During the late 18th-early 19th centuries, the principality of Gorkha united many of the other principalities and states of the sub-Himalayan region into a Nepalese Kingdom. Nepal retained its independence following the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814-16 and the subsequent peace treaty laid the foundations for two centuries of amicable relations between Britain and Nepal. (The Brigade of Gurkas continues to serve in the British Army to the present day.) In 1951, the Nepali monarch ended the century-old system of rule by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system that brought political parties into the government. That arrangement lasted until 1960, when political parties were again banned, but was reinstated in 1990 with the establishment of a multiparty democracy within the framework of a constitutional monarchy.

An insurgency led by Maoists broke out in 1996. The ensuing 10-year civil war between Maoist and government forces witnessed the dissolution of the cabinet and parliament and the re-assumption of absolute power by the king in 2002. A peace accord in 2006 led to the promulgation of an interim constitution in 2007. Following a nationwide Constituent Assembly (CA) election in 2008, the newly formed CA declared Nepal a federal democratic republic, abolished the monarchy, and elected the country's first president. After the CA failed to draft a constitution by a May 2012 deadline set by the Supreme Court, then-Prime Minister Baburam BHATTARAI dissolved the CA. Months of negotiations ensued until March 2013 when the major political parties agreed to create an interim government headed by then-Chief Justice Khil Raj REGMI with a mandate to hold elections for a new CA. Elections were held in November 2013, in which the Nepali Congress won the largest share of seats in the CA and in February 2014 formed a coalition government with the second place Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist and with Nepali Congress President Sushil KOIRALA as prime minister. Nepal's new constitution came into effect in September 2015.

Southern Asia, between China and India

28 00 N, 84 00 E

Asia

slightly larger than Arkansas

0 km (landlocked)

none (landlocked)

varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south

Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south; central hill region with rugged Himalayas in north

highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m (highest peak in Asia and highest point on earth above sea level)

quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore

arable land 15.1%; permanent crops 1.2%; permanent pasture 12.5%

13,320 sq km (2012)

severe thunderstorms; flooding; landslides; drought and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons

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

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 mountains - on the borders with China and India respectively

29,033,914 (July 2016 est.)

Chhettri 16.6%, Brahman-Hill 12.2%, Magar 7.1%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang 5.8%, Newar 5%, Kami 4.8%, Muslim 4.4%, Yadav 4%, Rai 2.3%, Gurung 2%, Damai/Dholii 1.8%, Thakuri 1.6%, Limbu 1.5%, Sarki 1.4%, Teli 1.4%, Chamar/Harijan/Ram 1.3%, Koiri/Kushwaha 1.2%, other 19%

Nepali (official) 44.6%, Maithali 11.7%, Bhojpuri 6%, Tharu 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.2%, Magar 3%, Bajjika 3%, Urdu 2.6%, Avadhi 1.9%, Limbu 1.3%, Gurung 1.2%, other 10.4%, unspecified 0.2%

Hindu 81.3%, Buddhist 9%, Muslim 4.4%, Kirant 3.1%, Christian 1.4%, other 0.5%, unspecifed 0.2% (2011 est.)

1.24% (2016 est.)

19.9 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)

5.7 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)

-1.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)

KATHMANDU (capital) 1.183 million (2015)

20.1

258 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

2.18 children born/woman (2016 est.)

49.7% (2011)

5.8% of GDP (2014)

5 beds/1,000 population (2006)

urban: 90.9% of population

rural: 91.8% of population

total: 91.6% of population

urban: 9.1% of population

rural: 8.2% of population

total: 8.4% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 56% of population

rural: 43.5% of population

total: 45.8% of population

urban: 44% of population

rural: 56.5% of population

total: 54.2% of population (2015 est.)

0.21% (2015 est.)

39,400 (2015 est.)

2,300 (2015 est.)

2.9% (2014)

30.1% (2014)

3.7% of GDP (2015)

federal parliamentary republic

14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti

1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan SHAH)

Republic Day, 28 May (2008), the abdication of Gyanendra SHAH, last Nepalese monarch, and the establishment of a federal republic

several previous; latest adopted 20 September 2015; amended January 2016

English common law and Hindu legal concepts

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

18 years of age; universal

Akhanda Nepal Party [Kumar KHADKA]

Communist Party of Nepal-Marxist Leninist or CPN-ML [C.P. MAINALI]

Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist or CPN-UML [Jhala Nath KHANAL]

Communist Party of Nepal (United) or CPN (United) [Jaydev JOSHI]

Dalit Janajati Party [Bishwendra PASHWAN]

Federal Socialist Party [Ashok RAI]

Jana Jagaran Party Nepal (Awareness Party Nepal) [Lok Mani DHAKAL]

Khambuwan Rastriya Morcha-Nepal [Ram Kumar RAI]

Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Democratic [Bijay Kumar GACHCHADAR]

Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Nepal [Upendra YADAV]

Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Republican

Madhesh Samata Party Nepal [Meghraj SAHANI]

National Madhes Socialist Party [Sharat Singh BHANDARI]

Nepal Rastriya Party [Keshav Man SHAKYA]

Nepal Pariwar Dal [Ek Nath DHAKAL]

Nepal Workers and Peasants Party [Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE]

Nepali Congress or NC [Sushil KOIRALA]

Nepali Janata Dal [Hari Charan SHAH]

Rastriya Janamorcha Nepal [Chitra Bahadur K.C.]

