Nepal - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Nepal, it was the Newar people of the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding areas apparently gave their name to the country; the terms "Nepal," "Newar," "Nepar," and "Newal" are phonetically different forms of the same word. The Government system in this country is the federal parliamentary republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 7 provinces (pradesh, singular - pradesh); Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali, Koshi, Lumbini, Madhesh, Sudurpashchim
National symbols
Rhododendron blossom; national color: red.
The flag
The National flag of Nepal has crimson 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 displays a white 12-pointed sun; the color red represents the rhododendron (Nepal's national flower) and is a sign of victory and bravery, the blue border signifies peace and harmony; the two right triangles are a combination of two single pennons (pennants) that originally symbolized the Himalaya Mountains while their charges represented the families of the king (upper) and the prime minister, but today they are understood to denote Hinduism and Buddhism, the country's two main religions; the moon represents the serenity of the Nepalese people and the shade and cool weather in the Himalayas, while the sun depicts the heat and higher temperatures of the lower parts of Nepal; the moon and the sun are also said to express the hope that the nation will endure as long as these heavenly bodies.
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note: Nepal is the only country in the world whose flag is not rectangular or square
The National Anthem
| Title | "Sayaun Thunga Phool Ka" (Hundreds of Flowers) |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | Pradeep Kumar RAI/Ambar GURUNG |
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note: adopted 2007; after the abolition of the monarchy in 2006, a new anthem was required because of the previous anthem's praise for the king
More about the government of Nepal
| Date of Independence | 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan SHAH) |
|---|---|
| National holiday | Constitution Day, 20 September (2015); note - marks the promulgation of Nepal’s constitution in 2015 and replaces the previous 28 May Republic Day as the official national day in Nepal; the Gregorian day fluctuates based on Nepal’s Hindu calendar |
| Legal system | English common law and Hindu legal concepts; note - new criminal and civil codes came into effect on 17 August 2018 |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt |
| Constitution | |
| History | Several previous; latest approved by the Second Constituent Assembly 16 September 2015, signed by the president and effective 20 September 2015 |
| Amendments | Proposed as a bill by either house of the Federal Parliament; bills affecting a state border or powers delegated to a state must be submitted to the affected state assembly; passage of such bills requires a majority vote of that state assembly membership; bills not requiring state assembly consent require at least two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses of the Federal Parliament; parts of the constitution on the sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty vested in the people cannot be amended; amended 2016, 2020 |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | yes |
| Citizenship by descent only | yes |
| Dual citizenship recognized | no |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 15 years |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | President Ram Chandra POUDEL (since 13 March 2023) |
| Head of government | Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma OLI (since 15 July 2024) |
| Cabinet | Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister; cabinet split between Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre, and various coalition partners |
| Elections/appointments | president indirectly elected by an electoral college of the Federal Parliament and of the state assemblies for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 9 March 2023 (next to be held in 2028) |
| Election results | 2023: Ram Chandra POUDEL elected president; electoral college vote - Ram Chandra POUDEL (NC) 33,802, Subash Chandra NEMBANG (CPN-UML) 15,518 2018: Bidhya Devi BHANDARI reelected president; electoral vote - Bidhya Devi BHANDARI (CPN-UML) 39,275, Kumari Laxmi RAI (NC) 11,730 |
| Legislative branch | |
| Description | Bicameral Federal Parliament consists of: National Assembly (59 seats; 56 members, including at least 3 women, 1 Dalit, 1 member with disabilities, or 1 minority indirectly elected by an electoral college of state and municipal government leaders, and 3 members, including 1 woman, nominated by the president of Nepal on the recommendation of the government; members serve 6-year terms with renewal of one-third of the membership every 2 years) House of Representatives (275 seats statutory, current 272; 165 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 110 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed-list proportional representation vote, with a threshold of 3% overall valid vote to be allocated a seat; members serve 5-year terms); note - the House of Representatives was dissolved on 22 May 2021, but on 13 July, the Supreme Court directed its reinstatement |
| Elections | National Assembly - last held on 25 January 2024 (next to be held in January 2026) House of Representatives - last held on 20 November 2022 (next to be held in November 2027) |
| Election results | National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPN-MC 17, NC 16, CON-UML 10, CPN-US 8, other 5, nominated members 3; composition - men 37, women 22, percentage women 37.3% House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NC 89, CPN-UML 78, CPN-MC 32, RSP 20, RPP 14, PSP-N 12, CPN (Unified Socialist) 10, Janamat Party 6, Loktantrik Samajwadi Party 4, other 10 other 10; composition - men 182, women 90, percentage women 33.1%; total Federal Parliament percentage women 33.5% |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and up to 20 judges) |
| Judge selection and term of office | Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the Constitutional Council, a 5-member, high-level advisory body headed by the prime minister; other judges appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the Judicial Council, a 5-member advisory body headed by the chief justice; the chief justice serves a 6-year term; judges serve until age 65 |
| Subordinate courts | High Court; district courts |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Kumar Raj KHAREL (since 26 June 2024) |
| Chancery | 2730 34th Place NW, Washington, DC 20007 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 667-4550 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 667-5534 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://us.nepalembassy.gov.np/ |
| Consulate(s) general | New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Dean R. THOMPSON (since October 2022) |
| Embassy | Maharajgunj, Kathmandu |
| Mailing address | 6190 Kathmandu Place, Washington DC 20521-6190 |
| Telephone | [977] (1) 423-4000 |
| FAX | [977] (1) 400-7272 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://np.usembassy.gov/ |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 4 (2 cultural, 2 natural) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Kathmandu Valley (c); Sagarmatha National Park (n); Chitwan National Park (n); Lumbini, Buddha Birthplace (c) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Nepal
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International organization participation
All Important Facts about Nepal
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