)

Electricity--imports: 70 million kWh (1996)

Agriculture--products: rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops;
milk, water buffalo meat

Exports: $394 million (f.o.b., 1997), but does not include
unrecorded border trade with India

Exports--commodities: carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute
goods, grain

Exports--partners: India, US, Germany, UK

Imports: $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1997)

Imports--commodities: petroleum products 20%, fertilizer 11%,
machinery 10%

Imports--partners: India, Singapore, Japan, Germany

Debt--external: $2.4 billion (1997)

Economic aid--recipient: $411 million (FY97/98)

Currency: 1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa

Exchange rates: Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1--67.675 (January
1999), 65.976 (1998), 58.010 (1997), 56.692 (1996), 51.890 (1995),
49.398 (1994)

Fiscal year: 16 July--15 July

Communications

Telephones: 115,911 (1996 est.)

Telephone system: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair
radiotelephone communication service
domestic: NA
international: radiotelephone communications; satellite earth
station--1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 88, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios: 690,000 (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 6 (1998 est.)

Televisions: 45,000 (1992 est.)

Transportation

Railways:
total: 101 km; note--all in Kosi close to Indian border
narrow gauge: 101 km 0.762-m gauge

Highways:
total: 7,700 km
paved: 3,196 km
unpaved: 4,504 km (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors: none

Airports: 45 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 40
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 29 (1998 est.)

Military

Military branches: Royal Nepalese Army, Royal Nepalese Army Air
Service, Nepalese Police Force

Military manpower--military age: 17 years of age

Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 5,924,732 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 3,079,569 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 281,658 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: $44 million (FY96/97)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 0.9% (FY96/97)

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: with Bhutan over 91,000 Bhutanese
refugees in Nepal