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Compare Lesotho (2005) - Madagascar (2008)

Compare Lesotho (2005) z Madagascar (2008)

 Lesotho (2005)Madagascar (2008)
 LesothoMadagascar
Administrative divisions 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka 6 provinces (faritany); Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara
Age structure 0-14 years: 36.9% (male 346,930/female 342,459)


15-64 years: 57.6% (male 526,642/female 548,096)


65 years and over: 5.5% (male 42,003/female 60,905) (2005 est.)
0-14 years: 43.9% (male 4,297,985/female 4,243,369)


15-64 years: 53% (male 5,117,874/female 5,190,032)


65 years and over: 3.1% (male 270,411/female 329,144) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock products
Airports 28 (2004 est.) 104 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


over 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
total: 27


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 6


914 to 1,523 m: 17


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 25


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)
total: 77


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 41


under 914 m: 34 (2007)
Area total: 30,355 sq km


land: 30,355 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 587,040 sq km


land: 581,540 sq km


water: 5,500 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland slightly less than twice the size of Arizona
Background Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and reinstated in 1995. 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 intervention by South African and Botswanan military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Constitutional reforms have since restored political stability; peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002. Formerly an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a French colony in 1896, but regained its independence in 1960. During 1992-93, free presidential and National Assembly elections were held, ending 17 years of single-party rule. In 1997, in the second presidential race, Didier RATSIRAKA, the leader during the 1970s and 1980s, was returned to the presidency. The 2001 presidential election was contested between the followers of Didier RATSIRAKA and Marc RAVALOMANANA, nearly causing secession of half of the country. In April 2002, the High Constitutional Court announced RAVALOMANANA the winner. RAVALOMANANA is now in his second term following a landslide victory in the generally free and fair presidential elections of 2006.
Birth rate 26.53 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 38.6 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $698.5 million


expenditures: $697.6 million, including capital expenditures of $15 million (2004 est.)
revenues: $1.22 billion


expenditures: $1.555 billion (2007 est.)
Capital Maseru name: Antananarivo


geographic coordinates: 18 55 S, 47 31 E


time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 4,828 km
Constitution 2 April 1993 19 August 1992 by national referendum
Country name conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho


conventional short form: Lesotho


former: Basutoland
conventional long form: Republic of Madagascar


conventional short form: Madagascar


local long form: Republique de Madagascar/Repoblikan'i Madagasikara


local short form: Madagascar/Madagasikara


former: Malagasy Republic
Death rate 25.03 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 8.51 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $735 million (2002) $4.6 billion (2002)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador June Carter PERRY


embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section)


mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho


telephone: [266] 22 312666


FAX: [266] 22 310116
chief of mission: Ambassador R. Niels MARQUARDT


embassy: 14-16 Rue Rainitovo, Antsahavola, Antananarivo 101


mailing address: B. P. 620, Antsahavola, Antananarivo


telephone: [261] (20) 22-212-57, 22-212-73, 22-209-56


FAX: [261] (20) 22-345-39
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 Jocelyn Bertin RADIFERA


chancery: 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 265-5525, 5526


FAX: [1] (202) 265-3034


consulate(s) general: New York
Disputes - international none claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island (all administered by France)
Economic aid - donor ODA $4.4 million -
Economic aid - recipient $41.5 million (2000) $929.2 million (2005)
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 garment industry has grown significantly, mainly due to Lesotho qualifying for the trade benefits contained in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. 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. Having discarded past socialist economic policies, Madagascar has since the mid 1990s followed a World Bank- and IMF-led policy of privatization and liberalization. This strategy placed the country on a slow and steady growth path from an extremely low level. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is a mainstay of the economy, accounting for more than one-fourth of GDP and employing 80% of the population. Exports of apparel have boomed in recent years primarily due to duty-free access to the US. Deforestation and erosion, aggravated by the use of firewood as the primary source of fuel, are serious concerns. President RAVALOMANANA has worked aggressively to revive the economy following the 2002 political crisis, which triggered a 12% drop in GDP that year. Poverty reduction and combating corruption will be the centerpieces of economic policy for the next few years.
Electricity - consumption 308 million kWh (2002) 973.2 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 16 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2002) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 314 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2002) 1.046 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m


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


highest point: Maromokotro 2,876 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 soil erosion results from deforestation and overgrazing; desertification; surface water contaminated with raw sewage and other organic wastes; several endangered species of flora and fauna unique to the island
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%, Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Cotiers (mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry - Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran
Exchange rates maloti per US dollar - 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001), 6.9398 (2000) Malagasy ariary per US dollar - 1,880 (2007), 2,161.4 (2006), 2,003 (2005), 1,868.9 (2004), 1,238.3 (2003)
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 Marc RAVALOMANANA (since 6 May 2002)


head of government: Prime Minister Charles RABEMANANJARA (25 January 2007)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 3 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2011); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: percent of vote - Marc RAVALOMANANA 54.8%, Jean LAHINIRIKO 11.7%, Roland RATSIRAKA 10.1%, Herizo RAZAFIMAHALEO 9.1%, Norbert RATSIRAHONANA 4.2%, Ny Hasina ANDRIAMANJATO 4.2%, Elia RAVELOMANANTSOA 2.6%, Pety RAKOTONIAINA 1.7%, other 1.6%
Exports NA 363.9 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000) coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar, cotton cloth, chromite, petroleum products
Exports - partners US 97%, Canada 2.1%, UK 0.3% (2004) France 32.1%, US 25.3%, Germany 6.1%, Italy 5%, UK 4.1% (2006)
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 two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical white band of the same width on hoist side
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 15.2%


