64 years: 56.4% (male 7,476,202; female 7,125,471) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 453,263; female 465,143) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.29% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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32.94 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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10.03 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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72.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 58.61 years
female: 58.2 years (2002 est.) male: 59.01 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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4.48 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.29% (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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34,000 (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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2,500 (1999 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Nepalese (singular and plural)
adjective: Nepalese |
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Ethnic groups:
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Brahman, Chetri, Newar, Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Sherpa, Tharu, and others (1995) |
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Religions:
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Hinduism 86.2%, Buddhism 7.8%, Islam 3.8%, other 2.2%
note: only official Hindu state in the world (1995) |
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Languages:
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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) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 27.5% male: 40.9% female: 14% (1995 est.) |