View Intelligence Dossier Back to 1999 CSV Excel Print All Years

Communications

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.)

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]

$660 million (1997 est.)

Economic aid (Economic aid--recipient) [time series]

$123.7 million (1995)

Economic overview (Economy--overview) [time series]

Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho's only important natural resource is water. Its economy is based on subsistence agriculture, livestock, and remittances from miners employed in South Africa. The number of such mine workers has declined steadily over the past several years. In 1996 their remittances added about 33% to GDP compared with the addition of roughly 67% in 1990. A small manufacturing base depends largely on farm products which support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries. Agricultural products are exported primarily to South Africa. Proceeds from membership in a common customs union with South Africa form the majority of government revenue. 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, generating royalties that will be an important source of income for Lesotho. The pace of parastatal privatization has increased in recent years. Civil disorder in September 1998 destroyed 80% of the commercial infrastructure in Maseru and two other major towns. Most firms were not covered by insurance, and the rebuilding of small and medium business will be a significant challenge in terms of both economic growth and employment levels.

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

335 million kWh (1996)

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

0 kWh (1996)

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

335 million kWh (1996)

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

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

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

fossil fuel: NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA%

Exchange rates [time series]

maloti (M) per US$1--5.98380 (January 1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796 (1997), 4.29935 (1996), 3.62709 (1995), 3.55080 (1994); note--the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand

Exports [time series]

$200 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)

Exports - commodities (Exports--commodities) [time series]

manufactures 65% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair 7%, food and live animals 7% (1996)

Exports - partners (Exports--partners) [time series]

South African Customs Union 66%, North America 26%, EU 4% (1996)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April--31 March

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: 14% industry: 42% services: 44% (1996 est.)

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

purchasing power parity?$2,400 (1997 est.)

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

10% (1997 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 0.9% highest 10%: 43.4% (1986-87)

Imports [time series]

$880 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)

Imports - commodities (Imports--commodities) [time series]

food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (1995)

Imports - partners (Imports--partners) [time series]

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) [time series]

8% (1997 est.)

Labor force [time series]

689,000 economically active

Labor force - by occupation (Labor force--by occupation) [time series]

86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa

Population below poverty line [time series]

49.2% (1993 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: 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 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, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka

Capital [time series]

Maseru

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 Katherine H. PETERSON embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section) mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Eunice M. BULANE chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

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 Pakalitha MOSISILI (since NA May 1998) cabinet: Cabinet elections: none; the monarch is hereditary, but, under the terms of the constitution which came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is a "living symbol of national unity" with no executive or legislative powers; under traditional law the college of chiefs has the power to determine who is next in the line of succession, who shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age, and may even depose the monarch

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, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, 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 monarch; 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 (80 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms); note--number of seats in the Assembly rose from 65 to 80 in the May 1998 election elections: last held 23 May 1998 (next to be held in late 1999 or early 2000) election results: percent of vote by party--LCD 61%; seats by party--LCD 79, BCP 1 note: results contested; LCD, with only 61% of the vote, won 79 out of 80 parliamentary seats based on a historical political consensus for a "winner take all" formula

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 4 October (1966)

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

MOSISILI, leader; Shakhane MOKHEHLE, secretary general]

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

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: 504,442 (1999 est.)

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

males age 15-49: 271,925 (1999 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 40% (male 424,355; female 422,892) 15-64 years: 56% (male 573,285; female 610,636) 65 years and over: 4% (male 40,604; female 57,178) (1999 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

31.26 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate [time series]

13.23 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

Sotho 99.7%, Europeans 1,600, Asians 800

Infant mortality rate [time series]

77.58 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 52.99 years male: 51.37 years female: 54.65 years (1999 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 (1999 est.)

Population [time series]

2,128,950 (July 1999 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.8% (1999 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: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.03 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Transnational Issues

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

none

Transportation

Airports [time series]

29 (1998 est.)

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

total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)

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

total: 25 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 21 (1998 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)