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Compare Montserrat (2003) - Lesotho (2002)
Compare Montserrat (2003) z Lesotho (2002)
| Montserrat (2003) | Lesotho (2002) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter | 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 23.4% (male 1,062; female 1,041)
15-64 years: 65.3% (male 2,805; female 3,066) 65 years and over: 11.4% (male 537; female 484) (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.) |
| Agriculture - products | cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers; livestock products | corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock |
| Airports | none; only airport was destroyed by volcanic activity; a helicopter service to Antigua is used (2002) | 28 (2001) |
| Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 24
914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 20 (2002) |
| Area | total: 102 sq km
land: 102 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 30,355 sq km
land: 30,355 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Maryland |
| Background | Much of this island has been devastated and two-thirds of the population has fled abroad due to the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano that began on 18 July 1995. | 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 | 17.57 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 30.72 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $31.4 million
expenditures: $31.6 million, including capital expenditures of $8.4 million (1997 est.) |
revenues: $76 million
expenditures: $80 million, including capital expenditures of $15 million |
| Capital | Plymouth (abandoned in 1997 due to volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate, in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat) | Maseru |
| Climate | tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation | temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers |
| Coastline | 40 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Constitution | present constitution came into force 19 December 1989 | 2 April 1993 |
| Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Montserrat |
conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
conventional short form: Lesotho former: Basutoland |
| Currency | East Caribbean dollar (XCD) | loti (LSL); South African rand (ZAR) |
| Death rate | 7.34 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 16.81 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Debt - external | $8.9 million (1997) | $715 million (2001 est.) |
| Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK | - |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 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 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 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 |
| Disputes - international | none | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | Country Policy Plan (2001) is a three-year program for spending $122.8 million in British budgetary assistance | $123.7 million (1995) (1995) |
| Economy - overview | Severe volcanic activity, which began in July 1995, has put a damper on this small, open economy. A catastrophic eruption in June 1997 closed the airports and seaports, causing further economic and social dislocation. Two-thirds of the 12,000 inhabitants fled the island. Some began to return in 1998, but lack of housing limited the number. The agriculture sector continued to be affected by the lack of suitable land for farming and the destruction of crops. Prospects for the economy depend largely on developments in relation to the volcano and on public sector construction activity. The UK has launched a three-year $122.8 million aid program to help reconstruct the economy. Half of the island is expected to remain uninhabitable for another decade. | 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 | 2.325 million kWh (2001) | 100 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 100 million kWh
note: electricity supplied by South Africa (2000) |
| Electricity - production | 2.5 million kWh (2001) | 0 kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2000) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
- |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chances Peak (in the Soufriere Hills volcanic complex) 914 m |
lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m
highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m |
| Environment - current issues | land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation | 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 |
| 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 |
| Ethnic groups | black, white | Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%, |
| Exchange rates | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976) | 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: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Anthony LONGRIGG (since NA May 2001)
head of government: Chief Minister John OSBORNE (since 5 April 2001) cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, the chief minister, three other ministers, the attorney general, and the finance secretary elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes chief minister |
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 | electronic components, plastic bags, apparel, hot peppers, live plants, cattle | manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals |
| Exports - partners | US, Antigua and Barbuda | South African Customs Union 53.9%, North America 45.6% (1999) |
| Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 1 April - 31 March |
| Flag description | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross | 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 |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $29 million (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $5.3 billion (2001 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 5.4%
industry: 13.6% services: 81% (1996 est.) |
agriculture: 18%
industry: 38% services: 44% (2001) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $3,400 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $2,450 (2001 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | -1% (2002 est.) | 2.6% (2001 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 16 45 N, 62 12 W | 29 30 S, 28 30 E |
| Geography - note | the island is entirely volcanic in origin and contains seven active volcanoes | landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea level |
| Highways | total: 227 km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km note: volcanic eruptions beginning in 1995 destroyed most of the road system (2003) |
total: 4,955 km
paved: 887 km unpaved: 4,068 km (1996) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 43% (1986-87) |
| Illicit drugs | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe | - |
| Imports | NA (2001) | $720 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials | food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products |
| Imports - partners | US, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada | South African Customs Union 89.5%, Asia 7% (1999) |
| Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 4 October 1966 (from UK) |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 15.5% (1999 est.) |
| Industries | tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances | food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts; construction; tourism |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 7.77 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.05 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
82.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.6% (2002 est.) | 6.9% (2001 est.) |
| International organization participation | Caricom, CDB, ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), OECS | 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 |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 17 (2000) | 1 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | NA sq km | 10 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia, one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court) | High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court; customary or traditional court |
| Labor force | 4,521 ; note - lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity | 700,000 economically active |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% | 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 909 km
border countries: South Africa 909 km |
| Land use | arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 0% other: 80% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 10.71%
permanent crops: 0% other: 89.29% (1998 est.) |
| Languages | English | Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa |
| Legal system | English common law and statutory law | 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 |
| Legislative branch | unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats, 9 popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)
note: expanded in 2001 from 7 to 9 elected members with attorney general and financial secretary sitting as ex-officio members elections: last held NA April 2001 (next to be held by November 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPLM 7, NPP 2 note: in 2001, the Elections Commission instituted a single constituency/voter-at-large system whereby all eligible voters cast ballots for all nine seats of the Legislative Council |
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 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.36 years
male: 76.24 years female: 80.59 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 47 years
male: 46.3 years female: 47.8 years (2002 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97% (1970 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83% male: 72% female: 93% (1999 est.) |
| Location | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico | Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Africa |
| Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
none (landlocked) |
| Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | - |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | 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 | no regular indigenous military forces; Police Force | Lesotho Defense Force (LDF; including Army and Air Wing), Royal Lesotho Mounted Police |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $34 million (1999) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | NA% |
| Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 526,332 (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 283,203 (2002 est.) |
| National holiday | Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926) | Independence Day, 4 October (1966) |
| Nationality | noun: Montserratian(s)
adjective: Montserratian |
noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
adjective: Basotho |
| Natural hazards | severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1996) | periodic droughts |
| Natural resources | NEGL | water, agricultural and grazing land, some diamonds and other minerals |
| Net migration rate | 34.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | -0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Political parties and leaders | National Progressive Party or NPP [Reuben T. MEADE]; New People's Liberation Movement or NPLM [John A. OSBORNE] | 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] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
| Population | 8,995
note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (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 | NA% | 49% (1999 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 4.5% (2003 est.) | 1.33% (2002 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Plymouth (abandoned), Little Bay (anchorages and ferry landing), Carr's Bay | none |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Radios | - | NA (2002) |
| Railways | 0 km | 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) |
| Religions | Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations | Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20% |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.11 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.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: NA |
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) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 4,000 (1997) | 22,200 (2000) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 70 (1994) | 21,600 (2000) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 1 (2000) |
| Terrain | volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland | mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains |
| Total fertility rate | 1.8 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 4.01 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 6% (1998 est.) | 45% (2000 est.) |
| Waterways | none | none |
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