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Compare Baker Island (2003) - Lesotho (2003)

Compare Baker Island (2003) z Lesotho (2003)

 Baker Island (2003)Lesotho (2003)
 Baker IslandLesotho
Administrative divisions - 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka
Age structure - 0-14 years: 37.7% (male 353,554; female 349,092)


15-64 years: 56.8% (male 516,017; female 541,694)


65 years and over: 5.5% (male 41,735; female 59,867) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products - corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock
Airports 1 abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m, completely covered with vegetation and unusable (2002) 28 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways - total: 4


over 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 2 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 24


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 20 (2002)
Area total: 1.4 sq km


land: 1.4 sq km


water: 0 sq km		 total: 30,355 sq km


land: 30,355 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative about 2.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC slightly smaller than Maryland
Background The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization was begun on this island - as well as on nearby Howland Island - but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. Presently the island is a National Wildlife Refuge run by the US Department of the Interior; a day beacon is situated near the middle of the west coast. Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after 23 years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody South African military intervention. Constitutional reforms have since restored political stability; peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002.
Birth rate - 27.26 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget - revenues: $76 million


expenditures: $80 million, including capital expenditures of $15 million (FY 99/00 est.)
Capital - Maseru
Climate equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Coastline 4.8 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution - 2 April 1993
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Baker Island		 conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho


conventional short form: Lesotho


former: Basutoland
Currency - loti (LSL); South African rand (ZAR)
Death rate - 24.58 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external - $735 million (2002)
Dependency status unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system -
Diplomatic representation from the US - chief of mission: Ambassador Robert G. LOFTIS


embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section)


mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho


telephone: [266] 312666


FAX: [266] 310116
Diplomatic representation in the US - chief of mission: Ambassador Molelekeng E. RAPOLAKI


chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536


FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - donor - ODA $4.4 million
Economic aid - recipient - $41.5 million (2000)
Economy - overview no economic activity Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho relies on remittances from miners employed in South Africa and customs duties from the Southern Africa Customs Union for the majority of government revenue, but the government has strengthened its tax system to reduce dependency on customs duties. Completion of a major hydropower facility in January 1998 now permits the sale of water to South Africa, also generating royalties for Lesotho. As the number of mineworkers has declined steadily over the past several years, a small manufacturing base has developed based on farm products that support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries and a rapidly growing apparel-assembly sector. The economy is still primarily based on subsistence agriculture, especially livestock, although drought has decreased agricultural activity. The extreme inequality in the distribution of income remains a major drawback. Lesotho has signed an Interim Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility with the IMF.
Electricity - consumption - 40 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports - 40 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2001)
Electricity - production - 0 kWh NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location 8 m		 lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m


highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m
Environment - current issues no natural fresh water resources population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa
Environment - international agreements - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping
Ethnic groups - Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%,
Exchange rates - maloti per US dollar - 10.54 (2002), 8.61 (2001), 6.94 (2000), 6.11 (1999), 5.53 (1998)
Executive branch - chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996); note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995, while his father was in exile


head of government: Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 23 May 1998)


cabinet: Cabinet


elections: none; according to the constitution, the leader of the majority party in the Assembly automatically becomes prime minister; the monarch is hereditary, but, under the terms of the constitution, which came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is a "living symbol of national unity" with no executive or legislative powers; under traditional law the college of chiefs has the power to determine who is next in the line of succession, who shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age, and may even depose the monarch
Exports - NA (2001)
Exports - commodities - manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000)
Exports - partners - US 97.5%, Canada 0.9%, France 0.6% (2002)
Fiscal year - 1 April - 31 March
Flag description the flag of the US is used divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper half is white, bearing the brown silhouette of a large shield with crossed spear and club; the lower half is a diagonal blue band with a green triangle in the corner
GDP - purchasing power parity - $5.106 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture: 20%


industry: 46%


services: 34% (2001)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 4% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 0 13 N, 176 31 W 29 30 S, 28 30 E
Geography - note treeless, sparse, and scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea level
Highways - total: 5,940 km


paved: 1,087 km


unpaved: 4,853 km (1999)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: 0.9%


highest 10%: 43.4%
Imports - NA (2001)
Imports - commodities - food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (2000)
Imports - partners - Hong Kong 51.9%, China 25%, France 3.9% (2002)
Independence - 4 October 1966 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate - 15.5% (1999)
Industries - food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts; construction; tourism
Infant mortality rate - total: 86.21 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 91.28 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 80.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 10% (2002 est.)
International organization participation - ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) 10 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch - High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court; customary or traditional court
Labor force - 838,000
Labor force - by occupation - 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa
Land boundaries 0 km total: 909 km


border countries: South Africa 909 km
Land use arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (1998 est.)		 arable land: 10.71%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 89.29% (1998 est.)
Languages - Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
Legal system the laws of the US, where applicable, apply based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch - bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (33 members - 22 principal chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the ruling party) and the Assembly (120 seats, 80 by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms); note - number of seats in the Assembly rose from 80 to 120 in the May 2002 election


elections: last held 25 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - LCD 54%, BNP 21%, LPC 7%, other 18%; seats by party - LCD 76, BNP 21, LPC 5, other 18
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 36.94 years


male: 36.76 years


female: 37.13 years (2003 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 84.8%


male: 74.5%


female: 94.5% (2003 est.)
Location Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and Australia Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
Map references Oceania Africa
Maritime claims exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM		 none (landlocked)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard the Lesotho Government in 1999 began an open debate on the future structure, size, and role of the armed forces, especially considering the Lesotho Defense Force's (LDF) history of intervening in political affairs
Military branches - Lesotho Defense Force (LDF; including Army and Air Wing), Royal Lesotho Mounted Police
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $34 million (1999)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - NA%
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 459,723 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 250,560 (2003 est.)
National holiday - Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
Nationality - noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)


adjective: Basotho
Natural hazards the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard periodic droughts
Natural resources guano (deposits worked until 1891), terrestrial and aquatic wildlife water, agricultural and grazing land, some diamonds and other minerals
Net migration rate - -0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Political parties and leaders - Basotho Congress Party or BCP [Tseliso MAKHAKHE]; Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justine Metsing LEKHANYA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Phebe MOTEBANO, chairwoman; Pakalitha MOSISILI, leader] - the governing party; Lesotho People's Congress or LPC [Kelebone MAOPE]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Charles MOFELI]; Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP and Setlamo Alliance [Vincent MALEBO]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Chief Peete Nkoebe PEETE]; Sefate Democratic Party or SDP [Bofihla NKUEBE]
Political pressure groups and leaders - NA
Population uninhabited


note: American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; a cemetery and remnants of structures from early settlement are located near the middle of the west coast; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service (July 2003 est.)		 1,861,959


note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line - 49% (1999)
Population growth rate - 0.19% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors none; offshore anchorage only; note - there is one small boat landing area along the middle of the west coast none
Radio broadcast stations - AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways - total: 2.6 km; note - owned by, operated by, and included in the statistics of South Africa


narrow gauge: 2.6 km 1.067-m gauge (1995)
Religions - Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%
Sex ratio - at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system - general assessment: rudimentary system


domestic: consists of a few landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a minor radiotelephone communication system; a cellular mobile telephone system is growing


international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use - 22,200 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 21,600 (2000)
Television broadcast stations - 1 (2000)
Terrain low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains
Total fertility rate - 3.52 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Transportation - note there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast -
Unemployment rate - 45% (2002)
Waterways none none
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