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Nepal's election outcome will shape its relations with India and China.

Essential Geopolitics: Nepal's Geopolitical Dilemma

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A Scottish flag painted on the Union Jack. The British Supreme Court on Nov. 23 will rule on whether the Scottish Parliament has the power to pass a law organizing an independence referendum.

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A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Elections in Nepal, the U.K. Supreme Court Rules on a Scottish Independence Referendum

An aerial view of the Nepalese national flag formed by more than 35,000 people Aug. 23, 2014, in central Kathmandu, Nepal.

While voters might sometimes resent the two larger countries, Nepal has only a limited ability to maneuver between China and India.

After Its Elections, Nepal's Balancing Act Between China and India Will Continue

2020 Second-Quarter Forecast

Everything that informs geopolitics can be found in South Asia: challenging demographics, geographic diversity, and contentious, ill-defined borders. 

South Asia

<p>Everything that informs geopolitics can be found in South Asia: challenging demographics, geographic diversity, and contentious, ill-defined borders. The Himalayan Mountains form the northern border of South Asia, whose two main rivers, the Indus and the Ganges, support the region&rsquo;s great population centers. India is the region&rsquo;s dominant country, home to the world&rsquo;s fastest growing economy. But its rivalry with neighboring Pakistan, a fellow nuclear power and growing consumer market, has made South Asia one of the world&rsquo;s most dangerous nuclear flashpoints. The region is also a testament to how militancy and militarism can undermine the regional integration needed to unleash higher economic growth.</p>

2020 Annual Forecast

2019 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

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India is beating a path to its neighbors in an effort to ensure China doesn't muscle in on New Delhi's backyard.

India's Own Worst Enemy

Shoring up New Delhi's influence around South Asia is top on Narendra Modi's to-do list. Achieving success, however, will depend on fending off China and its Belt and Road Initiative.

Wary of China, Modi Courts India's Neighbors

The New Silk Road

2019 Third-Quarter Forecast

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With China ready to open the purse strings, the days when India could dominate South Asia exclusively are long gone.

New Delhi is eager to maintain its dominance over the smaller states of the subcontinent, but it'll have a hard time competing with Chinese money.

Why the Belt and Road Fuels India's Fears of Encirclement

The India-Pakistan Rivalry

2019 Second-Quarter Forecast

2019 Annual Forecast

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, will be preoccupied with elections in 2019 and Chinese President Xi Jinping with the United States, but each will continue his country's competition for advantage across South Asia and the Indian Ocean.

China in Transition

Beijing's economic and military expansion into South Asia challenges New Delhi's ability to maintain its influence over its neighbors.

India Guards Against China's Encroaching Shadow

The Communist Party of Nepal - Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), one of the seven coalition partners in the government, threatened to withdraw support after Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal backed an opposition candidate for the presidency, Reuters reported Feb. 27.

Nepal: Shifting Alliances Endanger Ruling Coalition 

Nepal's National Independent Party (NIP), the third-largest party in the ruling coalition, quit the government after Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's administration refused to reinstate NIP chief Rabi Lamichhane as deputy prime minister and home minister, The Kathmandu Post reported Feb. 6.

Nepal: Coalition Partner Quits Government, Highlighting Political Volatility

Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who leads the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center), was confirmed in his post after he secured a vote of confidence in parliament, Reuters reported Jan. 10.

Nepal: Prime Minister Dahal Secures Vote of Confidence

The leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, was sworn in as the country’s prime minister on Dec. 26 and will head the government for half of a five-year term in an alliance with the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and other groups, the Washington Post has reported.

Nepal: Former Guerilla Leader Sworn in as Prime Minister

Nepal's Nov. 20 general election delivered a hung parliament, as no party or major alliance could secure the necessary majority to form a government, Reuters reported Dec. 7.

Nepal: No Party or Alliance Secures Majority in General Elections

During the Indian prime minister's visit to Nepal, the countries signed an agreement to jointly develop a 695-megawatt hydroelectric power plant called Arun IV, along with other memorandums of understanding in education and culture, Reuters reported May 16.

India, Nepal: Countries to Jointly Develop Hydroelectric Power Plant

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Nepal is taking measures to compensate for its depleting foreign exchange reserves, such as restricting non-essential imports, The Kathmandu Post reported April 10.

Nepal: Signs of Economic Crisis Grow as Import Bills Surge

Nepal will export 325 megawatts of power to India during the upcoming monsoon season as part of a deal struck between India's Central Electricity Authority and the Nepal Electricity Authority, The Kathmandu Post reported April 7.

Nepal, India: Nepal to Export 325 MW of Power to India

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Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

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Nestled against the Himalayas, landlocked Nepal lies between India and China, south of Tibet.    Nepal is divided into three geographic subregions: a mountainous northern border region, a central hilly area and the Terai, a fertile, low-lying marshy plain. The Terai is irrigated by tributaries of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers and supports over 90 percent of Nepal's 27 million people. Only 17 percent of the population lives in urban areas, the largest being the capital in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal's core.    Following decades of civil strife, Nepal transformed from a monarchy into a modern republic in 2006. The territory of modern Nepal was unified under ethnic Gurkha rule in the mid-18th century. Colonial Britain relied on the military support of elite Gurkha mercenaries to maintain influence on the subcontinent.    After centuries of isolation, Nepal's geographic challenge is its struggle to remain independent and maintain a distinct identity from surrounding global powers. This is complicated by Nepal's dependence on Indian ports and constant Chinese attention on its northern border with Tibet.    Nepal has transitioned from an isolated agrarian society toward greater economic integration with its neighbors, especially India. While agriculture still plays a large role, it is matched by the services sector fueled by foreign tourism to religious sites and Mt. Everest.              Although the geography and inhospitable climate of the northern border prevent any large-scale military posturing by outside powers, Nepal's location along the Tibetan plateau can serve as a launch pad for greater Indian influence northward or an expansion of Chinese influence, denying New Delhi inroads into Tibet.    Following decades of civil strife, Nepal transformed from a monarchy into a modern republic in 2006. The territory of modern Nepal was unified under ethnic Gurkha rule in the mid-18th century. Colonial Britain relied on the military support of elite Gurkha mercenaries to maintain influence on the subcontinent.    After centuries of isolation, Nepal's geographic challenge is its struggle to remain independent and maintain a distinct identity from surrounding global powers. This is complicated by Nepal's dependence on Indian ports and constant Chinese attention on its northern border with Tibet.    Nepal has transitioned from an isolated agrarian society toward greater economic integration with its neighbors, especially India. While agriculture still plays a large role, it is matched by the services sector fueled by foreign tourism to religious sites and Mt. Everest.              Although the geography and inhospitable climate of the northern border prevent any large-scale military posturing by outside powers, Nepal's location along the Tibetan plateau can serve as a launch pad for greater Indian influence northward or an expansion of Chinese influence, denying New Delhi inroads into Tibet.  

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SITUATION REPORTS

Nepal: Shifting Alliances Endanger Ruling Coalition

Nepal: Coalition Partner Quits Government, Highlighting Political Volatility

Nepal: Prime Minister Dahal Secures Vote of Confidence

Nepal: Former Guerilla Leader Sworn in as Prime Minister

Nepal: No Party or Alliance Secures Majority in General Elections

India, Nepal: Countries to Jointly Develop Hydroelectric Power Plant

Nepal: Signs of Economic Crisis Grow as Import Bills Surge

Nepal, India: Nepal to Export 325 MW of Power to India

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