Lesotho
Kingdom of Lesotho
parliamentary constitutional monarchyIndependence 4 October 1966 (from UK)
Lesotho as the 2006 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 117 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled for the first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and reinstated in 1995. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after 7 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 Botswanan military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Constitutional reforms have since restored political stability; peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002.
Geography
Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
18 fieldsLand useshare of 30,355 sq km
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, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
- signed, but not ratified:
- Law of the Sea
Geography - note
landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea level
People
19 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2006 est.)
Note
Per 1,000 population(2006 est.)
Male · female
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.94 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.66 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Government
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy; King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996); Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 23 May 1998)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislature, 120 seats, elected 25 May 2002one dot, one seat
Percent of vote
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Kingdom of Lesotho
- conventional short form:
- Lesotho
- local long form:
- Kingdom of Lesotho
- local short form:
- Lesotho
- former:
- Basutoland
Capital
- name:
- Maseru
- geographic coordinates:
- 29 28 S, 27 30 E
- time difference:
- UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka
Legal system
- based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law;
- judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal;
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
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 depose the monarch, determine who is next in the line of succession, or who shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age
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 (120 seats, 80 by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms);
- note - number of seats in the Assembly rose from 80 to 120 in the May 2002 election
- elections:
- last held 25 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - LCD 54%, BNP 21%, LPC 7%, other 18%; seats by party - LCD 76, BNP 21, LPC 5, other 18
Judicial branch
- High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch acting on the advice of the Prime Minister);
- Court of Appeal;
- Magistrate's Court;
- customary or traditional court
Political parties and leaders
Basotholand African Congress or BAC [Khauhelo RALITAPOLE]; Basotholand Congress Party or BCP [Ntsukunyane MPHANYA]; Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justine Metsing LEKHANYA]; Kopanang Basotho Party or KPB [MOSALA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Pakalitha MOSISILI] (the governing party);
Lesotho Education Party or LEP [Thabo PITSO]; Lesotho People's Congress or LPC [Kelebone MAOPE]; Lesotho Workers Party of LWP [Macaefa BILLY]; Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP [Vincent MALEBO]; National Independent Party or NIP [Anthony MANYELI]; National Progressive Party or NPP [Chief Peete Nkoebe PEETE];
Popular Front for Democracy or PFD [Lekhetho RAKUOANE]; Sefate Democratic Union or SDU [Bofihla NKUEBE]; Social Democratic Party of SDP [Masitise SELESO]; United Democratic Party or UDP [C.D. MOFELI]; United Party or UP [Makara SEKAUTU]
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Molelekeng E. RAPOLAKI
- 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 June Carter PERRY
- embassy:
- 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section)
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho
- telephone:
- [266] 22 312666
- FAX:
- [266] 22 310116
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
Economy
Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho relies on remittances from miners employed in South Africa and customs duties from the Southern Africa Customs Union for the majority of government revenue.
42 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2005 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho relies on remittances from miners employed in South Africa and customs duties from the Southern Africa Customs Union for the majority of government revenue. However, the government has recently strengthened its tax system to reduce dependency on customs duties.
Completion of a major hydropower facility in January 1998 now permits the sale of water to South Africa, also generating royalties for Lesotho. As the number of mineworkers has declined steadily over the past several years, a small manufacturing base has developed based on farm products that support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries, as well as a rapidly expanding apparel-assembly sector.
The latter has grown significantly, mainly due to Lesotho qualifying for the trade benefits contained in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. The economy is still primarily based on subsistence agriculture, especially livestock, although drought has decreased agricultural activity.
The extreme inequality in the distribution of income remains a major drawback. Lesotho has signed an Interim Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility with the IMF.
Labor force - by occupation
- agriculture:
- 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa
- industry and services:
- 14%
Exports - commodities
manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000)
Imports - commodities
food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (2000)
Exchange rates
maloti per US dollar - 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- rudimentary system
- domestic:
- consists of a modest but growing number of landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a minor radiotelephone communication system;
- a cellular mobile telephone system is growing
- international:
- country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Transportation
4 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Military
Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army and Air Wing
6 fieldsMilitary - note
the Lesotho Government in 1999 began an open debate on the future structure, size, and role of the armed forces, especially considering the Lesotho Defense Force's (LDF) history of intervening in political affairs
Transnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Lesotho.” The World Factbook 2006. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/lesotho/2006.