There is no seasonal constraint on travelling in and through Nepal. Even in December and January, when the winter is at its severest, there are compensating bright sun and brilliant views.
A landlocked country the size of Arkansas, lying between India and the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China, Nepal contains Mount Everest (29,035 ft; 8,850 m), the tallest mountain in the world. Along its southern border, Nepal has a strip of level land that is partly forested, partly cultivated. North of that is the slope of the main section of the Himalayan range, including Everest and many other peaks higher than 8,000 m.
Climate Of Nepal
Nepal has four climatic seasons
(a) Spring : March-May
(b) Sumer: June-August
(c) Autumn: September-November
(d) Winter: December-February.
There is no seasonal constraint on travelling in and through Nepal. Even in December and January, when the winter is at its severest, there are compensating bright sun and brilliant views.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
According to the constitution, Nepal is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary form of government that is multiethnic, multilingual, Hindu, and retains the king in the role of head of state. The former "partyless" panchayat system of government was abolished in April 1990 (see "Movement to Restore Democracy."). Under the constitution, the democratically elected Parliament consists of the House of Representatives (lower house) and the National Assembly (upper house). International observers considered the 1999 parliamentary elections to be generally free and fair. There have not been any parliamentary elections since 1999. King Gyanendra assumed the throne in June 2001, after the late Crown Prince Dipendra killed King Birendra and nine members of the royal family, including himself.
A Maoist insurgency--punctuated by a cease-fire in 2001, one in 2003, another from September 3, 2005 to January 2, 2006, and the latest one from April 26, 2006--has been ongoing since 1996. A nationwide state of emergency was in effect from November 2001 to August 2002 after Maoist insurgents broke a four-month cease-fire with violent attacks. During that time, King Gyanendra, under the constitution's emergency provisions and on the advice of the Cabinet, suspended several constitutional rights, including freedom of expression, assembly, privacy, and property. In October 2002, the King dismissed Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba after he recommended the dissolution of Parliament but was subsequently unable to hold elections because of the ongoing insurgency. A Cabinet was royally appointed to govern the country until elections could be held at an unspecified future time.
On June 4, 2003 King Gyanendra appointed Surya Bahadur Thapa as Prime Minister after Lokendra Bahadur Chand resigned on May 30, 2003. The government and the Maoists declared another cease-fire on January 29, 2003 and held three rounds of talks on April 27, May 9, and August 17 to 19, 2003. The Maoists unilaterally broke the cease-fire on August 27, 2003 and resumed attacks against government, security, and civilian targets.
Prime Minister Thapa resigned in May 2004, and on June 2, 2004, King Gyanendra reinstated formerly dismissed Sher Bahadur Deuba as Prime Minister. In February 2005, the King dismissed Prime Minister Deuba and dissolved the Cabinet. The Maoists announced a three-month unilateral cease-fire on September 3, 2005, which was extended for another month on December 2, 2005. The Maoists ended this third cease-fire, returning to violence on January 2, 2006. After the King announced the reinstatement of parliament on April 24, the Maoists declared a three-month unilateral ceasefire on April 26, which the new Koirala government reciprocated on May 3.
Under the constitution, Nepal's judiciary is legally separate from the executive and legislative branches, and in practice has increasingly shown the will to be independent of political influence. The judiciary has the right of judicial review under the constitution. The King appoints the Chief Justice and all other judges to the Supreme, Appellate, and District Courts upon the recommendation of the Judicial Council. All lower court decisions, including acquittals, are subject to appeal. The Supreme Court is the court of last appeal. The King may grant pardons and may suspend, commute, or remit any sentence pronounced by any court.
Human Rights
Since political reform began in 1990, some progress has been achieved in the transition to a more open society with greater respect for human rights; however, substantial problems remain. Poorly trained police sometimes use excessive force in quelling violent demonstrations. In addition, there have been reports of torture during detention and widespread reports of custodial abuse. In 2000, the government established the National Human Rights Commission, a government-appointed commission with a mandate to investigate human rights violations. The government is sometimes slow to follow the commission's recommendations or to enforce accountability for recent and past abuses. The King’s February 2005 dismissal of the government, subsequent imposition of emergency rule and suspension of many civil rights for almost three months--including freedom of expression, assembly, and privacy--was a setback for human rights in Nepal. Censors were reportedly deployed to major newspapers, and many political leaders were kept under house arrest.
