Broadcast media (Radio) [time series]

broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

5,920 telephones; rudimentary system local: NA intercity: consists of a few land lines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a minor radio communication system international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Broadcast media (Television) [time series]

broadcast stations: 1 televisions: NA

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Lesotho Defense Force (LDF; includes Army and Air Wing), Lesotho Mounted Police

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $25 million, NA% of GDP (1994) LIBERIA

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 453,844; males fit for military service 244,767 (1995 est.)

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 50% of GDP (1993 est.); exceedingly primitive, mostly subsistence farming and livestock; principal crops corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley

Budget [time series]

revenues: $438 million expenditures: $430 million, including capital expenditures of $155 million (FY93/94 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 loti (L) = 100 lisente

Economic aid [time series]

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

Electricity [time series]

power supplied by South Africa

Exchange rates [time series]

maloti (M) per US$1 - 3.5389 (January 1995), 3.5490 (1994), 3.2636 (1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7563 (1991), 2.5863 (1990); note - the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand

Exports [time series]

$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)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$512 million (1993)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April - 31 March

Imports [time series]

$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)

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

growth rate 10%; accounts for 17% of GDP (1993 est.)

Industries [time series]

food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

13.9% (1993)

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

GDP - purchasing power parity - $2.6 billion (1994 est.)

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

$1,340 (1994 est.)

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

6% (1994 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 (these remittances supplement domestic income by as much as 45%). The great majority of households gain their livelihoods from subsistence farming and migrant labor; a large portion of the adult male work force 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. Although drought has decreased agricultural activity over the past few years, improvement of a major hydropower facility will permit the sale of water to South Africa and allow Lesotho's economy to continue its moderate growth.

Unemployment rate [time series]

substantial unemployment and underemployment

Area [time series]

total area: 30,350 sq km land area: 30,350 sq km 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]

current issues: population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project will control, store, and redirect water to South Africa natural hazards: periodic droughts international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

NA sq km

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

Maritime claims [time series]

none; landlocked

Natural resources [time series]

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

Note [time series]

landlocked; surrounded by South Africa

Terrain [time series]

mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains

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]

2 April 1993

Digraph [time series]

LT

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

chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Mokhali A. LITHEBE (since 2 July 1994) chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: King MOSHOESHOE II (since February 1995) head of government: Prime Minister Ntsu MOKHEHLE (since 2 April 1993) cabinet: Cabinet

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

[1] (202) 234-6815

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

[266] 310116

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, Magistrate's Court, customary or traditional court

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]

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 11 other members appointed by the ruling party; election last held in March 1993 (first since 1971); all 65 seats in the Assembly were won by the BCP

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, 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; Basotho 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

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 Myrick BISMARCK embassy: address NA, Maseru mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho telephone: [266] 312666

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 41% (female 407,213; male 416,709) 15-64 years: 54% (female 558,106; male 520,961) 65 years and over: 5% (female 51,809; male 38,162) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

33.39 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate [time series]

8.96 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Sotho 99.7%, Europeans 1,600, Asians 800

Infant mortality rate [time series]

67.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Labor force [time series]

689,000 economically active by occupation: 86.2% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 60% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 62.56 years male: 60.74 years female: 64.43 years (1995 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 (1995 est.)

Population [time series]

1,992,960 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.44% (1995 est.)

Religions [time series]

Christian 80%, rest indigenous beliefs

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.41 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Airports [time series]

total: 29 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 23 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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)

Ports [time series]

none

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

total: 2.6 km; note - owned by, operated by, and included in the statistics of South Africa narrow gauge: 2.6 km 1.067-m gauge