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| Lesotho Practical Info |
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Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
conventional short form: Lesotho
former: Basutoland
Data code: LT
Government type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Capital: Maseru
Independence: 4 October 1966 (from UK)
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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lebohang Kenneth MOLEKO
chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536
FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Katherine H. PETERSON
embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section)
mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho
telephone: [266] 312666
FAX: [266] 310116
Economy
Economy - overview: Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho's only important natural resource is water. Its economy is based on subsistence agriculture, livestock, and remittances from miners employed in South Africa. The number of such mine workers has declined steadily over the past several years. In 1996 their remittances added about 33% to GDP compared with the addition of roughly 67% in 1990. A small manufacturing base depends largely on farm products which 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 that will be an important source of income for Lesotho. The pace of parastatal privatization has increased in recent years. Civil disorder in September 1998 destroyed 80% of the commercial infrastructure in Maseru and two other major towns. Most firms were not covered by insurance, and the rebuilding of small and medium business has been a significant challenge in terms of both economic growth and employment levels. Output dropped 10% in 1998 and recovered slowly in 1999.
Population below poverty line: 49.2% (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8% (1998 est.)
Industries: food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts; construction; tourism
Agriculture - products: corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock
Currency: 1 loti (L) = 100 lisente; note - maloti (M) is the plural form of loti
Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 18,000 (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1995)
Telephone system: rudimentary system
domestic: consists of a few landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a minor radiotelephone communication system
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 104,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (2000)
Televisions: 54,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (1999)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 2.6 km; note - owned by, operated by, and included in the statistics of South Africa
narrow gauge: 2.6 km 1.067-m gauge (1995)
Highways:
total: 4,955 km
paved: 887 km
unpaved: 4,068 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 29 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 21 (1999 est.) |
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