1986 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1986 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Agriculture
exceedingly primitive, mostly subsistence farming and livestock; principal crops are corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley
Area
30,460km2; slightly larger than Maryland; 15% cultivable, 13% arable, largely mountainous
Branches
executive and legislative authority nominally vested in King; real power rests with 6-man Military Council, established after military coup January 1986; 20member Council of Ministers responsible for administrative duties; judicial — 63 Lesotho courts administer customary law for Africans, High Court and subordinate courts have criminal jurisdiction over all residents, Court of Appeal at Maseru has appellate jurisdiction
Capital
Maseru
Communists
diplomatic relations with Soviet Union, Romania, North Korea, and Yugoslavia established in 1983; Soviet Union, China, and North Korea maintain diplomatic presence in Maseru
Elections
elections scheduled for September 1985 were boycotted by all opposition parties because of procedural irregularities; ruling BNP won all 60 parliamentary seats by default Political parties and leaders: Basotho National Party (BNP), Leabua Jonathan; Basutoland Congress Party (BCP), Ntsu Mokhehle; Basotho Democratic Alliance (CDA), C. D. Molapo; National Independent Party (NIP), A. C. Manyeli; Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP), B. Khaketla
Electric power
1,660 kW capacity (1985); 1 million kWh produced (1985), 0.7 kWh per capita
Ethnic divisions
99.7% Sotho; 1,600 Europeans, 800 Asians
Exports
labor to South Africa (deferred remittances $94 million est. in 1983); $29 million (f.o.b., 1984), wool, mohair, wheat, cattle, peas, beans, corn, hides, skins, tourism, diamonds
GDP
$300 million (1983)
Government leaders
MOSHOESHOE II, King (since 1966); Maj. Gen. Justinus Metsing LEKHANYA, chairman of Military Council and Minister of Defense and Internal Security (since January 1986); other members of council — Col. E. T. RAMAEMA, Col. A. K. MOSOEUNYANE, Col. M. K. TSOTETSI, Lt. Thabe LETSIE, Lt. Col. Joshua Sekhobe LETSIE (since January 1986)
Imports
$476 million (f.o.b., 1984); mainly corn, building materials, clothing, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum, oil, and lubricants
Infant mortality rate
104.3/1,000(1983)
Labor force
426,000 economically active (1976); 87.4% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; 150,000-250,000 spend from six months to many years as wage earners in South Africa
Land boundaries
805 km People
Language
Sesotho (southern Sotho) and English (official); also Zulu and Xhosa
Legal system
based on English common law and RomanDutch law; constitution came into effect 1966; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; legal education at National University of Lesotho; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Life expectancy
51.5
Literacy
60%
Major industries
none
Major trade partner
South Africa; member of Southern African Customs Union
Member of
Af DB, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO Economy
National holiday
4 October
Nationality
noun — Mosotho(sing.), Basotho (pi.); adjective — Basotho
Natural resources
some diamonds and other minerals, water, agricultural and grazing land
Official name
Kingdom of Lesotho
Organized labor
negligible Government
Political subdivisions
10 administrative districts
Population
1,552,000 (July 1986), average annual growth rate 2.6%
Religion
80% Christian, rest indigenous beliefs
Suffrage
universal for adults
Type
constitutional monarchy under King Moshoeshoe II; independent member of Commonwealth
Voting strength
National Assembly inoperative as of 20 January 1986