Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/wfbook93_texi.lha/texi/138.data

Text File | 1995-03-27 | 9.1 KB | 342 lines

@node Geography (Lesotho)
@section Geography (Lesotho)

@display

Location:
  Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
Map references:
  Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  30,350 km2
 land area:
  30,350 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries:
  total 909 km, South Africa 909 km
Coastline:
  0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
  none; landlocked
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain:
  mostly highland with some plateaus, hills, and mountains
Natural 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 land:
  NA km2
Environment:
  population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in
  overgrazing, severe soil erosion, soil exhaustion; desertification
Note:
  landlocked; surrounded by South Africa; Highlands Water Project will
  control, store, and redirect water to South Africa



@end display

@node People (Lesotho)
@section People (Lesotho)

@display

Population:
  1,896,484 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  2.52% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  34.64 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  9.44 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  71.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  61.73 years
 male:
  59.91 years
 female:
  63.6 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  4.6 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
 adjective:
  Basotho
Ethnic divisions:
  Sotho 99.7%, Europeans 1,600, Asians 800
Religions:
  Christian 80%, rest indigenous beliefs
Languages:
  Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1966)
 total population:
  59%
 male:   44%
 female:
  68%
Labor force:
  689,000 economically active
 by occupation:
  86.2% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 60%
  of active male labor force works in South Africa



@end display

@node Government (Lesotho)
@section Government (Lesotho)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Kingdom of Lesotho
 conventional short form:
  Lesotho
 former:
  Basutoland
Digraph:
  LT
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
Independence:
  4 October 1966 (from UK)
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
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
Political parties and leaders:
  Basotho National Party (BNP), Evaristus SEKHONYANA; Basutoland Congress
  Party (BCP), Ntsu MOKHEHLE; National Independent Party (NIP), A. C. MANYELI;
  Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP), Vincent MALEBO; United Democratic Party,
  Charles MOFELI; Communist Party of Lesotho (CPL), JCOB M. KENA
Suffrage:
  21 years of age; universal
Elections:
 National Assembly:
  dissolved following the military coup in January 1986; military has pledged
  elections will take place in March 1993
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
Leaders:
 Chief of State:
  King LETSIE III (since 12 November 1990 following dismissal of his father,
  exiled King MOSHOESHOE II, by Maj. Gen. LEKHANYA)
 Head of Government:
  Chairman of the Military Council Gen. Elias Phisoana RAMAEMA (since 30 April
  1991)
Member of:
  ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
  ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO



@end display

@node Government (Lesotho 2. usage)
@section Government (Lesotho 2. usage)

@display

Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Designate Teboho KITLEI
 chancery:
  2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
 telephone:
  [phone]
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Leonard H.O. SPEARMAN, Sr.
 embassy:
  address NA, Maseru
 mailing address:
  P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100 Lesotho
 telephone:
  [266] 312-666
 FAX:
  (266) 310-116
Flag:
  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



@end display

@node Economy (Lesotho)
@section Economy (Lesotho)

@display

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 ($439
  million in 1991). 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 construction (in particular,
  a major water improvement project which will permit the sale of water to
  South Africa). 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 -
  recently the equivalent of nearly three-fourths of domestic output.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $620 million (1991 est.)
 note:
  GNP of $1.0 billion (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  5.3% (1991 est.); GNP 2.2% (1991 est.)
National product per capita:
  $340 (1991 est.); GNP $570 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  17.9% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
  at least 55% among adult males (1991 est.)
Budget:
  revenues $388 million; expenditures $399 million, including capital
  expenditures of $132 million (FY93)
Exports:
  $57 million (f.o.b., 1991)
 commodities:
  wool, mohair, wheat, cattle, peas, beans, corn, hides, skins, baskets
 partners:
  South Africa 53%, EC 30%, North and South America 13% (1989)
Imports:
  $805 million (c.i.f., 1991)
 commodities:
  mainly corn, building materials, clothing, vehicles, machinery, medicines,
  petroleum
 partners:
  South Africa 95%, EC 2% (1989)
External debt:
  $358 million (for public sector) (December 1990/91 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 5.0% (1991 est.); accounts for 11% of GDP
Electricity:
  power supplied by South Africa
Industries:
  food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts, tourism
Agriculture:
  accounts for 19% of GDP (1990 est.) and employs 60-70% of all households;
  exceedingly primitive, mostly subsistence farming and livestock; principal
  crops corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley
Economic aid:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $268 million; US, $10.3 million
  (1992), $10.1 million (1993 est.); Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF
  bilateral commitments (1970-89), $819 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89),
  $4 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $14 million



@end display

@node Economy (Lesotho 2. usage)
@section Economy (Lesotho 2. usage)

@display

Currency:
  1 loti (L) = 100 lisente
Exchange rates:
  maloti (M) per US$1 - 3.1576 (May 1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7563 (1991),
  2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988); note - the Basotho loti is at
  par with the South African rand
Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March



@end display

@node Communications (Lesotho)
@section Communications (Lesotho)

@display

Railroads:
  2.6 km; owned, operated by, and included in the statistics of South Africa
Highways:
  7,215 km total; 572 km paved; 2,337 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized
  soil; 1,806 km improved earth, 2,500 km unimproved earth
Airports:
 total:
  28
 usable:
  28
 with permanent-surface runways:
  3
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  1
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  2
Telecommunications:
  rudimentary system consisting of a few landlines, a small microwave system,
  and minor radio communications stations; 5,920 telephones; broadcast
  stations - 3 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Lesotho)
@section Defense Forces (Lesotho)

@display

Branches:
  Royal Lesotho Defense Force (RLDF; including Army, Air Wing), Royal Lesotho
  Mounted Police
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 422,802; fit for military service 228,102 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $55 million, 13% of GDP (1990 est.)



@end display