note: only official Hindu state in world, although no sharp
distinction between many Hindu and Buddhist groups
Languages: Nepali (official), 20 other languages divided into
numerous dialects
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 27.5%
male: 40.9%
female: 14%
Government
----------
Name of country:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Nepal
conventional short form: Nepal
Data code: NP
Type of government: parliamentary democracy as of 12 May 1991
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 BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev (succeeded to the
throne 31 January 1972 following the death of his father King
MAHENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev, crowned king 24 February 1975) is a
constitutional monarch; Heir Apparent Crown Prince DIPENDRA Bir
Bikram
head of government: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur DEUBA (since 12
September 1995); note - in 1994, the king appointed Man Mohan
ADHIKARI to be prime minister using the standard criterion - he was
the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives
following the last election; however, in September 1995, a
parliamentary coalition of the Nepali Congress Party, the Rastriya
Prajantra Party, the Nepal Sadbhavana Party, and independents voted
against Prime Minister ADHIKARI; Sher Bahadur DEUBA, the leader of
the Nepali Congress Party, then formed the new government and was
appointed the new prime minister by the king
cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the king on recommendation of the
prime minister
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
National Council: consists of 60 members (50 appointed by House of
Representatives and 10 by the king)
House of Representatives: elections last held 15 November 1994 (next
to be held NA); results - NCP 33%, CPN/UML 31%, NDP 18%, Terai
Rights Sadbhavana Party 3%, NWPP 1%; seats - (205 total) CPN/UML 88,
NCP 83, NDP 20, NWPP 4, Terai Rights Sadbhavana Party 3,
independents 7
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Sarbochha Adalat), chief justice
is appointed by the king on recommendation of the Constitutional
Council, the other judges are appointed by the king on the
recommendation of the Judicial Council
Political parties and leaders: Communist Party of Nepal/United
Marxist and Leninist (CPN/UML), Man Mohan ADHIKARI, president;
Nepali Congress Party (NCP), Krishna Prasad BHATTARAI (president),
Girija Prasad KOIRALA, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur DEUBA; National
Democratic Party (NDP), leader NA; Terai Rights Sadbhavana
(Goodwill) Party, Gajendra Narayan SINGH; Nepal Workers and Peasants
Party (NWPP), leader NA; Nepal Sadbhavana Party, leader NA; Rastriya
Prajantra Party, leader NA
Other political or pressure groups: numerous small, left-leaning
student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese
antimonarchist groups
International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CP, ESCAP,
FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, SAARC, UN,
UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIH, UNPROFOR, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Basudev Prasad DHUNGANA
chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550
consulate(s) general: New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sandra L. VOGELGESANG
embassy: Pani Pokhari, Kathmandu
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [977] (1) 411179
FAX: [977] (1) 419963
Flag: 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
-------
Economic overview: Nepal is among the poorest and least developed
countries in the world. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy,
providing a livelihood for over 80% of the population and accounting
for about one-half of GDP. Industrial activity is limited, mainly
involving the processing of agricultural produce (jute, sugarcane,
tobacco, and grain). Production of textiles and carpets has expanded
recently and accounted for 85% of foreign exchange earnings in
FY93/94. Apart from agricultural land and forests, exploitable
natural resources are mica, hydropower, and tourism. Agricultural
production in the late 1980s grew by about 5%, as compared with
annual population growth of 2.6%. More than 40% of the population is
undernourished. Since May 1991, the government has been moving
forward with economic reforms particularly those that encourage
trade and foreign investment, e.g., by eliminating business licenses
and registration requirements in order to simplify investment
procedures. The government has also been cutting public expenditures
by reducing subsidies, privatizing state industries, and laying off
civil servants. (In 1995 little progress was made in these areas
because the communist government had trouble formulating and
implementing policies.) The new coalition government is planning to
pick up the pace of reforms in 1996, focusing primarily on raising
revenues to develop the rural sector by increasing taxation and
privatization. Prospects for foreign trade and investment,
particularly in areas other than power development and tourism, will
continue to remain poor because of the small size of the economy,
its technological backwardness, its remoteness, and its
susceptibility to natural disaster. The international community
provides funding for 62% of Nepal's developmental budget and for 34%
of total budgetary expenditures.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $25.2 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 2.3% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $1,200 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 49.3%
industry: 18.4%
services: 32.3% (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.7% (FY94/95)
Labor force: 8.5 million (1991 est.)
by occupation: agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry 2%
note: severe lack of skilled labor
Unemployment rate: NA%; substantial underemployment (1995)
Budget:
revenues: $645 million
expenditures: $1.05 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY94/95 est.)
