Nepal: Background and U.S. Relations

By Kronstadt, K. Alan

Book Id: WPLBN0000179699
Format Type: PDF eBook
File Size: 0.2 MB
Reproduction Date: 2008

Title:	Nepal: Background and U.S. Relations
Author:	Kronstadt, K. Alan
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Government publications, Legislation., Government Printing Office (U.S.)
Collections:	Government Library Collection
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	Government Printing Office


Citation APA MLA Chicago Kronstadt, K. A. (n.d.). Nepal: Background and U.S. Relations. Retrieved from http://www.gutenberg.us/

Excerpt
Summary: A landlocked Himalayan kingdom between India and China, Nepal ranks among the world’s poorest countries. In 1990, following a democratization movement, the country became a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch. Although this led to a process of economic restructuring and market liberalization, more than a decade of political instability and nearly seven years of increasingly dire internal security challenges have seriously hampered Nepal’s economic growth and reform efforts. After several years of relatively robust growth, the economy is reported to have contracted in the fiscal year ending July 2002. Compounding the country’s difficulties was the June 2001 tragedy in which 10 members of the royal family, including King Birendra, were killed in an assassination-suicide, reportedly carried out by Crown Prince Dipendra.

Table of Contents
Contents Recent Developments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Politics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Key Country Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Governance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Political Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Constitutional Crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Maoist Insurgency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Hydroelectric Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Refugees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 India-China Balancing Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 U.S.-Nepal Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Security Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Other U.S. Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Terrorism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Human Rights Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 List of Figures Figure 1. Map of Nepal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16