Lesotho Lesotho KEY FACTS Africa is Thabana–Ntlenyana (3,842 metres) in eastern Lesotho. The land descends to the west to an arable belt, known as the Joined Commonwealth: 1966 lowlands, where the capital is situated and two-thirds of the Population: 2,052,000 (2012) population live. The country is well-watered in a generally dry GDP p.c. growth: 2.8% p.a. 1990–2012 region, the Orange river and its tributary the Caledon both rising in UN HDI 2012: world ranking 158 Lesotho. Official languages: Sesotho, English Climate: The climate is temperate with well-marked seasons. The Time: GMT plus 2hr rainy season (receiving 85 per cent of total precipitation) is October Currency: loti, plural maloti (M) to April, when there are frequent violent thunderstorms. Rainfall averages 746 mm p.a. Temperatures in the lowlands range from Geography 32.2°C to –6.7°C; the range is much greater in the mountains. From May to September, snow falls in the highlands with heavy Area: 30,355 sq km frosts occurring in the lowlands. Coastline: none Capital: Maseru Environment: The most significant issue is overgrazing, resulting The Kingdom of Lesotho is a small landlocked country entirely in severe soil erosion and desertification. surrounded by South Africa. It is known as the ‘Mountain Vegetation: Mainly grassland and bushveld, with forest in ravines Kingdom’, the whole country being over 1,000 metres in altitude. and on the windward slopes of mountains. Forest covers one per The country is divided into ten districts, each named after the cent of the land area and arable land comprises ten per cent. principal town: Berea, Butha Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Forest cover increased at 0.5 per cent p.a. 1990–2010. Mohale’s Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha’s Nek, Quthing and Thaba- Wildlife: The Drakensberg Mountains are the last stronghold in Tseka. southern Africa of the huge bearded vulture, the lammergeier. Topography: Lesotho has two main mountain ranges – the Large mammals have largely been eradicated by stock farming, and Drakensberg and the Maloti ranges – both running north–south indigenous ground-living species are now restricted to small from the northern high plateau. The highest mountain in southern antelope, hares and the mountain-dwelling rock-rabbit (dassie). Main towns: Maseru (capital, pop. 253,900 in 2010), Hlotse (45,300), Mafeteng (40,900), Teyateyaneng (27,100), Maputsoa (23,100), Mohale’s Hoek (22,400), Qacha’s Nek (17,100), Quthing (6,400), Mokhotlong (6,100) and Butha Buthe (5,900). Transport: There are 5,940 km of roads, 18 per cent paved. South African Railways runs a short freight line into Lesotho, terminating at the Maseru industrial estate. The international airport, Moshoeshoe I Airport, lies 20 km south of Maseru; there are 31 airstrips around the country for domestic flights. Did you know? Lesotho is a monarchy. The country’s lowest point of 1,400 metres above sea level is the highest lowest point of any country in the world. It has relatively very little forest, covering only one per cent of the land area. Through the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, Lesotho exports water to South Africa, which completely surrounds it. The Commonwealth Yearbook 2014 Society Economy KEY FACTS 2012 KEY FACTS 2012 Population per sq km: 68 GNI: US$2.8bn Life expectancy: 49 years GNI p.c.: US$1,380 Net primary enrolment: 82% GDP growth: 5.0% p.a. 2008–12 Population: 2,052,000 (2012); 28 per cent of people live in urban Inflation: 6.5% p.a. 2008–12 areas; growth 1.1 per cent p.a. 1990–2012; birth rate 28 per 1,000 The economy of this landlocked and mountainous country is people (43 in 1970); life expectancy 49 years (49 in 1970 and 59 in inseparably linked with that of its much bigger and more 1990). developed neighbour, South Africa. A large number of Basotho work in South Africa – around 100,000 in the mid-1990s, falling to The people are mostly Basotho, with a few thousand expatriate 40,500 in 2010 – and most of the government’s income comes Europeans and several hundred Asians. from Southern African Customs Union import tariffs. Economic Language: Sesotho and English are official languages; Zulu and swings in South Africa are the biggest single influence on Lesotho’s Xhosa are also spoken. economy. Moreover, the country has one of the world’s highest HIV Religion: Mainly Christians (Roman Catholics 56 per cent, and infection rates. Lesotho Evangelicals and Anglicans 24 per cent); the rest hold Commonwealth member countries Measures to diversify the economy have included encouragement traditional beliefs, which often coexist with Christianity. of manufacturing, particularly of clothing, textiles, leather goods Health: Public spending on health was nine per cent of GDP in and footwear, and of tourism, including establishment of a ski 2011. Some 78 per cent of the population uses an improved drinking water source and 26 per cent have access to adequate sanitation facilities (2011). Infant mortality was 74 per 1,000 live Real Growth in GDP births in 2012 (137 in 1960). Lesotho is vulnerable to AIDS and % 8 other sexually transmitted diseases; a high proportion of young men work in other countries with serious AIDS problems. In 2012, 7 23 per cent of people aged 15–49 were HIV positive. 