Industries: tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and
oilseed mills; cigarette; cement and brick production
Industrial production growth rate: 14.7% (FY94/95 est.)
Electricity:
capacity: 280,000 kW
production: 920 million kWh
consumption per capita: 41 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water
buffalo meat
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and
international drug markets; transit point for heroin from Southeast
Asia to the West
Exports: $430 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.) but does not include
unrecorded border trade with India
commodities: carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain
partners: India, US, Germany, UK
Imports: $1.4 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.)
commodities: petroleum products 20%, fertilizer 11%, machinery 10%
partners: India, Singapore, Japan, Germany
External debt: $2.3 billion (FY94/95 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $310 million (1993)
note: western and Japanese bilateral aid $215 million; multilateral
aid $43 million (1994-95)
Currency: 1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa
Exchange rates: Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1 - 56.636 (January
1996), 51.890 (1995), 49.398 (1994), 48.607 (1993), 42.718 (1992),
37.255 (1991)
Fiscal year: 16 July - 15 July
Transportation
--------------
Railways:
total: 101 km; note - all in Terai close to Indian border
narrow gauge: 101 km 0.762-m gauge
Highways:
total: 9,933 km
paved: 3,421 km
unpaved: 6,512 km (1995 est.)
Ports: none
Airports:
total: 43
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 3
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 27
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 10 (1995 est.)
Communications
--------------
Telephones: 82,774 (1995 est.)
Telephone system: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair
radiotelephone communication service
domestic: NA
international: radiotelephone communications; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 88, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 690,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1988 est.)
Televisions: 45,000 (1992 est.)
Defense
-------
Branches: Royal Nepalese Army, Royal Nepalese Army Air Service,
Nepalese Police Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 5,329,345
males fit for military service: 2,768,887
males reach military age (17) annually: 254,590 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $36 million, 1.2%
of GDP (FY92/93)
======================================================================
@Netherlands
-----------
Map
---
Location: 52 30 N, 5 45 E -- Western Europe, bordering the North
Sea, between Belgium and Germany
Flag
----
Description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and
blue; similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue
and is longer
Geography
---------
Location: Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium
and Germany
Geographic coordinates: 52 30 N, 5 45 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total area: 37,330 sq km
land area: 33,920 sq km
comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries:
total: 1,027 km
border countries: Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km
Coastline: 451 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
Terrain: mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some
hills in southeast
lowest point: Prins Alexanderpolder -7 m
highest point: Vaalserberg 321 m
Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, fertile soil
Land use:
arable land: 26%
permanent crops: 1%
meadows and pastures: 32%
forest and woodland: 9%
other: 32%
Irrigated land: 5,500 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: water pollution in the form of heavy metals, organic
compounds, and nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates; air
pollution from vehicles and refining activities; acid rain
natural hazards: the extensive system of dikes and dams, protects
nearly one-half of the total area from being flooded
international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air
Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine
Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling;
signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity,
Desertification, Law of the Sea, Tropical Timber 94
Geographic note: located at mouths of three major European rivers
(Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde)
People
------
Population: 15,568,034 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 18% (male 1,457,694; female 1,393,402)
15-64 years: 68% (male 5,412,402; female 5,228,579)
65 years and over: 14% (male 836,934; female 1,239,023) (July 1996
est.)
