Country name
conventional long form: Kingdom of Nepal
conventional short form: Nepal

Data code NP

Government type parliamentary democracy as of 12 May 1991

National 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 acceptedcompulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
chief of state: King BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev (succeeded to the throne 31 January1972 following the death of his father King MAHENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev,crowned king 24 February 1975); Heir Apparent Crown Prince DIPENDRA Bir Bikram
head of government: Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur CHAND (since 12 March 1997); note -in 1995, the king appointed Sher Bahadur DEUBA to be prime minister; DEUBA'sparliamentary coalition fell apart when two Nepali Congress Party (NCP) membersdid not show up at a parliamentary confidence vote; a coalition of the CommunistParty of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist (CPN/UML) and the National DemocraticParty (NDP) of Prime Minister CHAND was subsequently approved by the king
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the king on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections: none; the king is a constitutional monarch; following legislative elections,the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usuallyappointed prime minister by the king

Legislative branch bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council (60 seats; 35appointed by the House of Representatives, 10 by the king, and 15 electedby an electoral college; one-third of the members elected every two yearsto serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives (205 seats; memberselected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 15 November 1994 (next to be heldby 15 November 1999)
election results : House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NCP 33%, CPN/UML31%, NDP 18%, Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party 3%, NWPP 1%; seats by party - CPN/UML88, NCP 83, NDP 20, NWPP 4, Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party 3, independents 7;note - subsequent to the election, there was a change in the distribution of seats; the new distribution is as follows - CPN/UML 90, NCP 87, NDP 19,NWPP 3, Sadbhavana Party 3, independents 3

Judicial branch Supreme Court (Sarbochha Adalat), chief justice is appointed by theking on recommendation of the Constitutional Council, the other judges areappointed by the king on the recommendation of the Judicial Council

Political parties and leaders Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist (CPN/UML), Man MohanADHIKARI, party president; Nepali Congress Party (NCP), Krishna Prasad BHATTARAI,Girija Prasad KOIRALA, party president; National Democratic Party (NDP; alsocalled Rastriya Prajantra Party or RPP), Surya Bahadur THAPA; Sadbhavana (Goodwill)Party, Gajendra Narayan SINGH, president; Nepal Workers and Peasants Party(NWPP), Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE, party chair

Political pressure groups and leaders numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; severalsmall, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups

International organization participation AsDB, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFCTU,IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM,SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNTAES,UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Bekh Bahadur THAPA
chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550
consulate(s) general : New York
FAX: [1] (202) 667-5534

Diplomatic representation from the US
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 description red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping righttriangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a white stylized moon and thelarger, lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun

NOTE: The information regarding Nepal on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Nepal Government 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Nepal Government 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.