Introduction :: LESOTHO
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Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basutho National Party ruled the country during its first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995 and subsequently succeeded by his son, King LETSIE III, in 1996. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Batswana military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections in 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties disputed how the electoral law was applied to award proportional seats in the Assembly. In 2012, competitive elections involving 18 parties saw Prime Minister Motsoahae Thomas THABANE form a coalition government - the first in the country's history - that ousted the 14-year incumbent, Pakalitha MOSISILI, who peacefully transferred power the following month. MOSISILI returned to power in snap elections in February 2015 after the collapse of THABANE’s coalition government and an alleged attempted military coup.
Geography :: LESOTHO
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Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
29 30 S, 28 30 E
Africa
total: 30,355 sq km
land: 30,355 sq km
water: 0 sq km
country comparison to the world: 142
slightly smaller than Maryland
total: 1,106 km
border countries (1): South Africa 1,106 km
0 km (landlocked)
none (landlocked)
temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains
mean elevation: 2,161 m
elevation extremes: lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m
highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m
water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone
agricultural land: 76.1%
arable land 10.1%; permanent crops 0.1%; permanent pasture 65.9%
forest: 1.5%
other: 22.4% (2011 est.)
30 sq km (2012)
relatively higher population density in the western half of the nation, with the capital of Maseru, and the smaller cities of Mafeteng, Teyateyaneng, and Leribe attracting the most people
periodic droughts
population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 m above sea level
People and Society :: LESOTHO
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1,958,042
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
adjective: Basotho
Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%
Sesotho (official) (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%
Lesotho faces great socioeconomic challenges. More than half of its population lives below the property line, and the country’s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is the second highest in the world. In addition, Lesotho is a small, mountainous, landlocked country with little arable land, leaving its population vulnerable to food shortages and reliant on remittances. Lesotho’s persistently high infant, child, and maternal mortality rates have been increasing during the last decade, according to the last two Demographic and Health Surveys. Despite these significant shortcomings, Lesotho has made good progress in education; it is on-track to achieve universal primary education and has one of the highest adult literacy rates in Africa.
Lesotho’s migration history is linked to its unique geography; it is surrounded by South Africa with which it shares linguistic and cultural traits. Lesotho at one time had more of its workforce employed outside its borders than any other country. Today remittances equal about 17% of its GDP. With few job options at home, a high rate of poverty, and higher wages available across the border, labor migration to South Africa replaced agriculture as the prevailing Basotho source of income decades ago. The majority of Basotho migrants were single men contracted to work as gold miners in South Africa. However, migration trends changed in the 1990s, and fewer men found mining jobs in South Africa because of declining gold prices, stricter immigration policies, and a preference for South African workers.
Although men still dominate cross-border labor migration, more women are working in South Africa, mostly as domestics, because they are widows or their husbands are unemployed. Internal rural-urban flows have also become more frequent, with more women migrating within the country to take up jobs in the garment industry or moving to care for loved ones with HIV/AIDS. Lesotho’s small population of immigrants is increasingly composed of Taiwanese and Chinese migrants who are involved in the textile industry and small retail businesses.
0-14 years: 32.12% (male 316,106/female 312,869)
15-24 years: 19.43% (male 181,481/female 199,039)
25-54 years: 37.94% (male 362,798/female 380,001)
55-64 years: 5.01% (male 52,293/female 45,828)
65 years and over: 5.5% (male 55,163/female 52,464) (2017 est.)
population pyramid:
Africa
::LESOTHO
Population Pyramid
A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends.
For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.
total dependency ratio: 66.9
youth dependency ratio: 59.5
elderly dependency ratio: 7.4
potential support ratio: 13.5 (2015 est.)
total: 24.2 years
male: 24.2 years
female: 24.2 years (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
0.28% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
24.6 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
15 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
-6.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203
relatively higher population density in the western half of the nation, with the capital of Maseru, and the smaller cities of Mafeteng, Teyateyaneng, and Leribe attracting the most people
urban population: 28.4% of total population (2017)
rate of urbanization: 2.85% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
MASERU (capital) 267,000 (2014)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
21 years
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2014 est.)
