Background: Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled for the 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 Botswana 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 continue to dispute how the electoral law was applied to award proportional seats in the Assembly.

Geographic coordinates: 29 30 S 28 30 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 30,355 km²
Rank: 142
Land: 30,355 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries
Total: 909 km
Border countries: (1) South Africa 909 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: temperate; cool to cold dry winters; hot wet summers

Terrain: mostly highland with plateaus hills and mountains

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1400 m
Extremes highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m

Natural resources: water agricultural and grazing land diamonds sand clay building stone

Land use
Arable land: 10.87%
Permanent crops: 0.13%
Other: 89% (2005)

Irrigated land: 30 km² (2008)

Total renewable water resources: 5.2 km³ (1987)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts

Geography
Note: landlocked completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous more than 80% of the country is 1800 m above sea level

Population: 1,924,886 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 147
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
Growth rate: 0.332% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 165
Below poverty line: 49% (1999)

Nationality
Noun: Mosotho Basotho (plural)
Adjective: Basotho

Ethnic groups: Sotho 99.7% Europeans Asians and other 0.3%

Languages: Sesotho (official) (southern Sotho) English (official) Zulu Xhosa

Religions: Christian 80% indigenous beliefs 20%

Age structure
0-14 years: 33.5%
15-64 years: 61.1% (male 573,773/female 602,443)
65 years and over: 5.4% (male 50,956/female 52,053) (2011 est.)

Median age
Total: 22.9 years
Male: 22.8 years
Female: 22.9 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.332% (2011 est.)
Rank: 165

Birth rate: 26.93 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 49

Death rate: 15.19 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 9

Net migration rate: -8.42 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 206

Urbanization
Urban population: 27% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

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
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 55.04 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 40
Male: 59.28 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 50.67 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 51.63 years
Rank: 211
Male: 51.51 years
Female: 51.76 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.94 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 67

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 0.05 physicians/1000 population (2003)
Rank: 177

Hospital bed density: 1.33 beds/1000 population (2006)
Rank: 129

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 23.6% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 3
People living with hivaids: 290,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 20
Deaths: 14,000 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 20

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 16.6% (2005)
Rank: 49

Education expenditures: 12.4% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 3

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 84.8%
Male: 74.5%
Female: 94.5% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 10 years
Male: 10 years
Female: 10 years (2008)

Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
Conventional short form: Lesotho
Local long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
Local short form: Lesotho
Former: Basutoland

Government type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Capital
Name: Maseru
Geographic coordinates: 29 19 S 27 29 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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

Independence: 4 October 1966 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 4 October (1966)

Constitution: 2 April 1993

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

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: King LETSIE III ; 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: according to the constitution the leader of the majority party 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

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 17 February 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LCD 61 NIP 21 ABC 17 LWP 10 ACP 4 BNP 3 other 4

Judicial branch: High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch acting on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts; customary or traditional courts

Political parties and leaders: Alliance of Congress Parties or ACP (including the Lesotho People's Congress or LCP [Kelebone MAOPE] the Basotholand African Congress or BAC [Khauhelo RALITAPOLE] and a faction of the Basotho Congress Party or BCP [Ntsukunyane MPHANYA]); All Basotho Convention or ABC [Thomas THABANE]; Basotho Batho Democratic Party or BBDP; Basotho Congress Party or BCP; Basotho Democratic National Party or BDNP [Thabang NYEOE]; Basotho National Party or BNP [vacant]; Basotholand African National Congress or BANC; Christian Democratic Party or CDP [Enerst RAMOKOENA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Pakalitha MOSISILI] (the governing party); Lesotho Workers Party or LWP [Macaefa BILLY]; National Independent Party or NIP [Anthony MANYELI]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU C 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 WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Molefi Christopher NYAKA
In the us chancery: 2,511 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 797-5,533
In the us fax: [1] (202) 234-6,815
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Michele T. BOND
From the us embassy: 254 Kingsway Maseru West (Consular Section)
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 333 Maseru 100 Lesotho
From the us telephone: [266] 22 312,666
From the us fax: [266] 22 310,116

