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| About Nepal |
In 1951, the Nepalese monarch ended the century-old system of rule by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system of government. Reforms in 1990 established a multiparty democracy within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. An insurgency led by Maoist extremists broke out in 1996. The ensuing nine-year civil war between insurgents and government forces witnessed the dissolution of the cabinet and parliament and assumption of absolute power by the king. Several weeks of mass protests in April 2006 were followed by several months of peace negotiations between the Maoists and government officials, and culminated in a November 2006 peace accord and the promulgation of an interim constitution. The newly formed interim parliament declared Nepal a democratic federal republic at its first meeting in May 2008, the king vacated the throne in mid-June 2008, and parliament elected the country's first president the following month.
Geography of Nepal
Location: |
Southern Asia, between China and India |
Coordinates: |
28 00 N, 84 00 E |
Area: |
total: 140,800 sq km
water: 4,000 sq km
land: 136,800 sq km |
Area comparative: |
slightly larger than Arkansas |
Land boundaries: |
total: 2,926 km
border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km |
Coastline: |
0 km (landlocked) |
Climate: |
varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south |
Terrain: |
Terai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north |
Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m
highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m (1999) |
Natural resources: |
quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore |
Natural hazards: |
severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons |
Environment current issues: |
deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives); contaminated water (with human and animal wastes, agricultural runoff, and industrial effluents); wildlife conservation; vehicular emissions |
Geography - note: |
landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest - the world's tallest - on the border with China |
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SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress |
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