Lesotho

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0

Radios

66,000

Telephone system

rudimentary system domestic: consists of a few landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a minor radiotelephone communication system international : satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones

12,000 (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1

Televisions

11,000 (1992 est.)

Agriculture - products

corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock

Budget

revenues : $445 million expenditures: $400 million, including capital expenditures of $128 million (FY94/95 est.)

Currency

1 loti (L) = 100 lisente note : maloti (M) is the plural form of loti

Debt - external

$512 million (1993)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economy - overview

Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho has no important natural resources other than water. Its economy is based on agriculture, light manufacturing, and remittances from miners employed in South Africa. The number of such mine workers has declined steadily over the past five years; in 1996 their remittances added about 33% to GDP compared with the addition of roughly 67% in 1990. The great majority of households gain their livelihoods from subsistence farming and migrant labor; a large portion of the adult male work force is employed in South African mines. Manufacturing depends largely on farm products which support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries. Although drought has decreased agricultural activity over the past few years, completion of a major hydropower facility will permit the sale of water to South Africa and will support the economy's continued expansion. The pace of the privatization of state-owned firms increased toward the end of 1994.

Electricity - capacity

13,400 kW (1993) note: 98% of electricity supplied by South Africa

Electricity - consumption per capita

NA kWh

Electricity - production

NA kWh note: 98% of electricity supplied by South Africa

Exchange rates

maloti (M) per US$1 - 4.6410 (January 1997), 4.2706 (1996), 3.6266 (1995), 3.5490 (1994), 3.2636 (1993), 2.8497 (1992); note - the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand

Exports

total value: $218 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: clothing, furniture, footwear, machinery and equipment, wool (1993) partners: South African Customs Union 46%, North America 34%, EU 18% (1993)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $3.7 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 14% industry: 46% services : 40% (1994 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,860 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

10% (1996 est.)

Imports

total value: $1.1 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.) commodities: corn, clothing, building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (1993) partners: South African Customs Union 83%, Asia 12%, EU 3% (1993)

Industrial production growth rate

12.5% (1994 est.)

Industries

food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts; construction; tourism

Inflation rate - consumer price index

8.7% (1996 est.)

Labor force

total : 689,000 economically active by occupation: 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa

Unemployment rate

substantial unemployment and underemployment effecting more than half of the labor force (1996 est.)

Area

total: 30,350 sq km land: 30,350 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

Climate

temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m highest point : Mount Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m

Environment - current issues

population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project will control, store, and redirect water to South Africa

Environment - international agreements

party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

Geographic coordinates

29 30 S, 28 30 E

Geography - note

landlocked; surrounded by South Africa

Irrigated land

30 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 909 km border countries : South Africa 909 km

Land use

arable land: 11% permanent crops : NA% permanent pastures: 66% forests and woodland : NA% other: 23% (1993 est.)

Location

Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

periodic droughts

Natural resources

water, agricultural and grazing land, some diamonds and other minerals

Terrain

mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains

Administrative divisions

10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka

Constitution

2 April 1993

Country name

conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho conventional short form: Lesotho former: Basutoland

Data code

LT

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Bismarck MYRICK embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section) mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho telephone: [266] 312666

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Eunice M. BULANE chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone : [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536

Executive branch

chief of state : King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996, succeeded to the throne following the death of his father, King MOSHOESHOE II, on 16 January 1996); note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne (November 1990 to February 1995) while his father was in exile head of government: Prime Minister Ntsu MOKHEHLE (since 2 April 1993) cabinet: Cabinet elections: none; the king is a hereditary monarch, but, under the terms of the constitution which came into effect after the March 1993 election, he has no executive or legislative powers; moreover, under traditional law the king can be elected or deposed by a majority vote of the College of Chiefs; following legislative elections, the leader of the party that wins the most seats usually becomes prime minister

FAX

[1] (202) 234-6815

FAX

[266] 310116

Flag description

divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper half is white, bearing the brown silhouette of a large shield with crossed spear and club; the lower half is a diagonal blue band with a green triangle in the corner

Government type

modified constitutional monarchy

Independence

4 October 1966 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFCTU, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court; customary or traditional court

Legal system

based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (33 members - 22 principal chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the ruling party) and the Assembly (65 seats; members elected for a five-year term by popular vote) elections: last held 27 March 1993 (next to be held by March 1998) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BCP 65

National capital

Maseru

National holiday

Independence Day, 4 October (1966)

Political parties and leaders

Basotho National Party or BNP [Evaristus SEKHONYANA]; Basotholand Congress Party or BCP [Ntsu MOKHEHLE]; Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP [Vincent MALEBO]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Charles MOFELI]

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Current issues

Years of civil strife have destroyed much of Liberia's economic infrastructure, made civil administration nearly impossible, and brought economic activity virtually to a halt. The deterioration of economic conditions has been greatly exacerbated by the flight of most business people with their expertise and capital. Civil order ended in 1990 when President Samuel Kenyon DOE was killed by rebel forces. In April 1996, when forces loyal to faction leaders Charles Ghankay TAYLOR and Alhaji KROMAH attacked rival ethnic Krahn factions, the fighting further damaged Monrovia's dilapidated infrastructure. Fighting waned in late May 1996, allowing West African peacekeepers to regain control of Monrovia. The Abuja II peace accord was signed in August 1996 replacing the Chairman of the ruling Council of State, Wilton SANKAWULO, with Ruth PERRY. National elections were scheduled for 30 May 1997, but long-term prospects for peace will remain poor unless the warring factions can overcome their greed, mutual suspicions and ethnic hatreds.

Military branches

Lesotho Defense Force (LDF; includes Army and Air Wing), Lesotho Mounted Police

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 468,658 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: 253,025 (1997 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 41% (male 408,723; female 406,849) 15-64 years : 55% (male 533,327; female 566,684) 65 years and over: 4% (male 37,990; female 54,241) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

32.19 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

13.92 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

Sotho 99.7%, Europeans 1,600, Asians 800

Infant mortality rate

80.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 51.66 years male: 49.48 years female: 53.91 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

definition : age 15 and over can read and write total population: 71.3% male : 81.1% female: 62.3% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural) adjective: Basotho

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

2,007,814 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

1.83% (1997 est.)

Religions

Christian 80%, rest indigenous beliefs

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.22 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

none LIBERIA

Airports

29 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total : 25 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 23 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 4 914 to 1,523 m : 4 (1996 est.)

Highways

total : 4,955 km paved: 887 km unpaved: 4,068 km (1995 est.)

Ports and harbors

none

Railways

total: 2.6 km; note - owned by, operated by, and included in the statistics of South Africa narrow gauge: 2.6 km 1.067-m gauge (1995)