|
Country
|
Lesotho | 
Kuwait |
|
Leader
|
Head of state: King Letsie III
|
Emir: Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah
|
|
Population
|
1,930,493
| 2,646,314
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
51.860 years
| 77.280 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Maseru
| Kuwait
|
|
Largest city
|
| Maseru (population: 118,355) | As Salimiyah (population: 147,649) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.496
| 0.912
|
| GDP per capita |
$2,000 US
| $42,200 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
84.8%
| 93.3%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
3.2
| 4.3
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
25.8%
| 3.1%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
NA
| Nasser Al-Kharafi & family ($8.1bn US)
|
| Unemployment Rate |
45.000%
| 2.200%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Legal
| Legal
|
| |
|
Political System
|
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
| constitutional emirate
|
|
Independence date
|
4 October 1966 (from UK)
| 19 June 1961 (from UK)
|
| Religions |
Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%
| Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shia 30%), other (includes Christian, Hindu, Parsi) 15%
|
| Languages |
Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
| Arabic (official), English widely spoken
|
| Exports |
manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000)
| oil and refined products, fertilizers
|
| External Debt |
$729,900,000 $
| $41,730,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
maloti (LSL) per US dollar - 7.75 (2008 est.), 7.25 (2007), 6.85 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004)
| Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US dollar - 0.2679 (2008 est.), 0.2844 (2007), 0.29 (2006), 0.292 (2005), 0.2947 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
2.600%
| 5.300%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
|
|
| Location |
Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
| Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia
|
| Area |
30,355 km sq
| 17,818 km sq
|
| Coastline |
0 km
| 499 km
|
| Climate |
temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
| dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
|
|
|
|
