|
Country
|
Lesotho |
|
|
Leader
|
Head of state: King Letsie III
|
Acting president: Andry Rajoelina
|
|
Population
|
1,930,493
| 22,005,222
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
51.860 years
| 64.000 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Maseru
|
|
|
Largest city
|
| Maseru (population: 118,355) | Antananarivo (population: 1,391,430) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.496
| 0.533
|
| GDP per capita |
$2,000 US
|
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
84.8%
| 68.9%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
3.2
| 3.4
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
25.8%
| 9.4%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
|
|
| Unemployment Rate |
45.000%
|
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Legal
| Abolished in practice
|
| |
|
Political System
|
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
| republic
|
|
Independence date
|
4 October 1966 (from UK)
|
|
| Religions |
Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%
| indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian 41%, Muslim 7%
|
| Languages |
Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
| English (official), French (official), Malagasy (official)
|
| Exports |
manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000)
|
|
| External Debt |
$729,900,000 $
|
|
| Exchange Rate |
maloti (LSL) per US dollar - 7.75 (2008 est.), 7.25 (2007), 6.85 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004)
|
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
2.600%
|
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
|
|
| Location |
Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
| Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique
|
| Area |
30,355 km sq
| 587,041 km sq
|
| Coastline |
0 km
| 4,828 km
|
| Climate |
temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
| tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south
|
|
|
|
