Statistical information Lesotho 1992

Lesotho in the World
top of pageBackground: Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The country has been ruled by the military since 1970.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaTotal: 30,350 km²
Land: 30,350 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries: 909 km; South Africa 909 km
Coastline: none - landlocked
Maritime claims: none - landlocked
Disputes: none
Climate: temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain: mostly highland with some plateaus, hills, and mountains
ElevationNatural resources: some diamonds and other minerals, water, agricultural and grazing land
Land use: arable land: 10%; permanent crops: 0%; meadows and pastures 66%; forest and woodland 0%; other 24%
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 1,848,925 (July 1992), growth rate 2.6% (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural); adjective -
Basotho
Ethnic groups: Sotho 99.7%; Europeans 1,600, Asians 800
Languages: Sesotho (southern Sotho) and English (official; also Zulu and Xhosa
Religions: Christian 80%, rest indigenous beliefs
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 35 births/1000 population (1992)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1000 population (1992)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1992)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, soil exhaustion; desertification
Current issues note: landlocked; surrounded by South Africa; Highlands Water Project will control, store, and redirect water to South Africa
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 74 deaths/1000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth: 60 years male, 63 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1992)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 59% (male 44%, female 68%) age 15 and over can read and write (1966)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
Government type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Maseru
Administrative divisions:
10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe,
Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing,
Thaba-Tseka
Dependent areasIndependence: 4 October 1966 (from UK; formerly Basutoland)
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
Constitution: 4 October 1966, suspended January 1970
Legal system: 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
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal at age 21
National Assembly: dissolved following the military coup in January 1986; military has pledged elections will take place in June 1992
Executive branch:
monarch, chairman of the Military Council, Military
Council, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
none - the bicameral Parliament was dissolved following the military coup in January 1986; note - a National Constituent
Assembly convened in June 1990 to rewrite the constitution and debate issues of national importance, but it has no legislative authority
Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADCC,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:Ambassador Tseliso THAMAE; Chancery at 2,511
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008; telephone (202) 797-5,534
US: Ambassador Leonard H.O. SPEARMAN, Sr.; Embassy at address NA, Maseru (mailing address is P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100 Lesotho); telephone 266 312-666; FAX (266) 310-116
Diplomatic representationFlag description
: 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
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview:
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 ($153 million in 1989). The great majority of households gain their livelihoods from subsistence farming and migrant labor. Manufacturing depends largely on farm products to support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries; other industries include textile, clothing, and light engineering. Industry's share of GDP rose from 6% in 1982 to 15% in 1989.
Political and economic instability in South Africa raises uncertainty for
Lesotho's economy, especially with respect to migrant worker remittances - typically about 40% of GDP.
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $420 million, per capita $240; real growth rate 4.0% (1990 est.)
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for 18% of GDP and employs 60-70% of all households; exceedingly primitive, mostly subsistence farming and livestock; principal crops are corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley
Industries: food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
growth rate 7.8% (1989 est.); accounts for 15% of
GDP
Labor force: 689,000 economically active; 86.2% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 60% of active male labor force works in South Africa
Organized labor: there are two trade union federations; the government favors formation of a single, umbrella trade union confederation
Unemployment rate: at least 55% among adult males (1991 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: expenditures $399 million, including capital expenditures of 132 million (FY92-93)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $59 million (f.o.b., 1990)
Commodoties: wool, mohair, wheat, cattle, peas, beans, corn, hides, skins, baskets
Partners: South Africa 53%, EC 30%, North and South America 13% (1989)
Imports: $604 million (f.o.b., 1990)
Commodoties: mainly corn, building materials, clothing, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum
Partners: South Africa 95%, EC 2% (1989)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: maloti (M) per US$1 - 2.8809 (March 1992), 2.7563 (1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987; note - the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand
top of pageElectricityProduction: power supplied by South Africa
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp:exchange rate conversion - $55 million, 13.1% of
GDP (1990 est.)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports:
28 total, 28 usable; 3 with permanent surface runways; none
with runways over 3,659 m; 1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marinePorts and terminalsLesotho - Transnational issues 1992
top of pageDisputes internationalRefugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs