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Communications

Airports [time series]

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

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

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% of GDP (1990 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 422,802; fit for military service 228,102 (1993 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 19% of GDP (1990 est.) and employs 60-70% of all households; exceedingly primitive, mostly subsistence farming and livestock; principal crops corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley

Budget [time series]

revenues $388 million; expenditures $399 million, including capital expenditures of $132 million (FY93)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 loti (L) = 100 lisente

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $268 million; US, $10.3 million (1992), $10.1 million (1993 est.); 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 - 3.1576 (May 1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7563 (1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988); note - the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand

Exports [time series]

$57 million (f.o.b., 1991) 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]

$358 million (for public sector) (December 1990/91 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April - 31 March

Imports [time series]

$805 million (c.i.f., 1991) 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 5.0% (1991 est.); accounts for 11% of GDP

Industries [time series]

food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

17.9% (1991)

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

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $620 million (1991 est.) note: GNP of $1.0 billion (1991 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$340 (1991 est.); GNP $570 (1991 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

5.3% (1991 est.); GNP 2.2% (1991 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 ($439 million in 1991). 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 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 15% in 1989. Political and economic instability in South Africa raises uncertainty for Lesotho's economy, especially with respect to migrant worker remittances - recently the equivalent of nearly three-fourths of domestic output.

Unemployment rate [time series]

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

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 30,350 km2 land area: 30,350 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

0 km (landlocked)

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

NA km2

Land boundaries [time series]

total 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%

Location [time series]

Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa

Map references [time series]

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

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

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

Digraph [time series]

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Designate Teboho KITLEI chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 797-5534

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

National Assembly: dissolved following the military coup in January 1986; military has pledged elections will take place in March 1993

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)

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 Gen. 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

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, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Country name (Names) [time series]

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

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), Vincent MALEBO; United Democratic Party, Charles MOFELI; Communist Party of Lesotho (CPL), JCOB M. KENA

Suffrage [time series]

21 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

constitutional monarchy

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Leonard H.O. SPEARMAN, Sr. embassy: address NA, Maseru mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100 Lesotho telephone: [266] 312-666 FAX: (266) 310-116

People

Birth rate [time series]

34.64 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

9.44 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Sotho 99.7%, Europeans 1,600, Asians 800

Infant mortality rate [time series]

71.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

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

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 61.73 years male: 59.91 years female: 63.6 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

1,896,484 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.52% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

Christian 80%, rest indigenous beliefs

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.6 children born/woman (1993 est.)