Queen: Margrethe II Prime Minister: Helle Thorning-Schmidt
Population
1,930,493
5,543,453
Life Expectancy
51.860 years
78.780 years
Capital City
Maseru
Copenhagen
Largest city
Maseru (population: 118,355)
Copenhagen (population: 1,153,620)
Human Development Index
0.496
0.952
GDP per capita
$2,000 US
$37,600 US
Literacy Rate
84.8%
99%
Corruption Perception Index
3.2
9.3
Percentage of Women in Parliament
25.8%
38%
Wealthiest Citizens
NA
Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen ($2.1bn US)
Unemployment Rate
45.000%
6.000%
Death Penalty
Legal
Abolished
Political System
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
constitutional monarchy
Independence date
4 October 1966 (from UK)
first organized as a unified state in 10th century; in 1849 became a constitutional monarchy
Religions
Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%
Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Christian (includes Protestant and Roman Catholic) 3%, Muslim 2%
Languages
Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority) note: English is the predominant second language
Exports
manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000)
machinery and instruments, meat and meat products, dairy products, fish, pharmaceuticals, furniture, windmills
External Debt
$729,900,000 $
$626,900,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
maloti (LSL) per US dollar - 7.75 (2008 est.), 7.25 (2007), 6.85 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004)
Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar - 5.0236 (2008 est.), 5.4797 (2007), 5.9468 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
2.600%
1.300%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
7
Location
Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes two major islands (Sjaelland and Fyn)
Area
30,355 km sq
43,094 km sq
Coastline
0 km
7,314 km
Climate
temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers
