Lesotho

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Lesotho

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Mmuso oa Lesotho/Kingdom of Lesotho Area 30,355 sq km/11,720 sq mi Capital Maseru Language English (official), Sesotho, Zulu, Xhosa Religion Protestant 42%, Roman Catholic 38%, indigenous beliefs Time difference GMT +2 Major holidays 1 January, 12, 21 March, 2 May, 4 October, 25–26 December; variable: Ascension Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Family (July), National Sports (October)


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Qacha's Nek, Teyateyaneng, Mafeteng, Hlotse, Roma, Quthing Physical features mountainous with plateaux, forming part of South Africa's chief watershed Airports one international airport; 40 airstrips, of which 14 receive charter and regular scheduled air services; total passengers carried: 1,000 (2001) Railways total length: 2.6 km/1.6 mi (a branch line connecting Maseru with the Bloemfontein–Natal line at Marseilles) Roads total road network: 5,940 km/3,691 mi, of which 18.3% paved (1999); passenger cars: 5.7 per 1,000 people (1996 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state King Letsie III from 1996 Head of government Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili from 1998 Political system emergent democracy Political executive parliamentary Administrative divisions ten districts Political parties Basotho National Party (BNP), traditionalist, nationalist, right of centre; Basutoland Congress Party (BCP), left of centre Death penalty retained and used for ordinary crimes Armed forces 2,000 (2006 est) Conscription military service is voluntary Defence spend (% GDP) 2.4 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 8.9 (2002 est) Health spend (% GDP) 4.1 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency loti GDP (US$) 1.5 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 1.6 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 1.7 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 3,410 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 4.6% (2006 est) Unemployment 30% (2003 est) Labour force 85% agriculture, 6.4% industry, 8.6% services (2003 est) Foreign debt (US$) 764 million (2004 est) Major trading partners SACU (Southern African Customs Union) members, USA, Canada, Asia, EU Resources diamonds, uranium, lead, iron ore; believed to have petroleum deposits Industries food products and beverages, textiles and clothing, mining, baskets, furniture Exports clothing, footwear, food and live animals (cattle), telecommunications equipment. Principal market: North America 80.1% (2003) Imports manufactured goods, food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, electricity, petroleum products. Principal source: SACU 86% (2003) Arable land 10.9% (2006 est) Agricultural products maize, wheat, sorghum, asparagus, peas, and other vegetables; livestock rearing (sheep, goats, and cattle)


POPULATION

Population 1,790,600 (2006 est) Population growth rate -0.3% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 59 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 18 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 39%, 15–59 54%, 60+ 7% (2005 est) Ethnic groups almost entirely Bantus (of Southern Sotho) or Basotho Life expectancy 34 (men); 34 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 82 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 7 Literacy rate 74% (men); 90% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 0.5 (2004 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 23.2 (2005 est) AIDS deaths 23,000 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 88 (urban); 74 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 2.7 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 13.7 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 53 (1999 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 44 (2004 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 2.4 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

18th century Formerly inhabited by nomadic hunter-gatherer San, Zulu-speaking Ngunis, and Sotho-speaking peoples settled in the region. 1820s Under the name of Basutoland, Sotho nation founded by Moshoeshoe I, who united the people to repulse Zulu attacks from south. 1843 Moshoeshoe I negotiated British protection as tension with South African Boers increased. 1868 Became British territory, administered by Cape Colony (in South Africa) from 1871. 1884 Became British crown colony, after revolt against Cape Colony control; Basuto chiefs allowed to govern according to custom and tradition, but rich agricultural land west of the Caledon River was lost to South Africa. 1900s Served as a migrant labour reserve for South Africa's mines and farms. 1952 Left-of-centre Basutoland African Congress, later Congress Party (BCP), founded by Ntsu Mokhehle to campaign for self rule. 1966 Independence achieved within Commonwealth, as Kingdom of Lesotho, with Moshoeshoe II as king and Chief Leabua Jonathan of the conservative Basotho National Party (BNP) as prime minister. 1970 State of emergency declared; king briefly forced into exile after attempting to increase his authority. 1973 State of emergency lifted; BNP won majority of seats in general election. 1975 Members of ruling party attacked by South African-backed guerrillas, who opposed African National Congress (ANC) guerrillas based in Lesotho. 1986 South Africa imposed border blockade, forcing deportation of 60 ANC members. 1990 Moshoeshoe II dethroned and replaced by son as King Letsie III. 1993 Free multiparty elections ended military rule. 1994 Fighting between rival army factions ended by peace deal brokered by Organization of African Unity (OAU; later African Union). 1995 Letsie III abdicated to restore Moshoeshoe II to throne. 1996 Moshoeshoe II killed in car accident; Letsie III restored to the throne. 1998 Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) won general election amid claims of ballot rigging; Bethuel Mosisili became new prime minister. 2004 Mosisili declared state of emergency in struggle against drought and impact of HIV/AIDS epidemic. 2006 Defections from ruling LCD to form new party. 2007 LCD won general elections with small majority; general strike.


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