Population growth rate: 0.56% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 12.08 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 8.7 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 4.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.73 years
male: 74.91 years
female: 80.68 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.51 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women)
adjective: Dutch
Ethnic divisions: Dutch 96%, Moroccans, Turks, and other 4% (1988)
Religions: Roman Catholic 34%, Protestant 25%, Muslim 3%, other
2%, unaffiliated 36% (1991)
Languages: Dutch
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.)
total population: 99%
male: NA%
female: NA%
Government
----------
Name of country:
conventional long form: Kingdom of the Netherlands
conventional short form: Netherlands
local long form: Koninkrijk de Nederlanden
local short form: Nederland
Data code: NL
Type of government: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government
Administrative divisions: 12 provinces (provincien, singular -
provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen,
Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland,
Zuid-Holland
Dependent areas: Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
Independence: 1579 (from Spain)
National holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)
Constitution: 17 February 1983
Legal system: civil law system incorporating French penal theory;
judicial review in the Supreme Court of legislation of lower order
rather than Acts of the States General; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April
1980) is a constitutional monarch; Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER
(born 27 April 1967), Prince of Orange, son of Queen BEATRIX
head of government: Prime Minister Willem (Wim) KOK (since 22 August
1994) and Vice Prime Ministers Hans DIJKSTAL (since 22 August 1994)
and Hans VAN MIERLO (since 22 August 1994) were appointed by the
queen
cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the prime minister
Legislative branch: bicameral legislature (Staten Generaal)
First Chamber (Eerste Kamer): members indirectly elected by the
country's 12 provincial councils for four-year terms; election last
held 9 June 1995 (next to be held 9 June 1999); results - percent of
vote by party NA; seats - (75 total) number of seats by party NA
Second Chamber (Tweede Kamer): members directly elected for
four-year terms; elections last held 3 May 1994 (next to be held in
1998); results - PvdA 24.3%, CDA 22.3%, VVD 20.4%, D'66 16.5%, other
16.5%; seats - (150 total) PvdA 37, CDA 34, VVD 31, D'66 24, other 24
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (De Hoge Raad), justices are
nominated for life by the crown from a list compiled by the Second
Chamber of the Staten Generaal
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA),
Hans HELGERS; Labor (PvdA), Felix ROTTENBERG; Liberal (VVD), Frits
BOLKESTEIN; Democrats '66 (D66), Hans VAN MIERLO; a host of minor
parties
Other political or pressure groups: large multinational firms;
Federation of Netherlands Trade Union Movement (comprising Socialist
and Catholic trade unions) and a Protestant trade union; Federation
of Catholic and Protestant Employers Associations; the
nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enterprises; and
Interchurch Peace Council (IKV)
International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer),
AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE,
ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest),
NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNAVEM III,
UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIH, UNPREDEP,
UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Adriaan JACOBOVITS DE SZEGED
chancery: (temporary) 4200 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 244-5300
FAX: [1] (202) 362-3430
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Kirk Terry DORNBUSH
embassy: Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ The Hague
mailing address: PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715
telephone: [31] (70) 310-9209
FAX: [31] (70) 361-4688
consulate(s) general: Amsterdam
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue;
similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is
longer
Economy
-------
Economic overview: This highly developed and affluent economy is
based on private enterprise. The government makes its presence felt,
however, through many regulations, permit requirements, and welfare
programs affecting most aspects of economic activity. The trade and
financial services sector contributes over 50% of GDP. Industrial
activity provides about 25% of GDP and is led by the
food-processing, oil-refining, and metalworking industries. The
highly mechanized agricultural sector employs only 4% of the labor
force, but provides large surpluses for export and the domestic
food-processing industry. Indeed, the Netherlands ranks third
worldwide in value of agricultural exports, behind the US and
France. High unemployment and a sizable budget deficit are currently
the most serious economic problems. Many of the economic issues of
the 1990s will reflect the course of European economic integration.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $301.9 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 2.5% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $19,500 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.4%
industry: 26.9%
services: 69.7% (1994)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.25% (1995)
Labor force: 6.4 million (1993)
by occupation: services 73%, manufacturing and construction 23%,
agriculture 4% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 7.1% (fourth quarter 1995)
Budget:
revenues: $109.9 billion
expenditures: $122.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1992 est.)
