Lesotho

Broadcast media

1 state-owned TV station and 2 state-owned radio stations; government controls most private broadcast media; satellite TV subscription service available; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters obtainable (2008)

Internet country code

.ls

Internet hosts

11,030 (2012) country comparison to the world: 131

Internet users

76,800 (2009) country comparison to the world: 168

Telephone system

general assessment: rudimentary system consisting of a modest number of landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a small radiotelephone communication system; mobile-cellular telephone system is expanding domestic: privatized in 2001, Telecom Lesotho was tasked with providing an additional 50,000 fixed-line connections within five years, a target not met; mobile-cellular service dominates the market and is expanding with a subscribership roughly 65 per 100 persons in 2011; rural services are scant international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)

Telephones - main lines in use

43,100 (2012) country comparison to the world: 168

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.312 million (2012) country comparison to the world: 153

Agriculture - products

corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock

Budget

revenues: $1.658 billion expenditures: $1.536 billion (2012 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

5% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 12

Central bank discount rate

9.36% (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 24 10% (31 December 2010 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

10.12% (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 85 10.43% (31 December 2011 est.)

Current account balance

$-587.4 million (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 107 $-460.4 million (2011 est.)

Debt - external

$779.8 million (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 166 $791.9 million (31 December 2011 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

63.2 (1995) country comparison to the world: 1 56 (1986-87)

Economy - overview

Small, mountainous, and completely landlocked by South Africa, Lesotho is a least developed country in which about three-fourths of the people live in rural areas and engage in subsistence agriculture. Lesotho produces less than 20% of the nation's demand for food. Rain-fed agriculture is vulnerable to weather and climate variability; an estimated 725,500 people will require food assistance in 2012/13. The distribution of income in Lesotho remains inequitable. Lesotho relies on South Africa for much of its economic activity. Lesotho imports 90% of the goods it consumes from South Africa, including most agricultural inputs. Households depend heavily on remittances from family members working in South Africa, in mines, on farms and as domestic workers, though mining employment has declined substantially since the 1990s. Government revenue depends heavily on transfers from South Africa. Customs duties from the Southern Africa Customs Union accounted for 44% of government revenue in 2012. The South African Government also pays royalties for water transferred to South Africa from a dam and reservoir system in Lesotho. However, the government continues to strengthen its tax system to reduce dependency on customs duties and other transfers. Access to credit remains a problem for the private sector. The government maintains a large presence in the economy - public expenditures accounted for 55% of GDP in 2010 and the government remains Lesotho's largest employer. Lesotho's largest private employer is the textile and garment industry - approximately 36,000 Basotho, mainly women, work in factories producing garments for export to South Africa and the US. Diamond mining in Lesotho has grown in recent years and may contribute 8.5% to GDP by 2015, according to current forecasts. Lesotho's $362.5 million Millennium Challenge Account Compact, which focused on strengthening the healthcare system, developing the private sector, and providing access to improved water supplies and sanitation facilities, will end in September 2013. Despite the 2008/09 global economic crisis, the economy has recovered strongly with growth averaging nearly 5% per year since 2010.

Exchange rates

maloti (LSL) per US dollar - 8.2 (2012 est.) 7.26 (2011 est.) 7.32 (2010 est.) 8.47 (2009) 7.75 (2008)

Exports

$972.4 million (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 158 $1.175 billion (2011 est.)

Exports - commodities

manufactures (clothing, footwear), wool and mohair, food and live animals, electricity, water, diamonds

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.428 billion (2012 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$4.041 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 176 $3.865 billion (2011 est.) $3.657 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 90.8% government consumption: 38.1% investment in fixed capital: 31.8% investment in inventories: 0.8% exports of goods and services: 46.5% imports of goods and services: -108.1% (2012 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 7.4% industry: 34.6% services: 58% (2012 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$2,100 (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 191 $2,000 (2011 est.) $1,900 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

4.5% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 78 5.7% (2011 est.) 6.3% (2010 est.)

Gross national saving

7.8% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 136 7.8% of GDP (2011 est.) 11.2% of GDP (2010 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1% highest 10%: 39.4% (2003)

Imports

$2.239 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 159 $2.155 billion (2011 est.)

Imports - commodities

food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products

Industrial production growth rate

9.3% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 19

Industries

food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6.1% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 163 5% (2011 est.)