487 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
total: 46.1 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 49.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 42.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37
total population: 53 years
male: 53 years
female: 53.1 years (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 216
2.63 children born/woman (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
60.2% (2014)
10.6% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 19
1.3 beds/1,000 population (2006)
improved:
urban: 94.6% of population
rural: 77% of population
total: 81.8% of population
unimproved:
urban: 5.4% of population
rural: 23% of population
total: 18.2% of population (2015 est.)
improved:
urban: 37.3% of population
rural: 27.6% of population
total: 30.3% of population
unimproved:
urban: 62.7% of population
rural: 72.4% of population
total: 69.7% of population (2015 est.)
25% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
330,000 (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
9,900 (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21
16.6% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 122
10.3% (2014)
country comparison to the world: 54
13% of GDP (2008)
country comparison to the world: 1
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.4%
male: 70.1%
female: 88.3% (2015 est.)
total: 11 years
male: 10 years
female: 11 years (2014)
total: 34.4%
male: NA
female: NA (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
Government :: LESOTHO
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conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
conventional short form: Lesotho
local long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
local short form: Lesotho
former: Basutoland
etymology: the name translates as "Land of the Sesotho Speakers"
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
name: Maseru
geographic coordinates: 29 19 S, 27 29 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka
4 October 1966 (from the UK)
Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
history: previous 1959, 1967; latest adopted 2 April 1993 (effectively restoring the 1967 version)
amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions including fundamental rights and freedoms, sovereignty of the kingdom, the office of the king, and powers of Parliament requires a majority vote by the National Assembly, approval by the Senate, approval in a referendum by a majority of qualified voters, and assent by the king; passage of amendments other than those specified provisions requires at least a two-thirds majority vote in both Parliament houses; amended several times, last in 2011 (2017)
mixed legal system of English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent: yes
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
18 years of age; universal
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 Thomas Motsoahae THABANE (since 16 June 2017)
cabinet: consists of the Prime Minister, appointed by the King on the advice of the Council of State, and 25 other Ministers
elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary, but under the terms of the constitution that 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 depose the monarch, to determine next in line of succession, or to serve as regent in the event that a successor is not of mature age; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the Assembly automatically becomes prime minister
description: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (33 seats; 22 principal chiefs and 11 other senators nominated by the king with the advice of the Council of State, a 13-member body of key government and non-government officials; members serve 5-year terms) and the National Assembly (120 seats; 80 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 40 elected through proportional representation; members serve 5-year terms)
elections: last held on 3 June 2017 (next to be held in 2022)
election results: National Assembly - percent of votes by party - ABC 40.5%, DC 25.8%, LCD 9.0%, AD 7.3%, MEC 5.1%, BNP 4.1, PFD 2.3%, other 5.9%; seats by party - ABC 48, DC 30, LCD 11, AD 9, MEC 6, BNP 5, PFD 3, other 5, vacant 3
highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, such number of justices of appeal as set by Parliament, and the Chief Justice and the puisne judges of the High Court ex officio); High Court (consists of the chief justice and such number of puisne judges as set by Parliament); note - both the Court of Appeal and the High Court have jurisdiction in constitutional issues
judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal president and High Court chief justice appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; puisne judges appointed by the monarch on advice of the Judicial Service Commission, an independent body of judicial officers and officials designated by the monarch; judges of both courts can serve until age 75
subordinate courts: Magistrate Courts; customary or traditional courts; military courts
All Basotho Convention or ABC [Thomas Motsoahae THABANE]
