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Compare Lesotho (2003) - Tunisia (2004)

Compare Lesotho (2003) z Tunisia (2004)

 Lesotho (2003)Tunisia (2004)
 LesothoTunisia
Administrative divisions 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka 24 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Kef (Al Kaf), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Manouba (Manubah), 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: 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: 26% (male 1,337,546; female 1,253,814)


15-64 years: 67.5% (male 3,373,199; female 3,360,402)


65 years and over: 6.5% (male 315,151; female 334,610) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock olives, olive oil, grain, dairy products, tomatoes, citrus fruit, beef, sugar beets, dates, almonds
Airports 28 (2002) 30 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 4


over 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 2 (2002)
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 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 24


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 20 (2002)
total: 16


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 7 (2004 est.)
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. 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. 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 defuse rising pressure for a more open political society.
Birth rate 27.26 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 15.74 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $76 million


expenditures: $80 million, including capital expenditures of $15 million (FY 99/00 est.)
revenues: $6.101 billion


expenditures: $6.855 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2003 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 24.58 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 5.05 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $735 million (2002) $14.39 billion (2003 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 William J. HUDSON


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


mailing address: use embassy street address


telephone: [216] 71 107-000


FAX: [216] 71 962-115
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 (vacant); Charge d' Affaires Tarek Azouz


chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005


telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850


FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - donor ODA $4.4 million -
Economic aid - recipient $41.5 million (2000) $378 million (2001)
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. 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, averaging 5% for the latter half of the last decade, slowed to a 15-year low of 1.9% in 2002 because of agricultural drought, slow investment, and lackluster tourism. Better rains in 2003, however, pushed GDP growth up to an estimated 6 percent, and tourism also recovered after the end of combat operations in Iraq. GDP growth remained at 6% in 2004. Tunisia has agreed to gradually remove barriers to trade with the European Union over the next decade. Broader privatization, further liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign investment, improvements in government efficiency, and reduction of the trade deficit are among the challenges for the future.
Electricity - consumption 40 million kWh (2001) 9.748 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 40 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2001) 1 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 0 kWh NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2001) 10.48 billion kWh (2001)
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, 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 - 10.54 (2002), 8.61 (2001), 6.94 (2000), 6.11 (1999), 5.53 (1998) Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.2885 (2003), 1.4217 (2002), 1.4387 (2001), 1.3707 (2000), 1.1862 (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 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 2004 (next to be held October 2009); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a fourth term; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI 94.5%, Mohamed BOUCHIHA 3.8%, Mohamed Ali HALOUANI 1%
Exports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000) textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons
Exports - partners US 97.5%, Canada 0.9%, France 0.6% (2002) France 32.6%, Italy 21.9%, Germany 10.7%, Spain 4.7%, Libya 4.4% (2003)
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 - $5.106 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $68.23 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 20%


industry: 46%


services: 34% (2001)
agriculture: 13.9%


industry: 32.2%


services: 53.9% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $6,900 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4% (2002 est.) 5.1% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 29 30 S, 28 30 E 34 00 N, 9 00 E
Geography - note landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea level 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: 5,940 km


paved: 1,087 km


unpaved: 4,853 km (1999)
total: 18,997 km


paved: 12,310 km (including 142 km of expressways)


unpaved: 6,687 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 0.9%


highest 10%: 43.4%
lowest 10%: 2.3%


highest 10%: 31.8% (1995)
Imports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (2000) textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food
Imports - partners Hong Kong 51.9%, China 25%, France 3.9% (2002) France 26.1%, Italy 19.8%, Germany 8.9%, Spain 5.2% (2003)
Independence 4 October 1966 (from UK) 20 March 1956 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate 15.5% (1999) -0.1% (2003 est.)
Industries food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts; construction; tourism petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages
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.)
total: 25.76 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 28.7 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 22.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 10% (2002 est.) 2.7% (2003 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 ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BSEC (observer), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) -
Irrigated land 10 sq km (1998 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 838,000 3.461 million


note: shortage of skilled labor (2003 est.)
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: 10.71%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 89.29% (1998 est.)
arable land: 17.86%


permanent crops: 13.74%


other: 68.4% (2001)
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 (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 Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (189 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RCD 152, MDS 14, PUP 11, UDU 7, Al-Tajdid 3, PSL 2
Life expectancy at birth total population: 36.94 years


male: 36.76 years


female: 37.13 years (2003 est.)
total population: 74.66 years


male: 73 years


female: 76.44 years (2004 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: 74.2%


male: 84%


female: 64.4% (2003 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) territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm
Merchant marine - total: 11 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 124,733 GRT/122,664 DWT


by type: bulk 2, cargo 1, chemical tanker 4, liquefied gas 1, short-sea/passenger 3


registered in other countries: 2 (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; including Army and Air Wing), Royal Lesotho Mounted Police Army, Navy, Air Force
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: 459,723 (2003 est.) males age 15-49: 2,918,524 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 250,560 (2003 est.) males age 15-49: 1,655,910 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 106,565 (2004 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 -0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) -0.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines - gas 3,059 km; oil 1,203 km; refined products 345 km (2004)
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] Al-Tajdid Movement [Ali HALOUANI]; 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 Socialist Democrats or MDS [Ismail BOULAHYA]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed BOUCHIHA]; Progressive Democratic Party [Nejib CHEBBI]; Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Abderrahmane TLILI]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed
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.)
9,974,722 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line 49% (1999) 7.6% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate 0.19% (2003 est.) 1.01% (2004 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)
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: 2,152 km


standard gauge: 468 km 1.435-m gauge


narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified)


dual gauge: 10 km 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2003)
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: 0.95 male(s)/female


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


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female


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


65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female


total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2004 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; a cellular mobile telephone system is growing


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: country code - 216; 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 22,200 (2000) 1,163,800 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 21,600 (2000) 1,899,900 (2003)
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 3.52 children born/woman (2003 est.) 1.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 45% (2002) 14.3% (2003 est.)
Waterways none -
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