LESOTHO

Kingdom of Lesotho

Muso oa Lesotho

CAPITAL: Maseru

FLAG: The flag is 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.

ANTHEM: Lesotho Fatse La Bo-nata Rona (Lesotho, the Country of Our Fathers).

MONETARY UNIT: Lesotho is part of the South African monetary area; the maloti of 100 lisente, introduced in 1980, is on a par with the South African rand (r), which also is legal tender. There are coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, and 50 lisente, and notes of 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 maloti (m). m1 = $0.16129 (or $1 = m6.2) as of 2005.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: British and metric weights and measures are in general use.

HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day, 1 January; Moshoeshoe's Day, 12 March; Family Day, 1st Monday in July; King's Birthday, 17 July; Independence Day, 4 October; National Sports Day, 6 October; Christmas, 25 December; Boxing Day, 26 December. Movable Christian holidays include Good Friday, Easter Monday, and Ascension.

TIME: 2 pm = noon GMT.

LOCATION, SIZE, AND EXTENT

Lesotho is an enclave within the Republic of South Africa, with an area of 30,355 sq km (11,720 sq mi), extending 248 km (154 mi) nne–ssw and 181 km (112 mi) ese–wnw. Comparatively, the area occupied by Lesotho is slightly smaller than the state of Maryland.

It is bordered on the e by the South African province of Natal, on the s by Cape Province, and on the w and n by the Orange Free State, with a total boundary length of 909 km (565 mi). Lesotho claims that Basotho lands now part of South Africa were unjustly taken by force in the 19th century.

Lesotho's capital city, Maseru, is located on the country's northwest border.

TOPOGRAPHY

Three distinct geographical regions, demarcated by ascending altitude, extend approximately north-south across Lesotho. The western quarter of the country is a plateau averaging 1,500–1,850 m (4,900–6,100 ft). The soil of this zone is derived from sandstone and, particularly in the westernmost region, is poor and badly eroded. The remainder of the country is highland. A zone of rolling foothills, ranging from 1,800–2,200 m (5,900–7,200 ft), forms the border between the lowlands and the mountains in the east.

The Drakensberg Range forms the entire eastern and southeastern border. A spur of this range, the Maluti Mountains, runs north and south. Where it joins the Drakensberg Range there is a high plateau ranging from 2,700–3,200 m (8,900–10,500 ft) in elevation. The highest point is Thabana Ntlenyana, 3,482 m (11,425 ft), in the east. The rich volcanic soils of the foothills and mountains are some of the best in the country.

The sources of two of the principal rivers of South Africa, the Orange and the Tugela, are in these mountains. Tributaries of the Caledon River, which forms the country's western border, also rise here. The Orange and Caledon rivers, together with their tributaries, drain more than 90% of the country.

CLIMATE

Temperatures vary widely from one geographical zone to another, and frequently within zones, depending on the altitude. In the lowlands, temperatures reach 32°c (90°f) or more in the summer and rarely fall below -7°c (19°f) in the winter. The range in the highlands is greater; temperatures sometimes fall below -18°c (0°f), and frost and hail are frequent hazards. Rainfall, which is mostly concentrated in the months from October to April, averages 71 cm (28 in) annually, varying from 191 cm (75 in) in parts of the mountains to as little as 60 cm (24 in) in the lowlands. Most of the rainwater is lost through runoff, and droughts are common.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Grass is the natural vegetation in this virtually treeless country. The high plateau is covered with montane or subalpine grassland. Red oat grass forms a dry carpet in much of the Drakensberg foothill region. The country's small size, high elevation, and limited range of habitats restrict the variety of fauna. The African lammergeier, a bird common in the mountains of Ethiopia but nowhere else in Africa, and the bald ibis, both of which are near extinction, are found in small numbers in the Drakensberg Range. As of 2002, there were at least 33 species of mammals, 123 species of birds, and over 1,500 species of plants throughout the country.

ENVIRONMENT

Much of the country has become denuded of its natural grass cover through uncontrolled grazing and rushing surface water. Related problems are severe soil erosion, soil exhaustion, and desertification. In response to these problems, the Highlands Water Project has the goals of controlling, storing, and redirecting water to South Africa. More than 3.5 million trees, mostly eucalyptus, have been planted as part of a gully control program, and for production of fuel and poles. Among the agencies with environmental responsibility is the National Environmental Secretariat of the prime minister's office.

Unlike neighboring South Africa, Lesotho is not rich in game and other wildlife. The famous Basuto pony, of almost pure Arabian stock, reached its peak of quality and quantity around the turn of the century. After suffering a decline because of ruinous trading practices, overstocking, overgrazing, disease, and drought, the pony has begun to make a comeback through a selective breeding program and improved feeding methods. Other vanishing species, like the wildebeest and blesbok, have been reintroduced in areas where they formerly were numerous. According to a 2006 report issued by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), the number of threatened species included 3 types of mammals, 7 species of birds, 1 species of fish, 1 species of invertebrate, and 1 species of plant. Threatened species included the blue crane, the brown hyena, the African lion and the lesser flamingo.

POPULATION

The population of Lesotho in 2005 was estimated by the United Nations (UN) at 1,804,000, which placed it at number 142 in population among the 193 nations of the world. In 2005, approximately 5% of the population was over 65 years of age, with another 38% of the population under 15 years of age. There were 87 males for every 100 females in the country. According to the UN, the annual population rate of change for 2005–2010 was expected to be -0.1%. The projected population for the year 2025 was 1,604,000. The population density was 59 per sq km (154 per sq mi). Some 70% of the total population lives in the fertile lowlands, where the land can be most readily cultivated; the rest is scattered in the foothills and the mountains.

The UN estimated that 13% of the population lived in urban areas in 2005, and that urban areas were growing at an annual rate of 0.75%. The capital city, Maseru, had a population of 170,000 in that year. Other large towns are Leribe, Berea, and Mafeteng.

The prevalence of HIV/AIDS has had a significant impact on the population of Lesotho. The UN estimated that 30.1% of adults between the ages of 15–49 were living with HIV/AIDS in 2001. The AIDS epidemic causes higher death and infant mortality rates, and lowers life expectancy.

MIGRATION

In 1996, around 60% of active male wage earners in Lesotho worked in South Africa. Lesotho reported that 25,000 miners were sent to South African gold mines in the first six months of 2001. There were 6,000 migrants living in Lesotho in 2000, and virtually no refugees. According to Migration Information Source, Lesotho led the world's nations with the highest total remittances received as a percentage of GDP in 2001, with remittances as 26.2% of GDP, equivalent to $112.80 per capita. In 2003 remittances were $2.17 million. In 2004, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported no refugees or asylum seekers. In 2005, the net migration rate was an estimated -0.74 per 1,000 population. The government views the migration levels as satisfactory.

ETHNIC GROUPS

Lesotho is ethnically homogeneous. At least 99.7% of the people are Sotho. Europeans, Asians, and other groups make up the remaining population.

LANGUAGES

The Sesotho (southern Sotho) language is spoken by virtually all the indigenous population. English shares with Sesotho the position of official language. Zulu and Xhosa are also spoken.

RELIGIONS

Christian missions have long been active in Lesotho. As a result, about 90% of the population are Christian, with about 70% being Roman Catholic. The primary Protestant denominations are the Lesotho Evangelical Church and the Anglican Church. Muslims, members of other non-Christian religions, and atheists make up the remaining 10%. The indigenous population, including many of its Christian members, follow African traditional religions. Some of the Catholic churches in the country incorporate traditional customs into worship, including traditional music, language, and dress. Christians are found throughout the country, while Muslims tend to be concentrated in the northeastern part of the country. Many of the Muslims are of Asian descent, while most of the Christians are indigenous Basotho. Certain Christian holidays are celebrated as national holidays.

TRANSPORTATION

In 2002 there were 4,995 km (3,104 mi) of roadway in Lesotho, 887 km (551 mi) of which were paved. A 2.6-km (1.6-mi) South African railway connects Maseru's industrial park to the Bloemfontein-Natal line, providing a valuable freight link to South Africa.

In 2004, there were an estimated 28 airports, of which only 3 had paved runways as of 2005. Lesotho Airways and South African Airways maintain scheduled passenger service between Johannesburg and Moshoeshoe International, the new international airport 19 km (12 mi) outside of Maseru. Lesotho Airways also has regular service to Swaziland, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, and to 28 domestic airstrips. In 1997 (the latest year for which data was available), about 29,000 passengers were carried on scheduled domestic and international airline flights. Air taxis and chartered planes serve airstrips at Maseru and other centers.

HISTORY

What is now Lesotho was inhabited by hunter-gatherers, called the San Bushmen by the whites, until about 1600, when refugees from Bantu tribal wars began arriving. In 1818, Moshoeshoe, a minor chief of a northern tribe in what was to become Basutoland, brought together the survivors of the devastating Zulu and Matabele raids and founded the Basotho nation. During the early days of its existence, the Basotho also had to contend with incursions by Boers from the Orange Free State. Moshoeshoe sought UK protection, but not before much land had been lost to white settlers. His urgent appeals for assistance went unheeded until 1868, when Basutoland became a crown protectorate. Moshoeshoe died in 1870. The following year, Basutoland was annexed to the Cape Colony, over the protests of both Basotho and Boer leaders. In 1880, the so-called Gun War broke out between the Basotho and the Boers over the attempt to disarm the Basotho in accordance with the provisions of the Cape Peace Preservation Act of 1878. A high point in Basotho history was the successful resistance waged against the Cape's forces.

In 1884, Basutoland was returned to UK administration under a policy of indirect rule. Local government was introduced in 1910 with the creation of the Basutoland Council, an advisory body composed of the British resident commissioner, the paramount chief, and 99 appointed Basotho members. In effect, for the next 50 years the chiefs were allowed to govern. Under a new constitution that became effective in 1960, an indirectly elected legislative body, the Basutoland National Council, was created.

A constitutional conference held in London in 1964 approved the recommendations for a pre-independence constitution that had been made by a constitutional commission. The new constitution went into effect on 30 April 1965, following the general election. The resident commissioner became the British government representative, retaining powers for defense, external affairs, internal security, and the public service.

In April 1966, a conflict arose in parliament between the government and the opposition over Prime Minister Leabua Jonathan's motion requesting that Britain set a date for independence. To forestall passage of the motion, Paramount Chief Moshoeshoe II replaced 5 of his 11 senatorial appointees with 5 opponents of the government. The High Court subsequently invalidated that action, declaring that his right to appoint 11 senators did not entail the right of dismissal. The Senate and National Assembly eventually passed the independence motion, the latter by a vote of 32 to 28, but the dispute foreshadowed a constitutional crisis that was not conclusively resolved at independence. The final independence conference was held in June 1966. Charging that the United Kingdom was granting independence to a minority government, and demanding a more significant role for the paramount chief, delegates representing the opposition withdrew. Moshoeshoe II himself declined to sign the final accord.

Independence

The United Kingdom granted independence to the newly named Kingdom of Lesotho on 4 October 1966; Moshoeshoe II was proclaimed king on that date. The first general election following the attainment of independence was held in January 1970. When it appeared that the ruling party, the Basotho National Party (BNP), would be defeated, Prime Minister Jonathan, its leader, declared a state of emergency and suspended the constitution. The Basotho Congress Party (BCP), led by Ntsu Mokhehle, claimed that it had won 33 seats to the BNP's 23. Leabua Jonathan admitted he had lost the election but nevertheless arrested the opposition leaders. The unrest, he said, was due to Communist influence, and since the majority of the people were behind him he would suspend the constitution and hold new elections later. King Moshoeshoe II was placed under house arrest and in April 1970 the Netherlands gave him asylum. He was permitted to return in December.

Scattered attacks on police posts occurred in January 1974 in an alleged attempt by supporters of the BCP to overthrow the government of the ruling BNP. The abortive coup d'etat resulted in the arrest, killing, imprisonment, or exile of many people. In March 1975, 15 BCP followers were found guilty of high treason. The struggle against the Jonathan government continued through the late 1970s and early 1980s, with the Lesotho Liberation Army (LLA), the military arm of the BCP in exile, claiming responsibility for periodic bombings in Maseru, ambushes of government officials, and attacks on police stations. The Lesotho government charged that South Africa was allowing the LLA to use its territory as a base of operations.

Relations with South Africa deteriorated after that nation granted independence in 1976 to the Bantu homeland of Transkei, on Lesotho's southeastern border. When Lesotho (like all other nations except South Africa) declined to recognize Transkei, the Transkeian authorities closed the border with Lesotho, which also angered South Africa by harboring members of the banned African National Congress (ANC), an exiled South African insurgent group. On 9 December 1982, South African troops raided private residences of alleged ANC members in Maseru; 42 persons were killed, including at least 12 Basotho citizens. In the early 1980s, South Africa used economic pressures against Lesotho.

Parliamentary elections scheduled for August 1985 by the Jonathan government were called off because all five opposition parties refused to take part, charging that the voters' roll was fraudulent. Later that year, South Africa stepped up its destabilization activities, conducting a commando raid and aiding antigovernment elements. On 1 January 1986, South Africa imposed a neartotal blockade of Lesotho that resulted in severe shortages of food and essential supplies. On 20 January, a military coup led by Maj. Gen. Justin Metsing Lekhanya overthrew the government. All executive and legislative powers were vested in the king, acting on the advice of a six-man military council. On 25 January, a number of ANC members and sympathizers were flown from Lesotho to Zambia, whereupon South Africa ended its blockade of the country. All political activity was banned on 27 March.

There was widespread skepticism about the military government and its links to Pretoria, and agitation to return to civilian rule. In 1990, Lekhanya had Moshoeshoe II exiled (for a second time) after the king refused to agree to the dismissal of several senior officers. In November 1990, a new law was announced providing for a constitutional monarchy but barring Moshoeshoe from the throne. Later that month, Moshoeshoe's son (King Letsie III), was elected king by an assembly of chiefs.

In April 1991, rebel army officers staged a bloodless coup, forcing Lekhanya to resign. He was succeeded by Col. Elias Ramaema as leader of a military junta. In July 1992, the king was allowed to return to a hero's welcome.

Multiparty elections were scheduled for 28 November 1992, but they were postponed until 1993 because of delays in delimiting parliamentary constituencies. Finally, on 27 March 1993, in the first democratic elections in 23 years, the Basotho Congress Party, the major opposition party, won all 65 seats in the Assembly. The BCP formed a government under Prime Minister Dr. Ntsu Mokhehle. The BCP offered to nominate four BNP members but only one opposition politician accepted. Several cabinet members were appointed from opposition ranks.

On 25 January 1994, army troops mutinied in Maseru after the government refused their demands for a 100% pay increase. Prime Minister Mokhehle requested military assistance from South Africa, but that request was denied. After three weeks of sporadic fighting, the two factions within the military agreed to a Commonwealth-brokered deal for negotiations with the government.

In August 1994, Lesotho's first democratically elected government faced another challenge when King Letsie III suspended parliament and imposed a "Ruling Council." The king had been angered by the Mokhehle government's creation of a board of inquiry to investigate the dethroning of his father. Although Letsie had the support of the security forces, his royal coup was condemned internally and internationally, and the United States cut off aid. On 14 September the crisis was resolved when the king agreed to return the throne to his father. However, two years later King Moshoeshoe was killed in a car crash, and his son reclaimed the throne—much to the consternation of pro-democracy groups and Lesotho's neighbors.

Although the government increased military salaries in line with other government workers in 1995, an uprising three years later by a disgruntled faction of the Lesotho Defense Forces necessitated Botswana and South Africa military intervention. Over 50 soldiers were taken into custody and charged with mutiny in September 1998 on the heels of rioting and looting that destroyed parts of the capital following the May elections in 1998. The violence cost Lesotho untold millions as it sent the economy into a tailspin.

The Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) won the majority in parliament in the 23 May 1998 general elections, leaving the once-dominant Basotho National Party (BNP) and Basotholand Congress Party (BCP) far behind in total votes. Although international observers as well as a regional commission declared the elections to have reflected the will of the people, many members of the opposition have accused the LCD of electoral fraud. The 1998 elections were the third multiparty elections in Lesotho's history. Nevertheless, after political riots following the disputed 1998, an all party forum called the Interim Political Authority was formed to level ground for the next poll. It proposed the restructuring of the Independent Electoral Commission, which happened, and the change of the model from winner takes all to mixed member proportional representation. In the 25 May 2002 general elections, the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy was reelected by majority, winning all but one of the 80 constituency based seats. Under the proportional representation system 40 compensatory seats were shared among nine opposition parties. In terms of popular vote in the 2002 elections, LCD won 54%, BNP 21%, LPC 7%, and other parties 18%.

As of 2005, the Lesotho government remained a modified form of constitutional monarchy. The prime minister, Pakalitha Mosisili, was head of government and had executive authority. The king serves a largely ceremonial function; he no longer possesses any executive authority and is proscribed from actively participating in political initiatives.

Lesotho remained among the poorest countries in Africa with the majority of the population living below the poverty line on less than $1 a day. In June 2005, Lesotho had an HIV/AIDS prevalence rate of 28% among the adult population, and unemployment stood at 51%. Poverty, lack of jobs, and food shortages in the sub-region were driving rural to urban migration, and increasing the likelihood that young women and women heads of household would engage in commercial and risky sex to provide for their families.

GOVERNMENT

According to the 1993 constitution, the Kingdom of Lesotho is a monarchy with a bicameral parliament consisting of a National Assembly of 120 members—80 elected by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote—for five-year terms, and a Senate consisting of 33 members—22 chiefs and 11 others appointed by the ruling party.

Until 1993 the king was official chief of state (motlotlehi ), and was designated by the College of Chiefs, according to Basotho custom. The prime minister (head of government) was appointed by the king and was a member of the majority party in the National Assembly. The cabinet was also appointed by the king, in accordance with advice of the prime minister, from among members of both houses of parliament.

Under the 1993 constitution the monarch has become a figurehead, a "living symbol of national unity" with no executive or legislative powers. He is selected by traditional law and the College of Chiefs, which holds the power to determine who is next in the line of succession, and who shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is a minor. The College also may depose the monarch.

The leader of the majority party in the Assembly automatically becomes prime minister. Since 1998, the prime minister has been Pakalitha Mosisili, the leader of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD).

POLITICAL PARTIES

The Basotho National Party (BNP), formerly the Basutoland National Party, was founded in 1959 and was in the forefront of Lesotho's independence drive. The BNP long stood for maintaining diplomatic relations with South Africa and for a cautious approach to cooperation with other African states, in an attitude of "choose our friends but live with our neighbors." However, in the 1970s and early 1980s, the BNP played a more active role in opposing apartheid. By 1998, BNP had become the leading opposition party, as the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) took power.

The Basotho Congress Party (BCP), founded in 1952 and formerly known as the Basutoland African Congress, is an outspoken Pan-Africanist party. The first party to demand independence, it subsequently opposed the "premature" granting of independence to a minority government. The third major party is the Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP). This party was formed in 1965 by the merger of two parties that had supported the chieftaincy.

In the general election held on 29 April 1965, the BNP won 31 seats, the BCP 25 seats, and the MFP 4 seats in the National Assembly. Chief Jonathan was himself defeated in the election, and Sekhonyana Maseribane was appointed prime minister. Chief Jonathan won a by-election on 1 June and assumed the office of prime minister. The two opposition parties, which together had polled 56.2% of the vote to 41.6% for the BNP (with 2.2% of the vote going to others), in an election in which only 62% of those eligible had voted, joined forces to protest Britain's granting of independence to a minority government. They also called for a more even distribution of executive power between the prime minister and the chief of state, and appealed to the UN, the Commonwealth, and the OAU in an unsuccessful bid to have the independence agreement rescinded.

The BCP claimed it had won 33 seats in the 60-seat National Assembly in the January 1970 general elections; the BNP won 23 seats, and the ballots for 4 seats had not been counted. Confusion over the outcome of the 1970 election (in which the United Democratic Party and the Communist Party participated but won no seats) resulted in suspension of the constitution by Prime Minister Jonathan, and political activities of opposition parties were subsequently restricted. Prime Minister Jonathan appointed two members of opposition parties to his cabinet in November 1975. The BCP then split into two factions: members of one accepted government posts, while leaders of the other organized an armed insurgency in exile.

The March 1993 election was contested by more than a dozen parties, but the chief vote getters were the BCP, still headed by Dr. Mokhehle, and the BNP, led by Evaristus Sekhonyana. Among the others are the MFP, the United Democratic Party (UDP), and the Communist Party of Lesotho (CPL). The BCP held all elected seats in the National Assembly, despite having won just over half the vote.

Since 1998, the dominant political party has been the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) under the leadership of Dr. Pakalitha Mosisili. LCD won just over 60% of the votes in the May 1998 parliamentary elections. The major opposition parties included: the Basotho National Party (BNP); the Basotholand Congress Party (BCP) led by Molapo Qhobela (24% of the 1998 vote); the Lesotho Labor Party/United Democratic Party Alliance (LLP/UDP) led by Charles Mofeli and Mamolefi Ranthimo; the Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP); the National Progressive Party (NPP); and the Sefate Democratic Union (SDU).

In the 25 May 2002 parliamentary election, the LCD garnered 54% of the vote, the BNP 21%, the Lesotho People's Congress or LPC 7%, and other parties took 18%. With the number of seats expanded from 80 to 120, the breakdown by party was: LCD 76, BNP 21, LPC 5, and other parties 18. Although opposition parties objected to the results, independent observers described the elections as free, fair, peaceful, lawful, and transparent—a model for Southern Africa. Next elections were due in 2007.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

There are 10 districts, each headed by a centrally appointed district administrator. District councils, established in 1944, were abolished in 1966. Each district is subdivided into wards, most of them presided over by hereditary chiefs allied to the royal family. During the period of military rule, each district was headed by a district secretary and a district military officer appointed by the central government and the defense force, respectively.

JUDICIAL SYSTEM

The legal system is based on English common law and RomanDutch law with judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal. Lesotho has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.

The judicial system consists of the High Court, the Court of Appeal, subordinate courts, and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). The members of the High Court are the chief justice, who is appointed by the chief of state, acting on the advice of the prime minister, and an unspecified number of puisne judges appointed by the chief of state, acting on the advice of the JSC. The Court of Appeal, which meets semiannually, is headed by a president, appointed by the chief of state, acting on the advice of the prime minister, and includes an unspecified number of justices of appeal, appointed by the chief of state, acting on the advice of the JSC. Parliament has the power of establishing subordinate courts and courts-martial. The High Court has unlimited original jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters, as well as appellate jurisdiction from subordinate courts.

Subordinate courts, comprising resident magistrate's courts, judicial commissioner's courts, and central and local courts, administer statute laws, while chiefs administer customary and tribal laws. There is no trial by jury. Military courts have jurisdiction only over military cases and their decisions are final.

ARMED FORCES

As of 2005, Lesotho's armed forces totaled an estimated 2,000 active personnel, all of which were members of the Army. The service also had a 110-member air wing. Equipment included 22 reconnaissance vehicles and 12 artillery pieces. The air wing operated 1 patrol aircraft, 3 transport aircraft, and 4 utility helicopters. The defense budget in 2005 was $32.3 million.

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Lesotho became a member of the United Nations on 17 October 1966 and participates in ECA and several nonregional specialized agencies, such as the FAO, IFC, ULP, IMF, the World Bank, UNESCO, UNHCR, and the WHO. Lesotho is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the ACP Group, the African Development Bank, the African Union, and G-77. The country's close relationship with Southern Africa is a major factor in its economic survival. Lesotho belongs to the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Lesotho is also part of the Common Monetary Area (CMA) that includes Namibia, Swaziland, and South Africa.

The country is part of the Nonaligned Movement. In environmental cooperation, Lesotho is part of the Basel Convention, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Kyoto Protocol, the Montréal Protocol, and the UN Conventions on Climate Change and Desertification.

ECONOMY

Lesotho is an agricultural country, with modest industrial, tourism, and labor-remittance incomes. Its economic policy is closely tied to that of South Africa and the South African Rand is accepted as legal tender. Remittances from miners employed in South Africa plunged by half between 1990 and 1996. As 35% of male wage earners are employed in South Africa, 54% of households in Lesotho are headed by women. There is an illicit but thriving trade in marijuana grown in Lesotho for sale in South Africa. Land is controlled by the Chiefs of the Kingdom and cannot be privately owned. Textile/garment and agro-industrial enterprises dominate the industrial sector and tend to be state-owned, although privatization has increased. Manufacturing and construction businesses, however, are mostly privately owned.

Future economic growth is tied to the massive Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) completed in 1998. The project captures, stores, and transfers the headwaters of the Orange River system to industry clustered around Johannesburg, South Africa. Ancillary dams provide electricity.

Civil unrest in 1998 destroyed 80% of the commercial infrastructure in Maseru and two other towns. GDP was down by 3.6% in 1998, but was up to 3.2% in 2001, 3.8% in 2002, 3.3% in 2003, 3.0% in 2004, and down to 0.8% in 2005. Lesotho has a large trade deficit, and is a recipient of aid from the World Bank and Western countries. In 2001, the IMF approved a $32-million Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility program for Lesotho.

INCOME

The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) reports that in 2005 Lesotho's gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at $6.1 billion. The CIA defines GDP as the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year and computed on the basis of purchasing power parity (PPP) rather than value as measured on the basis of the rate of exchange based on current dollars. The per capita GDP was estimated at $3,300. The annual growth rate of GDP was estimated at 2%. The average inflation rate in 2005 was 4.7%. It was estimated that agriculture accounted for 15.4% of GDP, industry 44.2%, and services 40.4%.

According to the World Bank, in 2003 remittances from citizens working abroad totaled $184 million or about $103 per capita and accounted for approximately 17.1% of GDP. Foreign aid receipts amounted to $79 million or about $44 per capita and accounted for approximately 5.7% of the gross national income (GNI).

The World Bank reports that in 2003 household consumption in Lesotho totaled $1.09 billion or about $606 per capita based on a GDP of $1.1 billion, measured in current dollars rather than PPP. Household consumption includes expenditures of individuals, households, and nongovernmental organizations on goods and services, excluding purchases of dwellings. It was estimated that for the period 1990 to 2003 household consumption grew at an average annual rate of -0.8%. It was estimated that in 1999 about 49% of the population had incomes below the poverty line.

LABOR

The economically active population was estimated at 700,000 in 2002. Approximately 86% of the resident population engages in subsistence farming, and as many as 35% of male wage-earners work in South Africa. In 2002, the unemployment rate was put at 45%.

With the exception of civil servants, workers have the right to unionize, but only about 10% of the workforce are union members. While strikes are technically legal, no legally sanctioned strikes have occurred since independence in 1966. The rights to bargain collectively and organize, while technically legal, are often restricted by the government. There are three small trade union federations: the Lesotho Trade Union Congress, the Lesotho Federation of Democratic Unions, and the Congress of Lesotho Trade Unions; these three organizations seldom cooperate with each other.

While there are restrictions on working hours and practices for children under 14, in practice enforcement of these restrictions is ineffectual. The minimum wage is set by the government and varies from sector to sector. The minimum wage for unskilled labor was $73 per month in 2002. The law requires a maximum 45-hour workweek with 12 days of paid leave and paid holidays. Minimum occupational safety standards exist but are not effectively enforced.

AGRICULTURE

In 2003, 17% of GDP came from agriculture. Crop production in Lesotho is a high-risk, low-yield activity due to poor soil quality and a harsh climate. All land is held in trust for the Basotho nation by the king and may not be alienated. The local chiefs allocate farmland to individuals, and user rights are generally available to married males; nevertheless, one out of seven households is landless. A 1979 act increases security of tenure by recording rights of inheritance and allowing mortgaging and subletting of land. The average landholding per family head is 1.9 hectares (4.7 acres).

Only 11% of Lesotho's land area is arable, but less than 1% has high potential. Most cultivated land is in the western lowlands. The principal food crop is corn. Main agricultural production in 2004 included (in tons) corn, 150,000; sorghum, 46,000; wheat, 51,000; dry beans, 8,000; and vegetables and melons, 18,000. The country suffered from recurrent drought conditions in the 1980s and early 1990s. Lesotho is a large importer of grains and other foodstuffs.

Lesotho has one of the most advanced soil conservation programs in Africa. Terracing, grass stripping, and the construction of dams and irrigation canals are widely employed to cope with the severe erosion problems.

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

The raising of livestock is the principal economic undertaking in Lesotho. Grazing rights on all noncultivated land are communal, and no limits are placed on the number of livestock permitted to graze an area. Lesotho's main exports are wool and mohair; in general, however, the quality of the livestock is poor and yields are low. In 2005 there were an estimated 850,000 sheep, 650,000 goats, 540,000 head of cattle, 154,000 asses, 100,000 horses, 65,000 hogs, and 1,800,000 chickens.

A number of livestock improvement centers have been established, and Merino rams and Angora bucks have been imported from South Africa for breeding purposes. Cattle, sheep, and goats are exported on the hoof. Hides and skins, usually from animals that have died of starvation or disease or have been slaughtered for human consumption, are also exported.

FISHING

Fishing has not yet been popularized, although the Malutsenyane River is one of the best natural trout-fishing grounds in Africa. There is virtually no commercial fishing. In 2003, the total catch was 32 tons, including 16 tons of carp.

FORESTRY

Lesotho is almost devoid of natural woodland. Trees have been planted in conjunction with soil conservation programs. Roundwood production in 2004 was estimated at 2.046 million cu m, all nonconiferous logs for fuel.

MINING

Lesotho has long been known as a source of diamonds, mostly from alluvial deposits, and was seeing a revival of its diamond mining industry. Geological surveys have revealed a limited variety of other exploitable mineral resources. In 2004, diamond production was estimated at 4,000 carats, up from 2,099 carats in 2003. Artisanal miners also produced small amounts of fire clay, gravel, dimension stone, and crushed rock for domestic consumption. Commercial interest in the mineral resources of Lesotho was limited to diamonds. The Lesotho Geological Survey has identified 33 kimberlite pipes and 140 dikes, of which 24 were diamondiferous.

The economy of landlocked Lesotho was based on subsistence agriculture, livestock, and remittances from migrant Basotho miners employed in South African gold mines. However, the number of migrant miners has fallen from an average of 110,000 in 1994, to 61,400 in 2003, and to 58,000 in 2004. The revival of the diamond industry in Lesotho showed hope for some new opportunities for Basotho mineworkers and for replacing related lost government revenues. Exploration for iron, coal, and uranium continued.

ENERGY AND POWER

Lesotho, as of 1 January 2005, had no proven reserves of oil, natural gas, or coal, and totally lacked any petroleum refining capacity. It was therefore, completely reliant upon imports to meet its refined oil, natural gas, and coal needs.

In 2004, imports and demand for petroleum products averaged 2,000 barrels per day, each. In 2003, Lesotho had no recorded imports of natural gas or coal.

Lesotho's electric power is entirely hydroelectric, and is produced by the Muela hydroelectric facility, which came online in 1999. Muela is part of a jointly financed project with South Africa called the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. The project called for two 34-km (21-mi) tunnels to transport water from Lesotho's rivers to South Africa, with the first delivery in 1996 and maximum operation by 2020. Plans involved the construction of seven dams, as well as a hydroelectric plant that could meet almost all of Lesotho's power needs. In 1999, the first phase of this plant, the 80 MW Muela facility, came online. As of 1 January 2003, Lesotho's installed generating capacity totaled 0.076 GW. Output in 2003 totaled 0.35 billion kWh, with consumption for that year at 0.36 billion kWh.

INDUSTRY

Lesotho has a wide variety of light industries, which include, among others, tire retreading, tapestry weaving, diamond processing, and production of textiles, shoes, electric lighting, candles, ceramics, explosives, furniture, and fertilizers. Manufacturing depends largely on agricultural inputs to support milling, canning, leather, and jute industries. In the 1980s, the Lesotho National Development Corporation promoted industrial development in the production of fruits and vegetables, tires, beer and soft drinks, parachutes, steel, and wire. In 1991, Lesotho inaugurated a television assembly plant. As the number of mineworkers has declined steadily over the past several years, a small manufacturing base has developed based on farm products 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.

In the early 2000s, there was growth in the manufacturing sector of the economy. Industry held a strong average annual growth of 10% between 1988 and 1998, and accounted for 38% of GDP in 2001. The major industrial contributor in 2000 was the Highlands Water Project. Lesotho has no known oil or natural gas reserves. Oil exploration took place in the 1970s, but those efforts were unsuccessful and exploration ceased.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

The Ministry of Agriculture, Cooperatives, and Marketing maintains a research station at Maseru, along with several experimental stations in the field. Lesotho's Geological Survey Department is headquartered in Maseru. The National University of Lesotho, founded in 1966 at Roma, has faculties of science and agriculture. Lesotho Agricultural College, founded in 1955, is located in Maseru.

In 1987–97, science and engineering students accounted for 19% of college and university enrollments. In 2002, Lesotho had 42 researchers and 26 technicians per million people that were actively engaged in research and development (R&D).

DOMESTIC TRADE

Except for the northern regions, where Indians monopolized trading activities, domestic trade was handled by Europeans before independence. The Taiwanese also played a role. Nevertheless, more and more Basotho are currently taking out trading licenses. Traders play a central role in wool and mohair marketing, often acting as wool classers as well. The expertise of the traders varies widely. Some have regular suppliers and customers and maintain high quality, while others are prone to careless handling practices, lowering the market value of wool.

As of 2005, nearly 85% of the workforce was employed in some level of subsistence agriculture. About 35% of male wage earners had jobs in South Africa.

Normal business hours in urban areas are from 8 am to 1 pm and from 2 to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, and from 8 am to 1 pm on Saturday. Banks are open from 8:30 am to 1 pm Monday through Friday, and 9:30 to 11 am on Saturday.

FOREIGN TRADE

Lesotho's chief exports are clothing, shoes, and road vehicles. Manufacturing accounted for 65% of exports in 1996. Other exports include wool and mohair, and food and live animals (7% each). The main imports are food, building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, and petroleum products.

Exports grew an average of 18.1% from 1993 through 1996, but declined slightly in 1998. Between 2001 and 2005 exports grew dramatically from $278.6 million to $749.9 million, an increase of 169% within a four-year period. Merchandise imports grew by 16.2% in 1992, but then declined by 6.9% in 1993 and fell 7.4% in 1994. Imports picked up again between 1995 and 1997, but declined in 1998. Between 2001 and 2005 imports increased from $678.6 million to $1.4 billion, an increase of 103%. In 1996, 66% of exports went to the Southern African Customs Union, 26% to

North America, and 4% to the EU. Increasingly, the United States has become a favorite destination for Lesotho's exports. In 2003 Lesotho sent 80.1% of its exports to the United States, while 19.2% went to the countries of the Southern African Customs Union and 0.1% to the European Union (EU). During the same year the Southern African Customs Union provided 86% of Lesotho's imports, Asia, 13.2%, and the EU, 0.1%.

BALANCE OF PAYMENTS

Lesotho's chronic balance-of-payments deficit was partially offset by the flow of cash and material goods from Basotho workers in South Africa, but the end of this system in 1999 caused a higher total debt than usual. Revenues from the highlands water project may offset losses.

The European Intelligence Unit reported that in 2005 the purchasing power parity of Lesotho's exports was $749.9 million while imports totaled $1380 million resulting in a trade deficit of $630.1 million.

BANKING AND SECURITIES

Lesotho is a member of the Common Monetary Area. The 1974 agreement, which was revised in 1986, provided access to the South African capital market for the Lesotho banking system. Lesotho is responsible for its own monetary policy and controls its own financial institutions, but management of the rand currency and the gold and foreign exchange reserves of the rand area remains the sole responsibility of South Africa. In 1980, the Lesotho Monetary Authority (now the Central Bank of Lesotho) began issuing loti as the national currency, but the South African rand remained legal tender and the loti was pegged at par with the rand.

Demand for credit in the private sector was strong during the 1990s in response to growth in the manufacturing, services, and construction sectors. In contrast, claims on central government were reduced as a result of the IMF-supported Structural Adjustment

Program; in fact, the government was a net saver with the domestic banking system in 1992. In the 1990s, interest rates remained positive in real terms and generally slightly higher than in South Africa due to higher margins.

The commercial bank sector is dominated by the government-owned Lesotho Bank and the South African-owned Stambic Bank which acquired Barclays Bank's interest in Lesotho. Lesotho Bank was privatized in 1999. The Lesotho Building Finance Corporation merged with Lesotho Bank in April 1993 to facilitate an increase in the scale of domestic mortgage lending. The Lesotho Agricultural Development Bank (LADB) had served to mobilize rural savings and provide agricultural credit, but it was liquidated in 2000.

The International Monetary Fund reports that in 2001, currency and demand deposits—an aggregate commonly known as M1—were equal to $150.1 million. In that same year, M2—an aggregate equal to M1 plus savings deposits, small time deposits, and money market mutual funds—was $231.5 million. The discount rate, the interest rate at which the central bank lends to financial institutions in the short term, was 13%.

No securities exchange was in operation in Lesotho as of 2003.

INSURANCE

In 1995, there were at least three insurance companies operating in Lesotho. During the 1998 destruction of commercial life, most firms were not covered by insurance, lengthening the rebuilding process.

PUBLIC FINANCE

Proceeds from membership in a common customs union with South Africa form the majority of government revenue. Lesotho receives aid from myriad sources, including the United States, World Bank, United Kingdom, EU, and Germany.

The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) estimated that in 2005 Lesotho's central government took in revenues of approximately

$738.5 million and had expenditures of $792.1 million. Revenues minus expenditures totaled approximately -$53.6 million. Total external debt was $735 million.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported that in 2003, the most recent year for which it had data, central government revenues were m3,617 millionand expenditures were m3,564 million. The value of revenues in US dollars was us$478 million, based on a principal exchange rate for 2003 of us$1 = m7.56475 as reported by the IMF.

TAXATION

In 1960, a review of the tax structure was undertaken with a view toward ending the dual tax system, which made a distinction between Basotho and non-Basotho. It was decided that a basic tax, previously paid only by Basotho, would be paid by all male residents. A graded tax and a scaled income tax, both payable by all persons irrespective of race or sex, were subsequently imposed. The maximum tax rate for individuals is 35%, and corporations are taxed at a flat rate of 35%. Manufacturing companies are subject to a reduced 15% rate. A 25% withholding tax is paid on dividends, interest and royalties. However, manufacturing companies pay a 15% withholding rate on dividends and royalties. Lesotho has a value-added tax (VAT) system with a standard rate of 14%. However, the VAT for liquor is 15%, while electricity and telecommunications are subject to a 5% VAT.

CUSTOMS AND DUTIES

Customs and duties constitute the predominant source of ordinary revenue. Lesotho, together with Swaziland, Botswana, and Namibia, is a member of a customs union with South Africa; consequently, no tariffs exist on most goods moving among them. South Africa levies and collects the bulk of the customs, sales, and excise duties for the five countries, paying a share determined by an established formula of total customs collections to the other four. Imports from outside the customs union, regardless of ultimate destination, are subject to the same tariff rates.

FOREIGN INVESTMENT

The government actively encourages foreign investment, particularly investment in manufacturing plants and agricultural projects. The Lesotho National Development Corp. promotes industrial estates, with such attractions as a 15-year discretionary tax holiday or accelerated depreciation allowances, plus LNDC capital participation of up to 25%.

Annual foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow into Lesotho was $269 million in 1997, but declined steadily for the rest of the decade, amounting to $119 million in 2000. For the period 1997 to 2000, net FDI equaled over one-fifth (21.8%) of its GDP, the highest such ratio in the world. Most FDI is concentrated in textiles, garments, and light manufacture.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The Lesotho government's development objectives are based on a food-security policy approach, built around small-scale irrigated agriculture projects and improved rural water supplies. Donors supported the fourth five-year plan (1988–91) with pledges of $390 million. Lesotho receives development assistance from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, South Africa, Canada,Taiwan, the European Union, the World Bank, and various United Nations agencies.

In 2001, Lesotho negotiated a three-year $35 million Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) Arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Unemployment, poverty, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic are challenges facing further economic development. The sale of the state telecommunications company in 2001 stood as evidence of Lesotho's continuing privatization program. The government in 2003 was committed to public sector reform and market-friendly policies, as illustrated by its support for the Lesotho Public Sector Improvement and Reform Project.

A review of Lesotho's economic performance in 2005 by the IMF welcomed the marked improvement seen across a range of macroeconomic indicators in recent years, noting in particular the lower fiscal deficits and improved balance-of-payments position. It also welcomed the government's commitment to increasing institutional capacity in order to better implement and monitor public spending programs, which will now be formulated in the context of a poverty reduction strategy. However, the IMF indicated that there was room for improvements in the economic policies in order for Lesotho to enhance labor skills, clear bottlenecks in infrastructure and public-sector delivery, and remove legal and administrative impediments to investment.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

In the past, many social welfare programs were organized on the local level or by missions. But the need for concerted action to alleviate hardships brought about by the severe droughts led to the creation in 1965 of a Social Welfare Department under the Ministry of Health (later the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare). Community development teams stimulate local initiative by conducting courses and forming voluntary community development committees. The Homemakers' Association, an organization long active in social welfare, has given family-management courses in remote areas under a grant from the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief (Oxfam).

