Lesotho

constitutional monarchyIndependence 4 October 1966 (from UK)

Lesotho as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 109 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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CapitalMaseru
LocationSouthern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
1994

Every edition of Lesotho

Populationas each edition published it
1.94 million July 1994 est. · 1.75m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.48% 1994 est. · 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
4.5 children per woman 1994 est. · 4.9 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
69.5 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 80 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$1,500 1993 est. · $340 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
2.4% 5.3% in 1993

Geography

Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa

43 fields
Coastline
0km
(landlocked)Maritime claims: none; landlocked
Land boundaries
909km
total · South Africa 909 km
Population
1,944,493
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 2.48% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
34Death
9.19Net migration
0
Labor force
689,000economically active
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1966)

Location

Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

30,350 sq km

land area

30,350 sq km

comparative area

slightly larger than Maryland

Climate

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

Terrain

mostly highland with some plateaus, hills, and mountains

Natural resources

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

arable land

10%

permanent crops

0%

meadows and pastures

66%

forest and woodland

0%

other

24%

current issues

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

natural hazards

subject to periods of drought

international agreements

  • party to - Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands;
  • signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

Note

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

Infant mortality rate

69.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

62.14 years

male

60.32 years

female

64.01 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.5 children born/woman (1994 est.)

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

total population

59%

male

44%

female

68%

by occupation

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

Government

Constitutional monarchy

29 fields

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)

National holiday

Independence Day, 4 October (1966)

Constitution

2 April 1993

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

chief of state

King LETSIE III (since 12 November 1990)

head of government

Prime Minister Ntsu MOKHEHLE (since 2 April 1993 )

cabinet

Cabinet

Legislative branch

  • bicameral Parliament consisting of the Assembly or lower house whose members are chosen by popular election and the Senate or upper house whose members consist of the 22 principal chiefs and 10 other members appointed by the ruling party;
  • election held in March 1993 (first since 1971);
  • all 65 seats in the Assembly were won by the BCP

Judicial branch

High Court, Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

  • Basotho National Party (BNP), Evaristus SEKHONYANA;
  • Basutholand 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), Jacob M. KENA

Member of

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador Teboho KITLELI

chancery

2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

(202) 797-5533 through 5536

FAX

(202) 234-6815

chief of mission

(vacant); Charge d'Affaires Karl HOFMANN

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.

23 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$1,500
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
2.4%
(FY 93)industrial production growth: growth rate 5% (1991 est.); accounts for 13% of GDP
Unemployment rate
55%among adult males
at least · (1991 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 (recently equal to about 45% of GDP). The great majority of households gain their livelihoods from subsistence farming and migrant labor;

a large portion of the adult male workforce is employed in South African mines. 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 13% in 1991.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $2.8 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$438 million

expenditures

$430 million, including capital expenditures of $155 million (1994 est.)

Exports

$109 million (f.o.b., 1992)

commodities

wool, mohair, wheat, cattle, peas, beans, corn, hides, skins, baskets

partners

South Africa 42%, EC 28%, North and South America 25% (1991)

Imports

$964 million (c.i.f., 1992)

commodities

mainly corn, building materials, clothing, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum

partners

South Africa 94%, Asia 3%, EC 1% (1991)

External debt

$428 million (1991)

Electricity

power supplied by South Africa

Industries

food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts, tourism

Agriculture

  • accounts for 15% of GDP (1991 est.) and employs 60-70% of all households;
  • exceedingly primitive, mostly subsistence farming and livestock;
  • principal crops corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley

recipient

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $268 million;
  • US (1992), $10.3 million;
  • US (1993 est.), $10.1 million;
  • 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 - 3.4096 (January 1994), 3.2636 (1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7563 (1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989);
  • note - the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Communications

11 fields

Railroads

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

total

7,215 km

paved

572 km

unpaved

  • gravel, stabilized earth 2,337 km;
  • improved earth 1,806 km;
  • unimproved earth 2,500 km (1988)

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 15-49 438,096; fit for military service 236,324

Defense expenditures

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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Lesotho.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/lesotho/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →