Nepal

Nepal

AREA	147,181 sq km (56,827 sq miles).
POPULATION	21,127,000 (1996).
POPULATION DENSITY	143.5 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Kathmandu.
CAPITAL POPULATION	535,000 (1993).
GEOGRAPHY	Nepal is a landlocked kingdom sharing borders with Tibet to the north and northwest, and India to the west, south and east. The country can be divided into five zones: the Terai, the Siwaliks, the Mahabharat Lekh, the Midlands or Pahar and the Himalayas. The greater part of the country lies on the southern slope of the Himalayas, extending down from the highest peaks through hill country to the upper edge of the Ganges Plain. The hilly central area is crossed by the Lower Himalayas where there are eight of the highest peaks in the world, leading up to Mount Everest. Wildlife in Nepal includes tigers, leopards, gaur, elephants, buffalo and deer.
GOVERNMENT	Constitutional monarchy. Head of State: King Birendra Bir Bikram Sháh Dev since 1972. Head of Government: Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattari since 1999.
LANGUAGE	The official language is Nepali. There are many other languages, including Maithir and Bhojpuri. English is spoken in business circles and people involved in the travel trade.
RELIGION	Mainly Hindu and Buddhist with a small Muslim minority.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 5.45.
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz. There are frequent power cuts.

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