of
the Judicial Council)

Political parties and leaders:
Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist or CPN/UML [Madhav
Kumar NEPAL, general secretary]; National Democratic Party or NDP
(also called Rastriya Prajantra Party or RPP) [Surya Bahadur THAPA,
chairman]; People's Front Nepal (Rastriya Jana Morcha) [Chitra
BAHADUR, chairman]; Nepali Congress-Democratic [Sher Bahadur DEUBA,
president]; Nepali Congress or NC [Girija Prasad KOIRALA, party
president; Sushil KOIRALA, general secretary]; Nepal Sadbhavana
(Goodwill) Party or NSP [Bhadri Prasad MANDAL, acting party
president]; Nepal Workers and Peasants Party or NWPP [Narayan Man
BIJUKCHHE, party chairman]; Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Maoist guerrilla-based insurgency [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL, also known
as PRAHANDA, chairman; Dr. Baburam BHATTARAI, from Communist Party
of Nepal/Maoist, chief negotiator]; numerous small, left-leaning
student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese
antimonarchist groups

International organization participation:
AsDB, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO
(correspondent), ITU, MICAH, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, SAARC,
SACEP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK,
UNMIL, UNMISET, UNOCI, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO,
WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Kedar Bhakta SHRESTHA
chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550
FAX: [1] (202) 667-5534
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James F. MORIARTY
embassy: Panipokhari, Kathmandu
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [977] (1) 411179
FAX: [977] (1) 419963

Flag description:
red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping
right triangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a white stylized
moon and the larger, lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun

Economy Nepal

Economy - overview:
Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the
world with 40% of its population living below the poverty line.
Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood
for over 80% of the population and accounting for 40% of GD