Labor force

855,600 (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 149

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 86% industry and services: 14% note: most of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line

49% (1999)

Public debt

NA

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$749.4 million (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 142 $832.6 million (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of broad money

$897 million (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 171 $820.4 million (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$398 million (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 103 $200.3 million (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$75,280 (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 180 $15,600 (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$408.9 million (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 162 $346.5 million (31 December 2011 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

68.3% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 3

Unemployment rate

25% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 173 45% (2002 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

445,600 Mt (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 181

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 145

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 210

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 186

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2013 es) country comparison to the world: 154

Electricity - consumption

307 million kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 174

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 95

Electricity - from fossil fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 209

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 1

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 126

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 194

Electricity - imports

247 million kWh (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 83

Electricity - installed generating capacity

76,000 kW (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 178

Electricity - production

200 million kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 183

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 164

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 136

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 88

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 156

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2013 es) country comparison to the world: 161

Refined petroleum products - consumption

1,777 bbl/day (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 191

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 191

Refined petroleum products - imports

3,711 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 164

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 197

Area

total: 30,355 sq km country comparison to the world: 142 land: 30,355 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

Climate

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

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

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

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.04 cu km/yr (46%/46%/9%) per capita: 21.79 cu m/yr (2000)

Geographic coordinates

29 30 S, 28 30 E

Geography - note

landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 m above sea level

Irrigated land

26.37 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 909 km border countries: South Africa 909 km

Land use

arable land: 10.14% permanent crops: 0.13% other: 89.72% (2011)

Location

Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

periodic droughts

Natural resources

water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone

Terrain

mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains

Total renewable water resources

3.02 cu km (2011)

Administrative divisions

10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka

Capital

name: Maseru geographic coordinates: 29 19 S, 27 29 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

previous 1959, 1967; latest adopted 2 April 1993 (effectively restoring the 1967 version); amended 2001 (2013)

Country name

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Carl B. FOX embassy: 254 Kingsway Road, Maseru West (Consular Section) mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho telephone: [266] 22 312666 FAX: [266] 22 310116

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Eliachim Molapi SEBATANE (since 2 November 2011) chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815

Executive branch

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 Motsoahae Thomas THABANE (since 8 June 2012) cabinet: Cabinet (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: according to the constitution, the leader of the majority party, or coalition of parties, in the Assembly automatically becomes prime minister; the monarchy is hereditary, but, under the terms of the constitution that 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 depose the monarch, determine who is next in the line of succession, or who shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age

Flag description

three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green in the proportions of 3:4:3; the colors represent rain, peace, and prosperity respectively; centered in the white stripe is a black Basotho hat representing the indigenous people; the flag was unfurled in October 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence

Government type

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Independence

4 October 1966 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, such number of justices of appeal as set by Parliament, and the Chief Justice and the puisne judges of the High Court ex officio); High Court (consists of the chief justice and such number of puisne judges as set by Parliament); note - both the Court of Appeal and the High Court have jurisdiction in constitutional issues judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal president and High Court chief justice appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; puisne judges appointed by the monarch on advice of the Judicial Service Commission, an independent body of judicial officers and officials designated by the monarch; judges of both courts can serve until age 75 subordinate courts: Magistrate Courts; customary or traditional courts; Courts Martial

Legal system

mixed legal system of English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (33 members - 22 principal chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the ruling party) and the Assembly (120 seats, 80 by popular vote and 40 by proportional vote; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 26 May 2012 (next to be held in 2017) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DC 48, ABC 30, LCD 26, BNP 5, PFD 3, NIP 2, other 6

National anthem

name: "Lesotho fatse la bo ntat'a rona" (Lesotho, Land of Our Fathers) lyrics/music: Francois COILLARD/Ferdinand-Samuel LAUR note: adopted 1967; the anthem's music derives from an 1823 Swiss songbook

National holiday

Independence Day, 4 October (1966)

National symbol(s)

Basotho hat

Political parties and leaders

All Basotho Convention or ABC [Motsoahae Thomas THABANE] Basotho Batho Democratic Party or BBDP [Geremane RAMATHEBANE] Basotho Congress Party or BCP [Thulo MAHLAKENG] Basotho Democratic National Party or BDNP [Thabang NYEOE] Basotho National Party or BNP [Thesele 'MASERIBANE] Democratic Congress or DC [Pakalitha MOSISILI] Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Mothetjoa METSING] Lesotho Peoples Congress or LPC [Kelebone MAOPE] Lesotho Workers Party or LWP [Macaefa BILLY] Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP [Vincent MALEBO] National Independent Party or NIP [Kimetso MATHABA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Media Institute of Southern Africa, Lesotho chapter [Tsebo MATŠASA] (pushes for media freedom)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled the country during its first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995 and subsequently succeeded by his son, King LETSIE III, in 1996. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Batswana military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections of February 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties disputed how the electoral law was applied to award proportional seats in the Assembly. In May 2012, competitive elections involving 18 parties saw Prime Minister Motsoahae Thomas THABANE form a coalition government - the first in the country's history - that ousted the 14-year incumbent, Pakalitha MOSISILI, who peacefully transferred power the following month.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 472,456 females age 16-49: 508,953 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 270,184 females age 16-49: 275,734 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 19,110 female: 20,037 (2010 est.)

