About Nepal

Geographical Location
Situated at 26022'N to 30027'N and 80004'E to 88012'E, Nepal lies between China and India. It is surrounded by India on three sides and by China on the north.
Land Area : 147,181 sq km (56,827 sq miles)
Population (2006 est.):
28,287,147 (growth rate: 2.2%); birth rate: 31.0/1000; infant mortality rate: 65.3/1000; life expectancy: 60.2; density per sq mi: 536
Languages:
Monetary unit: Nepalese rupee
Nepali 48% (official), Maithali 12%, Bhojpuri 7%, Tharu 6%, Tamang 5%, others. English spoken by many in government and business (2001)
Ethnicity/race:
Brahmin 12.5%, Chetri 15.5%, Magar 7%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang 5.5%, Newar 5.4%, Muslim 4.2%, Kami 3.9%, Yadav 3.9%, other 32.7%, unspecified 2.8% (2001)
Religions:
Hindu 81%, Buddhist 11%, Islam 4%, Kirant 4% (2001)
Literacy rate:
48.6% (15 years and above, 2004 est.)
Political System:
Multiparty democracy
GDP/PPP (2005 est.):
$42.26 billion; per capita $1,500
Real growth rate: 2.5%
Inflation: 7.8% (Oct. 2005 est.).
Unemployment: 42% (2004 est.).
Arable land: 16%.
Agriculture: rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk.
Labor force:
10.4 million; note: severe lack of skilled labor (2004 est.); agriculture 76%, industry 6%, services 18%.
Industries:
tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarettes, cement and brick production.
Natural resources:
quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore.
Exports:
$822 million f.o.b. (2005 est.), but does not include unrecorded border trade with India: carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain.
Imports:
$2 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer.
Major trading partners: India, U.S., Germany, China, UAE, Saudi Arabia
Internet domain: .np
International dialling code: +977