The roles of women are limited by law and by tradition. Married women are considered legal minors under customary law. They are unable to sign any contract and have no legal standing in a court of law. Domestic violence is also a widespread problem although it is considered unacceptable behavior. The government has pledged to improve the rights of women. Limited resources limit the ability of government to implement child welfare programs.

Some human rights violations were reported, including excessive use of force by police, long pretrial delays, and poor prison conditions. Crime is a serious problem in Lesotho.

HEALTH

Lesotho's major health problems, such as pellagra and kwashiorkor, stem from poor nutrition and inadequate hygiene. It was estimated that 44% of children under five years of age were considered malnourished. Famines have resulted from periodic droughts. Approximately 91% of the population had access to safe drinking water and 92% had adequate sanitation.

Tuberculosis and venereal diseases are also serious problems. Children up to one year old were vaccinated at the following rates: tuberculosis, 55%; diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus, 58%; polio, 66%; and measles, 82%. Rates for DPT and measles were, respectively, 85% and 77%. About 43% of children suffered from goiter.

The government of Lesotho is working to rehabilitate two hospitals and is making an overall effort to strengthen health care services. In 2004, there were 5 physicians, 1 pharmacist, and 60 nurses per 100,000 people. Approximately 80% of the population had access to health care services.

As of 2002, the crude birth rate and overall mortality rate were estimated at, respectively, 30.7 and 16.8 per 1,000 people. The infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births was 88.75 in 2005. The total fertility rate has steadily declined to 4.4 children per woman. Of married women aged 15–49, contraceptives were used by 23%. Estimated life expectancy in 2006 was 34.47 years, the third shortest in the world.

The AIDS crisis in Lesotho is severe. The HIV/AIDS prevalence was 28.90 per 100 adults in 2003, the third highest in the world. As of 2004, there were approximately 320,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in the country. There were an estimated 29,000 deaths from AIDS in 2003.

HOUSING

The Lesotho Housing and Land Development Corp. builds new housing for sale and rent, and a government-supported development program is building low-cost housing. The government has also begun to encourage private investment and ownership of housing through privatization of banking and legal reforms, the latter of which include the Law Reform Commission and the Land Policy Review Commission, which have been working on legislation to allow women equal rights in access to credit and land ownership.

EDUCATION

A by-product of the long history of missionary activity in Lesotho was the relatively comprehensive development of education. Education is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 13. Primary school covers 7 years of study, followed by 3 years of junior secondary school, and 2 years of high school. Students may choose to attend craft schools after primary school instead of junior high. Those who complete junior high may opt for a two-year trade school instead of senior high. The languages of instruction are Sesotho and English. From the fifth year of primary school onwards, all instruction is conducted in English. The academic year runs from August to May.

In 2001, about 21% of children between the ages of three and five were enrolled in some type of preschool program. Primary school enrollment in 2003 was estimated at about 86% of age-eligible students. The same year, secondary school enrollment was about 22% of age-eligible students; 18% for boys and 27% for girls. It is estimated that about 67% of all students complete their primary education. The student-to-teacher ratio for primary school was at about 47:1 in 2003.

The University of Lesotho, Botswana, and Swaziland (formerly known as Pius XII College), founded in 1964 at Roma, was unilaterally dissolved in October 1975 by Prime Minister Leabua Jonathan, who then renamed it the National University of Lesotho. Lesotho Agricultural College, at Maseru, was founded in 1955. In 2003, about 3% of the tertiary age population were enrolled in some type of higher education program. The adult literacy rate for 2004 was estimated at about 81.4%, with 73.7% for men and 90.3% for women.

As of 2003, public expenditure on education was estimated at 8.9% of GDP, or 18.5% of total government expenditures.

LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS

The Government Archive in Maseru has records dating from 1869. The Lesotho National Library, also in the capital, holds 88,000 volumes. The Thomas Mofolo Library at the National University of Lesotho is the largest library in the country with more than 170,000 books. The British Council maintains a library in Maseru, with 6,270 volumes and there is a library of 10,000 volumes at the Lesotho Agricultural College. The National Teachers Training College in Maseru also has a notable library. The Lesotho National Library Service, founded in 1976, sponsors three public library branches: Leribe, Mafeteng, and Mokhotlong. The Lesotho Library Association was founded in 1978. The Lesotho National Museum, at Maseru, has collections on archaeology, ethnography, and geology. The Morija Museum has collections in the same fields.

MEDIA

The government operates postal and telephone services; the exchange at Maseru has been automatic since 1963. An earth-satellite station was opened in 1986. In 2003, there were an estimated 13 mainline telephones for every 1,000 people; about 21,000 people were on a waiting list for telephone service installation. The same year, there were approximately 42 mobile phones in use for every 1,000 people.

Government-owned Radio Lesotho broadcasts in English and Sesotho; it is the only station with a national range. There were seven privately owned radio stations in the country in 2005. The government-owned Lesotho Television is the only television station in the country. In 2003, there were an estimated 61 radios and 35 television sets for every 1,000 people. The same year, 10 of every 1,000 people had access to the Internet.

Mphatlalatsane is a daily Sesotho newspaper published in Maseru, with a 2002 circulation of 4,000. The Moeletsi oa Basotho is a weekly published by the Roman Catholic Church with a circulation of 20,000. The Lesotho Evangelical Church also publishes a newspaper, Leselinyana le Lesotho (The Light of Lesotho ), which comes out every other week with a circulation of 15,000. Other newspapers, with their 2002 circulations, include Lentsoe la Basotho (14,000) and Lesotho Today (7,000), both weeklies published by the Department of Information; Mohlanka (6,000); Moafrika (3,500); Makatolle (2,000); and the English weekly, The Mirror (4,000).

The Constitution provides freedom of speech and the press, and the government is said to respect these rights in practice.

ORGANIZATIONS

Cooperative unions that are partly government-financed and government-sponsored, consumer cooperatives, artisan cooperatives, and the Progressive Farmers play an important part in economic and social development. There are also more than 100 active agricultural marketing and credit societies.

National youth organizations include the Association of Youth Cultural Clubs, Lesotho Scouts Association, Lesotho Work Camps Association, YMCA/YWCA, Lesotho Youth Federation, and the Student Representative Council of Lesotho. There are several sports organizations and clubs throughout the country, including branches of the Special Olympics. The Lesotho National Council of Women offers programs and activities to support and promote the development of women.

Volunteer service organizations, such as the Lions Clubs International, are present. The Red Cross, Caritas, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and Habitat for Humanity are active in the country.

TOURISM, TRAVEL, AND RECREATION

The Lesotho National Tourist Board promotes tourism, which is increasing but still underdeveloped.

Permanent tourist camps are established in remote scenic areas for pony-trekking parties. The first such camp, consisting of bath and kitchen-equipped grass huts, was built at Marakabeis, near the end of the Mountain Road. Although lacking in game, Lesotho has spectacular natural attractions in its mountains and in Malutsenyane Falls, as well as excellent trout-fishing grounds. The rock paintings near Teyateyaneng are also a potentially important tourist site. The country's first national park, Sehlabathebe Mountain National Park, was established in 1970 in the Qacha's Nek District. There is a gambling casino in Maseru, along with mountain resorts and lodges.

Visas are not required for stays of up to 30 days, but a valid passport, proof of sufficient funds, and onward/return ticket are necessary. Vaccination against yellow fever is highly recommended and sometimes required. In 2003, there were 360,955 foreign visitors who arrived in Lesotho. Of the visitors, 230,946 came from South Africa.

In 2005, the US Department of State estimated the daily expenses for travel in Maseru at $181; in other areas, $84.

FAMOUS BASOTHO

Moshoeshoe (or Moshesh, 1786–1870), a chief of the Bakoena tribe in what was then northern Basutoland, is acclaimed as the founder of the Basotho nation. Moshoeshoe II (1938–96) served as king of Lesotho from October 1966 until January 1996, when he was killed in an automobile accident. Crown Prince Letsie David Mohato (b.1963), who had served as king during his father's 1989–94 exile, returned to the throne in February 1996 as King Letsie III. Chief Leabua Jonathan (1914–87), prime minister of Lesotho from its inception until 1986, was a leader in the drive for independence.

DEPENDENCIES

Lesotho has no territories or colonies.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

D and B's Export Guide to Lesotho. Parsippany, N.J.: Dun and Bradstreet, 1999.

Eldredge, Elizabeth A. A South African Kingdom: The Pursuit of Security in Nineteenth-century Lesotho. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1993.

Lundahl, Mats. In the Shadow of South Africa: Lesotho's Economic Future. Burlington, Vermont: Ashgate, 2003.

Machobane, L. B. B. J. Government and Change in Lesotho, 1800–1966: A Study of Political Institutions. New York: St. Martin's, 1990.

McElrath, Karen (ed.). HIV and AIDS: A Global View. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2002.

Murray, Jon. South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. London, Eng.: Lonely Planet Publications, 2000.

Rosenberg, Scott, Richard F. Weisenfelder, and Michelle FrisbieFulton. Historical Dictionary of Lesotho. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow, 2003.

Zeilig, Leo and David Seddon. A Political and Economic Dictionary of Africa. Philadelphia: Routledge/Taylor and Francis, 2005.

Lesotho

History & Background

The Kingdom of Lesotho, a land of sunny skies and pleasant climate, was formerly known as Basutoland. A tiny mountain country, Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa, and Lesotho's history is closely related to that of its powerful neighbor. When wars swept southern Africa during the late 1700s and early 1800s and wiped out large numbers of the population, remnants of the various nations fled into the highlands of what is now Lesotho. Moshoeshoe (pronounced Mo-shwe-shwe) the Great gave them protection. Building a stronghold called Thaba Bosiu (Mountain of Night) about fifteen miles from the capital city of Maseru, in 1824 Moshoeshoe united his approximately 21,000 followers into the Basotho nation. Known for his wisdom and statesmanship, Moshoeshoe is the subject of many works in African literature. The spirit of Moshoeshoe lives on in the pride of the citizens of Lesotho in their independence, their traditional crafts, and in their families.

In the mid-nineteenth century, from 1856 to 1868, the British and the Boer settlers tried unsuccessfully to defeat the Basotho. When in 1868 Moshoeshoe asked Britain for protection, Basutoland became a British Protectorate. After Moshoeshoe died in 1870, the territory was placed under the rule of the British Cape Colony, which tried to disarm the Basotho but was repulsed. In 1884 Basutoland was reestablished as a British protectorate governed by a British colonial administrator. Whites were forbidden to acquire land, and Britain ensured that Basutoland would not be absorbed by neighboring white-ruled colonies. In 1966 the protectorate of Basutoland became the independent Kingdom of Lesotho. During the 1980s political instability in South Africa, where 250,000 Lesotho nationals worked in mines, and South African control of the Highland Water Project, exacerbated Lesotho's own internal conflicts. A bloodless military coup in 1986 led to several years of changing government structures and political instability. In 1998 South Africa and Botswana intervened in an outbreak of civil violence that devastated the capital city Maseru.

In 2001 King Letsie III ruled as the head of a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. There being little land suitable for agriculture, the people of Lesotho are primarily herders who live in small family units far from their neighbors. The people speak Sesotho (also known as southern Sotho), a Bantu language they share with many of the Bantu inhabitants of South Africa from whom they were separated by the boundaries imposed on Africa by the European colonial powers. English is the second official language.

Historical Evolution: French missionaries of the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society first brought Western formal education to Lesotho during the 1830s. The schools were few in number and low in enrollment. Schools concentrated on teaching reading and writing at a very elementary level and teaching simple vocational skills for boys and housecrafts for girls. In the second half of the nineteenth century, Roman Catholic missionaries settled in Lesotho and also opened schools. During the 1930's Roman Catholicism expanded, and by the middle of the 1980s, the Roman Catholic Church and the Lesotho Evangelical Church, the successor of the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society, each enrolled 40 percent of the country's primary school student population. The focus in the early days was on religious purposes and economic necessity. Secondary schools only came into being in 1948 when the first four were built, of which only one had senior classes. Examinations for junior and senior secondary schools were set in South Africa until 1961 when the senior schools switched from the South African Matriculation exam to the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate (COSC).

Thus, for more than a century education was almost exclusively the domain of the missionaries. Even though Lesotho was a Protectorate, the British had no real interest in the education of the Basotho, and until after Independence in 1966, the missionaries were responsible for most aspects of education—school organization, curriculum provision, payment of teachers' salaries, teacher professional support, and provision of facilities. Much of the time church halls were used as classrooms, and often teaching and learning were conducted in the open air. Lesotho's harsh winters were not conducive to effective learning.

Originally teacher training was done in colleges governed by the missions. In 1947 there were four colleges, and this was increased to seven by 1959. In 1975 the National Teacher Training College replaced the various small Teacher Training Colleges operated mainly by churches. Missions were equally concerned with vocational training, and "industrial schools" were founded to teach both boys and girls relevant skills. The Lerotholi Technical Institute was founded after the people of Lesotho, on the initiative of Paramount Chief Lerotholi, contributed money toward the building costs. During the 1970s the Lerotholi Polytechnic was expanded, and vocational subjects were introduced in a number of high schools.

