1989 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1989 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force
Climate
temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Coastline
none — landlocked
Defense expenditures
NA Quthi **"1 Seerrtional map VII
Environment
population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, soil exhaustion; desertification
Land boundary
909 km with South Africa
Land use
10% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 66% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 24% other
Maritime claims
none — landlocked
Military manpower
males 15-49, 702,961; 434,591 fit for military service; about 44,625 reach military age (18) yearly
Natural resources
some diamonds and other minerals, water, agricultural and grazing land
Note
surrounded by South Africa; Highlands Water Project will control, store, and redirect water to South Africa
Terrain
mostly highland with some plateaus, hills, and mountains
Total area
30,350 km2; land area: 30,350 km2 Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
People and Society
Birth rate
37 births/ 1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
10 deaths/ 1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
99.7% Sotho; 1,600 Europeans, 800 Asians
Infant mortality rate
80 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
689,000 economically active; 86.2% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 60% of active male labor force works in South Africa
Language
Sesotho (southern Sotho) and English (official); also Zulu and Xhosa
Life expectancy at birth
59 years male, 62 years female (1990)
Literacy
59% (1989)
Nationality
noun — Mosotho (sing.), Basotho (pi.); adjective — Basotho
Net migration rate
0 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
there are two trade union federations; the government favors formation of a single, umbrella trade union confederation
Population
1,754,664 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)
Religion
80% Christian, rest indigenous beliefs
Total fertility rate
4.9 children born/ woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qachas Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka
Capital
Maseru
Communists
small Lesotho Communist Party
Constitution
4 October 1966, suspended January 1970
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador W. T. VAN TONDER; Chancery at 251 1 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-5 534; US — -Ambassador (vacant): Deputy Chief of Mission Howard F. JETER; Embassy at address NA, Maseru (mailing address is P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100); telephone [266] 3 12666
Elections
National Assembly — dissolved following the military coup in January 1986; no date set for national elections
Executive branch
monarch, chairman of the Military Council, Military Council, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Flag
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
Independence
4 October 1966 (from UK; formerly Basutoland)
Judicial branch
High Court, Court of Appeal
Leaders
Chief of State— King MOSHOESHOE II (Paramount Chief from 1 960 until independence on 4 October 1966, when he became King); Heir Apparent Letsie David SEEISO (son of the King); Head of Government — Chairman of the Military Council Maj. Gen. Justin Metsing LEKHANYA (since 24 January 1986) Political parties and leaders: Basotho National Party (BNP), position vacant; Basutoland Congress Party (BCP), Ntsu Mokhehle; Basotho Democratic Alliance (BDA), A. S. Nqojane; National Independent Party (NIP), A. C. Manyeli; Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP), S. H. Mapheleba; United Democratic Party, C. D. Mofeli Lesotho (continued)
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
a bicameral Parliament consisting of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or National Assembly was dissolved in January 1970; following the military coup of 20 January 1986, legislative powers were vested in the monarch
Long-form name
Kingdom of Lesotho
Member of
ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, Southern African Customs Union, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
National holiday
Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
Suffrage
universal at age 21
Type
constitutional monarchy
Economy
Agriculture
exceedingly primitive, mostly subsistence farming and livestock; principal crops are corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley
Aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $252 million; Western (nonUS) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $714 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $14 million
Budget
revenues $159 million; expenditures $224 million, including capital expenditures of $68 million (FY89 est.)
Currency
loti (plural — maloti); 1 loti (L) = 100 lisente
Electricity
power supplied by South Africa
Exchange rates
maloti (M) per US$1— 2.5555 (January 1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685 (1986), 2.1911 (1985); note— the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand Fiscal yean 1 April-3 1 March
Exports
$55 million (f.o.b., FY89 est.); commodities — wool, mohair, wheat, cattle, peas, beans, corn, hides, skins, baskets; partners— South Africa 87%, EC 10%, (1985)
External debt
$235 million (December 1988)
GDP
$412 million, per capita $245; real growth rate 8.2% (FY89 est.)
Imports
$526 million (f.o.b., FY89 est.); commodities — mainly corn, building materials, clothing, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum, oil, and lubricants; partners—South Africa 95%, EC 2% (1985)
Industrial production
growth rate 10.3% (1988 est.)
Industries
tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
15.0% (FY89 est.)
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 laborers employed in South Africa. Subsistence farming is the principal occupation for about 86% of the domestic labor force and accounts for about 20% of GDP. Manufacturing depends largely on farm products to support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries; other industries include textile, clothing, and light engineering. Industry's share of total GDP rose from 6% in 1982 to 10.5% in 1987. During the period 198587 real GDP growth averaged 2.9% per year, only slightly above the population growth rate. In FY89 per capita GDP was only $245 and nearly 25% of the labor force was unemployed.
Unemployment rate
23% (1988)
Communications
Airports
28 total, 28 usable; 2 with permanent surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,4403,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Branches
Army, Air Wing, Police Department Military manpower males 15-49, 381,015; 205,499 fit for military service
Civil air
2 major transport aircraft
Defense expenditures
8.6% of GDP, or $35 million (1989 est.)
Highways
5,167 km total; 508 km paved; 1 ,585 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; 946 km improved earth, 2,128 km unimproved earth
Railroads
1 .6 km; owned, operated, and included in the statistics of South Africa
Telecommunications
modest system consisting of a few land lines, a small radio relay system, and minor radiocommunication stations; 5,920 telephones; stations — 2 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station Defense Forces