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Communications

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]

1 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

7,215 km total; 572 km paved; 2,337 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; 1,806 km improved earth, 2,500 km unimproved earth (1988)

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

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

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

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

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $55 million, 13.1% of GDP (1990 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 408,003; 220,129 fit for military service

Economy

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]

expenditures $399 million, including capital expenditures of $132 million (FY92-93)

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 (1970-89), $819 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 - 2.8809 (March 1992), 2.7563 (1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987); note - the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand

Exports [time series]

$59 million (f.o.b., 1990) 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]

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

Imports [time series]

$604 million (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: mainly corn, building materials, clothing, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum 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 raises uncertainty for Lesotho's economy, especially with respect to migrant worker remittances - typically about 40% of GDP.

Unemployment rate [time series]

at least 55% among adult males (1991 est.)

Geography

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

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

none

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Area (Land area) [time series]

30,350 km2

Land boundaries [time series]

909 km; South Africa 909 km

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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka

Capital [time series]

Maseru

Constitution [time series]

4 October 1966, suspended January 1970

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

Ambassador Tseliso THAMAE; Chancery at 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-5534 US: Ambassador Leonard H.O. SPEARMAN, Sr.; Embassy at address NA, Maseru (mailing address is P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100 Lesotho); telephone [266] 312-666; FAX (266) 310-116

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

National Assembly: dissolved following the military coup in January 1986; military has pledged elections will take place in June 1992

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

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

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)

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)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Basotho National Party (BNP), Evaristus SEKHONYANA; Basutoland Congress Party (BCP), Ntsu MOKHEHLE; National Independent Party (NIP), A. C. MANYELI; Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP), Bernard M. KHAKETLA; United Democratic Party, Charles MOFELI; Communist Party of Lesotho (CPL), J. M. KENA

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 21

Government type (Type) [time series]

constitutional monarchy

People

Birth rate [time series]

35 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Sotho 99.7%; Europeans 1,600, Asians 800

Infant mortality rate [time series]

74 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

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 [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

60 years male, 63 years female (1992)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun - Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural); adjective - Basotho

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

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

Population [time series]

1,848,925 (July 1992), growth rate 2.6% (1992)

Religions [time series]

Christian 80%, rest indigenous beliefs

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.7 children born/woman (1992)