2000 Edition

Background

Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after 23 years of military rule.

Area

land

30,355 sq km

total

30,355 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

highest point

Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m

lowest point

junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 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

border countries

South Africa 909 km

total

909 km

Land use

arable land

11%

forests and woodland

0%

other

23% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

66%

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 40% (male 426,556; female 421,563) 15-64 years: 56% (male 575,580; female 619,280) 65 years and over: 4% (male 42,274; female 57,888) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

31.74 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

14.59 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%,

Infant mortality rate

82.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

51.84 years (2000 est.)

male

49.78 years

total population

50.79 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

62.3% (1995 est.)

male

81.1%

total population

71.3%

Nationality

adjective

Basotho

noun

Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)

Net migration rate

-0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

2,143,141

note

estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

1.65% (2000 est.)

Religions

Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.15 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

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

telephone

312666

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Lebohang Kenneth MOLEKO

telephone

(202) 797-5533 through 5536

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet

chief of state

King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996); note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995, while his father was in exile

elections

none; according to the constitution, the leader of the majority party in the assembly automatically becomes prime minister; 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

head of government

Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 23 May 1998)

FAX

(202) 234-6815

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

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Independence

4 October 1966 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, 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

Judicial branch

High Court, chief justice appointed by the monarch; 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 (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

election results

percent of vote by party - LCD 61%; seats by party - LCD 79, BNP 1

elections

last held 23 May 1998 (next to be held in 2000; date to be determined by Interim Political Authority)

note

results contested; opposition parties claimed the election was fraudulent and staged a coup; Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces intervened in September 1998 and restored order; the Interim Political Authority (IPA) was set up in December 1998 to create a new electoral system and conduct new elections within 18 months

National holiday

Independence Day, 4 October (1966)

Political parties and leaders

Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justine Metsing LEKHANYA]; Basotholand Congress Party or BCP [Molapo QHOBELA, leader (currently suspended), Ntsukunyane MPHANYA, secretary general]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Dr. Pakalitha MOSISILI, leader; Shakhane MOKHEHLE, secretary general] - the governing party; United Democratic Party or UDP ; Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP and Setlamo Alliance ; National Progressive Party or NPP ; Sefate Democratic Party or SDP

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock

Budget

expenditures

$487 million, including capital expenditures of $170 million (FY96/97 est.)

revenues

$507 million

Currency

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

Debt - external

$675 million (1998 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 has been a significant challenge in terms of both economic growth and employment levels. Output dropped 10% in 1998 and recovered slowly in 1999.

Electricity - consumption

209 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

209 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

0%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

maloti (M) per US$1 - 6.12439 (January 2000), 6.10948 (1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796 (1997), 4.29935 (1996), 3.62709 (1995); note - the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand

Exports

$235 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Exports - commodities

manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (1998)

Exports - partners

South African Customs Union 65%, North America 34% (1998)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $4.7 billion (1998 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

14%

industry

42%

services

44% (1997 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,240 (1998 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-10% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 0.9% highest 10%: 43.4% (1986-87)

Imports

$700 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Imports - commodities

food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (1995)

Imports - partners

South African Customs Union 90%, Asia 7% (1997)

Industrial production growth rate

19.7% (1995)

Industries

food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts; construction; tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8% (1998 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 affecting more than half of the labor force (1999 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios

104,000 (1997)

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 - main lines in use

18,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

0 (1995)

Television broadcast stations

1 (2000)

Televisions

54,000 (1997)

Airports

29 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

4 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

25 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 21 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

887 km

total

4,955 km

unpaved

4,068 km (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors

none

Railways

narrow gauge

2.6 km 1.067-m gauge (1995)

total

2.6 km; note - owned by, operated by, and included in the statistics of South Africa

Military - note

The Lesotho Government in 1999 began an open debate on the future structure, size, and role of the armed forces, especially considering the Lesotho Defense Force's (LDF) history of intervening in political affairs.

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: 503,751 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 271,098 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

none

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