Both the Maoists and security personnel have committed numerous human rights violations. The Maoists have used tactics such as kidnapping, torture, bombings, intimidation, killings, and conscription of children. Within the Nepalese security force, violations ranging from disappearances to executions have been recorded. After the royal takeover on February 1, 2005 and subsequent imposition of the state of emergency, the security forces arrested many political leaders, student leaders, journalists, and human rights activists under the Public Security Act of 1989, although all were released by June 2005 when the King ended the state of emergency.
There are three major daily English-language newspapers, "The Kathmandu Post," "The Himalayan Times" and "The Rising Nepal," of which the latter and its vernacular sister publication are owned by a government corporation. There are literally hundreds of smaller daily and weekly periodicals that are privately owned and of diverse journalistic quality. Views expressed since the 1990 move to democracy are varied and vigorous. Currently twenty-five radio and three television stations are privately owned and operated, due to liberalization of licensing regulations. Radio Nepal and Nepal Television are government-owned and operated. There are nearly 200 cable television operators nationwide, and satellite dishes to receive television broadcasts abound.
There are some restrictions on freedom of expression. The law strictly forbidding the media to criticize or satirize the King or any member of the royal family is currently being enforced after the King’s February 2005 dissolution of the Cabinet. After the royal takeover on February 1, 2005, the Ministry of Information and Communications issued a notice invoking the National Broadcasting Act of 1992, stating that no media can publish interviews, articles, or news items against the spirit of the royal proclamation of February 1. A second notice invoking the Press and Publications Act of 1991 was issued on February 3 stating that no media can publish news items supporting terrorist and destructive activities.
On October 9, 2005, the government promulgated a new Media Ordinance restricting news reporting by private FM radio stations, prohibiting criticism of the King and royal family, restricting dissemination of news from foreign sources, enabling a government-controlled press council to recommend revoking a journalist's press credential; and placing new restrictions on cross-media ownership. In the months following the issuance of the ordinance, armed authorities raided private FM radio stations and seized station equipment, although the government has since obeyed a Supreme Court order to return the equipment and allow FM stations to broadcast news. The newly reinstated government led by Prime Minister Koirala announced in May 2006 that all media ordinances passed by the former King-led government would be overturned, and the Supreme Court on May 5, 2006, upheld FM stations' right to air news.
Trafficking in women and child labor remain serious problems. Discrimination against women and lower castes is prevalent.
ECONOMY
Nepal ranks among the world's poorest countries with a per capita income of around $300. Based on national calorie/GNP criteria, an estimated 31% of the population is below the poverty line. An isolated, agrarian society until the mid-20th century, Nepal entered the modern era in 1951 without schools, hospitals, roads, telecommunications, electric power, industry, or a civil service. The country has, however, made progress toward sustainable economic growth since the 1950s and is committed to a program of economic liberalization.
Nepal launched its tenth five-year economic development plan in 2002; its currency has been made convertible; and fourteen state enterprises have been privatized, seven liquidated and two dissolved. Foreign aid accounts for more than half of the development budget. The Government of Nepal has shown an increasing commitment to fiscal transparency, good governance, and accountability. Also in 2002, the government began to prioritize development projects and eliminate wasteful spending. In consultation with civil society and donors, the government cut 160 development projects that were driven by political patronage.
Agriculture remains Nepal's principal economic activity, employing over 76% of the population and providing 39% of GDP. Only about 25% of the total area is cultivable; another 33% is forested; most of the rest is mountainous. Rice and wheat are the main food crops. The lowland Terai region produces an agricultural surplus, part of which supplies the food-deficient hill areas. Because of Nepal’s dependence on agriculture, the annual monsoon rain, or lack of it, strongly influences economic growth.
