rial activity is
limited, and what there is involves the processing of agricultural
produce (jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain).
Apart from agricultural land and forests, the only other exploitable natural
resources are mica, hydropower, and tourism. Despite considerable investment in
the agricultural sector, production in the 1980s has not kept pace with the
population growth of 2.7%, which has led to a reduction in exportable surpluses
and balance-of-payments difficulties. Economic prospects for the 1990s
remain grim.

GDP: $2.9 billion, per capita $158; real growth rate 1.5% (FY89)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.1% (FY89 est.)

Unemployment rate: 5%; underemployment estimated at 25-40% (1987)

Budget: revenues $296 million; expenditures $635 million, including
capital expenditures of $394 million (FY89 est.)

Exports: $374 million (f.o.b., FY89 est.), but does not include
unrecorded border trade with India; commodities--clothing, carpets,
leather goods, grain; partners--India 38%, US 23%, UK 6%, other
Europe 9% (FY88)

Imports: $724 million (c.i.f., FY89 est.); commodities--petroleum
products 20%, fertilizer 11%, machinery 10%; partners--India 36%,
Japan 13%, Europe 4%, US 1% (FY88)

External debt: $1.3 billion (December 1989 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate - 4.5% (FY89 est.)

Electricity: 205,000 kW capacity; 535 million kWh produced,
30 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette,
textiles, cement, brick; tourism

Agriculture: accounts for 60% of GDP and 90% of work force; farm
products--rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops, milk, buffalo meat; not
self-sufficient in food, particularly in drought years

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and
international drug markets

Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $285 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-87), $1.8 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $30 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $273
million

Currency: Nepalese rupee (plural--rupees);
1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa

Exchange rates: Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1--28.559 (January 1990),
27.189 (1989), 23.289 (1988), 21.819 (1987), 21.230 (1986), 18.246 (1985)

Fiscal year: 16 July-15 July

- Communications
Railroads: 52 km (1985), all 0.762-meter narrow gauge; all in Tarai close
to Indian border; 10 km from Raxaul to Birganj is government o