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Compare Jan Mayen (2005) - Lesotho (2008)

Compare Jan Mayen (2005) z Lesotho (2008)

 Jan Mayen (2005)Lesotho (2008)
 Jan MayenLesotho
Administrative divisions - 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka
Age structure - 0-14 years: 35.7% (male 382,308/female 377,303)


15-64 years: 59.3% (male 613,979/female 645,818)


65 years and over: 5% (male 42,621/female 63,233) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products - corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock
Airports 1 (2004 est.) 28 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways - total: 3


over 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
total: 25


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 21 (2007)
Area total: 373 sq km


land: 373 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 twice the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Maryland
Background This desolate, mountainous island was named after a Dutch whaling captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 (earlier claims are inconclusive). Visited only occasionally by seal hunters and trappers over the following centuries, the island came under Norwegian sovereignty in 1929. The long dormant Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg volcano resumed activity in 1970; it is the northernmost active volcano on earth. Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled for the first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Botswanan military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections of February 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties continue to periodically demonstrate their distrust of the results.
Birth rate - 24.72 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget - revenues: $951.4 million


expenditures: $855.4 million (2007 est.)
Capital - name: Maseru


geographic coordinates: 29 19 S, 27 29 E


time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Coastline 124.1 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution - 2 April 1993
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Jan Mayen
conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho


conventional short form: Lesotho


local long form: Kingdom of Lesotho


local short form: Lesotho


former: Basutoland
Death rate - 22.49 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external - $693 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Dependency status territory of Norway; since August 1994, administered from Oslo through the county governor (fylkesmann) of Nordland; however, authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian Defense Communication Service -
Diplomatic representation from the US - chief of mission: Ambassador Robert NOLAN


embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section)


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


telephone: [266] 22 312666


FAX: [266] 22 310116
Diplomatic representation in the US - chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Mabasia MOHOBANE


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 - recipient - $68.82 million (2005)
Economy - overview Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations on the island. 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. However, the government has recently 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 and also generates royalties for Lesotho. Lesotho produces about 90% of its own electrical power needs. 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, as well as a rapidly expanding apparel-assembly sector. The latter has grown significantly mainly due to Lesotho qualifying for the trade benefits contained in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. 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. In July 2007 Lesotho signed a Millennium Challenge Account Compact with the US worth $362.5 million.
Electricity - consumption - 338.5 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports - 13 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2005)
Electricity - production - 350 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m


highest point: Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg 2,277 m
lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m


highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m
Environment - current issues NA 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, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups - Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%,
Exchange rates - maloti per US dollar - 7.25 (2007), 6.85 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003)
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, that 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 depose the monarch, determine who is next in the line of succession, or who shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age
Exports - 0 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities - manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000)
Exports - partners - US 81.9%, Belgium 15%, Canada 1.9% (2006)
Fiscal year - 1 April - 31 March
Flag description the flag of Norway is used three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green in the proportions of 3:4:3; the colors represent rain, peace, and prosperity respectively; centered in the white stripe is a black Basotho hat representing the indigenous people; the flag was unfurled in October 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture: 15.2%


industry: 45%


services: 39.7% (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 4.8% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 71 00 N, 8 00 W 29 30 S, 28 30 E
Geography - note barren volcanic island with some moss and grass landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea level
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: 0.9%


highest 10%: 43.4% (2002 est.)
Imports - 1,400 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities - food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products
Imports - partners - Hong Kong 33.4%, China 31.2%, Germany 7.7%, India 7.3% (2006)
Independence - 4 October 1966 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate - 12% (2007 est.)
Industries - food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism
Infant mortality rate - total: 79.85 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 84.4 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 75.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 12% (2007 est.)
International organization participation - 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, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) 30 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch - High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch acting on the advice of the Prime Minister); Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts; customary or traditional court
Labor force - 838,000 (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture: 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa


industry and services: 14% (2002 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 909 km


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


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (2001)
arable land: 10.87%


permanent crops: 0.13%


other: 89% (2005)
Languages - Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
Legal system the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
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 popular vote and 40 by proportional vote; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)


elections: last held 17 February 2007 (next to be held in 2012)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LCD 61, NIP 21, ABC 17, LWP 10, ACP 4, BNP 3, other 4
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 39.97 years


male: 40.73 years


female: 39.18 years (2007 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 84.8%


male: 74.5%


female: 94.5% (2003 est.)
Location Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea, northeast of Iceland Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
Map references Arctic Region Africa
Maritime claims territorial sea: 4 nm


contiguous zone: 10 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
none (landlocked)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of Norway 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): Army and Air Wing
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 2.6% (2006)
National holiday - Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
Nationality - noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)


adjective: Basotho
Natural hazards dominated by the volcano Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg; volcanic activity resumed in 1970 periodic droughts
Natural resources none water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone
Net migration rate - -0.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders - Alliance of Congress Parties or ACP; All Basotho Convention or ABC [Thomas THABANE]; Basotholand African Congress or BAC [Khauhelo RALITAPOLE]; Basotho Congress Party or BCP [Ntsukunyane MPHANYA]; Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justin Metsing LEKHANYA]; Kopanang Basotho Party or KPB [Pheelo MOSALA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD (the governing party) [Pakalitha MOSISILI]; Lesotho Education Party or LEP [Thabo PITSO]; Lesotho Workers Party or LWP [Macaefa BILLY]; Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP [Vincent MALEBO]; National Independent Party or NIP [Anthony MANYELI]; New Lesotho Freedom Party or NLFP [Manapo MAJARA]; Popular Front for Democracy or PFD [Lekhetho RAKUOANE]; Sefate Democratic Union or SDU [Bofihla NKUEBE]; Social Democratic Party of SDP [Masitise SELESO]
Political pressure groups and leaders - NA
Population no indigenous inhabitants


note: personnel operate the Long Range Navigation (Loran-C) base and the weather and coastal services radio station (July 2005 est.)
2,125,262


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 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line - 49% (1999)
Population growth rate - 0.144% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors none; offshore anchorage only -
Radio broadcast stations AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA


note: there is one radio and meteorological station (1998)
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Religions - Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%
Sex ratio - at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.013 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.951 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.674 male(s)/female


total population: 0.956 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system - general assessment: rudimentary system consisting of a modest but growing number of landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a small radiotelephone communication system; mobile-cellular telephone system is expanding


domestic: privatized in 2001, Telecom Lesotho tasked with providing an additional 50,000 fixed-line connections within five years, a target not met; mobile-cellular service is expanding with a subscribership approaching 15 per 100 persons; rural services are scant


international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use - 48,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 249,800 (2005)
Television broadcast stations - 1 (2000)
Terrain volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains
Total fertility rate - 3.21 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate - 45% (2002)
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