2018 Edition

Background

Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basutho National Party ruled the country during its first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995 and subsequently succeeded by his son, King LETSIE III, in 1996. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Batswana military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections in 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties disputed how the electoral law was applied to award proportional seats in the Assembly. In 2012, competitive elections involving 18 parties saw Prime Minister Motsoahae Thomas THABANE form a coalition government - the first in the country's history - that ousted the 14-year incumbent, Pakalitha MOSISILI, who peacefully transferred power the following month. MOSISILI returned to power in snap elections in February 2015 after the collapse of THABANE’s coalition government and an alleged attempted military coup.

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

elevation extremes

1,400 m lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers

mean elevation

2,161 m

note

3482 highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Geographic Coordinates

29 30 S, 28 30 E

Geography Note

landlocked, an enclave of (completely surrounded by) South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 m above sea level

Irrigated Land

30 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

border countries (1)

South Africa 1106 km

total

1,106 km

Land Use

arable land: 10.1% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0.1% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 65.9% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

76.1% (2011 est.)

forest

1.5% (2011 est.)

other

22.4% (2011 est.)

Location

Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa

Map References

Africa

Maritime Claims

note

none (landlocked)

Natural Hazards

periodic droughts

Natural Resources

water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone

Population Distribution

relatively higher population density in the western half of the nation, with the capital of Maseru, and the smaller cities of Mafeteng, Teyateyaneng, and Leribe attracting the most people

Terrain

mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains

Age Structure

0-14 years

31.84% (male 314,155 /female 310,772)

15-24 years

19.34% (male 181,332 /female 198,236)

25-54 years

38.27% (male 366,652 /female 384,333)

55-64 years

5.02% (male 52,490 /female 46,016)

65 years and over

5.53% (male 55,804 /female 52,671) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

24.2 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

10.3% (2014)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

60.2% (2014)

Death Rate

15.1 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Demographic Profile

Lesotho faces great socioeconomic challenges. More than half of its population lives below the property line, and the country’s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is the second highest in the world. In addition, Lesotho is a small, mountainous, landlocked country with little arable land, leaving its population vulnerable to food shortages and reliant on remittances. Lesotho’s persistently high infant, child, and maternal mortality rates have been increasing during the last decade, according to the last two Demographic and Health Surveys. Despite these significant shortcomings, Lesotho has made good progress in education; it is on-track to achieve universal primary education and has one of the highest adult literacy rates in Africa.Lesotho’s migration history is linked to its unique geography; it is surrounded by South Africa with which it shares linguistic and cultural traits. Lesotho at one time had more of its workforce employed outside its borders than any other country. Today remittances equal about 17% of its GDP. With few job options at home, a high rate of poverty, and higher wages available across the border, labor migration to South Africa replaced agriculture as the prevailing Basotho source of income decades ago. The majority of Basotho migrants were single men contracted to work as gold miners in South Africa. However, migration trends changed in the 1990s, and fewer men found mining jobs in South Africa because of declining gold prices, stricter immigration policies, and a preference for South African workers.Although men still dominate cross-border labor migration, more women are working in South Africa, mostly as domestics, because they are widows or their husbands are unemployed. Internal rural-urban flows have also become more frequent, with more women migrating within the country to take up jobs in the garment industry or moving to care for loved ones with HIV/AIDS. Lesotho’s small population of immigrants is increasingly composed of Taiwanese and Chinese migrants who are involved in the textile industry and small retail businesses.

Dependency Ratios

elderly dependency ratio

7.4 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio

13.5 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

66.9 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio

59.5 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 94.6% of population

rural: 77% of population

total: 81.8% of population

unimproved: urban: 5.4% of population

rural: 23% of population

total: 18.2% of population (2015 est.)

Education Expenditures

11.4% of GDP (2008)

Ethnic Groups

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

Health Expenditures

10.6% of GDP (2014)

Hiv Aids Adult Prevalence Rate

23.8% (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids Deaths

4,900 (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids People Living With Hiv Aids

320,000 (2017 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

female

40.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

male

48.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

total

44.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

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

Life Expectancy At Birth

female

53.1 years (2018 est.)

male

53 years (2018 est.)

total population

53 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

female

88.3% (2015 est.)

male

70.1% (2015 est.)

total population

79.4% (2015 est.)

