Internet users (Internet Service Providers (ISPs)) [time series]

1 (2000)

Internet country code [time series]

.ls

Internet users [time series]

1,000 (2000)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios [time series]

104,000 (1997)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: 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 - main lines in use) [time series]

20,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

1,262 (1996)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

1 (2000)

Televisions [time series]

54,000 (1997)

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock

Budget [time series]

revenues: $76 million expenditures: $80 million, including capital expenditures of $15 million (FY99/00 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

loti (LSL); South African rand (ZAR)

Exchange rates (Currency code) [time series]

LSL; ZAR

Debt - external [time series]

$720 million (2000 est.)

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

$123.7 million (1995)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho's primary natural resource is water. Its economy is based on subsistence agriculture, livestock, and remittances from miners employed in South Africa. The number of such mineworkers has declined steadily over the past several years. A small manufacturing base depends largely on farm products that 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 for Lesotho. The pace of substantial privatization has increased in recent years. In December 1999, the government embarked on a nine-month IMF staff-monitored program aimed at structural adjustment and stabilization of macroeconomic fundamentals. The government is in the process of applying for a three-year successor program with the IMF under its Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

55 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports [time series]

55 million kWh note: electricity supplied by South Africa (1999)

Electricity - production [time series]

0 kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (1999)

Electricity - production by source [time series]

fossil fuel: 0% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Exchange rates [time series]

maloti per US dollar - 7.78307 (January 2001), 6.93983 (2000), 6.10948 (1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796 (1997), 4.29935 (1996); note - the Lesotho loti is at par with the South African rand which is also legal tender; maloti is the plural form of loti

Exports [time series]

$175 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (1998)

Exports - partners [time series]

South African Customs Union 65%, North America 34% (1998)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April - 31 March

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

purchasing power parity - $5.1 billion (2000 est.)

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

agriculture: 18% industry: 38% services: 44% (1999)

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

purchasing power parity - $2,400 (2000 est.)

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

2.5% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$700 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

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

Imports - partners [time series]

South African Customs Union 90%, Asia 7% (1998)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

15.5% (1999 est.)

Industries [time series]

food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts; construction; tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

6% (2000 est.)

Labor force [time series]

700,000 economically active

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% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

45% (2000 est.)

Area [time series]

total: 30,355 sq km land: 30,355 sq km water: 0 sq km

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 [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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, 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 [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: 0% permanent pastures: 66% forests and woodland: 0% 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

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

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 telephone: [266] 312666

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Lebohang Kenneth MOLEKO 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); note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995, while his father was in exile head of government: Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 23 May 1998) cabinet: Cabinet elections: none; according to the constitution, the leader of the majority party in the assembly automatically becomes prime minister; 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

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, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, 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; on 28 February 2001, the Senate approved expansion of the Assembly by a further 50 seats in the next election, which may be held as early as January 2002 elections: last held 23 May 1998 (next to be held NA March 2001) election results: percent of vote by party - LCD 60.7%, BNP 24.5%, other 14.8%; seats by party - LCD 79, BNP 1 note: results contested; opposition parties claimed the election was fraudulent and staged a coup; Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces intervened in September 1998 and restored order; the Interim Political Authority (IPA) was set up in December 1998 to create a new electoral system and conduct new elections.

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 4 October (1966)

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

Basotho Congress Party or BCP [Tseliso MAKHAKHE]; Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justine Metsing LEKHANYA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Phebe MOTEBANO, chairwoman; Dr. Pakalitha MOSISILI, leader] - the governing party; United Democratic Party or UDP [Charles MOFELI]; Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP and Setlamo Alliance [Vincent MALEBO]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Chief Peete Nkoebe PEETE]; Sefate Democratic Party or SDP [Bofihla NKUEBE]

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

NA

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Background [time series]

Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after 23 years of military rule.

Military - note [time series]

The Lesotho Government in 1999 began an open debate on the future structure, size, and role of the armed forces, especially considering the Lesotho Defense Force's (LDF) history of intervening in political affairs.

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 [time series]

$34 million (1999)

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

NA%

Military manpower - availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 515,464 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males age 15-49: 277,369 (2001 est.)

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 39.28% (male 430,147; female 424,994) 15-64 years: 56.03% (male 588,440; female 631,404) 65 years and over: 4.69% (male 43,033; female 59,044) (2001 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

31.24 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate [time series]

15.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%,

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

23.57% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

16,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

240,000 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

82.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 48.84 years male: 47.97 years female: 49.74 years (2001 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 83% male: 72% female: 93% (1999 est.)

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

-0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Population [time series]

2,177,062 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.49% (2001 est.)

Religions [time series]

Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.08 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Disputes - international [time series]

none

Airports [time series]

29 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 25 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 21 (2000 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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

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)

Waterways [time series]

none