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Compare Lesotho (2001) - Namibia (2004)

Compare Lesotho (2001) z Namibia (2004)

 Lesotho (2001)Namibia (2004)
 LesothoNamibia
Administrative divisions 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka 13 regions; Caprivi, Erongo, Hardap, Karas, Khomas, Kunene, Ohangwena, Okavango, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa
Age structure 0-14 years:
39.28% (male 430,147; female 424,994)

15-64 years:
56.03% (male 588,440; female 631,404)

65 years and over:
4.69% (male 43,033; female 59,044) (2001 est.)
0-14 years: 42.4% (male 419,700; female 409,156)


15-64 years: 54% (male 527,553; female 528,386)


65 years and over: 3.5% (male 30,427; female 38,811) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock millet, sorghum, peanuts; livestock; fish
Airports 29 (2000 est.) 136 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total:
4

over 3,047 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
1

under 914 m:
2 (2000 est.)
total: 21


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 13


914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
25

914 to 1,523 m:
4

under 914 m:
21 (2000 est.)
total: 115


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 22


914 to 1,523 m: 71


under 914 m: 20 (2004 est.)
Area total:
30,355 sq km

land:
30,355 sq km

water:
0 sq km
total: 825,418 sq km


land: 825,418 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland slightly more than half the size of Alaska
Background Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after 23 years of military rule. South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of independence for the area that was soon named Namibia, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Namibia won its independence in 1990 and has been governed by SWAPO since. Hifikepunye POHAMBA was elected president in November 2004 in a landslide victory replacing Sam NUJOMA who led the country during its first 14 years of self rule.
Birth rate 31.24 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 33.51 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues:
$76 million

expenditures:
$80 million, including capital expenditures of $15 million (FY99/00 est.)
revenues: $1.434 billion


expenditures: $1.62 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2003)
Capital Maseru Windhoek
Climate temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 1,572 km
Constitution 2 April 1993 ratified 9 February 1990; effective 12 March 1990
Country name conventional long form:
Kingdom of Lesotho

conventional short form:
Lesotho

former:
Basutoland
conventional long form: Republic of Namibia


conventional short form: Namibia


former: German Southwest Africa, South-West Africa
Currency loti (LSL); South African rand (ZAR) Namibian dollar (NAD); South African rand (ZAR)
Death rate 15.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 21.02 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $720 million (2000 est.) $1.04 billion (2003 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Katherine H. PETERSON

embassy:
254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section)

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

telephone:
[266] 312666

FAX:
[266] 310116
chief of mission: Ambassador Kevin J. McGUIRE


embassy: Ausplan Building, 14 Lossen Street, Windhoek


mailing address: Private Bag 12029 Ausspannplatz, Windhoek


telephone: [264] (61) 221601


FAX: [264] (61) 229792
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Lebohang Kenneth MOLEKO

chancery:
2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

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

FAX:
[1] (202) 234-6815
chief of mission: Ambassador Leonard Nangolo IIPUMBU


chancery: 1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009


telephone: [1] (202) 986-0540


FAX: [1] (202) 986-0443
Disputes - international none commission established with Botswana to resolve small residual disputes along the Caprivi Strip, including the Situngu marshlands along the Linyanti River; Botswana residents protest Namibia's planned construction of the Okavango hydroelectric dam on Popa Falls; managed dispute with South Africa over the location of the boundary in the Orange River; Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe boundary convergence is not clearly defined or delimited; Angolan rebels and refugees still reside in Namibia
Economic aid - recipient $123.7 million (1995) ODA $160 million (2000 est.)
Economy - overview Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho's primary natural resource is water. Its economy is based on subsistence agriculture, livestock, and remittances from miners employed in South Africa. The number of such mineworkers has declined steadily over the past several years. A small manufacturing base depends largely on farm products that support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries. Agricultural products are exported primarily to South Africa. Proceeds from membership in a common customs union with South Africa form the majority of government revenue. Although drought has decreased agricultural activity over the past few years, completion of a major hydropower facility in January 1998 now permits the sale of water to South Africa, generating royalties for Lesotho. The pace of substantial privatization has increased in recent years. In December 1999, the government embarked on a nine-month IMF staff-monitored program aimed at structural adjustment and stabilization of macroeconomic fundamentals. The government is in the process of applying for a three-year successor program with the IMF under its Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility. The economy is heavily dependent on the extraction and processing of minerals for export. Mining accounts for 20% of GDP. Rich alluvial diamond deposits make Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of nonfuel minerals in Africa, the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium, and the producer of large quantities of lead, zinc, tin, silver, and tungsten. The mining sector employs only about 3% of the population while about half of the population depends on subsistence agriculture for its livelihood. Namibia normally imports about 50% of its cereal requirements; in drought years food shortages are a major problem in rural areas. A high per capita GDP, relative to the region, hides the great inequality of income distribution; nearly one-third of Namibians had annual incomes of less than $1,400 in constant 1994 dollars, according to a 1993 study. The Namibian economy is closely linked to South Africa with the Namibian dollar pegged to the South African rand. Privatization of several enterprises in coming years may stimulate long-run foreign investment. Mining of zinc, copper, and silver and increased fish production led growth in 2003.
Electricity - consumption 55 million kWh (1999) 603.1 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 55 million kWh

