|
Country
|
Lesotho | 
Kyrgyzstan |
|
Leader
|
Head of state: King Letsie III
|
Caretaker president : Roza Otunbayeva
|
|
Population
|
1,930,493
| 5,496,737
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
51.860 years
| 69.450 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Maseru
| Bishkek
|
|
Largest city
|
| Maseru (population: 118,355) | Bishkek (population: 900,000) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.496
| 0.694
|
| GDP per capita |
$2,000 US
| $2,400 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
84.8%
| 98.7%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
3.2
| 1.8
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
25.8%
| 25.6%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
|
|
| Unemployment Rate |
45.000%
| 8.600%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Legal
| Abolished except for special circumstances
|
| |
|
Political System
|
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
| republic
|
|
Independence date
|
4 October 1966 (from UK)
| 31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
|
| Religions |
Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%
| Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%
|
| Languages |
Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
| Kyrgyz 64.7% (official), Uzbek 13.6%, Russian 12.5% (official), Dungun 1%, other 8.2% (1999 census)
|
| Exports |
manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000)
| cotton, wool, meat, tobacco; gold, mercury, uranium, natural gas, hydropower; machinery; shoes
|
| External Debt |
$729,900,000 $
| $3,601,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
maloti (LSL) per US dollar - 7.75 (2008 est.), 7.25 (2007), 6.85 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004)
| soms (KGS) per US dollar - 36.108 (2008 est.), 37.746 (2007), 40.149 (2006), 41.012 (2005), 42.65 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
2.600%
| 0.500%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
0
| 2
|
| Location |
Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
| Central Asia, west of China
|
| Area |
30,355 km sq
| 199,951 km sq
|
| Coastline |
0 km
| 0 km
|
| Climate |
temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
| dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan; subtropical in southwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone
|
|
|
|
