1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
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: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m
Environment--current issues
population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa
Environment--international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection 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
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 40% (male 424,355; female 422,892) 15-64 years: 56% (male 573,285; female 610,636) 65 years and over: 4% (male 40,604; female 57,178) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
31.26 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
13.23 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
Sotho 99.7%, Europeans 1,600, Asians 800
Infant mortality rate
77.58 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 52.99 years male: 51.37 years female: 54.65 years (1999 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 (1999 est.)
Population
2,128,950 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
1.8% (1999 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: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
4.03 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka
Capital
Maseru
Constitution
2 April 1993
Country name
conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho conventional short form: Lesotho former: Basutoland
Data code
LT
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 Pakalitha MOSISILI (since NA May 1998) cabinet: Cabinet elections: none; the monarch is hereditary, but, under the terms of the constitution which came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is a "living symbol of national unity" with no executive or legislative powers; under traditional law the college of chiefs has the power to determine who is next in the line of succession, who shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age, and may even depose the monarch
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
parliamentary 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, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Eunice M. BULANE chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Katherine H. PETERSON embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section) mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho
Judicial branch
High Court, chief justice appointed by the monarch; Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court; customary or traditional court Political parties and leaders: MOSISILI, leader; Shakhane MOKHEHLE, secretary general]
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 (80 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms); note--number of seats in the Assembly rose from 65 to 80 in the May 1998 election elections: last held 23 May 1998 (next to be held in late 1999 or early 2000) election results: percent of vote by party--LCD 61%; seats by party--LCD 79, BCP 1 note: results contested; LCD, with only 61% of the vote, won 79 out of 80 parliamentary seats based on a historical political consensus for a "winner take all" formula
National holiday
Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture--products
corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock
Budget
revenues: $507 million expenditures: $487 million, including capital expenditures of $170 million (FY96/97 est.)
Currency
1 loti (L) = 100 lisente note: maloti (M) is the plural form of loti
Debt--external
$660 million (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient
$123.7 million (1995)
Economy--overview
Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho's only important natural resource is water. Its economy is based on subsistence agriculture, livestock, and remittances from miners employed in South Africa. The number of such mine workers has declined steadily over the past several years. In 1996 their remittances added about 33% to GDP compared with the addition of roughly 67% in 1990. A small manufacturing base depends largely on farm products which support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries. Agricultural products are exported primarily to South Africa. Proceeds from membership in a common customs union with South Africa form the majority of government revenue. Although drought has decreased agricultural activity over the past few years, completion of a major hydropower facility in January 1998 now permits the sale of water to South Africa, generating royalties that will be an important source of income for Lesotho. The pace of parastatal privatization has increased in recent years. Civil disorder in September 1998 destroyed 80% of the commercial infrastructure in Maseru and two other major towns. Most firms were not covered by insurance, and the rebuilding of small and medium business will be a significant challenge in terms of both economic growth and employment levels.
Electricity--consumption
335 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
335 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
0 kWh (1995) note: electricity supplied by South Africa
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA%
Exchange rates
maloti (M) per US$1--5.98380 (January 1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796 (1997), 4.29935 (1996), 3.62709 (1995), 3.55080 (1994); note--the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand
Exports
$200 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
Exports--commodities
manufactures 65% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair 7%, food and live animals 7% (1996)
Exports--partners
South African Customs Union 66%, North America 26%, EU 4% (1996)
Fiscal year
1 April--31 March
GDP
purchasing power parity--$5.1 billion (1997 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 14% industry: 42% services: 44% (1996 est.)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$2,400 (1997 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
10% (1997 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 0.9% highest 10%: 43.4% (1986-87)
Imports
$880 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
Imports--commodities
food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (1995)
Imports--partners
South African Customs Union 90%, Asia 6%, EU 2% (1995)
Industrial production growth rate
19.7% (1995)
Industries
food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts; construction; tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
8% (1997 est.)
Labor force
689,000 economically active
Labor force--by occupation
86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa
Population below poverty line
49.2% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate
substantial unemployment and underemployment effecting more than half of the labor force (1996 est.)
Communications
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
NA
Televisions
11,000 (1992 est.)
Transportation
Airports
29 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 25 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 21 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 4,955 km paved: 887 km unpaved: 4,068 km (1996 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)
Military and Security
Military branches
Lesotho Defense Force (LDF; includes Army and Air Wing), Royal Lesotho Mounted Police (RLMP)
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$NA
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
NA%
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 504,442 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 271,925 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
none