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Compare Lesotho (2007) - Mauritius (2006)

Compare Lesotho (2007) z Mauritius (2006)

 Lesotho (2007)Mauritius (2006)
 LesothoMauritius
Administrative divisions 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka 9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos Shoals*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne
Age structure 0-14 years: 35.7% (male 382,308/female 377,303)


15-64 years: 59.3% (male 613,979/female 645,818)


65 years and over: 5% (male 42,621/female 63,233) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 23.9% (male 149,486/female 147,621)


15-64 years: 69.5% (male 430,288/female 431,753)


65 years and over: 6.6% (male 31,939/female 49,740) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish
Airports 28 (2007) 6 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


over 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
total: 2


over 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 25


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 21 (2007)
total: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Area total: 30,355 sq km


land: 30,355 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 2,040 sq km


land: 2,030 sq km


water: 10 sq km


note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC
Background Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled for the first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and reinstated in 1995. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after 7 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. Although known to Arab and Malay sailors as early as the 10th century, Mauritius was first explored by the Portuguese in 1505; it was subsequently held by the Dutch, French, and British before independence was attained in 1968. A stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, the country has attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa's highest per capita incomes. Recent poor weather and declining sugar prices have slowed economic growth, leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community.
Birth rate 24.72 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 15.43 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $995.8 million


expenditures: $763.2 million (2006 est.)
revenues: $1.377 billion


expenditures: $1.77 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Capital name: Maseru


geographic coordinates: 29 19 S, 27 29 E


time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Port Louis


geographic coordinates: 20 10 S, 57 30 E


time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 177 km
Constitution 2 April 1993 12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992
Country name conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho


conventional short form: Lesotho


local long form: Kingdom of Lesotho


local short form: Lesotho


former: Basutoland
conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius


conventional short form: Mauritius


local long form: Republic of Mauritius


local short form: Mauritius
Death rate 22.49 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 6.86 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $652 million (2006 est.) $3.246 billion (2005 est.)
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 John PRICE


embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis


mailing address: international mail: P. O. Box 544, Port Louis; US mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450


telephone: [230] 202-4400


FAX: [230] 208-9534
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 Usha JEETAH


chancery: 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491, 1492


FAX: [1] (202) 966-0983
Disputes - international none Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory), and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship but no right to patriation in the UK; claims French-administered Tromelin Island
Economic aid - recipient $68.82 million (2005) $42 million (1997)
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. However, the government has recently 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 and also generates royalties for Lesotho. Lesotho produces about 90% of its own electrical power needs. 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, as well as a rapidly expanding apparel-assembly sector. The latter 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. Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low-income, agriculturally based economy to a middle-income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors. For most of the period, annual growth has been in the order of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has been reflected in more equitable income distribution, increased life expectancy, lowered infant mortality, and a much-improved infrastructure. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 25% of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on expanding local financial institutions and building a domestic information telecommunications industry. Mauritius has attracted more than 9,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India and South Africa, and investment in the banking sector alone has reached over $1 billion. Mauritius, with its strong textile sector, has been well poised to take advantage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Electricity - consumption 338.5 million kWh (2005) 1.805 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports 13 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2005) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production 350 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2005) 1.941 billion kWh (2003)
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: Mont Piton 828 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 water pollution, degradation of coral reefs
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, 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%, Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2%
Exchange rates maloti per US dollar - 6.85 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.541 (2002) Mauritian rupees per US dollar - 29.496 (2005), 27.499 (2004), 27.902 (2003), 29.962 (2002), 29.129 (2001)
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, that 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 depose the monarch, determine who is next in the line of succession, or who shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age
chief of state: President Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 7 October 2003) and Vice President Abdool Raouf BUNDHUN (since 25 February 2002)


head of government: Prime Minister Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM (since 5 July 2005)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister


elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 25 February 2002 (next to be held in 2007); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly


election results: Karl OFFMANN elected president and Raouf BUNDHUN elected vice president; percent of vote by the National Assembly - NA%; note - Karl OFFMANN stepped down on 30 September 2003
Exports NA bbl/day NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000) clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses
Exports - partners US 81.9%, Belgium 15%, Canada 1.9% (2006) UK 32.3%, France 20.7%, US 11.7%, Madagascar 6.2%, Italy 5.3% (2005)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 1 July - 30 June
Flag description three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green in the proportions of 3:4:3; the colors represent rain, peace, and prosperity respectively; centered in the white stripe is a black Basotho hat representing the indigenous people; the flag was unfurled in October 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 18.2%


industry: 40.8%


services: 41% (2006 est.)
agriculture: 5.9%


industry: 29.8%


services: 64.3% (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 6.2% (2006 est.) 2.5% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 29 30 S, 28 30 E 20 17 S, 57 33 E
Geography - note landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea level the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 0.9%