note:
electricity supplied by South Africa (1999)
578 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2001)
Electricity - production 0 kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (1999) 26.95 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
0%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point:
junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m

highest point:
Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Konigstein 2,606 m
Environment - current issues 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 very limited natural fresh water resources; desertification; wildlife poaching; land degradation has led to few conservation areas
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
party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%, black 87.5%, white 6%, mixed 6.5%


note: about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% to the Kavangos tribe; other ethnic groups are: Herero 7%, Damara 7%, Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%, Bushmen 3%, Baster 2%, Tswana 0.5%
Exchange rates maloti per US dollar - 7.78307 (January 2001), 6.93983 (2000), 6.10948 (1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796 (1997), 4.29935 (1996); note - the Lesotho loti is at par with the South African rand which is also legal tender; maloti is the plural form of loti Namibian dollars per US dollar - 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001), 6.9398 (2000), 6.1095 (1999)
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
chief of state: President Hifikepunye POHAMBA (since November 2004)


head of government: Prime Minister Theo-Ben GURIRAB (since 28 August 2002)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 15 November 2004 (next to be held November 2009)


election results: Hifikepunye POHAMBA elected president; percent of vote - NA%
Exports $175 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (1998) diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium; cattle, processed fish, karakul skins
Exports - partners South African Customs Union 65%, North America 34% (1998) EU 79%, US 4% (2001)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 1 April - 31 March
Flag description 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 a large blue triangle with a yellow sunburst fills the upper left section and an equal green triangle (solid) fills the lower right section; the triangles are separated by a red stripe that is contrasted by two narrow white-edge borders
GDP purchasing power parity - $5.1 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $13.85 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
18%

industry:
38%

services:
44% (1999)
agriculture: 11.5%


industry: 29.8%


services: 58.7% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $2,400 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $7,200 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 2.5% (2000 est.) 3.3% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 29 30 S, 28 30 E 22 00 S, 17 00 E
Geography - note landlocked; surrounded by South Africa first country in the world to incorporate the protection of the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip
Highways total:
4,955 km

paved:
887 km

unpaved:
4,068 km (1996)
total: 66,467 km


paved: 9,172 km


unpaved: 57,285 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
0.9%

highest 10%:
43.4% (1986-87)
lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
Imports $700 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (1995) foodstuffs; petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners South African Customs Union 90%, Asia 7% (1998) US 50%, EU 31% (2001)
Independence 4 October 1966 (from UK) 21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)
Industrial production growth rate 15.5% (1999 est.) NA
Industries food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts; construction; tourism meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products; mining (diamond, lead, zinc, tin, silver, tungsten, uranium, copper)
Infant mortality rate 82.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) total: 69.58 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 72.65 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 66.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 6% (2000 est.) 7.3% (2003)
International organization participation ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) -
Irrigated land 30 sq km (1993 est.) 70 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court; customary or traditional court Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission)
Labor force 700,000 economically active 760,000 (2003)
Labor force - by occupation 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa agriculture 47%, industry 20%, services 33% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries total:
909 km

border countries:
South Africa 909 km
total: 3,936 km


border countries: Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 967 km, Zambia 233 km
Land use arable land:
11%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
66%

