1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Coastline
none--landlocked
Comparative area
slightly larger than Maryland
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
arable land 10%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 66%; forest and woodland 0%; other 24%
Maritime claims
none--landlocked
Natural resources
some diamonds and other minerals, water, agricultural and grazing land
Note
landlocked; 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
People and Society
Birth rate
36 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
Sotho 99.7%; Europeans 1,600, Asians 800
Infant mortality rate
78 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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, 63 years female (1991)
Literacy
59% (male 44%, female 68%) age 15 and over can read and write (1966)
Nationality
noun--Mosotho (sing.), Basotho (pl.); adjective--Basotho
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
there are two trade union federations; the government favors formation of a single, umbrella trade union confederation
Population
1,801,174 (July 1991), growth rate 2.6% (1991)
Religion
Christian 80%, rest indigenous beliefs
Total fertility rate
4.8 children born/woman (1991)
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 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-5 534; US--Ambassador Leonard H.O. SPEARMAN, Jr.; Embassy at address NA, Maseru (mailing address is P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100); telephone [266] 312666
Elections
National Assembly--dissolved following the military coup in January 1986; military has pledged elections will take place in June 1992
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 LETSIE III (since 12 November 1990 following dismissal of his father, exiled King MOSHOESHOE II, by Maj. Gen. LEKHANYA); Head of Government--Chairman of the Military Council Col. Elias Phisoana RAMAEMA (since 30 April 1991)
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
none--the bicameral Parliament was dissolved following the military coup in January 1986; note--a National Constituent Assembly convened in June 1990 to rewrite the constitution and debate issues of national importance, but it has no legislative authority
Long-form name
Kingdom of Lesotho
Member of
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
Political parties and leaders
Basotho National Party (BNP), Matete MAJARA (interim leader); Basutoland Congress Party (BCP), Ntsu MOKHEHLE; National Independent Party (NIP), A. C. MANYELI; Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP), S. H. MAPHELEBA; United Democratic Party, Charles MOFELI; Communist Party of Lesotho (CPL), Jacob KENYA
Suffrage
universal at age 21
Type
constitutional monarchy
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 18% of GDP and employs 60-70% of all households; exceedingly primitive, mostly subsistence farming and livestock; principal crops are corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley
Budget
revenues $280 million; expenditures $288 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92 est.)
Currency
loti (plural--maloti); 1 loti (L) = 100 lisente
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $268 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $754 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $14 million
Electricity
power supplied by South Africa
Exchange rates
maloti (M) per US$1--2.5625 (January 1991), 2.5863 (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
Exports
$66 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--wool, mohair, wheat, cattle, peas, beans, corn, hides, skins, baskets; partners--South Africa 53%, EC 30%, North and South America 13% (1989)
External debt
$370 million (December 1990 est.)
Fiscal year
1 April-31 March
GDP
$420 million, per capita $240; real growth rate 4.0% (1990 est.)
Imports
$499 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--mainly corn, building materials, clothing, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum, oil, and lubricants; partners--South Africa 95%, EC 2% (1989)
Industrial production
growth rate 7.8% (1989 est.); accounts for 15% of GDP
Industries
food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts, tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
15% (1990 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 ($153 million in 1989). The great majority of households gain their livelihoods from subsistence farming and migrant labor. 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 GDP rose from 6% in 1982 to 15% in 1989. Political and economic instability in South Africa raise uncertainties for Lesotho's economy, especially with respect to migrant worker remittances--over one-third of GDP.
Unemployment rate
23% (1988)
Communications
Airports
28 total, 28 usable; 3 with permanent surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
2 major transport aircraft
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
rudimentary 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
Military and Security
Branches
Royal Lesotho Defense Force (RLDF; includes Army, Air Wing), Royal Lesotho Mounted Police
Defense expenditures
$55 million, 8.6% of GDP (1990 est.) _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 394,829; 212,967 fit for military service