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Compare Lesotho (2001) - Niue (2003)

Compare Lesotho (2001) z Niue (2003)

 Lesotho (2001)Niue (2003)
 LesothoNiue
Administrative divisions 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka none; note - there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 14 villages at the second order
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: NA%


15-64 years: NA%


65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle
Airports 29 (2000 est.) 1 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total:
4

over 3,047 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
1

under 914 m:
2 (2000 est.)
total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
25

914 to 1,523 m:
4

under 914 m:
21 (2000 est.)
-
Area total:
30,355 sq km

land:
30,355 sq km

water:
0 sq km
total: 260 sq km


land: 260 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
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. Niue's remoteness, as well as cultural and linguistic differences between its Polynesian inhabitants and those of the rest of the Cook Islands, have caused it to be separately administered. The population of the island continues to drop (from a peak of 5,200 in 1966 to about 2,100 in 2002), with substantial emigration to New Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest.
Birth rate 31.24 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues:
$76 million

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


expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Capital Maseru Alofi
Climate temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 64 km
Constitution 2 April 1993 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)
Country name conventional long form:
Kingdom of Lesotho

conventional short form:
Lesotho

former:
Basutoland
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Niue


former: Savage Island
Currency loti (LSL); South African rand (ZAR) New Zealand dollar (NZD)
Death rate 15.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $720 million (2000 est.) $418,000 (2002 est.)
Dependency status - self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1974; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs and defense; however, these responsibilities confer no rights of control and are only exercised at the request of the Government of Niue
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
none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
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
none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - recipient $123.7 million (1995) $2.6 million from New Zealand (2002)
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 suffers from the typical Pacific island problems of geographic isolation, few resources, and a small population. Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, and the shortfall is made up by critically needed grants from New Zealand that are used to pay wages to public employees. Niue has cut government expenditures by reducing the public service by almost half. The agricultural sector consists mainly of subsistence gardening, although some cash crops are grown for export. Industry consists primarily of small factories to process passion fruit, lime oil, honey, and coconut cream. The sale of postage stamps to foreign collectors is an important source of revenue. The island in recent years has suffered a serious loss of population because of migration of Niueans to New Zealand. Efforts to increase GDP include the promotion of tourism and a financial services industry, although Premier LAKATANI announced in February 2002 that Niue will shut down the offshore banking industry. Economic aid from New Zealand in 2002 was about $2.6 million.
Electricity - consumption 55 million kWh (1999) 2.79 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 55 million kWh

note:
electricity supplied by South Africa (1999)
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 0 kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (1999) 3 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
0%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m

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


highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 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 increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture
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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%, Polynesian (with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans)
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 New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 2.162 (2002), 2.3776 (2001), 2.1863 (2000), 1.8886 (1999), 1.8629 (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
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); the UK and New Zealand are represented by New Zealand High Commissioner John BRYAN (since NA May 2000)


head of government: Premier Young VIVIAN (since 1 May 2002)


cabinet: Cabinet consists of the premier and three ministers


elections: the monarch is hereditary; premier elected by the Legislative Assembly for a three-year term; election last held 1 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2005)


election results: Young VIVIAN elected premier; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - Young VIVIAN (NPP) 70%, Hunukitama HUNUKI (AI) 30%
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) canned coconut cream, copra, honey, vanilla, passion fruit products, pawpaws, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts
Exports - partners South African Customs Union 65%, North America 34% (1998) NZ mainly, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia (2000)
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 yellow with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the flag of the UK bears five yellow five-pointed stars - a large one on a blue disk in the center and a smaller one on each arm of the bold red cross
GDP purchasing power parity - $5.1 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $7.6 million (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
18%

industry:
38%

services:
44% (1999)
agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: 55%
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $2,400 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $3,600 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 2.5% (2000 est.) -0.3% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 29 30 S, 28 30 E 19 02 S, 169 52 W
Geography - note landlocked; surrounded by South Africa one of world's largest coral islands
Highways total:
4,955 km

paved:
887 km

unpaved:
4,068 km (1996)
total: 234 km


paved: 86 km


unpaved: 148 km (2001)
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) food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs
Imports - partners South African Customs Union 90%, Asia 7% (1998) NZ mainly, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Australia, US (2000)
Independence 4 October 1966 (from UK) on 19 October 1974, Niue became a self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New Zealand
Industrial production growth rate 15.5% (1999 est.) NA%
Industries food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts; construction; tourism tourism, handicrafts, food processing
Infant mortality rate 82.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) total: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 6% (2000 est.) 1% (1995)
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, ESCAP (associate), FAO, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, WHO, WMO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 30 sq km (1993 est.) NA sq km
Judicial branch High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court; customary or traditional court Supreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue
Labor force 700,000 economically active NA
Labor force - by occupation 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board
Land boundaries total:
909 km

border countries:
South Africa 909 km
0 km
Land use arable land:
11%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
66%

forests and woodland:
0%

other:
23% (1993 est.)
arable land: 19.23%


permanent crops: 7.69%


other: 73.08% (1998 est.)
Languages Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa Niuean, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English
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 English common law


note: Niue is self-governing, with the power to make its own laws
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.
unicameral Legislative Assembly (20 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; six elected from a common roll and 14 are village representatives)


elections: last held 21 March 2002 (next to be held in March 2005)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPP 9, independents 11; note - all 20 seats were reelected
Life expectancy at birth total population:
48.84 years

male:
47.97 years

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


male: NA years


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

total population:
83%

male:
72%

female:
93% (1999 est.)
definition: NA


total population: 95%


male: NA%


female: NA%
Location Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga
Map references Africa Oceania
Maritime claims none (landlocked) exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine - none (2002 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. defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
Military branches Lesotho Defense Force (LDF; includes Army and Air Wing), Royal Lesotho Mounted Police (RLMP) no regular indigenous military forces; Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $34 million (1999) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% -
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
515,464 (2001 est.)
-
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
277,369 (2001 est.)
-
National holiday Independence Day, 4 October (1966) Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)
Nationality noun:
Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)

adjective:
Basotho
noun: Niuean(s)


adjective: Niuean
Natural hazards periodic droughts typhoons
Natural resources water, agricultural and grazing land, some diamonds and other minerals fish, arable land
Net migration rate -0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) NA 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; 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] Niue People's Action Party or NPP [Young VIVIAN]; Alliance of Independents or AI [leader NA]
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.)
2,145 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 49.2% (1999 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 1.49% (2001 est.) 0.01% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors none none; offshore anchorage only
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
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)
0 km
Religions Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20% Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church - a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society) 75%, Latter-Day Saints 10%, other 15% (mostly Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist)
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.)
NA (2003 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)
domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island


international: NA
Telephones - main lines in use 20,000 (1997) 376 (1991)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1,262 (1996) 0 (1991)
Television broadcast stations 1 (2000) 1 (1997)
Terrain mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
Total fertility rate 4.08 children born/woman (2001 est.) NA children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 45% (2000 est.) NA%
Waterways none none
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