Key facts about Nepal, facing historic vote

REUTERS - Nepalis vote in historic elections on Thursday, their first in nine years, for an assembly meant to write a new constitution and serve as a parliament.

Here are some key facts about Nepal:

* Mountainous Nepal, tucked in the Himalayas between China and India, occupies an area of 147,000 sq km and has a population of 26.4 million. It is home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountains, including Mount Everest.

* Nepal was the world's last Hindu kingdom, before declaring itself officially secular in 2006. The king was traditionally considered an incarnation of the god Vishnu, one of the trinity of Hindu gods.

* But that reverence has been lost since King Gyanendra grabbed power in early 2005. He was forced from power after street protests the following year.

* Eighty percent of Nepalis are Hindus, with the rest Buddhists, Muslims and Christians.

* Nepal is one of the world's poorest countries and its economy depends on aid and tourism. Western aid comprises more than 30 percent of the annual budget. Nearly one third of its people still live on a daily income of less than a dollar.

* More than 80 percent of the population earn their livelihood from agriculture. Emerging from a decade-long civil war, the economy grew by just 2.3 percent in the fiscal year ending mid-July 2007, down from 3.1 percent the year before.