6 Education: Public spending on education was 13 per cent of GDP 5 in 2008. Primary school comprises seven years and secondary five, 4 with cycles of three and two years. Some 66 per cent of pupils 3 complete primary school (2010). The school year starts in March. 2 Higher education institutions include National University of Lesotho; Lesotho Institute of Public Administration and Management; 1 Lesotho College of Education; Lerotholi Polytechnic; and Lesotho 0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Agricultural College. Literacy among people aged 15–24 is 92 per cent (2010). Media: There are several independent weekly newspapers in Inflation English, including Lesotho Times, Public Eye and Sunday Express, and Makatolle and MoAfrica in Sesotho. % 12 Radio is the most important source of information. Public 10 broadcasters Radio Lesotho and Lesotho Television provide national services. There are several private commercial and faith radio 8 stations. South African radio and TV are received in Lesotho. 6 Some 13 per cent of households have TV sets (2006). There are three personal computers per 1,000 people (2005). 4 Communications: Country code 266; internet domain ‘.ls’. Mobile 2 phone coverage is confined to the main towns. 0 There are internet cafés in Maseru. Post office branches can be 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 found in all the main cities. There are 25 main telephone lines, 753 mobile phone subscriptions and 46 internet users per 1,000 people (2012). GDP by Sector (2012) Public holidays: New Year’s Day, Moshoeshoe’s Day (11 March), Workers’ Day (1 May), Africa/Heroes’ Day (25 May), King’s Birthday Agriculture 8.2% (17 July), Independence Day (4 October), Christmas Day and Boxing Industry 33.5% Day. Services 58.3% Religious and other festivals whose dates vary from year to year include Good Friday, Easter Monday and Ascension Day. The Commonwealth Yearbook 2014 resort in the Drakensberg. Manufacturing output grew by some ten Politics Lesotho per cent p.a. during the 1980s and by more than seven per cent p.a. in the 1990s; it surged in the early 2000s but declined during Last elections: 26 May 2012 the rest of the decade. The manufacturing sector’s contribution to Next elections: 28 February 2015 GDP fell from 22 per cent in 2006 to 12 per cent in 2012. With Head of state: King Letsie III (1990–95; 1996–) the support of the IMF, economic policy has focused on investment Head of government: Prime Minister Tom Thabane in education, developing the private sector and more effective Ruling party: coalition of All Basotho revenue collection. Convention, Lesotho Congress for Democracy and Basotho National From 2005 exporters of textiles and clothing faced stronger Party competition in the US market from Asian producers, as their Women MPs: 27% quotas were raised. But in 2006 measures under the US African In the first elections following the introduction of an element of Growth and Opportunity Act underpinned a recovery in the proportional representation, in May 2002, the Lesotho Congress clothing industry and diamond production rose. for Democracy (LCD) took 77 seats and 54.9 per cent of the votes, The strong growth of the 1990s was interrupted by the outbreak the Basotho National Party (BNP) 21 and 22.4 per cent, and eight of political unrest in late 1998. There was large-scale damage to other parties each gained seats. Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili was property and loss of an estimated 4,000 jobs. The economy was again sworn in as Prime Minister. The Commonwealth observer plunged into recession and contracted by nearly five per cent in group present for the elections said that the conditions existed for 1998, compounded by rising unemployment due to the return of a free expression of the will of the voters. migrant mine workers. In October 2006, Tom Thabane resigned as a minister in the LCD It only recovered in 2000, with a resumption of good growth in government to form a new political party, the All Basotho 2001 and this was sustained through the 2000s, until it slowed Convention (ABC). Sixteen LCD MPs and one independent slightly in response to the global economic downturn in 2008–09, defected with him, making the ABC the third largest party in the picking up again in 2010 (with growth of 7.9 per cent), National Assembly with 18 members.