Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
Jah-Jah.pl / Index countries / Lesotho (2001) - Tunisia (2002) / Compare countries
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Lesotho (2001) - Tunisia (2002)

Compare Lesotho (2001) z Tunisia (2002)

 Lesotho (2001)Tunisia (2002)
 LesothoTunisia
Administrative divisions 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka 23 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), El Kef (Al Kaf), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul (Nabul), Sfax (Safaqis), Sidi Bou Zid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana (Silyanah), Sousse (Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar), Tunis, Zaghouan (Zaghwan)
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: 27.8% (male 1,412,625; female 1,320,729)


15-64 years: 65.9% (male 3,234,770; female 3,233,149)


65 years and over: 6.3% (male 303,093; female 311,278) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock olives, olive oil, grain, dairy products, tomatoes, citrus fruit, beef, sugar beets, dates, almonds
Airports 29 (2000 est.) 30 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total:
4

over 3,047 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
1

under 914 m:
2 (2000 est.)
total: 14


over 3,047 m: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 6


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
25

914 to 1,523 m:
4

under 914 m:
21 (2000 est.)
total: 16


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 7 (2002)
Area total:
30,355 sq km

land:
30,355 sq km

water:
0 sq km
total: 163,610 sq km


land: 155,360 sq km


water: 8,250 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland slightly larger than Georgia
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. Following independence from France in 1956, President Habib BOURGUIBA established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In recent years, Tunisia has taken a moderate, non-aligned stance in its foreign relations. Domestically, it has sought to diffuse rising pressure for a more open political society.
Birth rate 31.24 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 16.83 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues:
$76 million

expenditures:
$80 million, including capital expenditures of $15 million (FY99/00 est.)
revenues: $5.7 billion


expenditures: $6.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.5 billion (2001 est.)
Capital Maseru Tunis
Climate temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 1,148 km
Constitution 2 April 1993 1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988
Country name conventional long form:
Kingdom of Lesotho

conventional short form:
Lesotho

former:
Basutoland
conventional long form: Tunisian Republic


conventional short form: Tunisia


local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah


local short form: Tunis
Currency loti (LSL); South African rand (ZAR) Tunisian dinar (TND)
Death rate 15.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 5 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $720 million (2000 est.) $11.5 billion (2001 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 Rust M. DEMING


embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis, 2045 La Goulette, Tunisia


mailing address: use embassy street address


telephone: [216] 71 782-566


FAX: [216] 71 789-719
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 Hatem ATALLAH


chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005


telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850


FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - recipient $123.7 million (1995) $933.2 million (1995)
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. Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Governmental control of economic affairs while still heavy has gradually lessened over the past decade with increasing privatization, simplification of the tax structure, and a prudent approach to debt. Real growth averaged 5.4% in the past five years, and inflation is slowing. Growth in tourism and increased trade have been key elements in this steady growth, although tourism revenues have slowed since 11 September 2001 and may take a year or more to fully recover. Tunisia's association agreement with the European Union entered into force on 1 March 1998, the first such accord between the EU and a Mediterranean country. Under the agreement Tunisia will gradually remove barriers to trade with the EU over the next decade. Broader privatization, further liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign investment, and improvements in government efficiency are among the challenges for the future.
Electricity - consumption 55 million kWh (1999) 9.562 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 19 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 55 million kWh

note:
electricity supplied by South Africa (1999)
2 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 0 kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (1999) 10.3 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
0%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
fossil fuel: 99%


hydro: 1%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m

highest point:
Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m
lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m


highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 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 toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%, Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%
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 Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.44 (January 2002), 1.3753 (2001), 1.3707 (2000), 1.1862 (1999), 1.1387 (1998), 1.1059 (1997)
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 Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987)


head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed GHANNOUCHI (since 17 November 1999)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a third term without opposition; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI nearly 100%
Exports $175 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) $6.6 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (1998) textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons
Exports - partners South African Customs Union 65%, North America 34% (1998) France 28%, Italy 21%, Germany 14%, Belgium 6%, Libya (2000)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March calendar year
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 red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam
GDP purchasing power parity - $5.1 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $64.5 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
18%

