Lesotho

Kingdom of Lesotho

constitutional monarchyIndependence 4 October 1966 (from UK)

Lesotho as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 73 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
LocationSouthern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
1993

Every edition of Lesotho

Populationas each edition published it
1.9 million July 1993 est. · 1.75m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.52% 1993 est. · 0.73% in 2025
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 19.8 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
61.73 years 1993 est. · 60.2 yrs in 2025
Fertility ratechildren per woman
4.6 children per woman 1993 est. · 4.9 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
71.5 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 80 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$340 1991 est. · $2,600 in 2025
GDP real growth% a year
5.3% 1991 est. · 2.8% in 2025

Geography

Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa

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Area
30,350km2
land area: 30,350 km2comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
Coastline
0km
(landlocked)Maritime claims: none; landlocked
Land boundaries
909km
total · South Africa 909 km

Location

Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

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
1,896,484
(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 2.52% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth
34.64Death
9.44Net migration
0

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years61.73
59.91 · 63.6
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy59%
44% · 68%
MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1966)
Labor force
689,000economically active
by occupation: 86.2% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 60% of active male labor force works in South Africa

Infant mortality rate

71.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.6 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
adjective:
Basotho

Ethnic divisions

Sotho 99.7%, Europeans 1,600, Asians 800

Religions

Christian 80%, rest indigenous beliefs

Languages

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

Government

Constitutional monarchy

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Names

conventional long form:
Kingdom of Lesotho
conventional short form:
Lesotho
former:
Basutoland

Type

constitutional monarchy

Capital

Maseru

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

4 October 1966 (from UK)

Constitution

4 October 1966, suspended January 1970

National holiday

Independence Day, 4 October (1966)

Political parties and leaders

  • Basotho National Party (BNP), Evaristus SEKHONYANA;
  • Basutoland Congress Party (BCP), Ntsu MOKHEHLE;
  • National Independent Party (NIP), A. C. MANYELI;
  • Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP), Vincent MALEBO;
  • United Democratic Party, Charles MOFELI;
  • Communist Party of Lesotho (CPL), JCOB M. KENA

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Elections

National Assembly: dissolved following the military coup in January 1986; military has pledged elections will take place in March 1993

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

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 Gen. Elias Phisoana RAMAEMA (since 30 April 1991)

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, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Designate Teboho KITLEI
chancery:
2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 797-5534

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:
Ambassador Leonard H.O. SPEARMAN, Sr.
embassy:
address NA, Maseru
mailing address:
P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100 Lesotho
telephone:
[266] 312-666
FAX:
(266) 310-116

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.

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GDP per capita, PPP
$340
(1991 est.); GNP $570 (1991 est.)
Real growth rate
5.3%
(1991 est.); GNP 2.2% (1991 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 5.0% (1991 est.); accounts for 11% of GDP
Unemployment rate
55%among adult males
at least · (1991 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$388 millionExpenditures
$399 million
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $132 million (FY93)

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 ($439 million in 1991). 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 construction (in particular, a major water improvement project which will permit the sale of water to South Africa). Industry's share of GDP rose from 6% in 1982 to 15% in 1989.

Political and economic instability in South Africa raises uncertainty for Lesotho's economy, especially with respect to migrant worker remittances - recently the equivalent of nearly three-fourths of domestic output.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $620 million (1991 est.) note: GNP of $1.0 billion (1991 est.)

Exports

$57 million (f.o.b., 1991)

commodities:
wool, mohair, wheat, cattle, peas, beans, corn, hides, skins, baskets
partners:
South Africa 53%, EC 30%, North and South America 13% (1989)

Imports

$805 million (c.i.f., 1991)

commodities:
mainly corn, building materials, clothing, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum
partners:
South Africa 95%, EC 2% (1989)

External debt

$358 million (for public sector) (December 1990/91 est.)

Electricity

power supplied by South Africa

Industries

food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts, tourism

Agriculture

  • accounts for 19% of GDP (1990 est.) and employs 60-70% of all households;
  • exceedingly primitive, mostly subsistence farming and livestock;
  • principal crops corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley

Economic aid

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $268 million;
  • US, $10.3 million (1992), $10.1 million (1993 est.);
  • Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $819 million;
  • OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million;
  • Communist countries (1970-89), $14 million

Currency

1 loti (L) = 100 lisente

Exchange rates

  • maloti (M) per US$1 - 3.1576 (May 1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7563 (1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988);
  • note - the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Communications

4 fields

Networkskm

Highways
7,215Railroads
2.6
Highways: ; 572 km paved; 2,337 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; 1,806 km improved earth, 2,500 km unimproved earth · Railroads: ; owned, operated by, and included in the statistics of South Africa

Railroads

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

Highways

  • 7,215 km total;
  • 572 km paved;
  • 2,337 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil;
  • 1,806 km improved earth, 2,500 km unimproved earth

Airports

total:
28
usable:
28
with permanent-surface runways:
3
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
2

Telecommunications

  • rudimentary system consisting of a few landlines, a small microwave system, and minor radio communications stations;
  • 5,920 telephones;
  • broadcast stations - 3 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV;
  • 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Royal Lesotho Defense Force (RLDF; including Army, Air Wing), Royal Lesotho | Mounted Police

3 fields

Branches

Royal Lesotho Defense Force (RLDF; including Army, Air Wing), Royal Lesotho Mounted Police

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 422,802; fit for military service 228,102 (1993 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $55 million, 13% of GDP (1990 est.)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Lesotho.” The World Factbook 1993. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/lesotho/1993.

How to cite ← 1992 edition 1994 edition →