Whenever possible citizens of the then Basutoland would go to neighboring South Africa, a fellow British Commonwealth country, to obtain an education. However, when South Africa introduced the Bantu Education Act, its first educational legislation bringing into effect the segregationist values espoused by apartheid, the landlocked mountainous nation had no option but to develop its own educational programs, and today its education system reflects little of South Africa's system. The Lesotho educational system has, in several respects, developed in opposition to that evolving in South Africa. Lesotho's geo-political situation has encouraged a certain amount of external financial aid, a great deal of which has been for educational development. Consequently, multinational characteristics are apparent in some of the developing educational structures.

Yet, despite the outside help, and even though the government of this country has been involved in education since the 1920s, sharing responsibility for its provision with the churches, much of the formal education system is still run by missions and is largely administered by the three largest churches—the Roman Catholic Church, the Lesotho Evangelical Church, and the Anglican Church of Lesotho—under the direction of the Ministry of Education. Until the mid-1970s Lesotho shared a common examinations board and a common university with the other two former British Protectorates in the region, Swaziland and Botswana.

Lesotho, with one of the highest literacy rates in Africa of 72 percent for males and 93 percent for females, has a traditionally British-style formal education system that still is Euro-centric rather than Afro-centric. The Cambridge Overseas School Certificate (COSC), set in England, is the final external exam that students take at the end of Form E, the fifth year of high school. The criteria for education and examinations, as well as the higher education that follows the school leaving exam, are thus still to a large extent set in England and not in Maseru. English is both the medium of instruction and a subject taught. It is compulsory to obtain a pass in English if one wishes to pass the COSC. Other areas of the curriculum such as history, geography, biology show evidence of similar concerns. None of the textbooks are written for the African situation. Most references are to flora and fauna, or geographical places that occur only in Europe and the United States. Historical events are never portrayed from an African perspective. Abstract concepts provide few opportunities for practical, hands on learning experiences. Attempts to complement materials received from England and from the United States have been undertaken.

At Independence in 1966 the United Nations and donor agencies helped identify the educational programs they felt most needed to be supported and supplied "experts," mostly of foreign origin, and funds. The focus was on curriculum development, and national programs became attached to international activities. When the efforts of the United Nations and other donor agencies slowed, the World Bank became one of Lesotho's chief educational advisers. While the Bank stressed "selfreliance," it also focused on the perceived need of its financial backers and of transnational corporations to make the largest possible profit. Consequently, there was what many have described as a new kind of economic colonialism. The focus in education was less on what the people in the country needed to help their children mature to their true potential and more on the need to educate and train workers who would supply the international markets with goods and services. Because of the inherited structures of authority that place complete trust in the wisdom of the King, and as parents were often illiterate and unable to fulfil their role of letting the King know their wishes and anxieties, educational structures foreign to the needs and the character of the people of Lesotho have once again been imposed on them. The criteria set for them by others cannot be met. The resultant descent into international debt and the consequent destruction of the education system, which has become less important than the servicing of the international debt, will continue to put education far beyond the reach of many.

Political, Social, & Cultural Bases: As has been the case in other African countries, Lesotho's choice of English as a national language and as the medium of instruction, in a country where Sesotho is the mother tongue for the majority of the people, has created a dilemma for educators and students alike. Officially the medium of instruction in Lesotho's schools is Sesotho until about the fourth grade when the medium of instruction becomes English. In reality, however, a mixture of languages is often used until secondary schools, and even then students have very little opportunity to use English. The National University of Lesotho has special programs to improve the communication skills of new entrants. These programs do not, however, come to grips with the under-lying issues faced by students and educators in the Kingdom of Lesotho.

It is an extremely exacting requirement for students whose first language is Sesotho to speak English as fluently as those who speak it as a first language, to study all subjects in a language totally foreign in style, cultural base and concept to their own, and to have to compete with others in their mother tongue. Furthermore, in a newly independent nation, being able to decide on the national language rather than having one imposed on the country, is a moment of great national and cultural pride. Not being able to use that language as the medium of instruction throughout the education system creates the implicit suggestion that country's own language is inadequate and therefore inferior. And this is definitely not a desirable attitude to have in a nation that is going through the process of decolonization.

Since one-half the world's scientific knowledge is available in English and those who have attained the necessary English language skills have access to the international world of science, technology, commerce, and politics as well as the Internet, it would seem that a Euro-centric bias in education would allow greater access to international education and research. It can, however, also be seen as one of the reasons for the high failure and drop out rate, especially in those cases where students are not adequately prepared to live between two cultures in a way their parents were never expected to.

The dichotomy that the children of Lesotho live in becomes apparent when one remembers that, even in modern times, traditional African society is centered around the extended family homestead, the principal social unit. Education of the young is the responsibility of the entire community that tries to instill values of respect and obedience. Each member of the community shares responsibility for the whole community. Thus, asking a young boy to be a herd boy and take responsibility for the community's cattle and sheep is not considered child labor, but merely the chore assigned to this member of the community. The whole community transmits the cultural knowledge, ways, and traditions that are related to children's surroundings, to prepare them not only for adulthood and for employment, but for every stage of life, from birth to what is called being "almost an ancestor."

By contrast, Western formal education, an import often in direct contrast to traditional African education, strives for change. It relies less on the lived values and knowledge of the community than on curriculum and an abstract examination system set by faceless entities. In Lesotho's case the latter are totally uninvolved people who reside somewhere in Britain, setting the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate with British children in mind who have grown up far from the arid mountain regions of Lesotho. The students of Lesotho negotiate this cultural rift every day, yet little attention has been paid to helping them deal with what can often be an almost schizophrenic experience between two realities. Despite the disruptive nature of Western style formal education, parents generally wish their children to have access to a Western style education, especially because it will give access to formal sector employment. Yet, they also wish them to be grounded in the traditional practices of the Lesotho culture. At present the students in Lesotho's education system have few role models who can accompany them on this path.

The process of acculturation and of learning to live between cultures is made even more difficult for the children of Lesotho when fathers are part of the migrant labor force and spend long periods in the gold mines of South Africa and the mothers have to take on more responsibility than usual. The continuous absence of large numbers of the male population is destructive to cultural structures in general. The extended family system has traditionally provided a great deal of security for all its members. Yet with so many of its members gone, there is a new tension that has lasting effects on the academic progress of Lesotho's children. Consequently, the place of the children in the society often becomes ambiguous, and they exhibit negative attitudes toward formal learning. The absence of fathers could be part of the problem behind both the high drop out rate in Lesotho's schools and the relatively small number of students who go beyond primary school.

Approximately 25 percent of children do not attend school, particularly in rural areas where families involved in subsistence activities need the help of their children to survive. In many cases families cannot afford the costs associated with school attendance. Uniforms, books, and other educational materials are beyond the means of many families where family stress, poverty, the spread of HIV/AIDS, and divorce have led to a rise in child homelessness and abandonment, creating growing numbers of street children. Boys are more affected by nonattendance than girls. Even though in traditional rural Basotho society, livestock herding by young boys is a rite of passage and a prerequisite to manhood in the community, the absence of fathers makes this a heavy burden when boys must often tend flocks all day for months at a time. The legal working age is twelve.

Some of the main challenges facing Lesotho's educators are the lack of financial resources needed to meet the growing demand for well educated local teachers, the need for literacy and for vocational and technical training outside the formal academic setting. Attempts are being made to introduce more practical subjects and so to make education relevant. However, one of the spillovers of British education is that these subjects are still regarded as second rate, inferior to a purely academic education that leads to a position of status in the community as well as to white collar jobs.

In 1998, the government announced plans to eliminate school fees to help more children gain access to education. Yet, although the government has devoted substantial resources to primary and secondary education, and education takes up approximately 25 percent of the country's budget, children's rights and welfare have not been adequately addressed.

Education is not compulsory even at primary levels as the government lacks the resources to finance it fully. This situation is due partially to the increasing international debt, and Lesotho's increasing structural dependence on the rest of the world, South Africa in particular. The country is increasingly reliant upon remittances from migrant workers. Additionally, the interests rates imposed on foreign loans made by the international banks and the restructuring demands made by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, affects the country's ability to provide essential health and education services.

Constitutional & Legal Foundations

After Independence, education in Lesotho did not attain the hoped for results. By 1977 the drop out rate continued to be high, the quality of education deteriorated, and student and teacher motivation declined. Instead of appointing another Commission of Inquiry that would function in the usual top-down bureaucratic manner, the government organized a Pitso, a nationwide dialogue on education. Using the traditional channels of authority and communication, this dialogue started in the Chief's Courts in the various villages and culminated in a national Education Dialogue in Maseru. This commission directly involved the people at the grassroots level making those most affected by education participants rather than a target group for a "learned commission." Recommendations were made that influenced a number of developments in education. Following these recommendations the Lesotho Government decided on an Education Sector Survey Task Force that made recommendations on all aspects of the education process. It remains difficult to provide education for all, to respond to the needs of the people, yet still meet the developmental needs of Lesotho and the increasing demands of a profit oriented capitalist world intent on globalization. However, despite all these obstacles, some of the results are to be seen in significant developments that took place shortly after the Maseru Education Dialogue.

An efficient nonformal Distance Teaching Center and a Curriculum Development Center have been set up. A book supply unit has been set up, and a program to build classrooms was launched. Two associations dealing with formal and nonformal education were formed: the Lesotho Educational Research Association (for formal education) and the Lesotho Association (for nonformal education).

Educational System—Overview

Lesotho's school system consists of twelve school years. The seven years of primary, or junior school (Grades 1-7), culminate in the Primary School Leaving Certificate. The three years of junior secondary school (high school—Forms A, B, C) culminate in the Junior Certificate (JC). The two years of higher secondary school (high school—Forms D—E) lead to the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate (COSC) at the Ordinary Level (O levels).

There are very high dropout rates throughout primary and secondary school. In 1990, 22.6 percent of students enrolled in primary education were repeaters. The government has insufficient resources to provide enough secondary schools and to provide alternate education or training for those who do not complete primary or secondary school. Poverty and traditional constraints play a major role here.

Preprimary & Primary Education

General Survey: There are very few preprimary or nursery schools in Lesotho and only one in Maseru. Near-ly all preprimary schools are privately operated. Consequently, only a very small percentage of children are enrolled.

While the Ministry of Education has authority over syllabuses and examinations, and the government aids individual schools, often by subsidizing the salaries of some of the teachers, most primary schools are operated by the missions of the three main religious churches. Influenced by the British colonial system, primary education, for which a tuition fee is charged and which is not compulsory, consists of seven levels called standards. Until the end of 1966, there was an eight-year primary system, beginning with Grades A and B and continuing through Standards 1-6. The seven-year primary school system was introduced in 1967. In 1980 only 12 percent of those who entered Standard 1 completed Standard 7. In 1990 only 14 percent of children who entered primary school proceeded to secondary education.

At the age of six or seven, children attend comprehensive, academically oriented schools and study a core of general education subjects. Sesotho is the medium of instruction in the early grades, and English is taught as a school subject. The transfer to English is made as soon as possible, during the third or fourth year of schooling, and definitely by the time students reach high school. Sesotho is then taught as a school subject. Other subjects taught are mathematics, science, and social science. Gardening, handiwork, needlework, physical training, art, music, handwriting, and religious knowledge are also offered.

Often there are much older children and even some adults in the elementary school classrooms. However, this circumstance is not as common as it used to be when Western style formal education was first introduced, and it is not generally regarded as a problem either by the students or the teachers.

At the completion of the seventh year of junior school, an exam prepared by the Department of Education is administered. The result of this exam is the most important criterion for admission into secondary education, or high school. However, because of the shortage of secondary school places, passing the Lesotho Primary School Leaving Certificate, does not guarantee admission into a high school. Only about one in seven or eight of the more than 113,000 students enrolled in primary school can go on to secondary school.

Urban & Rural Schools: Primary school teaching varies in the different areas and is largely dependent on the qualification and level of sophistication of the teachers. The latter will vary in the rural and in the urban areas. The acute shortage of teachers has of necessity led to the use of unqualified teachers.

Secondary Education

General Survey: More than 60 secondary schools in Lesotho provide an education for approximately 20,000 students. Once students have completed their primary education and parents can afford tuition and board, students begin secondary education, or high school. Entrance into a secondary school depends on whether students have passed the Primary School Leaving Certificate Exam and whether seats are available in a secondary school. Secondary education is neither free nor compulsory, fees are charged for tuition and books, and all secondary schools are comprehensive, geared towards the goal of obtaining entrance to a university. More recently more practical education in the form of optional vocational courses are being offered. Most schools provide study periods within the school day for preparation of homework. Extracurricular activities such as sports and clubs occur after the school day. Many schools provide boarding facilities for students.

Curriculum—Examinations, Diplomas: Forms A through C, the first three years of junior secondary school, lead to the Junior Certificate (JC), administered originally by the Examinations Council of Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland, but more recently by the Lesotho Ministry of Education. Forms D and E, the last two years of High School, prepare students for the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate (COSC) Examinations at the Ordinary (O) level. Only three schools in the three countries, and none in Lesotho, offer classes that lead to the Advanced (A) level examinations. As the JC is the most common entry-level qualification for employment, there has been greater emphasis on the curriculum for Forms A through C. Consequently, the syllabus leading up to the O level exam has often been unrelated to the syllabus of the previous years, causing students to have to cram the entire syllabus into their last two years of study. Efforts have been made for greater coordination between the two levels.

The curriculum leading to the JC exam is based on seven subjects a year, with forty 40-minute periods each week. The core subjects are English—nine periods a week; integrated science—eight periods a week; mathematics—seven periods a week; Sesotho—four periods a week. Four periods a week are devoted to development studies, geography, or history. And four periods are devoted to a practical subject such as agricultural studies, typing or bookkeeping, domestic science, or woodwork.