industry: 43.9%


services: 40.9% (2004 est.)
agriculture: 27.3%


industry: 15.8%


services: 56.8% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2004 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 3.3% (2004 est.) 6.3% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 29 30 S, 28 30 E 20 00 S, 47 00 E
Geography - note landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea level world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel
Highways total: 5,940 km


paved: 1,087 km


unpaved: 4,853 km (1999)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 0.9%


highest 10%: 43.4%
lowest 10%: 1.9%


highest 10%: 36.6% (2001)
Illicit drugs - illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption; transshipment point for heroin
Imports NA 17,830 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (2000) capital goods, petroleum, consumer goods, food
Imports - partners Hong Kong 46.8%, China 25.5%, South Korea 5.6%, Germany 4.8% (2004) France 14.5%, China 12%, Iran 9.3%, Mauritius 5.6%, Hong Kong 4.7% (2006)
Independence 4 October 1966 (from UK) 26 June 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate 15.5% (1999) 6% (2007 est.)
Industries food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts; construction; tourism meat processing, seafood, soap, breweries, tanneries, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism
Infant mortality rate total: 84.23 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 89.11 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 79.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
total: 57.02 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 62.09 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 51.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 5.3% (2004 est.) 10% (2007 est.)
International organization participation ACP, AfDB, AU, C, The Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land 10 sq km (1998 est.) 10,860 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch acting on the advice of the Prime Minister); Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court; customary or traditional court Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Constitutional Court or Haute Cour Constitutionnelle
Labor force 838,000 (2000) 7.3 million (2000)
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
0 km
Land use arable land: 10.87%


permanent crops: 0.13%


other: 89% (2001)
arable land: 5.03%


permanent crops: 1.02%


other: 93.95% (2005)
Languages Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa English (official), French (official), Malagasy (official)
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 traditional Malagasy law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
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 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
bicameral legislature consists of a National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (127 seats - reduced from 160 seats by an April 2007 national referendum; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and a Senate or Senat (100 seats; two-thirds of the seats filled by regional assemblies; the remaining one-third of seats appointed by the president; to serve four-year terms)


elections: National Assembly - last held 23 September 2007 (next to be held in 2011)


election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - TIM 106, LEADER/Fanilo 1, independents 20
Life expectancy at birth total population: 34.47 years


male: 35.49 years


female: 33.42 years (2005 est.)
total population: 62.14 years


male: 60.23 years


female: 64.1 years (2007 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: 68.9%


male: 75.5%


female: 62.5% (2003 est.)
Location Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique
Map references Africa Africa
Maritime claims none (landlocked) territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or 100 nm from the 2,500-m deep isobath
Merchant marine - total: 9 ships (1000 GRT or over) 13,896 GRT/18,466 DWT


by type: cargo 5, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 2 (2007)
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): Army and Air Wing People's Armed Forces: Intervention Force, Development Force, and Aeronaval Force (navy and air); National Gendarmerie
Military expenditures - dollar figure $32.3 million (2004) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.3% (2004) 1% (2006)
National holiday Independence Day, 4 October (1966) Independence Day, 26 June (1960)
Nationality noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)


adjective: Basotho
noun: Malagasy (singular and plural)


adjective: Malagasy
Natural hazards periodic droughts periodic cyclones, drought, and locust infestation
Natural resources water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower
Net migration rate -0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders Basotholand African Congress or BAC [Khauhelo RALITAPOLE]; Basotholand Congress Party or BCP [Ntsukunyane MPHANYA]; Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justine Metsing LEKHANYA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Pakalitha MOSISILI] - the governing party; Lesotho People's Congress or LPC [Kelebone MAOPE]; Lesotho Workers Party of LWP [Macaefa BILLY]; Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP [Vincent MALEBO]; National Independent Party or NIP [Anthony MANYELI]; National Progressive Party or NPP [Chief Peete Nkoebe PEETE]; Popular Front for Democracy or PFD [Lekhetho RAKUOANE]; Sefate Democratic Party or SDP [Bofihla NKUEBE] Association for the Rebirth of Madagascar or AREMA [Pierrot RAJAONARIVELO]; Democratic Party for Union in Madagascar or PSDUM [Jean LAHINIRIKO]; Economic Liberalism and Democratic Action for National Recovery or LEADER/Fanilo [Herizo RAZAFIMAHALEO]; Fihaonana Party or FP [Guy-Willy RAZANAMASY]; I Love Madagascar or TIM [Marc RAVALOMANANA]; Renewal of the Social Democratic Party or RPSD [Evariste MARSON]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA Committee for the Defense of Truth and Justice or KMMR; Committee for National Reconciliation or CRN [Albert Zafy]; National Council of Christian Churches or FFKM
Population 1,867,035


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 2005 est.)
19,448,815 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 49% (1999) 50% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate 0.08% (2005 est.) 3.008% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 2 (plus a number of repeater stations), FM 9, shortwave 6 (2001)
Railways - total: 854 km


narrow gauge: 854 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)
Religions Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20% indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian 41%, Muslim 7%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.013 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.986 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.822 male(s)/female


total population: 0.992 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: rudimentary system


domestic: consists of a modest but growing number of landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a minor radiotelephone communication system; a cellular mobile telephone system is growing


international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: system is above average for the region; Antananarivo's main telephone exchange modernized, but the rest of the analogue-based telephone system is poorly developed; planning to add 50,000 new private-subscriber fixed lines beginning in 2005


domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile telephone density only about 7 per 100 persons


international: country code - 261; submarine cable to Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use 28,600 (2002) 129,800 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 92,000 (2002) 1.046 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 1 (2000) 1 (plus 36 repeaters) (2001)
Terrain mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center
Total fertility rate 3.35 children born/woman (2005 est.) 5.24 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 45% (2002) -
Waterways - 600 km (2006)
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