Rastriya Janamukti Party [Malwar Singh THAPA]

Rastriya Prajatantra Party

Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal [Kamal THAPA]

Sadbhavana Party [Rajendra MAHATO]

Samajbadi Prajatanytrik Janata Party Nepal [Prem Bahadur SINGH]

Sanghiya Sadbhavana Party [Anil Kumar JHA]

Sanghiye Loktantrik Rastriya Manch [Rukmini CHAUDHARY]

Terai Madhesh Democratic Party [Mahantha THAKUR]

Terai-Madhesh Sadbhavana Party-Nepal [Mahendra YADAV]

Tharuhat Terai Party Nepal [Bhanuram CHAUDARY]

Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) or UCPN(M) [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL, also known as Comrade PRACHANDA]

ADB, BIMSTEC, CD, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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 displays a white 12-pointed sun; the color red represents the rhododendron (Nepal's national flower) and is a sign of victory and bravery, the blue border signifies peace and harmony; the two right triangles are a combination of two single pennons (pennants) that originally symbolized the Himalaya Mountains while their charges represented the families of the king (upper) and the prime minister, but today they are understood to denote Hinduism and Buddhism, the country's two main religions; the moon represents the serenity of the Nepalese people and the shade and cool weather in the Himalayas, while the sun depicts the heat and higher temperatures of the lower parts of Nepal; the moon and the sun are also said to express the hope that the nation will endure as long as these heavenly bodies

rhododendron blossom; national color: red

Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world, with about one-quarter of its population living below the poverty line. Nepal is heavily dependent on remittances, which amount to as much as 29% of GDP. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for almost 70% of the population and accounting for about one-third of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural products, including pulses, jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain.

Nepal has considerable scope for exploiting its potential in hydropower, with an estimated 42,000 MW of commercially feasible capacity. Nepal and India signed trade and investment agreements in 2014 that increase Nepal’s hydropower potential, but political uncertainty and a difficult business climate have hampered foreign investment.

Nepal was hit by massive earthquakes in early 2015, which damaged or destroyed infrastructure and homes and set back economic development. Political gridlock in the past several years and recent public protests, predominantly in the southern Tarai region, have hindered post-earthquake recovery and prevented much-needed economic reform. Additional challenges to Nepal's growth include its landlocked geographic location, persistent power shortages, and underdeveloped transportation infrastructure.

$71.52 billion (2016 est.)

$71.12 billion (2015 est.)

$69.24 billion (2014 est.)

$21.15 billion (2015 est.)

0.6% (2016 est.)

2.7% (2015 est.)

6% (2014 est.)

$2,500 (2016 est.)

$2,500 (2015 est.)

$2,500 (2014 est.)

37.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

43.8% of GDP (2015 est.)

45.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

pulses, rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, jute, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat

tourism, carpets, textiles; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarettes, cement and brick production

-6.3% (2016 est.)

15.2 million

46% (2008 est.)

42% (2004 est.)

25.2% (2011 est.)

32.8 (2010)

47.2 (2008 est.)

22.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

-2.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

30% of GDP (FY 2012/13 est.)

32% of GDP (2013 est.) (FY11/12)

16 July - 15 July

9.1% (2016 est.)

7.9% (2015 est.)

8% (31 July 2015)

8% (31 July 2014)

9.8% (31 December 2016 est.)

9.8% (31 December 2015 est.)

$5.202 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$4.762 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$23.04 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$18.99 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$17.54 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$14.92 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$11.81 billion (31 October 2015 est.)

$9.574 billion (31 October 2014 est.)

$5.235 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$831 million (2016 est.)

$1.067 billion (2015 est.)

$898.4 million (2016 est.)

$813.1 million (2015 est.)

clothing, pulses, carpets, textiles, juice, jute goods

India 61.3%, US 9.4% (2015)

$7.116 billion (2016 est.)

$6.511 billion (2015 est.)

petroleum products, machinery and equipment, gold, electrical goods, medicine

India 61.5%, China 15.4% (2015)

$8.054 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$7.945 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$4.99 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$4.609 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$103 million (31 July 2013 est.)

$NA

Nepalese rupees (NPR) per US dollar -

108.8 (2016 est.)

102.41 (2015 est.)

102.41 (2014 est.)

99.53 (2013 est.)

85.2 (2012 est.)

3.8 billion kWh (2014 est.)

3.9 billion kWh (2014 est.)

3 million kWh (2014 est.)

1.4 billion kWh (2014 est.)

800,000 kW (2014 est.)

7.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

92.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2016 es)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

27,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

25,870 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es)

4.2 million Mt (2013 est.)

state operates 2 TV stations, as well as national and regional radio stations; roughly 30 independent TV channels are registered with only about half in regular operation; nearly 400 FM radio stations are licensed with roughly 300 operational (2007)

.np

9N (2016)

47 (2013)

Nepal Army (2012)

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2014)

NA% (2012)

1.41% of GDP (2011)

joint border commission continues to work on contested sections of boundary with India, including the 400 sq km 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

illicit producer of cannabis and hashish for the domestic and international drug markets; transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West