Lesotho

Kingdom of Lesotho conventional short form: Lesotho former: Basutoland

parliamentary constitutional monarchyIndependence 4 October 1966 (from UK)

Lesotho as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 113 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

Position29 30 S, 28 30 E

Area30,355 sq km land: 30,355 sq km water: 0 sq km

LocationSouthern Africa, an enclave of South Africa

Populationas each edition published it

2.18 million July 2001 est. · 1.75m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.49% 2001 est. · 2.52% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 19.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

48.84 years 2001 est. · 61.73 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4.08 children per woman 2001 est. · 4.9 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

82.77 deaths per 1,000 live births 2001 est. · 80 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$2,400 2000 est. · $340 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

2.5% 2000 est. · 5.3% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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.

Geography

Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa

18 fields

Coastline

0km

(landlocked)Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Irrigated land

30sq km

(1993 est.)

Location

Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa

Area

total: 30,355 sq km land: 30,355 sq km water: 0 sq km

Land boundaries

total: 909 km border countries: South Africa 909 km

Climate

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

Terrain

mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains

Elevation extremes

lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m

Natural resources

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

Land use

arable land: 11% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 66% forests and woodland: 0% other: 23% (1993 est.)

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, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

Geography - note

landlocked; surrounded by South Africa

People

18 fields

Per 1,000 population(2001 est.)

Birth

31.24Death

15.7Net migration

-0.63

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

23.57%

(1999 est.)

Population

2,177,062 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 2001 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 39.28% (male 430,147; female 424,994) 15-64 years: 56.03% (male 588,440; female 631,404) 65 years and over: 4.69% (male 43,033; female 59,044) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate

1.49% (2001 est.)

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 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate

82.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 48.84 years male: 47.97 years female: 49.74 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.08 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

240,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

16,000 (1999 est.)

Nationality

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

Ethnic groups

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

Religions

Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%

Languages

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

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 83% male: 72% female: 93% (1999 est.)

Government

Parliamentary constitutional monarchy; King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996)

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Presidential electionpercent of vote

60.7%

LCD 60.7%BNP 24.5%other 14.8%

Country name

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

Government type

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Capital

Maseru

Administrative divisions

10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales 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

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

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 head of government: Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 23 May 1998) cabinet: Cabinet 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

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;
on 28 February 2001, the Senate approved expansion of the Assembly by a further 50 seats in the next election, which may be held as early as January 2002 elections: last held 23 May 1998 (next to be held NA March 2001) election results: percent of vote by party - LCD 60.7%, BNP 24.5%, other 14.8%;
seats by party - LCD 79, BNP 1 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.

Judicial branch

High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch);
Court of Appeal;
Magistrate's Court;
customary or traditional court

Political parties and leaders

Basotho Congress Party or BCP [Tseliso MAKHAKHE]; Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justine Metsing LEKHANYA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Phebe MOTEBANO, chairwoman; Dr. Pakalitha MOSISILI, leader] - the governing party; United Democratic Party or UDP [Charles MOFELI];

Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP and Setlamo Alliance [Vincent MALEBO]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Chief Peete Nkoebe PEETE]; Sefate Democratic Party or SDP [Bofihla NKUEBE]

Political pressure groups and leaders

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, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Lebohang Kenneth MOLEKO chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536

FAX

[1] (202) 234-6815

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: [266] 312666

FAX

[266] 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

Economy

Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho's primary natural resource is water.

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Real growth rate

2.5%

(2000 est.)industrial production growth: 15.5% (1999 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

(2000 est.)

Unemployment rate

45%

(2000 est.)

Population below poverty line

49.2%

(1999 est.)

Economy - overview

Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho's primary natural resource is water. Its economy is based on subsistence agriculture, livestock, and remittances from miners employed in South Africa. The number of such mineworkers has declined steadily over the past several years. A small manufacturing base depends largely on farm products that 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 for Lesotho.

The pace of substantial privatization has increased in recent years. In December 1999, the government embarked on a nine-month IMF staff-monitored program aimed at structural adjustment and stabilization of macroeconomic fundamentals. The government is in the process of applying for a three-year successor program with the IMF under its Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $5.1 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,400 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 18% industry: 38% services: 44% (1999)

Labor force

700,000 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

Budget

revenues: $76 million expenditures: $80 million, including capital expenditures of $15 million (FY99/00 est.)

Industries

food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts;
construction;
tourism

Electricity - production

0 kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (1999)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 0% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption

55 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports

55 million kWh note: electricity supplied by South Africa (1999)

Agriculture - products

corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock

Exports

$175 million (f.o.b., 2000 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)

Imports

$700 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

South African Customs Union 90%, Asia 7% (1998)

Debt - external

$720 million (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$123.7 million (1995)

Currency

loti (LSL); South African rand (ZAR)

Currency code

LSL; ZAR

Exchange rates

maloti per US dollar - 7.78307 (January 2001), 6.93983 (2000), 6.10948 (1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796 (1997), 4.29935 (1996);
note - the Lesotho loti is at par with the South African rand which is also legal tender;
maloti is the plural form of loti

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Communications

10 fields

Mobile cellular

1,262

(1996)

Internet users

(2000)

Fixed lines

20,000

(1997) · country code .ls

Telephone system

general assessment: 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)