In order to comply with the requirements of the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate Examinations (COSC), the Lesotho Ministry of Education recommends that students choose the arts curriculum that consists of seven subjects requiring forty periods per week and requiring the following subjects: the core curriculum—English language, five periods per week; English literature, four periods per week; mathematics, seven periods per week; biology, seven periods per week; Sesotho or French, five hours per week; development studies, geography, or history, four or five hours per week of two subjects from the group; one practical subject, five hours per week.

Should students wish to follow the Cambridge Science Curriculum, the core curriculum consists of five periods per week of English language, seven periods per week of mathematics, five or six periods per week of biology, and eight hours per week of physical science.

Promotion at the end of each year is based on final exams and on overall evaluation of the students' work during the year. The principal, the teachers, and the community set the grading standards. Often grading standards vary due to the fluctuating availability of teachers and because some courses are often not taught in the more remote parts of the country. Consequently, the examination results do not always reflect the students' aptitude for further education.

Increasingly there has been diversification at the secondary school level. At the JC level technical and commercial subjects are available. And in Forms D and E, agricultural and higher primary teacher training is offered. More than 50 percent of students in Lesotho leave school after Form C. The high dropout rate is largely due to the fact that tuition, books, and boarding are too expensive for students from that part of the world.

Teachers: Secondary school teachers are, theoretically, trained at the postsecondary level. In practice, however, there is a severe shortage of qualified secondary school teachers and those who are qualified will often elect not to teach in remote areas or in areas where there is no electricity or running water. Courses offered depend on the ability of any area to attract qualified teachers. As a result of the teacher shortage, there is a heavy reliance on expatriate teachers, in some areas as high as twothirds, supplied amongst others by the United States or through the Peace Corps. This state of affairs provides neither continuity nor cultural understanding of the pupils in the educational system.

Higher Education

In the first half of the twentieth century, Basotho students could study at Fort Hare College (the University of Fort Hare) in the Cape Province in South Africa. The colonial government paid the college three hundred pounds per year for this service and was represented at its board of governors. In 1958 this agreement was terminated by South Africa.

The National University of Lesotho situated in Roma, about 34 kilometers. from Maseru, the University of Botswana, and the University of Swaziland are offshoots of a common university. The Universities had their origin in the Pius XII College, a Catholic University College that was founded by the Roman Catholic Hierarchy of Southern Africa on April 8, 1945 on a temporary site at Roma. The objective of the College was to provide African Catholic students with a post-matriculation (high school exit exam) and religious education. In 1946 the College moved to its permanent site, and by 1959 the student population had increased to 171 students from the original five. By 1963 the number of students had grown to 180 and necessary facilities had been added.

From 1954 to 1964, Pius XII College was an "Associate College" of the University of South Africa in Pretoria, a distance education institution that examined the students and offered degrees in Arts, Science, Commerce, and Education. In the early 1960s, as apartheid legislation in South Africa became more restrictive, problems arose with regard to student residence requirements. Consequently an independent, non-denominational university was established by Royal Charter through the High Commission for Basutoland, Bechuanaland, and Swaziland. On January 1, 1964, under a Charter granted by Queen Elizabeth II of England, the Pius XII College became an integral part of the independent, nondenominational University of Basutoland, Bechuanaland Protectorate, and Swaziland. The University was funded equally by the governments of all three countries, but the main campus was in Lesotho, and there was no university presence in the other two countries, with the exception of the beginnings of the Faculty of Agriculture in Luyengo, Swaziland. After independence in 1966, campuses were established in Gaborone, Botswana, and in Kwaluseni, Swaziland. In 1966, after independence was granted to the present day Botswana and Lesotho, the name was changed to the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland, which offered its first degrees in 1967 in four-year programs in Science and Education, and a Law degree which included two years of study at the University of Edinburgh.

On October 20, 1975, the Roma campus in Lesotho withdrew to become the National University of Lesotho. In 2001, the student population was around two thousand, of which about twenty were postgraduate (master's degree or higher) students. Degrees are offered in the faculties of Agriculture, Humanities, Law, Science, Social Science, and Education. Advanced degrees are offered in the faculties of Education, Humanities, and Social Sciences. The University also houses the Institute of Extra Mural Studies, the Institute of Southern African Studies, and the Institute of Education.

Admission requirements to degree courses are the COSC with a credit in English language and in mathematics if the student wishes to follow the B.Sc. Program or the Matriculation Certificate of the Republic of South Africa, provided credit has been gained for English at the Higher Grade Level. Bachelor's degree programs are generally four years in duration with the academic year broken into two semesters of fifteen weeks each. A final exam is administered at the end of each year. In the grading system, the grade of A, a First Class degree, is rarely given. Grades of B and C are considered very strong grades and to receive a D is to receive a respectable grade. In order to receive a degree, an overall D average must be obtained.

In line with the British influence, master's degree programs are normally research oriented, though some course work may be required. Master's degrees are offered in the Arts, Science, and in Education. Ph.D. programs are research oriented. The professors at the National University of Lesotho are well qualified. Many are expatriates, which gives the university an international character.

At the National University of Lesotho, the building housing the Thomas Mofolo Library, named after the Mosotho author Thomas Mofolo, was built with funds provided by the World Council of Churches and the World University Services. It was officially opened on April 1, 1966. The library has more than 125,000 volumes of books and bound periodicals, and its Information System is currently being automated. The library is to join the Southern African Bibliographic Network based in South Africa and to use its facilities to catalogue library materials and inter-library lending and is preparing records for input into the Pan African Development information System based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The library houses the BOLESWA collection, the materials concerning the Universities of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland, and is a depository of United Nations materials in Lesotho.

The National University of Lesotho has offered part-time courses since 1960 when it instituted in-service courses for teachers as well as the Postgraduate Certificate in Education and the Bachelor of Education (also a postgraduate degree). During the 1994-1995 academic year it was decided to use distance education methods to reach students from all over the country. The Institute of Extra-Mural Studies is headquartered in Maseru and has regional centers, which can be used as resource centers for part-time learners in the south, the north, and in the mountains. Courses are offered through the medium of printed correspondence texts, audio, and video materials, tutorial support, monthly two-day weekend meetings, four week residential courses, and, where possible, through video cassettes and radio broadcasts.

Nonformal Education

Vocational Education: Two types of technical and vocational education are available: (1) pre-service vocational education in fields that include agriculture, commerce, or nursing, obtained in a school setting within a formalized system of education; (2) in-service, out-of-school education where apprenticeship is the primary element of the program. Most of these programs, though supported by the government, have been established with foreign technical and financial assistance and are influenced by foreign educational systems.

The Lerotholi Technical Institute (LTI) in Maseru offers training in basic engineering, bricklaying, carpentry, electronics, electrical installation, and plumbing. The Commercial Training Institute, attached to L.T.I, offers secretarial subjects and a technical training school trains supervisors for the road department. The admission requirement to the Institute is the JC, and the programs are two or three years in duration.

Full-time, residential agricultural colleges offer courses in agriculture and domestic sciences to students with a JC and a two-year Diploma in Agriculture to those with the COSC with passes in at least math, science, and English. The Ministry of Agriculture, rather than the Ministry of Education, is responsible for these colleges.

Formal & Nonformal Distance Education: It is not always easy to distinguish between formal and nonformal education. Because of economic constraints and the physical terrain of the country, school provision is often inadequate and large numbers of the population obtain higher education through distance education. Prior to 1974 correspondence education had been provided from institutions operating from South Africa to the few who could afford the services. In 1974 the Lesotho Distance Teaching Centre (LDTC) was established by the International Extension College (IEC) at the request of the Lesotho Government's Ministry of Education so as to democratize the education system. The services offered by the Centre span the formal and nonformal sectors of the country's educational system and reflect the Lesotho government's vision of the role of education in the development process. As the level of literacy was low, especially among the large proportion of the population living in the mountainous rural areas, LDTC provides basic practical skills to these people. It further offers opportunities for out of school youth and adults to develop their literacy and numeracy skills and attempts to expand distance education by including correspondence courses at Junior Certificate and Cambridge Overseas School Certificate levels. The LDTC acts as a service agency for other organizations involved in formal and nonformal education. Thus it provides support and materials, mainly in the form of visual aids, pamphlets, training for field workers, instructional booklets and radio programs for the in-service training of unqualified teachers at the National Teacher Training College who are automatically enrolled in the correspondence institute. Additionally, the LDTC provides educational materials and radio programs to the Agricultural Information Service and the Health Education Unit.

In 1980 several African countries comprising mainly the so called front-line states, i.e., those countries most affected by the political struggle in South Africa, and also most economically dependant on the southern African economic giant—Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe—joined together to form the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC). In 1992 they were joined by Namibia. In 1994 South Africa became the eleventh member of the organization that was renamed the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The role of the organizations was to encourage economic independence for its members through the improvement of national and inter-country communications infrastructures, the growth of inter-country trade and cultural ties. By implementing joint training facilities and organizing joint training sessions in these countries, the Southern African Transport and Communications Commission (SATCC), one arm of the SADCC, promoted cooperation in human resource development. The SATCC also promotes cooperation among the telecommunications administrations of the region via the Pan African Telecommunications (Panaftel) microwave network and satellite links, international gateway exchanges, and earth stations. These projects undertaken by Panaftel are vital for the furthering of distance education in Lesotho. Possibilities for further development of telecommunication based distance education exist, but at present Lesotho does not have the necessary infrastructure to make this a viable proposition for such initiatives by organizations such as the Commonwealth of Learning that at present sponsors the LDTC.

During the 1980s when Lesotho hosted a number of refugees from the urban areas of the Republic of South Africa, the International Labor Organization, based in Geneva, Switzerland, together with the United Nations High Command of Refugees, implemented small projects designed to assist and train especially female refugees in developing small enterprises, in learning basic occupational skills, and so make them less dependant on the host country during their period of exile, which could range from anywhere up to twenty years or more.

Access to Global Information: The predicament for many developing countries is whether a relatively poor country with a high illiteracy rate, few skilled people, high unemployment, disease, malnutrition, and even starvation should exchange scarce foreign exchange and perhaps even increase its international debt burden to import computers. Purchasing computers also creates strong dependency on vendor countries: those countries that are merely consumers rather than producers of technology are exposed to the dangers of cultural invasion.

There are several reasons why even poor countries would want to put computers into classrooms and universities, the chief reasons being a wish to prepare students to be computer literate, to use computer-assisted learning, to have access to international information. However, added to the investment of installing computers in schools and universities is the added expense of importing software. Developing and marketing suitable educational software is so costly that few countries attempt it, yet educational and cultural reasons cause dissatisfaction with the software that is available.

Lesotho counts as one of the poorest countries in the world. Microcomputers are fairly readily obtainable at reasonable prices. But in 1987 there were few people trained to use them. A private school that had started to teach computer studies was forced to abandon the project because of staffing and resource shortages. In some schools hand-held battery-powered electronic aids were used to help students in the learning of English. However, this trend did not spread to other schools.

By the end of 1999 all African countries except Eritrea, Somalia, and Libya had local Internet access, with South Africa leading the number of Internet service providers and the number of computers connected to the Internet. In the other countries, including Lesotho, Internet access is limited to the capital cities. While Internet access presents especially African academic and research institutions with the possibility of admission to libraries and research institutions worldwide, there is growing concern that there is very little African content available on the Internet. The Global Information Infrastructure is not only dominated by the English Language, its content almost exclusively targets the needs of users in the United States and the United Kingdom. A 1999 survey of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has shown that Africa generates only 0.4 percent of global content. If the South African contribution is excluded, the figure is merely 0.02 percent. While a great deal of research has been done on the African continent, this research is unfortunately only available in the sponsoring institutions. And yet a specialized research institution like the Institute for Southern Africa Studies (ISAS) of the National University of Lesotho has the capacity to produce and publish the information and the research done by its faculty and students and thus add to the African content on the Internet. Similarly, while the foreign languages (English, Portuguese, French) spoken in Africa are well represented on the Internet, little has been undertaken to advance African indigenous languages through this medium. There is no reason why a country like Lesotho which has an indigenous national language, should not publish language materials produced in Sesotho.

Teaching Profession

Teacher training takes place at both the secondary and tertiary levels. Programs are offered at both teacher training colleges and universities. While the Primary School Leaving Certificate is generally regarded as too low a standard of admission, it may be accepted, especially because of the shortage of teachers. Most programs, however, require either a JC or the COSC with passes in English and Mathematics. Students who are admitted with a JC are expected to catch up with COSC holders. Most programs require two years, some require three.

Programs at the Lesotho National Teacher Training College: The Primary Teachers' Certificate requires a JC plus two years Secondary education. Advanced Primary Teachers' Certificate requires the COSC plus two years tertiary education. The Secondary Teachers' Certificate requires the COSC plus two years tertiary education. The Diploma in Education requires the COSC plus two years tertiary education. The Certificate in Primary Education requires the Primary Teachers' Certificate plus one credit in COSC plus two years experience plus two years part-time tertiary education. The Diploma in Primary Education requires the Primary Teachers' Certificate, plus the COSC, plus two years experience plus one year tertiary education. The Diploma in Secondary Education requires the Secondary Teachers' Certificate, plus two years experience plus one year tertiary education.

The Secondary Teacher Training Program consists of education courses and a basic core of English, social studies, and preparation of teacher aids. Students may specialize in either home economics or elementary technology. They may also choose English, in which they cover general composition and general literature, Sesotho, or religious knowledge as their major area. For the Diploma in Secondary Education, students may choose either a humanities or a science concentration. They attend the first year with all other first year students.

The teacher training colleges also offer professional certificates for in-service study. These certificates range from lower certificates for upgrading unqualified and under qualified teachers to higher certificates for furthering the training of qualified teachers. Each of the professional certificate programs atthe National Teacher Training College in Lesotho includes an internship year during which students teach in a school and are responsible to both the college and the regular school management. Students are paid during their internship year, and the certificates lead to promotions and higher pay.

