Isle of Man (2001) | Lesotho (2004) | |
Administrative divisions | there are 24 local authorities each with its own elections | 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
17.51% (male 6,562; female 6,306) 15-64 years: 65.19% (male 24,061; female 23,845) 65 years and over: 17.3% (male 5,076; female 7,639) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 37.3% (male 350,288; female 345,815)
15-64 years: 57.2% (male 521,434; female 545,183) 65 years and over: 5.5% (male 41,903; female 60,417) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry | corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock |
Airports | 1 (2000 est.) | 28 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.) |
Area | total:
572 sq km land: 572 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 30,355 sq km
land: 30,355 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Maryland |
Background | Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th century when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under the British crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost extinct Manx Celtic language. | 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 | 11.58 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 26.91 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$485 million expenditures: $463 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.) |
revenues: $625.4 million
expenditures: $675.2 million, including capital expenditures of $15 million (2003 est.) |
Capital | Douglas | Maseru |
Climate | cool summers and mild winters; temperate; overcast about one-third of the time | temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers |
Coastline | 160 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act, 1961, does not embody the Manx Constitution | 2 April 1993 |
Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Isle of Man |
conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
conventional short form: Lesotho former: Basutoland |
Currency | British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Manx pound | loti (LSL); South African rand (ZAR) |
Death rate | 11.84 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 24.79 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $735 million (2002) |
Dependency status | British crown dependency | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (British crown dependency) | 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 | none (British crown dependency) | 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 | $NA | $41.5 million (2000) |
Economy - overview | Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the economy. The government's policy of offering incentives to high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on the island has paid off in expanding employment opportunities in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their shares of GDP. Banking and other services now contribute 42% to GDP. Trade is mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to EU markets. | 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:
Irish Sea 0 m highest point: Snaefell 621 m |
lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m
highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m |
Environment - current issues | waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air pollution | 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, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
Ethnic groups | Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Briton | Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%, |
Exchange rates | Manx pounds per US dollar - 0.6764 (January 2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996); the Manx pound is at par with the British pound | maloti per US dollar - 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001), 6.9398 (2000), 6.1095 (1999) |
Executive branch | chief of state:
Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor His Excellency Sir Timothy DAUNT (since 27 October 1995) head of government: Chief Minister Donald GELLING (since 3 December 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch for a five-year term; the Chief Minister is elected by the Tynwald; election last held 3 December 1996 (next to be held NA 2001) election results: Donald GELLING elected chief minister by the Tynwald |
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 | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb | manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000) |
Exports - partners | UK | US 97.6%, Canada 1.5%, France 0.5% (2003) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag, a two-sided emblem 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 - $1.4 billion (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - $5.583 billion (2003 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
1% industry: 9% services: 90% (1999 est.) |
agriculture: 15.3%
industry: 43.3% services: 41.4% (2003) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $18,800 (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - $3,000 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 13.5% (1999 est.) | 4% (2003 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 54 15 N, 4 30 W | 29 30 S, 28 30 E |
Geography - note | one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is a bird sanctuary | landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea level |
Highways | total:
800 km paved: 800 km unpaved: 0 km (1999) |
total: 5,940 km
paved: 1,087 km unpaved: 4,853 km (1999) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 0.9%
highest 10%: 43.4% |
Imports | $NA | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | timber, fertilizers, fish | food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (2000) |
Imports - partners | UK | Hong Kong 36.6%, Taiwan 36.2%, China 12%, Germany 9.9% (2003) |
Independence | none (British crown dependency) | 4 October 1966 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 3.2% (FY96/97) | 15.5% (1999) |
Industries | financial services, light manufacturing, tourism | food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts; construction; tourism |
Infant mortality rate | 6.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 85.22 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 90.19 deaths/1,000 live births female: 80.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.5% (2000 est.) | 6.1% (2003 est.) |
International organization participation | none | ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | NA | - |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km | 10 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor) | High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court; customary or traditional court |
Labor force | 36,610 (1998) | 838,000 (2000) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture, forestry and fishing 3%, manufacturing 11%, construction 10%, transport and communication 8%, wholesale and retail distribution 11%, professional and scientific services 18%, public administration 6%, banking and finance 18%, tourism 2%, entertainment and catering 3%, miscellaneous services 10% | 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:
9% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 46% forests and woodland: 6% other: 39% (includes 25% mountain and heathland) |
arable land: 10.87%
permanent crops: 0.13% other: 89% (2001) |
Languages | English, Manx Gaelic | Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa |
Legal system | English common law and Manx statute | 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 Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (a 11-member body composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and 8 others named by the House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Keys - last held 21 November 1996 (next to be held NA November 2001) election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - independents 24 |
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:
77.64 years male: 74.26 years female: 81.2 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 36.81 years
male: 36.81 years female: 36.81 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 84.8% male: 74.5% female: 94.5% (2003 est.) |
Location | Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland | Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa |
Map references | Europe | Africa |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone:
12 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | total:
157 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,917,402 GRT/8,333,858 DWT ships by type: bulk 27, cargo 13, chemical tanker 11, combination bulk 3, container 20, liquefied gas 13, petroleum tanker 43, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 18, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 5 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 1, Denmark 1, Germany 1, Netherlands 1, Sweden 1, UK 3 (2000 est.) |
- |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | 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; with Army and Air Wing) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $32.5 million (2003) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 2.6% (2003) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 465,827 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 253,974 (2004 est.) |
National holiday | Tynwald Day, 5 July | Independence Day, 4 October (1966) |
Nationality | noun:
Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women) adjective: Manx |
noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
adjective: Basotho |
Natural hazards | NA | periodic droughts |
Natural resources | none | water, agricultural and grazing land, some diamonds and other minerals |
Net migration rate | 5.44 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | -0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | there is no party system; members sit as independents | 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 | none | NA |
Population | 73,489 (July 2001 est.) | 1,865,040
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 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 49% (1999) |
Population growth rate | 0.52% (2001 est.) | 0.14% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Castletown, Douglas, Peel, Ramsey | none |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Radios | NA | - |
Railways | total:
68.5 km (43.5 km electrified) |
- |
Religions | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends | Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20% |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment:
NA domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable |
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: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 51,000 (1999) | 28,600 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 92,000 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999) | 1 (2000) |
Terrain | hills in north and south bisected by central valley | mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains |
Total fertility rate | 1.65 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 3.44 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 0.6% (August 2000) | 45% (2002) |
Waterways | none | - |