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Nepal is known for its exquisite natural beauty, with the iconic Himalaya mountains running across the north and west of the country. Eight of the ten highest mountains in the world, including Mount Everest, are within its borders.
Although Nepal is a relatively small country in comparison with its neighbours, it has an astonishingly diverse landscape, from the rugged Himalayas in the north to the humid Terai plains in the south. The capital city is Kathmandu. Previously ruled as a kingdom, today Nepal is a Federal Democratic Republic.
An estimated 29.5 million (July 2008). Annual growth rate of 2.5%.
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Below 14 yrs old - 38.7% |
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15-64 years - 57.6% |
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65+ - 3.7% |
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Primary – 30,924 |
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Lower secondary – 10,636 |
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Secondary – 6,516 |
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Vocational Institutions- 17 CTEVT run technical schools + over 160 private institutions |
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Universities - 6 |
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Agriculture: 76% |
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Industry: 6% |
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Services: 18% |
GDP per head: US$470 (Economic Survey 2008). Three out of 10 people live on less than $1 a day.
Major industries: tourism, carpet, textiles, rice, jute, sugar and oilseed mills, cigarettes, cement and brick production.
Major trading partners: India 63%, US, China and Germany.
The economy is still largely based on agriculture, which employs some 70% of the workforce. The main foreign currency earners are remittances, around US$2 billion annually, from migrant workers, carpet exports (mostly to Germany), garment exports (to the USA) and tourism.
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