Airports [time series]

28 total, 28 usable; 3 with permanent surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

2 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

5,167 km total; 508 km paved; 1,585 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; 946 km improved earth, 2,128 km unimproved earth

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

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

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

rudimentary system consisting of a few land lines, a small radio relay system, and minor radiocommunication stations; 5,920 telephones; stations--2 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$55 million, 8.6% of GDP (1990 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 394,829; 212,967 fit for military service

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 18% of GDP and employs 60-70% of all households; exceedingly primitive, mostly subsistence farming and livestock; principal crops are corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley

Budget [time series]

revenues $280 million; expenditures $288 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

loti (plural--maloti); 1 loti (L) = 100 lisente

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $268 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $754 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $14 million

Electricity [time series]

power supplied by South Africa

Exchange rates [time series]

maloti (M) per US$1--2.5625 (January 1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685 (1986), 2.1911 (1985); note--the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand

Exports [time series]

$66 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--wool, mohair, wheat, cattle, peas, beans, corn, hides, skins, baskets; partners--South Africa 53%, EC 30%, North and South America 13% (1989)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$370 million (December 1990 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April-31 March

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$420 million, per capita $240; real growth rate 4.0% (1990 est.)

Imports [time series]

$499 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--mainly corn, building materials, clothing, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum, oil, and lubricants; partners--South Africa 95%, EC 2% (1989)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 7.8% (1989 est.); accounts for 15% of GDP

Industries [time series]

food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

15% (1990 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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 ($153 million in 1989). 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 light engineering. Industry's share of GDP rose from 6% in 1982 to 15% in 1989. Political and economic instability in South Africa raise uncertainties for Lesotho's economy, especially with respect to migrant worker remittances--over one-third of GDP.

Unemployment rate [time series]

23% (1988)

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

none--landlocked

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly larger than Maryland

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Land boundaries (Land boundary) [time series]

909 km with South Africa

Land use [time series]

arable land 10%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 66%; forest and woodland 0%; other 24%

Maritime claims [time series]

none--landlocked

Natural resources [time series]

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

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

mostly highland with some plateaus, hills, and mountains

Area (Total area) [time series]

30,350 km2; land area: 30,350 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qachas Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka

Capital [time series]

Maseru

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

small Lesotho Communist Party

Constitution [time series]

4 October 1966, suspended January 1970

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador W. T. VAN TONDER; Chancery at 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-5 534; US--Ambassador Leonard H.O. SPEARMAN, Jr.; Embassy at address NA, Maseru (mailing address is P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100); telephone [266] 312666

Executive branch [time series]

monarch, chairman of the Military Council, Military Council, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

4 October 1966 (from UK; formerly Basutoland)

Judicial branch [time series]

High Court, Court of Appeal 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 Col. Elias Phisoana RAMAEMA (since 30 April 1991) Basotho National Party (BNP), Matete MAJARA (interim leader); Basutoland Congress Party (BCP), Ntsu MOKHEHLE; National Independent Party (NIP), A. C. MANYELI; Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP), S. H. MAPHELEBA; United Democratic Party, Charles MOFELI; Communist Party of Lesotho (CPL), Jacob KENYA

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

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

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Kingdom of Lesotho

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 4 October (1966)

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 21 National Assembly--dissolved following the military coup in January 1986; military has pledged elections will take place in June 1992

Government type (Type) [time series]

constitutional monarchy

Birth rate [time series]

36 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Sotho 99.7%; Europeans 1,600, Asians 800

Infant mortality rate [time series]

78 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

689,000 economically active; 86.2% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 60% of active male labor force works in South Africa

Languages (Language) [time series]

Sesotho (southern Sotho) and English (official); also Zulu and Xhosa

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

59 years male, 63 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

59% (male 44%, female 68%) age 15 and over can read and write (1966)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Mosotho (sing.), Basotho (pl.); adjective--Basotho

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

there are two trade union federations; the government favors formation of a single, umbrella trade union confederation

Population [time series]

1,801,174 (July 1991), growth rate 2.6% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

Christian 80%, rest indigenous beliefs

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.8 children born/woman (1991)