Lesotho




                                 Geography


Location:
     Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
Map references:
     Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     30,350 sq km
land area:
     30,350 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries:
     total 909 km, South Africa 909 km
Coastline:
     0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
     none; landlocked
International disputes:
     none
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
Land use:
arable land:
     10%
permanent crops:
     0%
meadows and pastures:
     66%
forest and woodland:
     0%
other:
     24%
Irrigated land:
     NA sq km
Environment:
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




                                  People


Population:
     1,944,493 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     2.48% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     34 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     9.19 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     69.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
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.)
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
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1966)
total population:
     59%
male:
     44%
female:
     68%
Labor force:
     689,000 economically active
by occupation:
     86.2% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture;
     roughly 60% of active male labor force works in South Africa


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Kingdom of Lesotho
conventional short form:






former:
     Basutoland
Digraph:
     LT
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
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:
     21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
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
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Teboho KITLELI
chancery:
     2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008




telephone:
     (202) 797-5533 through 5536
FAX:
     (202) 234-6815
US diplomatic representation:
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


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.)
National product real growth rate:
     2.4% (FY 93)
National product per capita:
     $1,500 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     17% (FY93)
Unemployment rate:
     at least 55% among adult males (1991 est.)
Budget:
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)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 5% (1991 est.); accounts for 13% of GDP
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
Economic aid:
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


Railroads:
     2.6 km; owned, operated by, and included in the statistics of South
     Africa
Highways:
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)
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


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.)