Basic Facts About Nepal
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 Girija Prasad Koirala (from 1998)
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:
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)
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© Ujwal Rajkarnikar
Source: Nepal Homepage