Major Urban Areas Population

202,000 MASERU (capital) (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

487 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median Age

female

24.3 years (2018 est.)

male

24.4 years

total

24.4 years

Mother S Mean Age At First Birth

21 years (2014 est.)

note

median age at first birth among women 25-29

Nationality

adjective

Basotho

noun

Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)

Net Migration Rate

-6.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

16.6% (2016)

Population

1,962,461 (July 2018 est.)

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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected

Population Growth Rate

0.24% (2018 est.)

Religions

Protestant 47.8% (Pentecostal 23.1%, Lesotho Evangelical 17.3%, Anglican 7.4%), Roman Catholic 39.3%, other Christian 9.1%, non-Christian 1.4%, none 2.3% (2014 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 37.3% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 27.6% of population (2015 est.)

total: 30.3% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban: 62.7% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 72.4% of population (2015 est.)

total: 69.7% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

female

11 years (2014)

male

10 years (2014)

total

11 years (2014)

Sex Ratio

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years

0.91 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years

0.96 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years

1.14 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over

1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth

1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

2.59 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

female

NA (2013 est.)

male

NA (2013 est.)

total

34.4% (2013 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.83% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

28.2% of total population (2018)

Administrative Divisions

10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka

Capital

geographic coordinates

29 19 S, 27 29 E

name

Maseru

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions including fundamental rights and freedoms, sovereignty of the kingdom, the office of the king, and powers of Parliament requires a majority vote by the National Assembly, approval by the Senate, approval in a referendum by a majority of qualified voters, and assent by the king; passage of amendments other than those specified provisions requires at least a two-thirds majority vote in both Parliament houses; amended several times, last in 2011 (2017)

history

previous 1959, 1967; latest adopted 2 April 1993 (effectively restoring the 1967 version) (2017)

Country Name

conventional long form

Kingdom of Lesotho

conventional short form

Lesotho

etymology

the name translates as "Land of the Sesotho Speakers"

former

Basutoland

local long form

Kingdom of Lesotho

local short form

Lesotho

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

chief of mission

Ambassador Rebecca E. GONZALES (since 8 February 2018)

embassy

254 Kingsway Road, Maseru West (Consular Section)

FAX

[266] 22 310 116

mailing address

P.O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho

telephone

[266] 22 312 666

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

chancery

2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Sankatana Gabriel MAJA (since 22 June 2018)

FAX

[1] (202) 234-6815

telephone

[1] (202) 797-5533

Executive Branch

cabinet

consists of the Prime Minister, appointed by the King on the advice of the Council of State, and 25 other ministers

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/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary, but under the terms of the constitution that 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 depose the monarch, to determine next in line of succession, or to serve as regent in the event that a successor is not of mature age; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the Assembly automatically becomes prime minister

head of government

Prime Minister Thomas Motsoahae THABANE (since 16 June 2017)

Flag Description

three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green in the proportions of 3:4:3; the colors represent rain, peace, and prosperity respectively; centered in the white stripe is a black Basotho hat representing the indigenous people; the flag was unfurled in October 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence

Government Type

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Independence

4 October 1966 (from the UK)

International Law Organization Participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial Branch

highest courts

Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, such number of justices of appeal as set by Parliament, and the Chief Justice and the puisne judges of the High Court ex officio); High Court (consists of the chief justice and such number of puisne judges as set by Parliament); note - both the Court of Appeal and the High Court have jurisdiction in constitutional issues

judge selection and term of office

Court of Appeal president and High Court chief justice appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; puisne judges appointed by the monarch on advice of the Judicial Service Commission, an independent body of judicial officers and officials designated by the monarch; judges of both courts can serve until age 75

subordinate courts

Magistrate Courts; customary or traditional courts; military courts

Legal System

mixed legal system of English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal

Legislative Branch

description

bicameral Parliament consists of:Senate (33 seats; 22 principal chiefs and 11 other senators nominated by the king with the advice of the Council of State, a 13-member body of key government and non-government officials; members serve 5-year terms) National Assembly (120 seats; 80 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 40 elected through proportional representation; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

National Assembly - percent of votes by party - ABC 40.5%, DC 25.8%, LCD 9%, AD 7.3%, MEC 5.1%, BNP 4.1, PFD 2.3%, other 5.9%; seats by party - ABC 48, DC 30, LCD 11, AD 9, MEC 6, BNP 5, PFD 3, other 5, vacant 3

elections

National Assembly - last held on 3 June 2017 (next to be held in 2022)