Nepal’s exports increased 9.32% in FY 2004/05 compared to an increase of 7.78% in FY 2003/04. Imports grew by 7.08% in FY 2004/05 compared with 5.94% in FY 2003/04. The increase in exports is marginal due to the fact that there has been a significant drop in Nepal's main export, ready-made textile products. The trade deficit for FY 2003/04 was $1.0 billion, which widened to $1.18 billion in FY 2004/05. Real GDP growth during 1996-2002 averaged less than 5%. Real growth experienced a one-time jump in 1999, rising to 6%, before slipping back below 5%. In 2002, the GDP recorded a negative growth rate of 0.33%, largely because of the Maoist insurgency. GDP grew 3.1% in 2003 and 3.26% in 2004, and again slipped to 2.04% in 2005, according to Nepal Rastra Bank (Nepal's Central Bank).
Despite its growing trade deficit, Nepal traditionally has a balance of payments (BOP) surplus due to money sent home from Nepalis working abroad. In FY 2004/05, however, Nepal recorded a much lower balance of payments surplus of $80 million, as compared to $217.7 in FY 2003/04. The lower BOP surplus in FY 2004/05 is mainly attributable to the lower inflow of net government loans. The decline is primarily in the capital account, due primarily to a slow down in development activities funded by foreign grants and loans. Nepal receives substantial amounts of external assistance from India, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Germany, and the Scandinavian countries. Several multilateral organizations--such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the UN Development Program--also provide assistance. Such assistance has decreased substantially in FY 2004/05 after the royal takeover of February 1, 2005 and also because the ongoing Maoist conflict has seriously undermined development activities throughout most of Nepal. On April 23, 2004 Nepal became the 147th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
With eight of the world's ten highest mountain peaks--including Mt. Everest at 8,848 m (29,000 ft)--Nepal is a tourist destination for hikers and mountain climbers. Yet a worsening internal security situation and a global economic slowdown threaten the tourism industry. Figures from the Nepal Tourism Board showed a 12.8% increase in arrivals in 2004, but these are well below numbers during 1999, the peak tourism year. Recent tourist arrivals, during the Maoist cease-fire, show a recovery from the massive decline experienced during the first five months of 2005; however, 2005 annual arrivals fell 3.9% short of total arrivals in 2004. The fragile security situation, particularly after the Maoists ended their unilateral cease-fire on January 2, 2006, is expected to alter the trend of growth in tourist arrivals witnessed during recent months.
Swift rivers flowing south through the Himalayas have massive hydroelectric potential to service domestic needs and growing demand from India. Only about 1% of Nepal's hydroelectric potential is currently tapped. Several hydroelectric projects, at Kulekhani and Marsyangdi, were completed in the early to late 1980s. In the early 1990s, one large public-sector project, the Kali Gandaki A (144 megawatts--MW), and a number of private projects were planned; some have been completed. Kali Gandaki A started commercial operation in August 2002. The most significant privately financed hydroelectric projects currently in operation are the Khimti Khola (60 MW) and Bhote Koshi (36 MW) projects.
The environmental impact of Nepal's hydroelectric projects has been limited by the fact that most are "run-of-river," with only one storage project undertaken to date. The private-sector West Seti (750 MW) storage project is dedicated to electricity exports. An Australian company, which signed a power purchase agreement with the Indian Power Trading Corporation in September 2002, is promoting the project for implementation along build-own-transfer lines. Negotiations with India for a power purchase agreement have been underway for several years, but agreement on pricing and capital financing remains a problem. The Government of Nepal has taken up the issue of project financing for the West Seti project with the EXIM Bank of China. Currently, domestic demand for electricity is increasing at 8%-10% a year.
Population pressure on natural resources is increasing. Overpopulation is already straining the "carrying capacity" of the middle hill areas, particularly the Kathmandu Valley, resulting in the depletion of forest cover for crops, fuel and fodder, and contributing to erosion and flooding. Additionally, water supplies within the Kathmandu Valley are not considered safe for consumption, and disease outbreaks are not uncommon. Although steep mountain terrain makes exploitation difficult, mineral surveys have found small deposits of limestone, magnesite, zinc, copper, iron, mica, lead, and cobalt.
Progress has been achieved in education, health, and infrastructure. A countrywide primary education system is under development, and Tribhuvan University has several campuses. Although eradication efforts continue, malaria has been controlled in the fertile but previously uninhabitable Terai region in the south. Kathmandu is linked to India and nearby hill regions by an expanding highway network.
