Official Name: Kingdom of Nepal (Nepal Adhirajya) Abbreviation: NP Capital: Kathmandu Head of State: King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (from 1972) Head of Government: Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand (as of June 1997) Nature of Government: Constitutional monarchy Population: 20,535,466(July 1993 est.) Area: 147,181 sq. km. (54,633 sq. mi.) Time Zone: 5 hours 45 minutes ahead of GMT Language: Nepali (official) Religion: Hinduism and Buddhism Unit of Currency: Rupee
National 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
National Emblems:
The main elements of the national emblem are the national
flower (the rhododendron); a white cow; a green pheasant; two Gurkha
soldiers, one carrying a khukri and a bow and an arrow and the other a
modern rifle; peaks of the Himalaya Mountains; the moon and the sun,
both with faces showing Hindu caste marks, two crossed Nepali
flags and khukris; the footprints of Gorakhnath, the guardian
deity of the Gurkhas; and the royal headdress. At the base of
the design a red scroll carries the national motto in
Sanskrit: "The Motherland Is Worth More than the Kingdom of Heaven."
National Anthem:
"May Glory Crown Our Illustrious Sovereign"
National Holidays:
National Day (Birthday of King): c. December 28
Prithvi Jayanti: c. January 11
Independence Day: c. February 18
Plus other Hindu and Buddhist festivals
National Calendar:
The Nepali year begins in mid-April and is divided into 12
months: Baisakh, Jestha, Asadh, Shrawan, Bhadra, Aswin,
Kartik, Marga, Poush, Phalgun, Chaitra. Saturday is the
official weekly holiday.
Physical Quality of Life Index:
36
Date of Unification:
1768 (by Prithvi Narayan Shah)
Date of Constitution:
November 9, 1990
Weights and Measures:
Traditional measures are commonly used. The most important of
these are ropani = 0.3 ha.(0.8 ac.); bigha = 0.67 ha.,(1.67
ac.); murhi = 72 kg.(160 lb.).
Per capita income:
$170 (FY92)
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bashudev Dhungana
chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: (202) 667-4550
consulate general: New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sandra Vogelgesang
embassy: Pani Pokhari, Kathmandu
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [977] (1) 411179 or 412718, 411604, 411613, 413890
FAX: [977] (1) 419963 FAX: [977] (1) 419963
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Sources: Handbook of the Third World, CIA World Factbook (1993) with
corrections.
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