Alliance of Democrats or AD [Monyane MOLELEKI]
Basotho Congress Party or BCP [Thulo MAHLAKENG]
Basotho National Party or BNP [Thesele MASERIBANE]
Democratic Congress or DC [Pakalitha MOSISILI]
Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Mothetjoa METSING]
Lesotho Peoples Congress or LPC [Mabusetsa MAKHARILELE]
Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP [Tlhoriso LEKATSA]
Movement of Economic Change or MEC [Selibe MOCHOBOROANE]
National Independent Party or NIP [Kimetso MATHABA]
Popular Front for Democracy of PFD [Lekhetho RAKUOANE]
Reformed Congress of Lesotho or RCL [Keketso RANTSO]
Truth Reconciliation Unity or TRU [Tlali KHASU]
Media Institute of Southern Africa or MISA, Lesotho chapter [Tsebo MAT�ASA] (media freedom advocates)
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
chief of mission: Ambassador Eliachim Molapi SEBATANE (since 18 January 2012)
chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533
FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815
chief of mission: Ambassador Matthew T. HARRINGTON (October 2014)
embassy: 254 Kingsway Road, Maseru West (Consular Section)
mailing address: P.O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho
telephone: [266] 22 312 666
FAX: [266] 22 310 116
three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green in the proportions of 3:4:3; the colors represent rain, peace, and prosperity respectively; centered in the white stripe is a black Basotho hat representing the indigenous people; the flag was unfurled in October 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence
mokorotio (Basotho hat); national colors: blue, white, green, black
name: "Lesotho fatse la bo ntat'a rona" (Lesotho, Land of Our Fathers)
lyrics/music: Francois COILLARD/Ferdinand-Samuel LAUR
note: adopted 1967; music derives from an 1823 Swiss songbook
Economy :: LESOTHO
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Small, mountainous, and completely landlocked by South Africa, Lesotho depends on a narrow economic base of textile manufacturing, agriculture, remittances, and regional customs revenue. About three-fourths of the people live in rural areas and engage in animal herding and subsistence agriculture, although Lesotho produces less than 20% of the nation's demand for food. Agriculture is vulnerable to weather and climate variability.
Lesotho relies on South Africa for much of its economic activity; Lesotho imports 85% of the goods it consumes from South Africa, including most agricultural inputs. Households depend heavily on remittances from family members working in South Africa in mines, on farms, and as domestic workers, though mining employment has declined substantially since the 1990s. Lesotho is a member of the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU), and revenues from SACU accounted for roughly 26% of total GDP in 2016; however, SACU revenues are volatile and expected to decline over the next 5 years. Lesotho also gains royalties from the South African Government for water transferred to South Africa from a dam and reservoir system in Lesotho. However, the government continues to strengthen its tax system to reduce dependency on customs duties and other transfers.
The government maintains a large presence in the economy - government consumption accounted for about 26% of GDP in 2017. The government remains Lesotho's largest employer; in 2016, the government wage bill rose to 23% of GDP – the largest in sub-Saharan Africa. Lesotho's largest private employer is the textile and garment industry - approximately 36,000 Basotho, mainly women, work in factories producing garments for export to South Africa and the US. Diamond mining in Lesotho has grown in recent years and accounted for nearly 35% of total exports in 2015. Lesotho managed steady GDP growth at an average of 4.5% from 2010 to 2014, dropping to about 2.5% in 2015-16, but poverty remains widespread around 57% of the total population.
$7.448 billion (2017 est.)
$7.118 billion (2016 est.)
$6.954 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 167
$2.721 billion (2016 est.)
4.6% (2017 est.)
2.4% (2016 est.)
2.5% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
$3,900 (2017 est.)
$3,700 (2016 est.)
$3,600 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 180
20.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
21% of GDP (2016 est.)
23.8% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
household consumption: 69.2%
government consumption: 26.4%
investment in fixed capital: 31.4%
investment in inventories: -13.4%
exports of goods and services: 40.8%
imports of goods and services: -54.4% (2017 est.)
agriculture: 5.3%
industry: 34.6%
services: 60.1% (2017 est.)
corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock
food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism
8.2% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
930,800 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
agriculture: 86%
industry and services: 14%
note: most of the resident population is engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa (2002 est.)