industry:
38%

services:
44% (1999)
agriculture: 13%


industry: 33%


services: 54% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $2,400 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $6,600 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 2.5% (2000 est.) 4.8% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates 29 30 S, 28 30 E 34 00 N, 9 00 E
Geography - note landlocked; surrounded by South Africa strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration
Highways total:
4,955 km

paved:
887 km

unpaved:
4,068 km (1996)
total: 23,100 km


paved: 18,226 km


unpaved: 4,874 km (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
0.9%

highest 10%:
43.4% (1986-87)
lowest 10%: 2%


highest 10%: 32% (1995) (1995)
Imports $700 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) $8.9 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (1995) machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food
Imports - partners South African Customs Union 90%, Asia 7% (1998) France 30%, Italy 21%, Germany 11%, Spain 4%, Belgium (2000)
Independence 4 October 1966 (from UK) 20 March 1956 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate 15.5% (1999 est.) 5.2% (2001 est.)
Industries food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts; construction; tourism petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages
Infant mortality rate 82.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) 27.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 6% (2000 est.) 2.7% (2001 est.)
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 ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, BSEC (observer), CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 30 sq km (1993 est.) 3,800 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court; customary or traditional court Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation
Labor force 700,000 economically active 2.69 million


note: shortage of skilled labor
Labor force - by occupation 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.)
Land boundaries total:
909 km

border countries:
South Africa 909 km
total: 1,424 km


border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
Land use arable land:
11%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
66%

forests and woodland:
0%

other:
23% (1993 est.)
arable land: 18.67%


permanent crops: 12.87%


other: 68.46% (1998 est.)
Languages Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)
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 French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session
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 Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (182 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)


election results: percent of vote by party - RCD 92%; seats by party - RCD 148, MDS 13, UDU 7, PUP 7, Al-Tajdid 5, PSL 2; note - reforms enabled opposition parties to win up to 20% of seats, increasing the number of seats they hold from 19 in the last election to 34 now
Life expectancy at birth total population:
48.84 years

male:
47.97 years

female:
49.74 years (2001 est.)
total population: 74.16 years


male: 72.56 years


female: 75.89 years (2002 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: 66.7%


male: 78.6%


female: 54.6% (1995 est.)
Location Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya
Map references Africa Africa
Maritime claims none (landlocked) contiguous zone: 24 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine - total: 16 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 150,710 GRT/162,616 DWT


ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 4, chemical tanker 4, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 1 (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. -
Military branches Lesotho Defense Force (LDF; includes Army and Air Wing), Royal Lesotho Mounted Police (RLMP) Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces, National Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure $34 million (1999) $356 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% 1.5% (FY99)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
515,464 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 2,806,881 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
277,369 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 1,597,565 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 20 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 105,146 (2002 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 4 October (1966) Independence Day, 20 March (1956)
Nationality noun:
Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)

adjective:
Basotho
noun: Tunisian(s)


adjective: Tunisian
Natural hazards periodic droughts NA
Natural resources water, agricultural and grazing land, some diamonds and other minerals petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Net migration rate -0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) -0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines - crude oil 797 km; petroleum products 86 km; natural gas 742 km
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] Al-Tajdid Movement [Adel CHAOUCH]; Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (official ruling party)]; Liberal Social Party or PSL [Mounir BEJI]; Movement of Democratic Socialists or MDS [Khamis CHAMMARI]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed Belhaj AMOR]; Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Abderrahmane TLILI]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed
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.)
9,815,644 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line 49.2% (1999 est.) 6% (2000 est.)
Population growth rate 1.49% (2001 est.) 1.12% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors none Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Zarzis
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios 104,000 (1997) 2.06 million (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: 2,168 km


standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge


narrow gauge: 1,687 km 1.000-m gauge


dual gauge: 10 km 1.000-m and 1.435-m gauges (three rails) (2001)
Religions Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20% Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%
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: 1.08 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female


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


65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female


total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 20 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: above the African average and continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; Internet access available


domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay


international: 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; two international gateway digital switches
Telephones - main lines in use 20,000 (1997) 654,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1,262 (1996) 50,000 (1998)
Television broadcast stations 1 (2000) 26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara
Total fertility rate 4.08 children born/woman (2001 est.) 1.94 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 45% (2000 est.) 15.6% (2000 est.)
Waterways none none
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.