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NAURU (Continued) Member of: no present plans to join UN; enjoys "special membership" in Commonwealth; South Pacific Commission, ESCAP, INTERPOL, ITU, UPU

ECONOMY
GNP: over $155.4 million (1977), $21,400 per capita

Agriculture: negligible; almost completely dependent on imports for food, water

Major industries: mining of phosphates, about 2 million tons per year

Electric power: 10,000 kW capacity (1981); 29 million kWh produced (1981), 4,144 kWh per capita

Exports: $50.4 million (f.o.b., 1977)

Imports: $32 million (c.i.f., 1977); 16% food, fuel

Major trade partners: exports—75% Australia and New Zealand; imports—Australia, UK, New Zealand, Japan

Monetary conversion rate: 1 Australian dollar=US$1.12 (1979)

Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: none

Highways: about 27 km total; 21 km paved, 6 km improved earth

Inland waterways: none

Ports: 1 minor

Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft, one on order

Airfields: 1 with runways over 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: adequate intraisland and international radiocommunications provided via Australian facilities; 1,500 telephones (20.8 per 100 popl.); 3,600 radio receivers, 1 AM, no FM or TV stations; 1 ground satellite station

DEFENSE FORCES
Military manpower: males 15-49, about 1,800; fit for military service, about 1,000; less than 100 reach military age (18) annually, 1978-82,

No formal defense structure and no regular armed forces

 

LAND
141,400 km$2$; 16% agricultural area, 14% permanent meadows and pastures, 38% alpine land (unarable), waste, or urban; 32% forested

Land boundaries: 2,800 km

PEOPLE
Population: 15,715,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.4%

Nationality: noun—Nepalese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Nepalese

Ethnic divisions: two main categories, Indo-Nepalese (about 80%) and Tibeto-Nepalese (about 20%), representing considerable intermixture of Indo-Aryan and Mongolian racial strains; country divided among many quasi-tribal communities

Religion: only official Hindu kingdom in world, although no sharp distinction between many Hindu (about 88%) and Buddhist groups; small groups of Muslims and Christians

Language: 20 mutually unintelligible languages divided into numerous dialects; Nepali official language and lingua franca for much of the country; same script as Hindi Literacy: about 12%

Labor force: 4.1 million; 95% agriculture, 5% industry; great lack of skilled labor

GOVERNMENT
Official name: Kingdom of Nepal

Type: nominally a constitutional monarchy; King Birendra exercises autocratic control over multitiered panchayat system of government

Capital: Kathmandu

Political subdivisions: 75 districts, 14 zones

Legal system: based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; legal education at Nepal Law College in Kathmandu; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: Birthday of the King, 28 December  165