The National University of Lesotho offers university level education programs that may lead to a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.), a Concurrent Diploma in Education, a Post Graduate Diploma, or a Masters of Education (M.Ed.).

Summary

Despite international perceptions of Lesotho as an economically deprived country, it has a long history of intellectual, academic, and literary involvement. Some of southern Africa's foremost writers, Thomas Mofolo being only one of them, have deep cultural roots in Lesotho. Much of its present educational dilemmas are due to the legacy left by colonialism and the resultant loss of geographical, cultural, and political identity. In many ways King Moshoeshoe tried to protect his people precisely from such a predicament. By establishing himself in the almost impregnable mountain hideout of Thaba Bosiu, by whenever possible using diplomacy rather than confrontation to reach some kind of co-existence with the invading and war-like Zulu, Boer, and British, and finally by asking for the protection of Britain rather than be conquered and absorbed into another nation, Moshoeshoe attempted to create a national and cultural identity within geographically defined borders. Ironically, Independence in 1966, which should have seen the fulfillment of this ancient dream, in many ways saw its collapse. The international necessity to make English, the language of the "protector", the national language; the economic necessity for the men to become part of a migrant labor force and thus cause the breakup of the basic social and cultural unit, the family; the financial necessity to put the education of their own children in the hands of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and Foreign NGOs, and not in the hands of their own people, have all contributed to the crisis in education in Lesotho. An important step in the right direction was taken in 1978 when through the national Pitso, the traditional system of communication, the views of the nation concerning education were taken into account.

There is no reason why Lesotho with its proud history, should not once again be a major participant in the educational and intellectual global arena. Much depends on whether the international community with its fascination with the profit-making aspects of globalization and with "efficiency," often at the expense of other values, will allow this little mountain Kingdom the freedom to develop its educational system in such a way that its citizens rediscover their national and cultural character and mature to that stage where the contribution they make will be on their terms, rather than on those of the economically dominant modern superpowers.

Bibliography

Booth, Margaret Zoller. "Parental Availability and Academic Achievement among Swazi Rural Primary School Children." Comparative Education Review. Vol. 40, n.3, pp. 250-263. Aug 1996.

Chisenga, Justin. "Global Information Infrastructure and the Question of African Content." Paper presented at the 65th IFLA Council and General Conference, Bankok, Thailand, August 1999. Available from http://www.ifla.org/.

Cranmer, David J., and Valerie A. Woolston. Southern Africa: A Study of the Educational Systems of Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa, Southwest Africa /Namibia and Swaziland with an Addendum on Zimbabwe-Rhodesia: A Guide to the Academic Placement of Students in Educational Institutions of the United States. Washington, D.C: American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, 1980.

Department of State. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. 1999 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. February 2000. Available from http://www.state.gov/.

Hawkridge, David. "Rationales and Futures for Computers in African Schools and Universities." CITE Report No. 100. Open Univ., Walton, Bletchley, Bucks (England). Inst. Of Educational Technology. January 1990.

—Karin I. Paasche

Lesotho

Compiled from the October 2007 Background Note and supplemented with additional information from the State Department and the editors of this volume. See the introduction to this set forory notes.

Official Name:

Kingdom of Lesotho

PROFILE

Geography

Area: 30,355 sq. km. (11,718 sq. mi.), about the size of Maryland.

Cities: Capital—Maseru (173,700). Other cities—Teyateyaneng (22,800), Leribe (35,000), Mafeteng (32,900), Mohale's Hoek (18,400).

Terrain: High veld, plateau and mountains.

Climate: Temperate; summers hot, winters cool to cold; humidity generally low and evenings cool year round. Rainy season in summer, winters dry. Southern hemisphere seasons are reversed.

People

Nationality: Noun—Mosotho (sing.); Basotho (pl.). Adjective—Basotho.

Population: (2005 est.) 2 million.

Annual growth rate: (2004 est.) 1.4%. (Note: the population growth rate is depressed by an HIV/AIDS prevalence rate estimated to be at approximately 29%.)

Ethnic groups: Basotho 99.7%; Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%.

Religions: 80% Christian, including Roman Catholic (majority), Lesotho Evangelical, Anglican, other denominations; other religions include Islam, Hindu, indigenous.

Languages: Official—Sesotho and English. Others—Zulu, Xhosa.

Education: Years compulsory—None. Literacy (2003 est.)—84.8%. Lesotho has free primary education (grades 1-7).

Health: Infant mortality rate (2004 est.)—85.22/1,000. Life expectancy(2004 est.)—36.81 years.

Work force: (2001 est.) 704,000.

Government

Type: Constitutional monarchy.

Constitution: April 2, 1993.

Independence: October 4, 1966.

Government branches: Executive—monarch is head of state; prime minister is head of government and cabinet. Legislative—Bicameral parliament consists of elected Assembly and non-elected Senate. Judicial—High Court, Court of Appeals, Magistrate's Court, traditional and customary courts.

Political subdivisions: 10 districts.

Political parties: Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), All Basotho Congress (ABC), Basotho National Party (BNP), Lesotho Peoples Congress (LPC), National Independent Party (NIP), Basutoland African Congress (BAC), Basutoland Congress Party (BCP), Lesotho Workers Party (LWP), Popular Front for Democracy (PFD), Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP), Christian Democratic Party (CDP), Kopanang Basotho Party (KBP), National Progressive Party (NPP), New Lesotho's Freedom Party (NLFP), Sefate Democratic Union (SDU), Social Democratic Party (SDP), United Party (UP).

Suffrage: 18 years of age.

Budget: (FY 2003-2004 est.) Revenues—$560 million. Expenditures—$599 million.

Economy

GDP: (2003) $1.43 billion.

Annual growth rate: (2004) 3.4%.

Per capita GDP: (2003) $550.

Average inflation rate: (2003) 10%.

Natural resources: Water, agricultural and grazing land, some diamonds and other minerals. Lesotho is an exporter of excess labor.

Agriculture: (2003 est.) 16.8% of GDP. Products—corn, wheat, sorghum, barley, peas, beans, asparagus, wool, mohair, livestock. Arable land—11%.

Industry: (2003 est.) 43.1% of GDP. Types—apparel, food, beverages, handicrafts, construction, tourism.

Trade: (2003) Exports—$450 million; clothing, furniture, footwear and wool. Partners—South Africa, United States, Botswana, Swaziland, Namibia, EU. Imports—$661 million; corn, clothing, building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products. Partners—South Africa, Asia, EU.

Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March.

Economic aid received: (2002) $972.6 million. Primary donors—World Bank, IMF, EU, UN, U.K., Ire-land, U.S.

PEOPLE

More than 99% of Lesotho's population is ethnically Basotho; other ethnic groups include Europeans and Asians. The country's population is 80% Christian, the majority of whom are Roman Catholic. Other religions are Islam, Hindu, and indigenous beliefs. Sesotho and English are official languages, and other languages spoken include Zulu and Xhosa.

HISTORY

Lesotho gained independence from Britain on October 4, 1966. In January 1970 the ruling Basotho National Party (BNP) appeared set to lose the first post-independence general elections when Prime Minister Leabua Jonathan annulled the election. He refused to cede power to the Basotho Congress Party (BCP) and imprisoned its leadership.

The BNP ruled by decree until January 1986 when a military coup forced them out of office. The Military Council that came into power granted executive powers to King Moshoeshoe II, who was until then a ceremonial monarch. In 1990, however, the King was forced into exile after a falling out with the army. His son was installed as King Letsie III.

The chairman of the military junta, Major General Metsing Lekhanya, was ousted in 1991 and then replaced by Major General Phisoane Ramaema, who handed over power to a democratically elected government of the BCP in 1993. Moshoeshoe II returned from exile in 1992 as an ordinary citizen. After the return to democratic government, King Letsie III tried unsuccessfully to persuade the BCP government to reinstate his father (Moshoeshoe II) as head of state. In August 1994, Letsie III staged a coup which was backed by the military and deposed the BCP government. The new government did not receive full international recognition. Member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) engaged in negotiations aimed at the reinstatement of the BCP government. One of the conditions put forward by the King for the return of the BCP government was that his father should be re-installed as head of state. After protracted negotiations, the BCP government was reinstated and the King abdicated in favor of his father in 1995, but Moshoeshoe II died in a car accident in 1996 and was again succeeded by his son, Letsie III. The ruling BCP split over leadership disputes in 1997.

Prime Minister Ntsu Mokhehle formed a new party, the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), and was followed by a majority of Members of Parliament, which enabled him to form a new government. The LCD won the general elections in 1998 under the leadership of Pakalitha Mosisili, who had succeeded Mokhehle as party leader. Despite the elections being pronounced free and fair by local and international observers and a subsequent special commission appointed by SADC, the opposition political parties rejected the results.

Opposition protests in the country intensified, culminating in a violent demonstration outside the royal palace in August 1998. When junior members of the armed services mutinied in September, the government requested a SADC task force to intervene to prevent a coup and restore stability. A military group of South African and Botswana troops entered the country in September, put down the mutiny, and withdrew in May 1999. Looting, casualties, and widespread destruction of property followed.

An Interim Political Authority (IPA), charged with reviewing the electoral structure in the country, was created in December 1998. The IPA devised a proportional electoral system to ensure that there would be opposition in the National Assembly. The new system retained the existing 80 elected Assembly seats, but added 40 seats to be filled on a proportional basis. Elections were held under this new system in May 2002, and the LCD won again. For the first time, due to the inclusion of proportional seats, opposition political parties won significant numbers of seats. Elections were held again in February 2007. Nine opposition parties hold all 40 of the proportional seats, with the National Independent Party (NIP) having the largest share (21). The LCD has 61 of the 80 constituency-based seats, and All Basotho Congress (ABC) holds 17.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS

The Lesotho Government is a constitutional monarchy. The Prime Minister, Pakalitha Mosisili, is head of government and has executive authority. The King serves a largely ceremonial function; he no longer possesses any executive authority and is proscribed from actively participating in political initiatives.

The Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) controls a majority in the National Assembly (the lower house of parliament), with All Basotho Congress (ABC), the National Independent Party, and the Lesotho Workers Party among the 9 opposition parties represented. The upper house of parliament, called the Senate, is composed of 22 principal chiefs whose membership is hereditary, and 11 appointees of the King, acting on the advice of the prime minister.

The constitution provides for an independent judicial system. The judiciary is made up of the Court of Appeal, the High Court, Magistrate's Courts, and traditional courts that exist predominately in rural areas. All but one of the Justices on the Court of Appeal are South African jurists. There is no trial by jury; rather, judges make rulings alone, or, in the case of criminal trials, with two other judges as observers. The constitution also protects basic civil liberties, including freedom of speech, association, and the press; freedom of peaceful assembly; and freedom of religion. For administrative purposes, Lesotho is divided into 10 districts, each headed by a district administrator.

Lesotho held its first post-independence local government elections on April 30, 2005 using a quota system that reserved one-third of electoral divisions for women candidates. In these elections, 53% of the victorious candidates were women. Locally elected officials attended post-election training while regulations for local governance were drawn up by the National Assembly and infrastructure was created.

Principal Government Officials

Last Updated: 2/1/2008

King: LETSIE III

Prime Min.: Pakalitha Bethuel MOSISILI

Dep. Prime Min.: Archibald Lesao LEHOHLA

Min. of Agriculture & Food Security: Lesole MOKOMA

Min. of Communications, Science, & Technology: Mothetjoa METSIN

Min. of Defense & National Security: Pakalitha Bethuel MOSISILI

Min. of Education & Training: Mamphono KHAKETLA

Min. of Employment & Labor: Refiloe MASEMENE

Min. of Finance & Development Planning: Timothy THAHANE

Min. of Foreign Affairs: Mohlabi Kenneth TSEKOA

Min. of Forestry & Land Reclamation: Lincoln Ralechate MOKOSE

Min. of Gender, Youth, Sports, & Recreation: Mathabiso LEPONO

Recreation: Mathabiso LEPONO Min. of Health & Social Welfare: Mphu RAMATLAPENG

Min. of Home Affairs, Public Safety, & Parliamentary Affairs: Archibald Lesao LEHOHLA

Min. of Justice, Human Rights, Correctional Services, Law, &Constitutional Affairs: Mpeo Mahase MOILOA

Min. of Local Government & Chieftainship: Pontso Matumelo SEKATLE

Min. of Natural Resources: Monyane MOLELKI

Min. in the Prime Minister's Office: Motloheloa PHOOKO

Min. of Public Service: Semano SEKATLE

Min. of Public Works & Transport: Tsele CHAKELA

Min. of Tourism, Environment, & Culture: Lebohang NTSINYI

Min. of Trade & Industry, Cooperatives & Marketing: Popane LEBESA

Governor, Central Bank: Moeketsi SENAOANA

Ambassador to the US: Molelekeng Ernestina RAPOLAKI

Permanent Representative to the UN, New York: Lebohang Fine MAEMA

Lesotho maintains an embassy in the United States at 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel: 202-797-5533). Lesotho's mission to the United Nations is located at 204 East 39th Street, New York, NY 10016 (tel: 212-661-1690).

ECONOMY

Lesotho's economy is based on water and electricity sold to South Africa, manufacturing, earnings from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), agriculture, livestock, and to some extent earnings of laborers employed in South Africa. Lesotho also exports diamonds, wool, and mohair. Lesotho is geographically surrounded by South Africa and economically integrated with it as well. The majority of households subsist on farming or migrant labor, primarily miners in South Africa for 3 to 9 months. The western lowlands form the main agricultural zone. Almost 50% of the population earns some income through crop cultivation or animal husbandry, with over half the country's income coming from the agricultural sector.

