Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Lesotho (2003) - Equatorial Guinea (2001)

Compare Lesotho (2003) z Equatorial Guinea (2001)

 Lesotho (2003)Equatorial Guinea (2001)
 LesothoEquatorial Guinea
Administrative divisions 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka 7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas
Age structure 0-14 years: 37.7% (male 353,554; female 349,092)


15-64 years: 56.8% (male 516,017; female 541,694)


65 years and over: 5.5% (male 41,735; female 59,867) (2003 est.)
0-14 years:
42.56% (male 103,909; female 102,946)

15-64 years:
53.68% (male 124,808; female 136,088)

65 years and over:
3.76% (male 8,178; female 10,131) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber
Airports 28 (2002) 3 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 4


over 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 2 (2002)
total:
2

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 24


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 20 (2002)
total:
1

under 914 m:
1 (2000 est.)
Area total: 30,355 sq km


land: 30,355 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total:
28,051 sq km

land:
28,051 sq km

water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland slightly smaller than Maryland
Background 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. Composed of a mainland portion and five inhabited islands, Equatorial Guinea has been ruled by ruthless leaders who have badly mismanaged the economy since independence from 190 years of Spanish rule in 1968. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996 presidential and 1999 legislative elections were widely seen as being flawed.
Birth rate 27.26 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 37.72 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $76 million


expenditures: $80 million, including capital expenditures of $15 million (FY 99/00 est.)
revenues:
$47 million

expenditures:
$43 million, including capital expenditures of $7 million (1996 est.)
Capital Maseru Malabo
Climate temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers tropical; always hot, humid
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 296 km
Constitution 2 April 1993 approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995
Country name conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho


conventional short form: Lesotho


former: Basutoland
conventional long form:
Republic of Equatorial Guinea

conventional short form:
Equatorial Guinea

local long form:
Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial

local short form:
Guinea Ecuatorial

former:
Spanish Guinea
Currency loti (LSL); South African rand (ZAR) Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States
Death rate 24.58 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 13.11 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $735 million (2002) $290 million (1999 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US 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
chief of mission:
Ambassador John M. YATES; note - the US does not have an embassy in Equatorial Guinea (embassy closed September 1995); US relations with Equatorial Guinea are handled through the US Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon; the US State Department is considering opening a Consulate Agency in Malabo
Diplomatic representation in the US 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
chief of mission:
Ambassador Teodoro BIYOGO NSUEA

chancery:
2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:
[1] (202) 518-5700

FAX:
[1] (202) 528-5252
Disputes - international none tripartite maritime boundary and economic zone dispute with Cameroon and Nigeria is currently before the ICJ; maritime boundary dispute with Gabon because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay
Economic aid - donor ODA $4.4 million -
Economic aid - recipient $41.5 million (2000) $33.8 million (1995)
Economy - overview 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. The discovery and exploitation of large oil reserves have contributed to dramatic economic growth in recent years. Forestry, farming, and fishing are also major components of GDP. Subsistence farming predominates. Although pre-independence Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings, the deterioration of the rural economy under successive brutal regimes has diminished potential for agriculture-led growth. A number of aid programs sponsored by the World Bank and the IMF have been cut off since 1993 because of the government's gross corruption and mismanagement. Businesses, for the most part, are owned by government officials and their family members. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. The country responded favorably to the devaluation of the CFA franc in January 1994. Boosts in production and high world oil prices stimulated growth in 2000, with oil accounting for 90% of greatly increased exports.
Electricity - consumption 40 million kWh (2001) 19.5 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 40 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2001) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 0 kWh NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2001) 21 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel:
85.71%

hydro:
14.29%

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:
Pico Basile 3,008 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 tap water is not potable; 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution

signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%, Bioko (primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos), Rio Muni (primarily Fang), Europeans less than 1,000, mostly Spanish
Exchange rates maloti per US dollar - 10.54 (2002), 8.61 (2001), 6.94 (2000), 6.11 (1999), 5.53 (1998) Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 699.21 (January 2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996); note - from 1 January 1999, the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro
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 Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979 when he seized power in a military coup)

head of government:
Prime Minister Candido Muatetema RIVAS (since 26 February 2001); First Deputy Prime Minister Miguel OYONO NDONG (since NA January 1998); Deputy Prime Minister Demetrio Elo NDONG NZE FUMU (since NA January 1998)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections:
president elected by popular vote to a seven-year term; election last held 25 February 1996 (next to be held NA February 2003); prime minister and vice prime ministers appointed by the president

