Lesotho: Fact file

Updated March 2010

Name Kingdom of Lesotho
Area 30 355 sq km (Frame 2008, 636)
Capital Maseru
Major sttlemets Maputsoe, Teyateyaneng, Mafeteng, Hlotse (Frame 2008, 636)
Boundaries South Africa (landlocked enclave)
Population 2 million, 2007 (UNDP 2009)
Natural pop growth 1.2%, 2005-2010 (UNDP 2009)
Urbanisation 26.9%, 1990 (UNDP 2009)
Life expectancy Female 45.5 yrs, male 43.9 yrs, 2007 (UNDP 2009)
Infant mortality 70/1000, 2005-2010 est (UN Statistics Division 2010a)
HIV/AIDS prevalence 15-49 yrs: 23.2%; 2007 (WHO 2008)
Adult literacy rate Female 90.3%, male 73.7%, 2007 (UNDP 2009)
Military expenditure 2.4% of GDP; 2005 (UN Statistics Division 2010b)
Health expenditure 5.5% of GDP; 2005 (UN Statistics Division 2010c)
Legal system Mixture of Roman-Dutch and English Common Law, customary law (Dube 2008)
Independence October 4, 1966 (from UK)
GDP US$1.6 billion, 2007 est (IMF 2008)
GDP per capita US$430, 2008 (IMF 2009)
GDP growth rate 3.5%, 2008 (IMF 2009, 62)
Main exports Textiles, food, other manufactures (Frame 2008, 639)
Currency 1 Loti (plural: Maloti) = 100 Lisente (sing: Sente)
Unemployment 63.5%, 2004 (Global Policy Network et al 2006)
Inflation rate 10.7%, 2008 (IMF 2009, 66)
External debt ratio 35.5% of GDP, 2008 (IMF 2009, 84)
Roads 6 000 km track (four wheel drive), 887 km tarred (Frame 2008, 633)
Rail 2.6 km (Frame 2008, 634)
Airports 28 airports, 4 paved; 1 international (Frame 2008, 634)
Ethnic groups Basotho 99.7, Asians, whites (One World undated)
Languages Official: Sesotho (South Sotho), English. Others Phuthi, Zulu, Xhosa (Ethnologue.com undated)
Religion Christian ±90% (Roman Catholic ±45%, Protestant ±45%), African Traditional ±10%. (US Department of State 2009)

Sources

DUBE, BA 2008 "The Law and Legal Research in Lesotho" IN Hauser Global Law School Program, [www] http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Lesotho.htm [opens new window] (accessed 17 Mar 2010).

ETHNOLOGUE.COM UNDATED "Languages of Lesotho" [www] http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=Lesotho [opens new window] (accessed 17 Mar 2010).

GLOBAL POLICY NETWORK & LESOTHO CLOTHING & ALLIED WORKERS' UNION 2006 'Highlights of current labor market conditions in Lesotho' [www] http://www.gpn.org/data/lesotho/lesotho-analysis.doc [MS Word document] (accessed 17 Mar 2010).

IMF 2008 World Economic Outlook Database, April 2008, [www] http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/01/weodata/index.aspx [opens new window] (accessed 17 Mar 2010).

IMF 2009 Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa, October, [www] http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2009/AFR/eng/sreo1009.pdf, [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 17 Mar 2010).

FRAME, I 2008 (ed) Africa South of the Sahara 2008, Routledge.

ONE WORLD UNDATED "Lesotho" IN Nations Online, [www] http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/lesotho.htm [opens new window] (accessed 17 Mar 2010).

UNDP 2009 "Lesotho HDI Rank - 156", IN Human Development Report 2009, [www] http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_LSO.html [opens new window] (accessed 17 Mar 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010a "Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 births)" IN UNdata, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=MExico&d=PopDiv&f=variableID%3A77%3BcrID%3A484 [opens new window] (accessed 17 Mar 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010b "Military expenditure (% of GDP)" IN UNdata, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=GDP&d=WDI&f=Indicator_Code%3AMS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS [opens new window] (accessed 17 Mar 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010c "Total expenditure on health as percentage of gross domestic product" IN UNdata, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=Gross+domestic+product&d=WHO&f=inID%3AHSR20 [opens new window] (accessed 17 Mar 2010).

US DEPARTMENT OF STATE 2009 "Lesotho" IN International Religious Freedom Report 2009, [www] http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127239.htm [opens new window] (accessed 17 Mar 2010).

WHO 2008 "Epidemiological Fact Sheet on HIV and AIDS Core data on epidemiology and response", 4, [www] http://www.who.int/globalatlas/predefinedReports/EFS2008/full/EFS2008_LS.pdf [PDF document, opens in window] (accessed 17 Mar 2010).