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Compare Lesotho (2005) - Northern Mariana Islands (2003)
Compare Lesotho (2005) z Northern Mariana Islands (2003)
| Lesotho (2005) | Northern Mariana Islands (2003) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka | none (commonwealth in political union with the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are four municipalities at the second order; Northern Islands, Rota, Saipan, Tinian |
| 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: 23.3% (male 9,483; female 9,168)
15-64 years: 74.8% (male 27,839; female 32,041) 65 years and over: 1.8% (male 748; female 727) (2003 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock | coconuts, fruits, vegetables; cattle |
| Airports | 28 (2004 est.) | 6 (2002) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.) |
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
| Area | total: 30,355 sq km
land: 30,355 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 477 sq km
land: 477 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 14 islands including Saipan, Rota, and Tinian |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Maryland | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
| 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. | Under US administration as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands decided in the 1970s not to seek independence but instead to forge closer links with the US. Negotiations for territorial status began in 1972. A covenant to establish a commonwealth in political union with the US was approved in 1975. A new government and constitution went into effect in 1978. |
| Birth rate | 26.53 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 19.97 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $698.5 million
expenditures: $697.6 million, including capital expenditures of $15 million (2004 est.) |
revenues: $193 million
expenditures: $223 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY 01/02 est.) |
| Capital | Maseru | Saipan |
| Climate | temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers | tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to June, rainy season July to October |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 1,482 km |
| Constitution | 2 April 1993 | Covenant Agreement effective 4 November 1986 and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands effective 1 January 1978 |
| Country name | conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
conventional short form: Lesotho former: Basutoland |
conventional long form: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
conventional short form: Northern Mariana Islands former: Mariana Islands District (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands) |
| Currency | - | US dollar (USD) |
| Death rate | 25.03 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 2.44 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Debt - external | $735 million (2002) | $NA |
| Dependency status | - | commonwealth in political union with the US; federal funds to the Commonwealth administered by the US Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs |
| 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 |
- |
| 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 |
- |
| Disputes - international | none | none |
| Economic aid - donor | ODA $4.4 million | - |
| Economic aid - recipient | $41.5 million (2000) | extensive funding from US |
| 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. | The economy benefits substantially from financial assistance from the US. The rate of funding has declined as locally generated government revenues have grown. The key tourist industry employs about 50% of the work force and accounts for roughly one-fourth of GDP. Japanese tourists predominate. Annual tourist entries have exceeded one-half million in recent years, but financial difficulties in Japan have caused a temporary slowdown. The agricultural sector is made up of cattle ranches and small farms producing coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons. Garment production is by far the most important industry with employment of 17,500 mostly Chinese workers and sizable shipments to the US under duty and quota exemptions. |
| Electricity - consumption | 308 million kWh (2002) | NA kWh |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh |
| Electricity - imports | 16 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2002) | 0 kWh |
| Electricity - production | 314 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2002) | NA kWh |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m
highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Agrihan 965 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 | contamination of groundwater on Saipan may contribute to disease; clean-up of landfill; protection of endangered species conflicts with development |
| 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 |
- |
| Ethnic groups | Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%, | Chamorro, Carolinians and other Micronesians, Caucasian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Korean |
| Exchange rates | maloti per US dollar - 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001), 6.9398 (2000) | the US dollar is used |
| 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 George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)
head of government: Governor Juan N. BABAUTA (since NA January 2002); Lieutenant Governor Diego T. BENEVENTE (since NA January 2002) cabinet: NA elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held NA November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2005) election results: Juan N. BABAUTA elected governor in a four-way race; percent of vote - Juan N. BABAUTA (Republican Party) 49% |
| Exports | NA | $NA |
| Exports - commodities | manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000) | garments |
| Exports - partners | US 97%, Canada 2.1%, UK 0.3% (2004) | US (2000) |
| Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 1 October - 30 September |
| 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 | blue, with a white, five-pointed star superimposed on the gray silhouette of a latte stone (a traditional foundation stone used in building) in the center, surrounded by a wreath |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $900 million
note: $900 million $900 million GDP estimate includes US subsidy (2000 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 15.2%
industry: 43.9% services: 40.9% (2004 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2004 est.) | purchasing power parity - $12,500 (2000 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 3.3% (2004 est.) | NA% |
| Geographic coordinates | 29 30 S, 28 30 E | 15 12 N, 145 45 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 the North Pacific Ocean |
| Heliports | - | 1 (2002) |
| Highways | total: 5,940 km
paved: 1,087 km unpaved: 4,853 km (1999) |
total: 362 km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (1991) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 0.9%
highest 10%: 43.4% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Imports | NA | $NA |
| Imports - commodities | food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (2000) | food, construction equipment and materials, petroleum products |
| Imports - partners | Hong Kong 46.8%, China 25.5%, South Korea 5.6%, Germany 4.8% (2004) | US, Japan (2000) |
| Independence | 4 October 1966 (from UK) | none (commonwealth in political union with the US) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 15.5% (1999) | NA% |
| Industries | food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts; construction; tourism | tourism, construction, garments, handicrafts |
| 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: 5.52 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 5.3% (2004 est.) | 1.2% (1997 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 | ESCAP (associate), Interpol (subbureau), SPC |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 1 (2001) |
| Irrigated land | 10 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
| 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 | Commonwealth Supreme Court; Superior Court; Federal District Court |
| Labor force | 838,000 (2000) | 6,006 total indigenous labor force; 2,699 unemployed; 28,717 foreign workers |
| Labor force - by occupation | 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa | NA |
| 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: 15.22%
permanent crops: 6.52% other: 78.26% (1998 est.) |
| Languages | Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa | English, Chamorro, Carolinian
note: 86% of population speaks a language other than English at home |
| 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 US system, except for customs, wages, immigration laws, and taxation |
| 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 the Senate (9 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year staggered terms) and the House of Representatives (18 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 5 November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2003); House of Representatives - last held 1 November 2003 (next to be held NA November 2005) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Republican Party 4, Democratic Party 3, Reform Party 1, independent 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Covenant Party 9, Republican Party 7, Democratic Party 1, independent 1 note: the Northern Mariana Islands does not have a nonvoting delegate in the US Congress; instead, it has an elected official or "resident representative" located in Washington, DC; seats by party - Republican Party 1 (Pedro A. TENORIO) |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 34.47 years
male: 35.49 years female: 33.42 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 76.16 years
male: 73.06 years female: 79.44 years (2003 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: 97% male: 97% female: 96% (1980 est.) |
| Location | Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa | Oceania, islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines |
| Map references | Africa | Oceania |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | - | none (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 | defense is the responsibility of the US |
| Military branches | Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army and Air Wing | - |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $32.3 million (2004) | - |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.3% (2004) | - |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 4 October (1966) | Commonwealth Day, 8 January (1978) |
| Nationality | noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
adjective: Basotho |
noun: NA
adjective: NA |
| Natural hazards | periodic droughts | active volcanoes on Pagan and Agrihan; typhoons (especially August to November) |
| Natural resources | water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone | arable land, fish |
| Net migration rate | -0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 16.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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] | Democratic Party [Dr. Carlos S. CAMACHO]; Republican Party [Benigno R. FITIAL] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
| 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.) |
80,006 (July 2003 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 49% (1999) | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 0.08% (2005 est.) | 3.37% (2003 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | - | Saipan, Tinian |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Railways | - | 0 km |
| Religions | Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20% | Christian (Roman Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found) |
| 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: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections |
| 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: NA
domestic: NA international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 28,600 (2002) | 21,000 (1996) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 92,000 (2002) | 1,200 (1995) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (2000) | 1 (on Saipan and one station planned for Rota; in addition, two cable services on Saipan provide varied programming from satellite networks) (1997) |
| Terrain | mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains | southern islands are limestone with level terraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic |
| Total fertility rate | 3.35 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 1.75 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 45% (2002) | NA% |
| Waterways | - | none |
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