election results:
President Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO reelected with 98% of popular vote in elections marred by widespread fraud
Exports NA (2001) $860 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000) petroleum, timber, cocoa
Exports - partners US 97.5%, Canada 0.9%, France 0.6% (2002) US 62%, Spain 17%, China 9%, France 3%, Japan 3%, (1997)
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 three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side and the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms has six yellow six-pointed stars (representing the mainland and five offshore islands) above a gray shield bearing a silk-cotton tree and below which is a scroll with the motto UNIDAD, PAZ, JUSTICIA (Unity, Peace, Justice)
GDP purchasing power parity - $5.106 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $960 million (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 20%


industry: 46%


services: 34% (2001)
agriculture:
20%

industry:
60%

services:
20% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4% (2002 est.) 12% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 29 30 S, 28 30 E 2 00 N, 10 00 E
Geography - note landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea level insular and continental regions rather widely separated
Highways total: 5,940 km


paved: 1,087 km


unpaved: 4,853 km (1999)
total:
2,880 km

paved:
0 km

unpaved:
2,880 km (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 0.9%


highest 10%: 43.4%
lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
Imports NA (2001) $300 million (f.o.b., 1999)
Imports - commodities food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (2000) manufactured goods and equipment
Imports - partners Hong Kong 51.9%, China 25%, France 3.9% (2002) US 35%, France 15%, Spain 10%, Cameroon 10%, UK 6% (1997)
Independence 4 October 1966 (from UK) 12 October 1968 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate 15.5% (1999) 7.4% (1994 est.)
Industries food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts; construction; tourism petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas
Infant mortality rate total: 86.21 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 91.28 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 80.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
92.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 10% (2002 est.) 6% (1999 est.)
International organization participation ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 10 sq km (1998 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 Tribunal
Labor force 838,000 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 -
Land boundaries total: 909 km


border countries: South Africa 909 km
total:
539 km

border countries:
Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km
Land use arable land: 10.71%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 89.29% (1998 est.)
arable land:
5%

permanent crops:
4%

permanent pastures:
4%

forests and woodland:
46%

other:
41% (1993 est.)
Languages Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo
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 partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom
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 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
unicameral House of People's Representatives or Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (80 seats; members directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections:
last held 7 March 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

election results:
percent of vote by party - PDGE 80%, UP 6%, CPDS 5%; seats by party - PDGE 75, UP 4 and CPDS 1

note:
opposition parties have refused to take up their seats in the House to protest widespread irregularities in the 1999 legislative elections
Life expectancy at birth total population: 36.94 years


male: 36.76 years


female: 37.13 years (2003 est.)
total population:
53.95 years

male:
51.89 years

female:
56.07 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 84.8%


male: 74.5%


female: 94.5% (2003 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
78.5%

male:
89.6%

female:
68.1% (1995 est.)
Location Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon
Map references Africa Africa
Maritime claims none (landlocked) exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
Merchant marine - total:
12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 26,035 GRT/27,927 DWT

ships by type:
bulk 1, cargo 7, combination bulk 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1 (2000 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; including Army and Air Wing), Royal Lesotho Mounted Police Army, Navy, Air Force, Rapid Intervention Force, National Police
Military expenditures - dollar figure $34 million (1999) $3 million (FY97/98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% 0.6% (FY97/98)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 459,723 (2003 est.) males age 15-49:
108,973 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 250,560 (2003 est.) males age 15-49:
55,347 (2001 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 4 October (1966) Independence Day, 12 October (1968)
Nationality noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)


adjective: Basotho
noun:
Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)

adjective:
Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean
Natural hazards periodic droughts violent windstorms, flash floods
Natural resources water, agricultural and grazing land, some diamonds and other minerals oil, petroleum, timber, small unexploited deposits of gold, manganese, uranium
Net migration rate -0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 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; 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] Convergence Party for Social Democracy or CPDS [Placido Miko ABOGO]; Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE (ruling party) [Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO]; Party for Progress of Equatorial Guinea or PPGE [Severo MOTO]; Popular Action of Equatorial Guinea or APGE [Miguel Esono EMAN]; Popular Union or UP [Andres Moises Bda ADA]; Progressive Democratic Alliance or ADP [Victorino Bolekia BONAY, mayor of Malabo]; Union of Independent Democrats of UDI [Daniel OYONO]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA NA
Population 1,861,959


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 2003 est.)
486,060 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line 49% (1999) NA%
Population growth rate 0.19% (2003 est.) 2.46% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors none Bata, Luba, Malabo
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 0, FM 2, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios - 180,000 (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:
0 km
Religions Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20% nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal adult
Telephone system 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: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment:
poor system with adequate government services

domestic:
NA

international:
international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 22,200 (2000) 4,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular 21,600 (2000) NA
Television broadcast stations 1 (2000) 1 (1997)
Terrain mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic
Total fertility rate 3.52 children born/woman (2003 est.) 4.88 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 45% (2002) 30% (1998 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.