Military - note

Lesotho's declared policy is maintenance of its independent sovereignty and preservation of internal security; in practice, external security is guaranteed by South Africa; restructuring of the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) and Ministry of Defense and Public Service over the past five years has focused on subordinating the defense apparatus to civilian control and restoring the LDF's cohesion; the restructuring has considerably improved capabilities and professionalism, but the LDF is disproportionately large for a small, poor country; the government has outlined a reduction to a planned 1,500-man strength, but these plans have met with vociferous resistance from the political opposition and from inside the LDF (2008)

Military branches

Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army (includes Air Wing) (2012)

Military expenditures

1.9% of GDP (2012) country comparison to the world: 70

Military service age and obligation

18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women serve as commissioned officers (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 33.1% (male 322,189/female 319,618) 15-24 years: 20.2% (male 185,931/female 205,643) 25-54 years: 36.3% (male 344,120/female 359,370) 55-64 years: 4.9% (male 50,781/female 44,399) 65 years and over: 5.4% (male 52,241/female 51,889) (2013 est.)

Birth rate

26.31 births/1,000 population (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 51

Child labor - children ages 5-14

total number: 103,020 percentage: 23 % (2000 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

13.5% (2010) country comparison to the world: 56

Contraceptive prevalence rate

47% (2009/10)

Death rate

15.02 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 3

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 68.3 % youth dependency ratio: 61.2 % elderly dependency ratio: 7.1 % potential support ratio: 14.1 (2013)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 91% of population rural: 73% of population total: 78% of population unimproved: urban: 9% of population rural: 27% of population total: 22% of population (2010 est.)

Education expenditures

13% of GDP (2008) country comparison to the world: 1

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

23.6% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 3

HIV/AIDS - deaths

14,000 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 22

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

290,000 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 20

Health expenditures

12.8% of GDP (2011) country comparison to the world: 8

Hospital bed density

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2006)

Infant mortality rate

total: 51.93 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 38 male: 55.96 deaths/1,000 live births female: 47.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 52.3 years country comparison to the world: 212 male: 52.2 years female: 52.39 years (2013 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89.6% male: 83.3% female: 95.6% (2010 est.)

Major urban areas - population

MASERU (capital) 220,000 (2009)

Maternal mortality rate

620 deaths/100,000 live births (2010) country comparison to the world: 12

Median age

total: 23.4 years male: 23.3 years female: 23.4 years (2013 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.2 note: Median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2009 est.)

Nationality

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

Net migration rate

-7.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 203

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

14.6% (2008) country comparison to the world: 120

Physicians density

0.05 physicians/1,000 population (2003)

Population

1,936,181 (July 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 149 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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected

Population growth rate

0.34% (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 164

Religions

Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 32% of population rural: 24% of population total: 26% of population unimproved: urban: 68% of population rural: 76% of population total: 74% of population (2010 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 10 years male: 10 years female: 10 years (2006)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.83 children born/woman (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 69

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 34.4% country comparison to the world: 17 male: 29% female: 41.9% (2008)

Urbanization

urban population: 27.6% of total population (2011) rate of urbanization: 3.57% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Lesotho is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking and for men subjected to forced labor; Basotho women and children are subjected to domestic servitude and children, to a lesser extent, commercial sexual exploitation within Lesotho and South Africa; some Basotho women willingly migrate to South Africa seeking work in domestic service only to be forced into prostitution; some Basotho men who voluntarily migrate to South Africa for work become victims of forced labor in agriculture and mining or are coerced into committing crimes tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Lesotho does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has decreased its anti-trafficking law enforcement and victim protection efforts during 2012; authorities have initiated fewer prosecutions, ceased arresting suspected trafficking offenders due to a backlog of prosecutions, and stopped referring victims to NGO centers for care; the government has not implemented key portions of the 2011 anti-trafficking act, including failing to develop formal referral procedures, establish victim care centers, and complete a national action plan (2013)

Airports

24 (2013) country comparison to the world: 132

Airports - with paved runways

total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 21 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 16 (2013)

Roadways

total: 5,940 km country comparison to the world: 150 paved: 1,069 km unpaved: 4,871 km (2011)