Lesotho

Mmuso wa Lesotho
Kingdom of Lesotho

(In Detail) (Full size)
National motto: Khotso, Pula, Nala (Peace, Rain, Prosperity)
Official language	Sesotho,English
Capital	Maseru
Capital's coordinates	29° 18' S, 27° 28' E
Largest City	Maseru
Monarch	HM The King of Lesotho, Letsie III
Prime Minister	Pakalitha Mosisili
Area  - Total  - % water	Ranked 137th 30,355 km² Negligible
Population  - Total (Year)  - Density	Ranked 143rd 2,143,141 70.6/km²
GDP (PPP)  - Total (Year)  - GDP/head	Ranked 147th $5.106 billion $2,700
Currency	Loti (L)
Time zone	UTC +2
Establishment	1824
National anthem	Lesotho Fatse La Bontat'a Rona
Internet TLD	.LS
Calling Code	266

Lesotho is a country in southern Africa. Being an enclave it is entirely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa.

History

Main article: History of Lesotho

Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the United Kingdom on October 4 1966. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after 23 years of authoritarianism, which included seven years of military rule.

Language

The people from Lesotho speak the Sesotho language, in their Bantu derived, prefix-oriented language.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Lesotho

Districts

Main Article: Districts of Lesotho

Lesotho is divided into 10 districts:-

Geography

Main article: Geography of Lesotho

Economy

Main article: Economy of Lesotho

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. Lesotho has had an uneasy relationship with its expatriate population, particularly the Asian business community. There is a strong sense of xenophobia which has sometimes led to riots against foreigners. However, the vast majority of Lesotho's resources and jobs are directly or indirectly due to foreign investment and ownership in the country. The problem is exacerbated by political figures who encourage the uneducated populace to blame the outsiders for the nation's problems.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Lesotho

Culture

Main article: Culture of Lesotho

• Music of Lesotho
• List of writers from Lesotho

Miscellaneous topics

• Communications in Lesotho
• Transportation in Lesotho
• Military of Lesotho
• Foreign relations of Lesotho

Commonwealth of Nations

Antigua and Barbuda | Australia | Bahamas | Bangladesh | Barbados | Belize | Botswana | Brunei | Cameroon | Canada | Cyprus | Dominica | Fiji | The Gambia | Ghana | Grenada | Guyana | India | Jamaica | Kenya | Kiribati | Lesotho | Malawi | Malaysia | Maldives | Malta | Mauritius | Mozambique | Namibia | Nauru | New Zealand | Nigeria | Pakistan | Papua New Guinea | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Lucia | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Samoa | Seychelles | Sierra Leone | Singapore | Solomon Islands | South Africa | Sri Lanka | Swaziland | Tanzania | Tonga | Trinidad and Tobago | Tuvalu | Uganda | United Kingdom | Vanuatu | Zambia

af:Lesotho de:Lesotho es:Lesoto eo:Lesoto et:Lesotho fi:Lesotho fr:Lesotho ja:レソト nds:Lesotho nl:Lesotho no:Lesotho pl:Lesotho pt:Lesoto ru:Лесото sl:Lesoto sv:Lesotho