| Official Name: | Kingdom of Nepal (Nepal Adhirajya) |
| Abbreviation |
NP |
| Capital |
Kathmandu |
| Head of State |
His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (from June 2001) |
| Head of Government |
Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa (Since June 04,2003 ) |
| Population |
22367048 (1999 estimate) |
| 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 |
 |
| National Emblems |
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 = 0.05 ha.(0.8 ac.); bigha = 0.1 ha.,(1.67 ac.); murhi = 72 kg.(160 lb.). |
| Per capita income |
$170 (FY92) |
| Map |
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