Lesotho

March 6, 2012

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PROFILE

Geography

Area: 30,355 sq. km. (11,718 sq. mi.), about the size of Maryland.

Cities: Capital-Maseru (173,700). Other cities-Leribe (35,000), Mafeteng (32,900), Teyateyaneng (22,800), Mohale's Hoek (18,400).

Terrain: High veld, plateau, and mountains.

Climate: Temperate; summers hot, winters cool to cold; humidity generally low and evenings cool year round. Rainy season in summer, winters dry. Southern hemisphere seasons are reversed.

People

Nationality: Noun-Mosotho (sing.); Basotho (pl.). Adjective-Basotho.

Population (2011 est.): 1,924,886.

Annual population growth rate (2011 est.): 0.332%. (Note: the population growth rate is depressed by an HIV/AIDS prevalence rate estimated to be 23%.)

Ethnic groups: Basotho 99.7%; Europeans, Asians, and other (including Xhosa) 0.3%.

Religions: 90% Christian, including Roman Catholic (majority), Lesotho Evangelical, Anglican, other denominations; 9% indigenous beliefs; other religions include Islam and Hindu.

Languages: Official-Sesotho and English. Other-Xhosa, Zulu.

Education: Years compulsory-7 (ages 6-13). Lesotho has free primary education (grades 1-7). Literacy (2011 est.)-85%.

Health: Infant mortality rate (2011 est.)-55/1,000. Life expectancy (2011 est.)-52.41 years.

Work force (2007 est.): 854,600.

Government

Type: Constitutional monarchy.

Constitution: April 2, 1993.

Independence: October 4, 1966.

Branches: Executive-monarch is head of state; prime minister is head of government and cabinet. Legislative-bicameral parliament consists of elected Assembly and non-elected Senate. Judicial-High Court, Court of Appeals, Magistrate's Court, traditional and customary courts.

Administrative subdivisions: 10 districts.

Political parties: Democratic Congress (DC, newly formed in February 2012), Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), All Basotho Convention (ABC), Basotho National Party (BNP), Lesotho Peoples Congress (LPC), National Independent Party (NIP), Basutoland Congress Party (BCP), Lesotho Workers Party (LWP), Popular Front for Democracy (PFD), Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP), Basotho Democratic National Party (BDNP), Basotho Batho Democratic Party (BBDP), Senkatana Party (SP), All Democratic Corporation (ADC), and African Unity Movement (AUM).

Suffrage: 18 years of age.

Central government budget (2011 est.): Revenues-$1.233 billion. Expenditures-$1.603 billion.

Economy

GDP (2011 est.): $2.7 billion.

Annual growth rate (2011 est.): 3.5%.

Per capita GDP (2011 est.): $1,400.

Average inflation rate (2011 est.): 7.2%.

Natural resources: Water, agricultural and grazing land, some diamonds and...