Compare Lesotho (2003) - Lesotho (2002)

Compare Lesotho (2003) z Lesotho (2002)

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	Lesotho (2003)	Lesotho (2002)

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: 39% (male 433,229; female 427,926) 15-64 years: 56.3% (male 600,476; female 642,538) 65 years and over: 4.7% (male 43,691; female 60,094) (2002 est.)
Airports	28 (2002)	28 (2001)
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.	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.
Birth rate	27.26 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	30.72 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget	revenues: $76 million expenditures: $80 million, including capital expenditures of $15 million (FY 99/00 est.)	revenues: $76 million expenditures: $80 million, including capital expenditures of $15 million
Death rate	24.58 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	16.81 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external	$735 million (2002)	$715 million (2001 est.)
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 Dr. Lebohang Kenneth MOLEKO chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536 FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815
Economic aid - donor	ODA $4.4 million	-
Economic aid - recipient	$41.5 million (2000)	$123.7 million (1995) (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.	Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho's primary natural resource is water. Its economy is based on subsistence agriculture, livestock, remittances from miners employed in South Africa, and a rapidly growing apparel-assembly sector. The number of 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 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. Lesotho has a marked inequality in income distribution and serious unemployment/underemployment problems that will not yield to short-run solutions.
Electricity - consumption	40 million kWh (2001)	100 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports	40 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2001)	100 million kWh note: electricity supplied by South Africa (2000)
Electricity - production	0 kWh NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2001)	0 kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2000)
Exchange rates	maloti per US dollar - 10.54 (2002), 8.61 (2001), 6.94 (2000), 6.11 (1999), 5.53 (1998)	maloti per US dollar - 11.58786 (January 2002), 8.60918 (2001), 6.93983 (2000), 6.10948 (1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796 (1997); note - the Lesotho loti is at par with the South African rand which is also legal tender; maloti is the plural form of loti
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: 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
Exports	NA (2001)	$250 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities	manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000)	manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals
Exports - partners	US 97.5%, Canada 0.9%, France 0.6% (2002)	South African Customs Union 53.9%, North America 45.6% (1999)
GDP	purchasing power parity - $5.106 billion (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $5.3 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 20% industry: 46% services: 34% (2001)	agriculture: 18% industry: 38% services: 44% (2001)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $2,450 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	4% (2002 est.)	2.6% (2001 est.)
Highways	total: 5,940 km paved: 1,087 km unpaved: 4,853 km (1999)	total: 4,955 km paved: 887 km unpaved: 4,068 km (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 0.9% highest 10%: 43.4%	lowest 10%: 1% highest 10%: 43% (1986-87)
Imports	NA (2001)	$720 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities	food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (2000)	food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products
Imports - partners	Hong Kong 51.9%, China 25%, France 3.9% (2002)	South African Customs Union 89.5%, Asia 7% (1999)
Industrial production growth rate	15.5% (1999)	15.5% (1999 est.)
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.)	82.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	10% (2002 est.)	6.9% (2001 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	ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Labor force	838,000	700,000 economically active
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 36.94 years male: 36.76 years female: 37.13 years (2003 est.)	total population: 47 years male: 46.3 years female: 47.8 years (2002 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: 83% male: 72% female: 93% (1999 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	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 manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 459,723 (2003 est.)	males age 15-49: 526,332 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 250,560 (2003 est.)	males age 15-49: 283,203 (2002 est.)
Net migration rate	-0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	-0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
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.)	2,207,954 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 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line	49% (1999)	49% (1999 est.)
Population growth rate	0.19% (2003 est.)	1.33% (2002 est.)
Radios	-	NA (2002)
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: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Total fertility rate	3.52 children born/woman (2003 est.)	4.01 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate	45% (2002)	45% (2000 est.)

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