National Anthem

lyrics/music

Francois COILLARD/Ferdinand-Samuel LAUR

name

"Lesotho fatse la bo ntat'a rona" (Lesotho, Land of Our Fathers)

note

adopted 1967; music derives from an 1823 Swiss songbook

National Holiday

Independence Day, 4 October (1966)

National Symbol S

mokorotio (Basotho hat); national colors: blue, white, green, black

Political Parties And Leaders

All Basotho Convention or ABC [Thomas Motsoahae THABANE]Alliance of Democrats or AD [Monyane MOLELEKI]Basotho Congress Party or BCP [Thulo MAHLAKENG]Basotho National Party or BNP [Thesele MASERIBANE]Democratic Congress or DC [Pakalitha MOSISILI]Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Mothetjoa METSING]Lesotho Peoples Congress or LPC [Mabusetsa MAKHARILELE]Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP [Tlhoriso LEKATSA]Movement of Economic Change or MEC [Selibe MOCHOBOROANE]National Independent Party or NIP [Kimetso MATHABA]Popular Front for Democracy of PFD [Lekhetho RAKUOANE]Reformed Congress of Lesotho or RCL [Keketso RANTSO]Truth Reconciliation Unity or TRU [Tlali KHASU]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock

Budget

expenditures

1.255 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

1.09 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

6.75% (2 February 2016)

6.25% (31 December 2015)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

11.58% (31 December 2017 est.)

11.58% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current Account Balance

-$102 million (2017 est.)

-$201 million (2016 est.)

Debt External

$934.6 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$921.3 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

63.2 (1995)

note

56 (1986-87)

Economy Overview

Small, mountainous, and completely landlocked by South Africa, Lesotho depends on a narrow economic base of textile manufacturing, agriculture, remittances, and regional customs revenue. About three-fourths of the people live in rural areas and engage in animal herding and subsistence agriculture, although Lesotho produces less than 20% of the nation's demand for food. Agriculture is vulnerable to weather and climate variability.Lesotho relies on South Africa for much of its economic activity; Lesotho imports 85% of the goods it consumes from South Africa, including most agricultural inputs. Households depend heavily on remittances from family members working in South Africa in mines, on farms, and as domestic workers, though mining employment has declined substantially since the 1990s. Lesotho is a member of the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU), and revenues from SACU accounted for roughly 26% of total GDP in 2016; however, SACU revenues are volatile and expected to decline over the next 5 years. Lesotho also gains royalties from the South African Government for water transferred to South Africa from a dam and reservoir system in Lesotho. However, the government continues to strengthen its tax system to reduce dependency on customs duties and other transfers.The government maintains a large presence in the economy - government consumption accounted for about 26% of GDP in 2017. The government remains Lesotho's largest employer; in 2016, the government wage bill rose to 23% of GDP – the largest in sub-Saharan Africa. Lesotho's largest private employer is the textile and garment industry - approximately 36,000 Basotho, mainly women, work in factories producing garments for export to South Africa and the US. Diamond mining in Lesotho has grown in recent years and accounted for nearly 35% of total exports in 2015. Lesotho managed steady GDP growth at an average of 4.5% from 2010 to 2014, dropping to about 2.5% in 2015-16, but poverty remains widespread around 57% of the total population.

Exchange Rates

maloti (LSL) per US dollar -

14.48 (2017 est.)

14.71 (2016 est.)

14.71 (2015 est.)

12.76 (2014 est.)

10.85 (2013 est.)

Exports

$1.028 billion (2017 est.)

$894 million (2016 est.)

Exports Commodities

manufactures (clothing, footwear), wool and mohair, food and live animals, electricity, water, diamonds

Exports Partners

South Africa 57%, US 33.5% (2017)

Fiscal Year

1 April - 31 March

Gdp Composition By End Use

exports of goods and services

40.8% (2017 est.)

government consumption

26.4% (2017 est.)

household consumption

69.2% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-54.4% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

31.4% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

-13.4% (2017 est.)

Gdp Composition By Sector Of Origin

agriculture

5.8% (2016 est.)

industry

39.2% (2016 est.)

services

54.9% (2017 est.)