Industries: agroindustries, metal and engineering products,
electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, fishing,
construction, microelectronics
Industrial production growth rate: 1% (1995 est.)
Electricity:
capacity: 17,520,000 kW
production: 72.4 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 5,100 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables;
livestock
Illicit drugs: important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish
entering Europe; European producer of illicit amphetamines and other
synthetic drugs
Exports: $146 billion (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: metal products, chemicals, processed food and tobacco,
agricultural products
partners: EU 73% (Germany 28%, Belgium-Luxembourg 13%, UK 9%),
Central and Eastern Europe 2%, US 5% (1994)
Imports: $133 billion (c.i.f., 1995)
commodities: raw materials and semifinished products, consumer
goods, transportation equipment, crude oil, food products
partners: EU 56% (Germany 21%, Belgium-Luxembourg 11%, UK 8.5%), US
8.6% (1994)
External debt: 0
Economic aid:
donor: ODA, $2.525 billion (1993)
Currency: 1 Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (f.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Netherlands guilders, gulden, or florins (f.) per
US$1 - 1.6365 (January 1996), 1.6057 (1995), 1.8200 (1994), 1.8573
(1993), 1.7585 (1992), 1.8697 (1991)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Transportation
--------------
Railways:
total: 2,891 km
standard gauge: 2,891 km 1.435-m gauge; 2857 km are in common
carrier service (1,991 km electrified) and 34 km serve tourists
Highways:
total: 104,831 km
paved: 92,251 km (including 2,118 km of expressways)
unpaved: 12,580 km (1992 est.)
Waterways: 6,340 km, of which 35% is usable by craft of 1,000
metric ton capacity or larger
Pipelines: crude oil 418 km; petroleum products 965 km; natural
gas 10,230 km
Ports: Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Dordrecht, Eemshaven, Groningen,
Haarlem, Ijmuiden, Maastricht, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Utrecht
Merchant marine:
total: 352 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,681,133
GRT/3,379,762 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 206, chemical tanker 21, combination
bulk 3, container 34, liquefied gas tanker 13, livestock carrier 1,
multifunction large-load carrier 2, oil tanker 38, railcar carrier
1, refrigerated cargo 16, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11, short-sea
passenger 3, specialized tanker 2
note: many Dutch-owned ships are operating under the registry of
Netherlands Antilles (1995 est.)
Airports:
total: 28
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 8
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 6
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 3
with paved runways under 914 m: 7
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 3 (1995 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1995 est.)
Communications
--------------
Telephones: 8.272 million (1983 est.)
Telephone system: highly developed and well maintained; extensive
redundant system of multiconductor cables, supplemented by microwave
radio relay
domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; microwave radio relay
international: 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1
Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean Regions)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3 (relays 3), FM 12 (repeaters 39),
shortwave 0
Radios: 13.755 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 8 (repeaters 7)
Televisions: 7.4 million (1992 est.)
Defense
-------
Branches: Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes
Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force,
Royal Constabulary
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 4,191,998
males fit for military service: 3,670,253
males reach military age (20) annually: 94,013 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $8.2 billion,
2.1% of GDP (1995)
======================================================================
@Netherlands Antilles
--------------------
(part of the Dutch realm)
Map
---
Location: 12 15 N, 68 45 W -- Caribbean, two island groups in the
Caribbean Sea - one includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela
and the other is east of the Virgin Islands
Flag
----
Description: white with a horizontal blue stripe in the center
superimposed on a vertical red band also centered; five white
five-pointed stars are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of
the blue band; the five stars represent the five main islands of
Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten
Geography
---------
Location: Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - one
includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela and the other is
east of the Virgin Islands
Geographic coordinates: 12 15 N, 68 45 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total area: 960 sq km
land area: 960 sq km
comparative area: more than five times the size of Washington, DC
note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint
Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 364 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds
Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m
Natural resources: phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)
Land use:
arable land: 8%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 92%
Irrigated land: NA sq km