forests and woodland:
0%

other:
23% (1993 est.)
arable land: 0.99%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 99.01% (2001)
Languages Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most of the population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%, indigenous languages: Oshivambo, Herero, Nama
Legal system 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 based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution
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 (80 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms); note - number of seats in the Assembly rose from 65 to 80 in the May 1998 election; on 28 February 2001, the Senate approved expansion of the Assembly by a further 50 seats in the next election, which may be held as early as January 2002

elections:
last held 23 May 1998 (next to be held NA March 2001)

election results:
percent of vote by party - LCD 60.7%, BNP 24.5%, other 14.8%; seats by party - LCD 79, BNP 1

note:
results contested; opposition parties claimed the election was fraudulent and staged a coup; Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces intervened in September 1998 and restored order; the Interim Political Authority (IPA) was set up in December 1998 to create a new electoral system and conduct new elections.
bicameral legislature consists of the National Council (26 seats; two members are chosen from each regional council to serve six-year terms) and the National Assembly (72 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: National Council - elections for regional councils, to determine members of the National Council, held 15-16 November 2004 (next to be held November 2009); National Assembly - last held 15-16 November 2004 (next to be held November 2009)


election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SWAPO 55, COD 5, DTA 4, UDF 3, MAG 1, other 4


note: the National Council is primarily an advisory body
Life expectancy at birth total population:
48.84 years

male:
47.97 years

female:
49.74 years (2001 est.)
total population: 40.53 years


male: 42.36 years


female: 38.64 years (2004 est.)
Literacy definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
83%

male:
72%

female:
93% (1999 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 84%


male: 84.4%


female: 83.7% (2003 est.)
Location Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa
Map references Africa Africa
Maritime claims none (landlocked) territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine - none (2004 est.)
Military - note 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; includes Army and Air Wing), Royal Lesotho Mounted Police (RLMP) Namibian Defense Force: Army (including Naval Wing, Air Wing), Police
Military expenditures - dollar figure $34 million (1999) $111.6 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% 2.5% (2003)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
515,464 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 468,934 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
277,369 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 279,755 (2004 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 4 October (1966) Independence Day, 21 March (1990)
Nationality noun:
Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)

adjective:
Basotho
noun: Namibian(s)


adjective: Namibian
Natural hazards periodic droughts prolonged periods of drought
Natural resources water, agricultural and grazing land, some diamonds and other minerals diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, hydropower, fish


note: suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore
Net migration rate -0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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; Dr. Pakalitha MOSISILI, leader] - the governing party; 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] Congress of Democrats or COD [Ben ULENGA]; Democratic Turnhalle Alliance of Namibia or DTA [Katuutire KAURA, president]; Monitor Action Group or MAG [Kosie PRETORIUS]; South West Africa People's Organization or SWAPO [Sam Shafishuna NUJOMA]; United Democratic Front or UDF [Justus GAROEB]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA NA
Population 2,177,062

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 2001 est.)
1,954,033


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 49.2% (1999 est.) 50% (2002 est.)
Population growth rate 1.49% (2001 est.) 1.25% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors none Luderitz, Walvis Bay
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 2, FM 39, shortwave 4 (2001)
Radios 104,000 (1997) -
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)
total: 2,382 km


narrow gauge: 2,382 km 1.067-m gauge (2003)
Religions Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20% Christian 80% to 90% (Lutheran 50% at least), indigenous beliefs 10% to 20%
Sex ratio at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female


total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 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

international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: good system; about 6 telephones for each 100 persons


domestic: good urban services; fair rural service; microwave radio relay links major towns; connections to other populated places are by open wire; 100% digital


international: country code - 264; fiber-optic cable to South Africa, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links to other neighboring countries; connected to Africa ONE and South African Far East (SAFE) submarine cables through South Africa; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (2002)
Telephones - main lines in use 20,000 (1997) 127,400 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1,262 (1996) 223,700 (2003)
Television broadcast stations 1 (2000) 8 (plus about 20 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Terrain mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east
Total fertility rate 4.08 children born/woman (2001 est.) 4.65 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 45% (2000 est.) 35% (1998)
Waterways none -
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