|
Country
|
Lesotho |
|
|
Leader
|
Head of state: King Letsie III
|
President: Mahamadou Issoufou
|
|
Population
|
1,930,493
| 16,344,687
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
51.860 years
| 53.800 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Maseru
|
|
|
Largest city
|
| Maseru (population: 118,355) | Niamey (population: 774,235) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.496
| 0.37
|
| GDP per capita |
$2,000 US
|
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
84.8%
| 28.7%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
3.2
| 2.8
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
25.8%
| 12.4%
|
| 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%
| Muslim 80%, other (includes indigenous beliefs and Christian) 20%
|
| Languages |
Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
| French (official), Hausa, Djerma
|
| 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
| Western Africa, southeast of Algeria
|
| Area |
30,355 km sq
| 1,267,000 km sq
|
| Coastline |
0 km
| 0 km
|
| Climate |
temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
| desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south
|
|
|
|