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

National symbols: Basotho hat

National anthem
Name: 'Lesotho fatse la bo ntat'a rona'
Lyricsmusic: Francois COILLARD/Ferdinand-Samuel LAUR
Note: adopted 1967; the anthem's music derives from an 1823 Swiss songbook

Economy overview: Small landlocked and mountainous Lesotho relies on remittances from Basotho employed in South Africa customs duties from the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU) and export revenue for the majority of government revenue. However the government has recently strengthened its tax system to reduce dependency on customs duties. Completion of a major hydropower facility in January 1998 permitted the sale of water to South Africa and generated royalties for Lesotho. Lesotho produces about 90% of its own electrical power needs. As the number of mineworkers has declined steadily over the past several years a small manufacturing base has developed based on farm products that support the milling canning leather and jute industries as well as an apparel-assembly sector. Despite Lesotho's market-based economy being heavily tied to its neighbor South Africa the US is an important trade partner because of the export sector's heavy dependence on apparel exports. Exports have grown significantly because of the trade benefits contained in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. Most of the labor force is engaged in subsistence agriculture especially livestock herding although drought has decreased agricultural activity. The extreme inequality in the distribution of income remains a major drawback. Lesotho has signed an Interim Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility with the IMF. In July 2007 Lesotho signed a Millennium Challenge Account Compact with the US worth $362.5 million. Economic growth dropped in 2009 due mainly to the effects of the global economic crisis as demand for the country's exports declined and SACU revenue fell precipitously when South Africa - the primary contributor to the SACU revenue pool - went into recession but growth returned to 3.5% in 2010.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 173
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 139

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 195
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 8.4%
Industry: 33.9%
Services: 57.7% (2010 est.)

Agriculture products: corn wheat pulses sorghum barley; livestock

Industries: food beverages textiles apparel assembly handicrafts construction tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2010 est.)
Rank: 115

Labor force: 854,600 (2007 est.)
Rank: 145
By occupation agriculture: 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa
By occupation industry and services: 14% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate: 45% (2002)
Rank: 189

Population below poverty line: 49% (1999)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1%
Highest 10: 39.4% (2003)

Distribution of family income gini index: 56 (1986-87)
Rank: 4

Budget
Revenues: $1.176 billion
Expenditures: $1.367 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 192

Taxes and other revenues: 55.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 15

Inflation rate consumer prices: 7.2% (2009 est.)
Rank: 119

Central bank discount rate: 10.66% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 27

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 13% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 76

Stock of narrow money: $467.2 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 157

Stock of broad money: $876 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 165

Stock of domestic credit: $54.2 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 186

Current account balance: -$32 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 97

Exports: $715.9 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 160
Commodities: manufactures 75% (clothing footwear road vehicles) wool and mohair food and live animals
Partners: US 58.4% Belgium 34% Canada 3.7% (2010)

Imports: $1.668 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 156
Commodities: food; building materials vehicles machinery medicines petroleum products
Partners: South Korea 26.9% China 23.1% Taiwan 22.1% Hong Kong 6.6% US 4.4% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $962 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 137

Debt external: $671.3 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 159

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 200 million kWh
Production rank: 179
Production note: electricity supplied by South Africa (2008 est.)
Consumption: 236 million kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 177
Exports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 107 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2009 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 208
Consumption: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 197
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 133
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 145
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 158

Telephones
Main lines in use: 38,800 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 172
Mobile cellular: 698,800 (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 157

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 exceeding 30 per 100 persons in 2009; rural services are scant
International: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)

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

Internet
Country code: .ls
Hosts: 632 (2010)
Hosts rank: 175
Users: 76,800 (2009)
Users rank: 167

Military expenditures: 2.6% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 57

Military service age and obligation: 18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women serve as commissioned officers (2009)

Airports: 26 (2010)
Rank: 128
With paved runways total: 3
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 23
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 18 (2010)

Roadways
Total: 7,091 km
Rank: 147
Paved: 1404 km
Unpaved: 5,687 km (2003)

Disputes international: none