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NAVIGATION
Kingdom of Lesotho
former: Basutoland
GOVERNMENT
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
conventional short form: Lesotho former: Basutoland |
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Government type:
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parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
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Capital:
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Maseru |
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Administrative divisions:
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10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka |
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Independence:
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4 October 1966 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 4 October (1966) |
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Constitution:
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2 April 1993 |
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Legal system:
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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 |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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 |
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Legislative branch:
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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 direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms); note - number of seats in the Assembly rose from 80 to 120 in the May 2002 election
elections: last held 25 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - LCD 54%, BNP 21%, LPC 7%, other 18%; seats by party - LCD 76, BNP 21, LPC 5, other 18 |
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Judicial branch:
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High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court; customary or traditional court |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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; Pakalitha MOSISILI, leader] - the governing party; Lesotho People's Congress or LPC [Kelebone MAOPE]; 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] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Lebohang Kenneth MOLEKO
FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815 telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536 chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Robert G. LOFTIS
embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section) mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho telephone: [266] 312666 FAX: [266] 310116 |
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Flag description:
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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 |
ECONOMY
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Economy - overview:
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Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho's primary natural resource is water. Its economy is based on subsistence agriculture, livestock, remittances from miners employed in South Africa, and a rapidly growing apparel-assembly sector. The number of 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 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. Lesotho has a marked inequality in income distribution and serious unemployment/underemployment problems that will not yield to short-run solutions. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $5.3 billion (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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2.6% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $2,450 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 18%
industry: 38% services: 44% (2001) |
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Population below poverty line:
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49% (1999 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 43% (1986-87) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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56 (1986-87 ) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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6.9% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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700,000 economically active |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa |
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Unemployment rate:
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45% (2000 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $76 million
expenditures: $80 million, including capital expenditures of $15 million |
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Industries:
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food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts; construction; tourism |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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15.5% (1999 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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0 kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2000) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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100 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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100 million kWh
note: electricity supplied by South Africa (2000) |
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Agriculture - products:
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corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock |
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Exports:
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$250 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals |
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Exports - partners:
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South African Customs Union 53.9%, North America 45.6% (1999) |
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Imports:
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$720 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products |
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Imports - partners:
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South African Customs Union 89.5%, Asia 7% (1999) |
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Debt - external:
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$715 million (2001 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$123.7 million (1995) (1995) |
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Currency:
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loti (LSL); South African rand (ZAR) |
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Currency code:
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LSL; ZAR |
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Exchange rates:
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maloti per US dollar - 11.58786 (January 2002), 8.60918 (2001), 6.93983 (2000), 6.10948 (1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796 (1997); note - the Lesotho loti is at par with the South African rand which is also legal tender; maloti is the plural form of loti |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31 March |