highest 10%: 43.4% (2002 est.)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs - minor consumer and transshipment point for heroin from South Asia; small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally; significant offshore financial industry creates potential for money laundering, but corruption levels are relatively low and the government appears generally to be committed to regulating its banking industry
Imports NA bbl/day NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners Hong Kong 33.4%, China 31.2%, Germany 7.7%, India 7.3% (2006) France 12.1%, South Africa 11%, India 7.2%, Finland 6.1%, China 6%, Germany 5.3%, Bahrain 5.2%, Singapore 4.1% (2005)
Independence 4 October 1966 (from UK) 12 March 1968 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate 15.5% (1999) 8% (2000 est.)
Industries food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism
Infant mortality rate total: 79.85 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 84.4 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 75.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 14.59 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 17.23 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 11.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 6.1% (2006 est.) 5% (2005 est.)
International organization participation ACP, AfDB, AU, C, 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, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land 30 sq km (2003) 220 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 Courts; customary or traditional court Supreme Court
Labor force 838,000 (2000) 570,000 (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa


industry and services: 14% (2002 est.)
agriculture and fishing 14%, construction and industry 36%, transportation and communication 7%, trade, restaurants, hotels 16%, finance 3%, other services 24% (1995)
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% (2005)
arable land: 49.02%


permanent crops: 2.94%


other: 48.04% (2005)
Languages Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa Creole 80.5%, Bhojpuri 12.1%, French 3.4%, English (official; spoken by less than 1% of the population), other 3.7%, unspecified 0.3% (2000 census)
Legal system based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas; 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 popular vote and 40 by proportional vote; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)


elections: last held 17 February 2007 (next to be held in 2012)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LCD 61, NIP 21, ABC 17, LWP 10, ACP 4, BNP 3, other 4
unicameral National Assembly (70 seats; 62 elected by popular vote, 8 appointed by the election commission to give representation to various ethnic minorities; members serve five-year terms)


elections: last held on 3 July 2005 (next to be held in 2010)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AS 38, MSM/MMM 22, OPR 2; appointed seats - AS 4, MSM/MMM 2, OPR 2
Life expectancy at birth total population: 39.97 years


male: 40.73 years


female: 39.18 years (2007 est.)
total population: 72.63 years


male: 68.66 years


female: 76.66 years (2006 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: 85.6%


male: 88.6%


female: 82.7% (2003 est.)
Location Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Map references Africa Political Map of the World
Maritime claims none (landlocked) territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine - total: 6 ships (1000 GRT or over) 22,386 GRT/23,214 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 2, passenger/cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 2


foreign-owned: 4 (India 2, Switzerland 2) (2006)
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 no regular military forces; National Police Force, Special Mobile Force, National Coast Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $12.04 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.6% (2006) 0.2% (2005 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 4 October (1966) Independence Day, 12 March (1968)
Nationality noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)


adjective: Basotho
noun: Mauritian(s)


adjective: Mauritian
Natural hazards periodic droughts cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
Natural resources water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone arable land, fish
Net migration rate -0.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Political parties and leaders Alliance of Congress Parties or ACP; All Basotho Convention or ABC [Thomas THABANE]; Basotholand African Congress or BAC [Khauhelo RALITAPOLE]; Basotho Congress Party or BCP [Ntsukunyane MPHANYA]; Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justin Metsing LEKHANYA]; Kopanang Basotho Party or KPB [Pheelo MOSALA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD (the governing party) [Pakalitha MOSISILI]; Lesotho Education Party or LEP [Thabo PITSO]; Lesotho Workers Party or LWP [Macaefa BILLY]; Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP [Vincent MALEBO]; National Independent Party or NIP [Anthony MANYELI]; New Lesotho Freedom Party or NLFP [Manapo MAJARA]; Popular Front for Democracy or PFD [Lekhetho RAKUOANE]; Sefate Democratic Union or SDU [Bofihla NKUEBE]; Social Democratic Party of SDP [Masitise SELESO] Alliance Sociale or AS; Hizbullah [Cehl Mohamed FAKEEMEEAH]; Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]; Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER] (in coalition with MSM); Mauritian Social Democrat Party or PMSD [Charles Xavier-Luc DUVAL]; Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH] (the governing party); Rodrigues Movement or MR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY]; Rodrigues Peoples Organization or OPR [Serge CLAIR]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA various labor unions
Population 2,125,262


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 2007 est.)
1,240,827 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line 49% (1999) 10% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate 0.144% (2007 est.) 0.82% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 4, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2002)
Religions Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20% Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 23.6%, other Christian 8.6%, Muslim 16.6%, other 2.5%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.4% (2000 census)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.013 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.951 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.674 male(s)/female


total population: 0.956 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


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


65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female


total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: rudimentary system consisting of a modest but growing number of landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a small radiotelephone communication system; mobile-cellular telephone system is expanding


domestic: privatized in 2001, Telecom Lesotho tasked with providing an additional 50,000 fixed-line connections within five years, a target not met; mobile-cellular service is expanding with a subscribership approaching 15 per 100 persons; rural services are scant


international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: small system with good service


domestic: primarily microwave radio relay trunk system


international: country code - 230; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries; fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC/SAFE) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia
Telephones - main lines in use 48,000 (2005) 359,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 249,800 (2005) 713,300 (2005)
Television broadcast stations 1 (2000) 2 (plus several repeaters) (1997)
Terrain mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau
Total fertility rate 3.21 children born/woman (2007 est.) 1.95 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate 45% (2002) 9.6% (2005 est.)
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