28.1% (2014 est.)
25% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
57% (2016 est.)
lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 39.4% (2003)
63.2 (1995)
56 (1986-87)
country comparison to the world: 1
revenues: $1.057 billion
expenditures: $1.16 billion (2017 est.)
38.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
-3.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
47.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
49.5% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
1 April - 31 March
6.6% (2017 est.)
6.4% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
6.75% (2 February 2016)
6.25% (31 December 2015)
country comparison to the world: 53
12% (31 December 2017 est.)
11.58% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
$301.5 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$356.3 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179
$703.2 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$725.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
$225.4 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$230.9 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
-$232 million (2017 est.)
-$174 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
$1.031 billion (2017 est.)
$894 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157
manufactures (clothing, footwear), wool and mohair, food and live animals, electricity, water, diamonds
South Africa 56.5%, US 35.4% (2016)
$1.718 billion (2017 est.)
$1.613 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products
South Africa 84.5% (2016)
$983 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$925.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
$952.5 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$921.3 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168
$532.5 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$456.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
maloti (LSL) per US dollar -
14.48 (2017 est.)
14.71 (2016 est.)
14.71 (2015 est.)
12.76 (2014 est.)
10.85 (2013 est.)
Energy :: LESOTHO
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population without electricity: 1,700,000
electrification - total population: 17%
electrification - urban areas: 43%
electrification - rural areas: 8% (2013)
600 million kWh (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
763 million kWh (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163
0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
205 million kWh (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
80,000 kW (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184
0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 215
0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
100% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195
0 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150
0 bbl (1 January 2017 es)
country comparison to the world: 157
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
5,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
5,121 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
0 cu m (1 January 2014 es)
country comparison to the world: 163
300,000 Mt (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
Communications :: LESOTHO
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total subscriptions: 41,158
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
total: 2,282,917
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 117 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
general assessment: rudimentary system consisting of a modest number of landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a small radiotelephone communication system; mobile-cellular telephone system is expanding
domestic: Econet Telecom Lesotho provides telecom services; fixed-line density is low; mobile-cellular service dominates the market with a subscribership now over 115 per 100 persons
international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2016)
1 state-owned TV station and 2 state-owned radio stations; government controls most private broadcast media; satellite TV subscription service available; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters obtainable (2008)
.ls
total: 534,360
percent of population: 27.4% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
Transportation :: LESOTHO
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7P (2016)
24 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 132
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2017)
total: 21
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 16 (2013)
total: 5,940 km
paved: 1,069 km
unpaved: 4,871 km (2011)
country comparison to the world: 150
Military and Security :: LESOTHO
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1.85% of GDP (2016)
1.89% of GDP (2015)
1.89% of GDP (2014)
1.89% of GDP (2013)
1.99% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 43
Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army (includes Air Wing) (2012)
18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women serve as commissioned officers (2012)
Lesotho's declared policy for its military is the maintenance of the country's sovereignty and the preservation of internal security; in practice, external security is guaranteed by South Africa
Transnational Issues :: LESOTHO
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South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration
current situation: Lesotho is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking and for men subjected to forced labor; in Lesotho and South Africa, Basotho women and children are subjected to domestic servitude, and Basotho children increasingly endure commercial sexual exploitation; some Basotho men who voluntarily migrate to South Africa for work become victims of forced labor in agriculture and mining or are coerced into committing crimes; foreign nationals continue to traffic fellow citizens in Lesotho
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Lesotho does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, Lesotho was granted a waiver from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 because its government has a written plan that, if implemented would constitute making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; the government failed to initiate any prosecutions against alleged traffickers and has not convicted any offenders under the 2011 anti-trafficking act, which remains unimplemented for a fifth year; authorities did not develop formal victim identification and referral procedures, did not establish victim care centers, as required under the 2011 anti-trafficking act, and did not support NGOs offering victims protective services (2015)
