The constitution provides for a bicameral government consisting of a House of Representatives or the lower house with 205 elected members and a 60-member National Council or the upper house, a third of whose members retire every two years. The king is generally the titular head. A two-thirds majority in the lower house can only amend the constitution. Less than one-fifth of the total land area is arable, and agricultural productivity is very low. A hydroelectric station southeast of Kathmandu has proved to be very beneficial for the farmers.
Rice is the staple food.
Maize, wheat, potatoes, sugarcane, and millets are also widely grown. Nepal is a major producer of medicinal herbs, which grow on the Himalayan slopes. Cattle, buffalo, goats, and sheep are raised. Forestry is an important industry. The growing industrial sector accounts for much less than one-tenth of the GNP and employs less than 1 percent of the total workforce.