View Intelligence Dossier Back to 1998 CSV Excel Print All Years

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture-products) [time series]

corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock

Budget [time series]

revenues: $507 million expenditures: $487 million, including capital expenditures of $170 million (FY96/97 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 loti (L) = 100 lisente note: maloti (M) is the plural form of loti

Debt - external (Debt-external) [time series]

$517 million (FY95/96 est.)

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic overview (Economy-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 miners employed in South Africa. The number of such mine workers has declined steadily over the past five years; in 1996 their remittances added about 33% to GDP compared with the addition of roughly 67% in 1990. Manufacturing depends largely on farm products which support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries. Recent foreign investments will enable Lesotho to export garments made from imported textiles. Although drought has decreased agricultural activity over the past few years, completion of a major hydropower facility in January 1998 now permits the sale of water to South Africa and will support the economy's continued expansion. The pace of the privatization of state-owned firms increased toward the end of 1994.

Electricity - capacity (Electricity-capacity) [time series]

0 kW (1995) note: electricity supplied by South Africa

Electricity - consumption per capita (Electricity-consumption per capita) [time series]

163 kWh (1995)

Electricity - production (Electricity-production) [time series]

0 kWh (1995) note: electricity supplied by South Africa

Exchange rates [time series]

maloti (M) per US$1-4.94193 (January 1998), 4.60796 (1997), 4.29935 (1996), 3.62709 (1995), 3.55080 (1994), 3.26774 (1993); note-the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand

Exports [time series]

total value: $218 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: clothing, wool, footwear, road vehicles, mohair (1995) partners: South African Customs Union 52%, North America 38%, EU 9% (1995)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April-31 March Communications

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

purchasing power parity-$5.1 billion (1997 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP-composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 10% industry: 53% services: 37% (1997)

Real GDP per capita (GDP-per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity-$2,500 (1997 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP-real growth rate) [time series]

9% (1997 est.)

Imports [time series]

total value: $1.1 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.) commodities: corn, clothing, building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (1993) partners: South African Customs Union 90%, Asia 6%, EU 2% (1995)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

19.7% (1995)

Industries [time series]

food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts; construction; tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate-consumer price index) [time series]

8.7% (1996 est.)

Labor force [time series]

total: 689,000 economically active by occupation: 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

66,000

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

rudimentary system domestic: consists of a few landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a minor radiotelephone communication system international: satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

12,000 (1991 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

Televisions [time series]

11,000 (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

substantial unemployment and underemployment effecting more than half of the labor force (1996 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 30,350 sq km land: 30,350 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative (Area-comparative) [time series]

slightly smaller than Maryland

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m highest point: Mount Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m

Environment - current issues (Environment-current issues) [time series]

population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa

International environmental agreements (Environment-international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

Geographic coordinates [time series]

29 30 S, 28 30 E

Geography - note (Geography-note) [time series]

landlocked; surrounded by South Africa

Irrigated land [time series]

30 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 909 km border countries: South Africa 909 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 11% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: 66% forests and woodland: NA% other: 23% (1993 est.)

Location [time series]

Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa

Map references [time series]

Africa

Maritime claims [time series]

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards [time series]

periodic droughts

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

mostly highland with 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

Constitution [time series]

2 April 1993

Country name [time series]

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

Data code [time series]

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Bismarck MYRICK embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section) mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho telephone: [266] 312666

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Eunice M. BULANE chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996, succeeded to the throne following the death of his father, King MOSHOESHOE II, on 16 January 1996); note-King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne (November 1990 to February 1995) while his father was in exile head of government: Prime Minister Ntsu MOKHEHLE (since 2 April 1993) cabinet: Cabinet elections: none; the king is a hereditary monarch, but, under the terms of the constitution which came into effect after the March 1993 election, he has no executive or legislative powers; moreover, under traditional law the king can be elected or deposed by a majority vote of the College of Chiefs; following legislative elections, the leader of the party that wins the most seats usually becomes prime minister

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

[1] (202) 234-6815

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

[266] 310116

Flag (Flag description) [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

Government type [time series]

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Independence [time series]

4 October 1966 (from UK)

International organization participation [time series]

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFCTU, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch [time series]

High Court, Chief Justice appointed by the king; 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 consists of the Senate (33 members-22 principal chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the ruling party) and the Assembly (65 seats; members elected for a five-year term by popular vote) elections: last held 27 March 1993 (next to be held in May 1998) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-BCP 65 note: due to a schism in the BCP, Prime Minister Ntsu MOKHEHLE formed the new Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD in June 1997, taking 42 seats away from the BCP, reducing it to 23 seats and the role of an opposition party

Capital (National capital) [time series]

Maseru

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 4 October (1966)

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

ruling party: Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Dr. Ntsu MOKHEHLE, leader; Shakhane MOKHEHLE, secretary general] opposition party: Basotho National Party or BNP [Evaristus SEKHONYANA]; Basotholand Congress Party or BCP [Molapo QHOBELA]; Ha Reeng ('Let's Go') Basotho Party or HBP [Khauta KHASU]; Lesotho Labor Party or LLP [Mamolefi RANTHIMO]; Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP [Vincent MALEBO]; National Progressive Party or NPP [Chief Peete Nkoebe PEETE, leader]; Sefate Democratic Union or SDU [Bofihla NKUEBE]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Charles MOFELI]

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal (constitutional amendment, July 1997)

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure (Military expenditures-dollar figure) [time series]

$NA

Military expenditures (Military expenditures-percent of GDP) [time series]

NA%

Military manpower - availability (Military manpower-availability) [time series]

males age 15-49: 490,128 (1998 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service (Military manpower-fit for military service) [time series]

males: 264,255 (1998 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 40% (male 420,526; female 419,059) 15-64 years: 55% (male 558,068; female 596,598) 65 years and over: 5% (male 39,782; female 55,796) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

31.84 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate [time series]

12.76 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

Sotho 99.7%, Europeans 1,600, Asians 800

Infant mortality rate [time series]

78.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 53.97 years male: 52.18 years female: 55.81 years (1998 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 71.3% male: 81.1% female: 62.3% (1995 est.)

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Population [time series]

2,089,829 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.91% (1998 est.)

Religions [time series]

Christian 80%, rest indigenous beliefs

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.13 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Transnational Issues

Current issues [time series]

The Abuja Peace Accords ended seven years of civil warfare in Liberia. More than 20,000 of the estimated 33,000 factional fighters gave up their arms to the Cease-Fire Monitoring Group of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOMOG). Free and open presidential and legislative elections were held 19 July 1997; former faction leader, Charles TAYLOR, and his National Patriotic Party won overwhelming victories. The years of civil strife coupled with the flight of most business people disrupted formal economic activity, but with peace restored and a popularly-elected government installed, the difficult task of rebuilding the social and economic structure of this war-torn country can proceed.

Disputes - international (Disputes-international) [time series]

none LIBERIA Introduction

Transportation

Airports [time series]

29 (1997 est.)

Airports - with paved runways (Airports-with paved runways) [time series]

total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways (Airports-with unpaved runways) [time series]

total: 26 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 22 (1997 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 4,955 km paved: 887 km unpaved: 4,068 km (1996 est.)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

none

Railways [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 (1995)