n.
officially Kingdom of Nepal
Country, southern Asia.
Area: 56,827 sq mi (147,181 sq km). Population (2002 est.): 23,692,000. Capital: Kathmandu . Most of the people are Nepalese of Indo-Aryan ancestry; there is a significant minority of Tibeto-Nepalese peoples. Languages: Nepali (official), Newari. Religion: Hinduism (official), Buddhism (small minority). Currency: Nepalese rupee. Nepal contains some of the most rugged mountainous terrain in the world. The Great Himalayas , including Mount Everest , are in its central and northern parts. As a result of its years of geographic and self-imposed isolation, it is one of the least-developed countries of the world. Its market economy is mostly based on agriculture; it is a major producer of medicinal herbs, which grow on the slopes of the Himalayas. Nepal is a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral parliament; its chief of state is the king, and the head of government is the prime minister. The region developed under early Buddhist influence, and dynastic rule dates from about the 4th century AD. It was formed into a single kingdom in 1769 and fought border wars with China, Tibet, and British India in the 18th19th centuries. Its independence was recognized by Britain in 1923. A new constitution in 1990 restricted royal authority, stated basic human and civil rights, and accepted a democratically elected parliamentary government. Nepal signed trade agreements with India in 1997. The country was stunned in 2001 when the crown prince killed most members of the royal family, including himself.