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Lesotho Country Guide
Explore Lesotho in Africa
The topography includes mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains. The average density of population is approximately 70 per km². The notable climate conditions in Lesotho can be described as temperate with cool to cold, dry winters and hot, wet summers. Possible natural disasters include periodic droughts.
To reach someone in Lesotho dial +266 prior to a number. There are 40,000 installed telephones. And there are 661,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".ls". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 220V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Lesotho
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.
Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto 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 of February 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties disputed how the electoral law was applied to award proportional seats in the Assembly. In May 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.
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Africa Neighbours: South Africa Capital: Maseru |
| Size | 30,355 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 11,720 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly smaller than Maryland |
| Population | 2,128,000 |
| Currency | Name Loti, Currency Code:LSL |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .ls |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +266 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 661,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 40,000 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 30,355 (sq km) | 142 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,936,181 | 148 |
| Population growth rate | 0.34 (%) | 163 |
| Birth rate | 26.31 (births/1,000 population) | 50 |
| Death rate | 15.02 (deaths/1,000 population) | 3 |
| Net migration rate | -7.89 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 202 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 620.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 11 |
| Infant mortality rate | 51.93 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 39 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 52.30 (years) | 212 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.83 (children born/woman) | 69 |
| Health expenditures | 11.10 (% of GDP) | 18 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 23.60 (%) | 3 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 290,000 | 20 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 14,000 | 21 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 14.60 (%) | 120 |
| Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 13.50 (%) | 56 |
| Education expenditures | 13.00 (% of GDP) | 1 |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | 34.40 (%) | 17 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 4,131,000,000 | 175 |
| GDP - real growth rate | 4.00 (%) | 77 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 2,200 | 191 |
| Labor force | 894,500 | 146 |
| Unemployment rate | 25.00 (%) | 174 |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 63.20 | 1 |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 36.60 (% of GDP) | 10 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 67.90 (% of GDP) | 4 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -1.00 (% of GDP) | 61 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 6.10 (%) | 162 |
| Central bank discount rate | 10.00 (%) | 24 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 10.40 (%) | 86 |
| Stock of narrow money | 378,600,000 | 165 |
| Stock of broad money | 897,000,000 | 171 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 82,190,000 | 187 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 3.00 (%) | 94 |
| Current account balance | -352,600,000 | 88 |
| Exports | 1,039,000,000 | 155 |
| Imports | 2,469,000,000 | 158 |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 1,089,000,000 | 134 |
| Debt - external | 715,400,000 | 167 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | 242,000,000 | 100 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 200,000,000 (kWh) | 182 |
| Electricity - consumption | 293,000,000 (kWh) | 176 |
| Electricity - imports | 121,000,000 (kWh) | 92 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 76,000 (kW) | 175 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 100.00 (% of total installed capacity) | 1 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 1,777 (bbl/day) | 192 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 1,813 (bbl/day) | 181 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 282,100 (Mt) | 191 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 38,600 | 168 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,232,000 | 152 |
| Internet hosts | 11,030 | 131 |
| Internet users | 76,800 | 168 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 24 | 130 |
| Roadways | 7,091 (km) | 147 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 1.90 (% of GDP) | 71 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases
List of current world heritage sites
| Name | Since |
|---|---|
| Maloti-Drakensberg Park The Maloti-Drakensberg Park is a transboundary site composed of the uKhahlamba Drakensberg National Park in South Africa and the Sehlathebe National Park in Lesotho. The site has exceptional natural beauty in its soaring basaltic buttresses, incisive ... | 2000 |