Gdp Official Exchange Rate

$2.749 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Gdp Per Capita Ppp

$3,300 (2017 est.)

$3,400 (2016 est.)

$3,300 (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Purchasing Power Parity

$6.656 billion (2017 est.)

$6.762 billion (2016 est.)

$6.561 billion (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Real Growth Rate

-1.6% (2017 est.)

3.1% (2016 est.)

2.5% (2015 est.)

Gross National Saving

20.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

19.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

24.7% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

highest 10%

39.4% (2003)

lowest 10%

39.4% (2003)

Imports

$1.826 billion (2017 est.)

$1.613 billion (2016 est.)

Imports Commodities

food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products

Imports Partners

South Africa 87.2% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

12.5% (2017 est.)

Industries

food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

5.3% (2017 est.)

6.2% (2016 est.)

Labor Force

930,800 (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

agriculture

86%

industry and services

14% (2002 est.)

note

most of the resident population is engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa

Population Below Poverty Line

57% (2016 est.)

Public Debt

33.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

36.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

$657.7 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$925.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Broad Money

$420.8 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$356.3 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

$122 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$206.9 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment At Home

$497.7 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$456.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Domestic Credit

$442.3 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$230.9 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Narrow Money

$420.8 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$356.3 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes And Other Revenues

39.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

28.1% (2014 est.)

25% (2008 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

711,100 Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

electrification - rural areas

8% (2013)

electrification - total population

17% (2013)

electrification - urban areas

43% (2013)

population without electricity

1.7 million (2013)

Electricity Consumption

847.3 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

100% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

373 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

80,400 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

510 million kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

5,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

5,118 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

less than 1 (2017 est.)

total

4,984 (2017 est.)

Broadcast Media

1 state-owned TV station and 2 state-owned radio stations; government controls most private broadcast media; satellite TV subscription service available; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters obtainable (2008)

Internet Country Code

.ls

Internet Users

percent of population

27.4% (July 2016 est.)

total

534,360 (July 2016 est.)

Telephone System

domestic

mobile-cellular service dominates the market with a subscribership now over 122 per 100 persons; fixed-line is 1 per 100 subscriptions (2017)

general assessment

rudimentary system consisting of a modest number of landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a small radiotelephone communication system; fixed-line teledensity is low; mobile-cellular telephone system is expanding;  commerical services with LTE technology (2017)

international

country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); although expensive, given the need for access prices due to the fact that the country is landlocked, the internet has improved with the several submarine fibre optic cables which land on African east and west coasts (2016)

Telephones Fixed Lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

10,637 (2017 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

122 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

2,380,804 (2017 est.)

Airports

24 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

914 to 1,523 m

1 (2017)

over 3,047 m

1 (2017)

total

3 (2017)

under 914 m

1 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

914 to 1,523 m

5 (2013)

total

21 (2013)

under 914 m

16 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

7P (2016)

Roadways

paved

1,069 km (2011)

total

5,940 km (2011)

unpaved

4,871 km (2011)

Military Branches

Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army (includes Air Wing) (2012)

Military Expenditures

1.85% of GDP (2016)

1.89% of GDP (2015)

1.89% of GDP (2014)

1.89% of GDP (2013)

1.99% of GDP (2012)

Military Note

Lesotho's declared policy for its military is the maintenance of the country's sovereignty and the preservation of internal security; in practice, external security is guaranteed by South Africa

Military Service Age And Obligation

18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women serve as commissioned officers (2012)

Disputes International

South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration

Trafficking In Persons

current situation

Lesotho is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking and for men subjected to forced labor; in Lesotho and South Africa, Basotho women and children are subjected to domestic servitude, and Basotho children increasingly endure commercial sexual exploitation; some Basotho men who voluntarily migrate to South Africa for work become victims of forced labor in agriculture and mining or are coerced into committing crimes; foreign nationals continue to traffic fellow citizens in Lesotho

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List – Lesotho does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, Lesotho was granted a waiver from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 because its government has a written plan that, if implemented would constitute making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; the government failed to initiate any prosecutions against alleged traffickers and has not convicted any offenders under the 2011 anti-trafficking act, which remains unimplemented for a fifth year; authorities did not develop formal victim identification and referral procedures, did not establish victim care centers, as required under the 2011 anti-trafficking act, and did not support NGOs offering victims protective services (2015)