POPULATION: about 20 million, 50 per cent under age 21; growth rate of 2.7 per cent annually.

CAPITAL: Kathmandu, with a metropolitan population 500,000 and one million in the valley.

GOVERNMENT: Constitutional Monarchy, under His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev; with S.B. Thapa heading a RPP-NC cabinet

RELIGION: Officially, Hindu 90 per cent, Buddhist 8 per cent, Islam 2 per cent (though more like Hindu 70-75 per cent, Buddhist 20-25 per cent, and many of these two faiths follow Shamanistic and animitic practices)

PEOPLE: More than 30 different ethnic groupings, among themGurung, Magar, Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Newar, Sherpa, Loba, Walungwa, Tharu; Indo-ayran caste groups of Brahman and Chhetri; high profile population of Indians and Tibetans.

ECONOMY: over 90 per cent agraian, per capita income of about US$175 per year.

LANGUAGE: Nepali (the official language) 58 per cent, Newari 3 percent, Tibeto-Burman languages 19 percent, Indic languages 20 per cent. In all more than 30 languages and numerous dialects spoken.

CURRENCY: Nepali Rupees; US$1 equals Rs50 in May 1997, and Indian Rs1 equals Nepali Rs1.68

NATIONAL FLOWER: Rhododendron

NATIONAL BIRD: Danphe Pheasant

NATIONAL COLOUR: Scarlet Red

HIGHEST POINT: Mt. Everest, 8,848m(29,028ft), the higest point on earth.