Lesotho

constitutional monarchyIndependence 4 October 1966 (from UK

Lesotho as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 65 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalMaseru

Area30,350 km2

Populationas each edition published it

1.8 million July 1991 · 1.75m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.52% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 19.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 61.73 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4.8 children per woman 1991 · 4.9 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

78 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 80 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $340 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 5.3% in 1993

Geography

11 fields

Total area

30,350km2

land area: 30,350 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland

Land boundary

909km with South Africa

Climate

temperate;
cool to cold, dry winters;
hot, wet summers

Terrain

mostly highland with some plateaus, hills, and mountains

Natural resources

some diamonds and other minerals, water, agricultural and grazing land

Land use

arable land 10%;
permanent crops 0%;
meadows and pastures 66%;
forest and woodland 0%;
other 24%

Environment

population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, soil exhaustion; desertification

Note

landlocked;
surrounded by South Africa;
Highlands Water Project will control, store, and redirect water to South Africa

People

14 fields

Population

1,801,174

(July 1991), growth rate 2.6% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

36Death

10Net migration

Labor force

689,000economically active

86.2% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 60% of active male labor force works in South Africa

Literacy

59%

(male 44%, female 68%) age 15 and over can read and write (1966)

Nationality

noun--Mosotho (sing.), Basotho (pl.); adjective--Basotho

Ethnic divisions

Sotho 99.7%; Europeans 1,600, Asians 800

Language

Sesotho (southern Sotho) and English (official); also Zulu and Xhosa

Organized labor

there are two trade union federations; the government favors formation of a single, umbrella trade union confederation

Government

Constitutional monarchy

16 fields

Administrative divisions

10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qachas Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka

Independence

4 October 1966 (from UK; formerly Basutoland)

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

Executive branch

monarch, chairman of the Military Council, Military Council, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

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

High Court, Court of Appeal 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) 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 National Assembly--dissolved following the military coup in January 1986; military has pledged elections will take place in June 1992

Communists

small Lesotho Communist Party

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

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

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

Economy

Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho has no important natural resources other than water.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$420million

per capita $240; real growth rate 4.0% (1990 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

15%

(1990 est.)

Unemployment rate

23%

(1988)

External debt

$370million

(December 1990 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$280 millionExpenditures

$288 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92 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.

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)

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

Electricity

power supplied by South Africa

Industries

food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts, tourism

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

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

Currency

loti (plural--maloti); 1 loti (L) = 100 lisente

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

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March

Communications

5 fields

Airports, 28 total, 28 usable

permanent surface runways

3runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

1runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

5,167Railroads

1.6

Highways: ; 508 km paved; 1,585 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; 946 km improved earth, 2,128 km unimproved earth · Railroads: ; owned, operated, and included in the statistics of South Africa

Railroads

1.6 km; owned, operated, and included in the statistics of South Africa

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

Civil air

2 major transport aircraft

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