|
Country
|
Lesotho | 
Belgium |
|
Leader
|
Head of state: King Letsie III
|
King: Albert II Prime Minister-designate: Elio di Rupo
|
|
Population
|
1,930,493
| 10,438,353
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
51.860 years
| 79.650 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Maseru
| Brussels
|
|
Largest city
|
| Maseru (population: 118,355) | Brussels (population: 1,019,020) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.496
| 0.948
|
| GDP per capita |
$2,000 US
| $38,200 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
84.8%
| 99%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
3.2
| 7.3
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
25.8%
| 36.2%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
NA
| Albert Frere ($2.4bn US)
|
| Unemployment Rate |
45.000%
| 7.700%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Legal
| Abolished
|
| |
|
Political System
|
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
| federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
|
|
Independence date
|
4 October 1966 (from UK)
| 4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)
|
| Religions |
Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%
| Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%
|
| Languages |
Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
| Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)
|
| Exports |
manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000)
| machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs
|
| External Debt |
$729,900,000 $
| $1,399,000,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
maloti (LSL) per US dollar - 7.75 (2008 est.), 7.25 (2007), 6.85 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004)
| euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6802 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
2.600%
| 1.300%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
0
| 2
|
| Location |
Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
| Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands
|
| Area |
30,355 km sq
| 30,528 km sq
|
| Coastline |
0 km
| 67 km
|
| Climate |
temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
| temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
|
|
|
|