Water is Lesotho's only significant natural resource. It is being exploited through the 30-year, multi-billion-dollar Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), which was initiated in 1986. The LHWP is designed to capture, store, and transfer water from the Orange River system and send it to South Africa's Free State and greater Johannesburg area, which features a large concentration of South African industry, population, and agriculture. Completion of the first phase of the project has made Lesotho almost completely self-sufficient in the production of electricity and generated approximately $24 million annually from the sale of electricity and water to South Africa. The World Bank, African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, and many other bilateral donors financed the project. Lesotho has taken advantage of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to become the largest exporter of garments to the U.S. from sub-Saharan Africa. Exports totaled $466.9 million in 2004. Employment reached 40,000. Asian investors own most factories.

Lesotho has received economic aid from a variety of sources, including the United States, the World Bank, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Germany, and the People's Republic of China.

Lesotho has nearly 6,000 kilometers of unpaved and modern all-weather roads. There is a short rail line (freight) linking Lesotho with South Africa that is totally owned and operated by South Africa. Lesotho is a member of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) in which tariffs have been eliminated on the trade of goods with other member countries, which include Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland. With the exception of Botswana, these countries also form a common currency and exchange control area known as the Common Monetary Area (CMA). The South African rand can be used interchangeably with the loti, the Lesotho currency (plural: maloti). One hundred lisente equal one loti. The loti is at par with the rand.

HIV/AIDS

According to recent estimates, the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Lesotho is about 29%, one of the highest rates in the world. The United Nations estimates that this rate will rise to 36% within the next 15 years, resulting in a sharp drop in life expectancy. According to the Lesotho Bureau of Statistics, in 2001 life expectancy was estimated at 48 for men and 56 for women. Recent statistics estimate that life expectancy has fallen to an average of 36.81.

The government of Lesotho was initially slow to recognize the scale of the HIV/AIDS crisis, and its efforts to date in combating the spread of the disease have met with limited success. In 1999, the government finalized its Strategic Plan on HIV/AIDS, a diagram for addressing the education, prevention, counseling, and treatment needs of the populace. In late 2003, the government announced that it was forming a new National AIDS Commission to coordinate society-wide anti-AIDS activities. Also in 2003 the Government of Lesotho hosted a SADC Extraordinary Summit on HIV/AIDS. In July 2005 legislation was passed to create the National AIDS Commission.

DEFENSE

The security force is composed of the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF—estimated 4,000 personnel) and the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS—estimated 3,000-4,000 personnel). The LDF consists of an army, an air wing, and a paramilitary wing. The LDF answers to the Prime Minister (who is the Minister of Defense and National Security and also the Minister of Public Service), while the Lesotho Mounted Police Service reports to the Minister of Home Affairs. There also is a National Security Service (NSS), Intelligence, which is directly accountable to the Prime Minister. Relations between the police and the army have occasionally been tense, and in 1997 the army was called upon to put down a serious police mutiny.

FOREIGN RELATIONS

Lesotho's geographic location makes it extremely vulnerable to political and economic developments in South Africa. It is a member of many regional economic organizations including the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). Lesotho also is active in the United Nations, the African Union, the Nonaligned Movement, the Commonwealth, and many other international organizations. In addition to the United States, South Africa, China, Libya, Ireland (Consulate General), and the European Union all currently retain resident diplomatic missions in Lesotho. The United Nations is represented by a resident mission as well, including UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, FAO, WFP, and UNAIDS.

Lesotho has historically maintained generally close ties with the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other Western states. Although Lesotho decided in 1990 to break relations with the People's Republic of China (P.R.C.) and reestablish relations with Taiwan, it has since restored ties with the P.R.C. Lesotho also recognized Palestine as a state, was a strong public supporter of the end of apartheid in South Africa, and granted a number of South African refugees political asylum during the apartheid era.

U.S.-LESOTHO RELATIONS

The United States was one of the first four countries to establish an embassy in Maseru after Lesotho gained its independence from Great Britain in 1966. Since this time, Lesotho and the United States have consistently maintained warm bilateral relations. In 1996, the United States closed its bilateral aid program in Lesotho. The Southern African regional office of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Gaborone, Botswana now administers most of the U.S. assistance to Lesotho, which totaled approximately $2 million in FY 2004. Total U.S. aid to Lesotho is over $10 million, including humanitarian food assistance. The Peace Corps has operated in Lesotho since 1966. About 100 Peace Corps volunteers concentrate in the sectors of health, agriculture, education, rural community development, and the environment. The Government of Lesotho encourages greater American participation in commercial life and welcomes interest from potential U.S. investors and suppliers.

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials

Last Updated: 2/19/2008

MASERU (E) 254 Kingsway Avenue, (266) 22-312-666, Fax (266) 22-310-116, Workweek: M-TH 0730-1700, F 0730-1330, Website: http://maseru.usembassy.gov.

TRAVEL

Consular Information Sheet

December 19, 2007

Country Description: Lesotho is a constitutional monarchy with a democratically elected lower house of parliament. The upper house, the Senate, is comprised of appointed hereditary chiefs and politicians. A Prime Minister is the head of the government. Geographically, Lesotho is an extremely mountainous developing nation completely surrounded by the country of South Africa. The capital, Maseru, is at 5,000 feet (1,500M) above sea level, and the mountains reach to 11,400 feet (3,500M). Facilities for tourism are limited. A limited number of restaurants are available in Maseru.

Entry Requirements: A passport is required, but no visa for U.S. citizens is needed for visits of 30 days or less. Vaccination for yellow fever is a common requirement and travelers should carry their international vaccination cards with them. For more information concerning entry requirements, travelers may contact the Embassy of the Kingdom of Lesotho, 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008, telephone (202) 797-5533. Visit the Embassy of Lesotho's web site at http//:www.lesothoemb-usa.gov.ls/ for the most current visa information.

Safety and Security: Lesotho held a general election in February 2007which international and local observers considered peaceful and independent. Opposition parties disputed the allocation of parliamentary seats following the election, leading to a protracted political impasse, massiverallies, and several work stoppages in 2007 which disrupted public trans portation and some commercial activity. Although the Southern African Development Community (SADC) undertook a mediation effort aimed at achieving dialogue and reconciliation, senior political and government figures were targeted in a spate of armed attacks in June 2007. These attacks, including the kidnapping of Lesotho Defense Forces (LDF) guards and the seizure of military weapons, resulted in a government-imposed daily curfew from June 15 to June 22, 2007, and reports of harassment at security checkpoints and roadblocks. Efforts by the Maseru City Council to disperse unlicensed street vendors in the central business district led to confrontations between police and vendors. U.S. citizens should avoid political gatherings and street demonstrations and maintain security awareness at all times.

For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's web site, where the current World-wide Caution Travel Alert, Travel Warnings and other Travel Alerts can be found. Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada, or for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444.

Crime: U.S. citizens should remain vigilant about their surroundings at all times. Lesotho has a high level of crime and foreigners are frequently targeted, robbed and sometimes killed. Police have reported the presence of a number of armed gangs. Lesotho's high unemployment rate, aggravated by the return of large numbers of unemployed miners from South Africa, and the ongoing effects of social upheaval due to high HIV/ AIDS rates of infection, have contributed to an increasing number of armed robberies, break-ins, and incidents of carjacking. These types of crimes occur primarily in the capital city of Maseru, but can occur else-where in Lesotho. Crime scenes have included popular restaurants, pedestrian overpasses, and other locations foreigners are known to frequent. Victims have included foreign diplomats, volunteer workers, and employees of non-governmental organizations. U.S. citizens are advised to avoid large groups and demonstrations, and not to walk in the capital city of Maseru even during daylight. Personal crime is more likely to occur at night, but there have been numerous recent incidents in the middle of the day. Traveling alone or at night is particularly dangerous. The Lesotho Mounted Police Service handles policing duties. Police resources are limited and response time can vary widely. U.S. citizens should report crime to the police and to the Embassy consular section.

There is a serious baggage pilferage problem at Johannesburg International Airport, also known as Oliver Tambo International Airport, in South Africa. Persons traveling by air to Lesotho must travel via Johannesburg. The pilferage problem particularly affects travelers changing airlines and those flying on smaller airlines. Passengers flying on major international carriers may not be affected to the same degree. Travelers are encouraged to secure their luggage, use an airport plastic warping service, and avoid placing currency, electronics, jewelry, cameras or other valuables in checked luggage. Make an inventory of items in checked baggage to aid in claims processing if theft does occur.

Information for Victims of Crime: The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are the victim of a crime while overseas, in addition to reporting to local police, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for assistance. The Embassy/Consulate staff can, for example, assist you to find appropriate medical care, contact family members or friends and explain how funds could be transferred. Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney if needed.

Medical Facilities and Health Information: Medical facilities in Lesotho are limited. Good medical service is available in Bloemfontein, South Africa, 90 miles west of Maseru. There is no reliable ambulance service in Lesotho. The Embassy maintains a list of physicians and other health care professionals who may see U.S. citizen patients. The Embassy does not guarantee their services or provide recommendations.

Many medicines are unavailable at facilities in Lesotho; travelers should carry with them an adequate supply of needed medicines and/or prescription drugs, along with copies of prescriptions. Lesotho has a very high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate, currently estimated at over thirty percent of the adult population.

Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747) or via the CDC's web site at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization's (WHO) web site at http://www.who.int/en. Further health information for travelers is available at http//:www.who.int/ith/en

Medical Insurance: The Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation.

Traffic Safety and Road Conditions: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Lesotho is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance. Traffic moves on the left, with right-hand drive vehicles. Never assume right-of-way, as aggressive and undisciplined local driving habits result in frequent collisions. Lesotho has a high number of traffic-related deaths and injuries given its small size. The previous king died in a road accident in 1996. Driving after dark is dangerous due to the absence of street lighting, livestock on the roads, and the prevalence of crime, including occasional incidents of carjacking.

Travel is best done by private car. Rental cars are available, and cars rented in neighboring South Africa may be brought into Lesotho with written permission from the rental company. Although bus and public taxi services exist, chronic overloading combined with inadequate vehicle maintenance and lack of driver training make them unsafe. Some private taxi service exists in the capital, but roving mini-bus taxis should be avoided. There is no passenger train service in the country.

Although the number of paved roads is gradually increasing, the majority of Lesotho's 5,000 miles of roads are unpaved. A few main rural highways are comparable to U.S. two-lane rural roads, but lane markings, signs, shoulders and guardrails are not to U.S. standards, and unfenced live-stock pose a particular danger. Lesotho's mountainous terrain makes driving on secondary roads hazardous. Unpaved roads in the interior, often narrow, twisty and steep, are poorly maintained. For travel in the interior, especially in wet or snowy weather, a high ground clearance or four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended. Four-wheel-drive is required for entering Lesotho through the Sani Pass on the eastern border. The authority for road safety issues rests with the Lesotho Mounted Police. There are no auto clubs or reliable ambulance services. Drivers should contact the police in emergencies.

Visit the web site of the country's national tourist office and national authority responsible for road safety at http://www.lesotho.gov.ls/tourism.

Aviation Safety Oversight: As there is no direct commercial air service between the United States and Lesotho, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed Lesotho's Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards. For more information, travelers may visit the FAA's web site at http://www.faa.gov.

The only scheduled air service is between Maseru and Johannesburg on a South African Airways subsidiary. There is no scheduled service among towns within Lesotho.

Special Circumstances: Tap water is not reliably potable. Visitors to the interior of Lesotho should bring clothing and equipment suitable for cold weather. In the mountains, weather conditions can deteriorate rapidly. In winter (June-October), snow often closes mountain passes and temperatures often drop below freezing during the night, even in the lowlands.

Criminal Penalties: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating Lesotho laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Lesotho are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime, prosecutable in the United States.

Children's Issues: For information on international adoption of children and international parental child abduction, see the Office of Children's Issues website at http://travel.state.gov/family.

Registration and Embassy Locations: Americans living or traveling in Lesotho are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department's travel registration web site so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security within Lesotho.Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. The U.S. Embassy is located at 254 Kingsway, Maseru West; the mailing address is PO Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho. The telephone number is 266-22-312-666. The Embassy's e-mail address is infoma-seru@state.gov and the URL is http://maseru.usembassy.gov.

International Adoption

May 2006

The information in this section has been edited from a report of the State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Overseas Citizens Services. For more information, please read the International Adoption section of this book and review current reports online at http://travel.state.gov/family.

Disclaimer: The information in this flyer relating to the legal requirements of specific foreign countries is based on public sources and current understanding. Questions involving foreign and U.S. immigration laws and legal interpretation should be addressed respectively to qualified foreign or U.S. legal counsel.

Please Note: In Lesotho, intercountry adoptions are governed under the Child Welfare and Protection Act, no. 60 of 1980 and the Adoption Proclamation of 1952. Under these laws, prospective adoptive parents are required to reside in Lesotho for two years before adoptions. Despite this, intercountry adoptions are processed and approved. A revised Child Welfare and Protection Bill, being debated in the National Assembly, would allow for intercountry adoptions. Adoptions in practice borrow from all three of these documents, the two laws and the new proposed bill. If and when the National Assembly passes the proposed revised bill, this will change how adoptions are processed, and this flyer will be amended accordingly.

Patterns of Immigration: Please review current reports online at http://travel.state.gov/family.

Adoption Authority: The government office responsible for adoptions in Lesotho is the following:

Department of Social Welfare Ministry of Health and Social Welfare P/Bag A 222 Maseru, 100 Lesotho Tel: +266 (22) 326-013 Fax: +266 (22) 317-206

Eligibility Requirements for Adoptive Parents: Prospective adoptive parent(s) are required to undergo a thorough home study by an approved social service or adoption agency and be found qualified. To locate an approved social service or adoption agency, persons interested in adopting in Lesotho should contact the Lesotho Department of Social Welfare in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. The adoptive parent(s) must be at least 25 years old and one prospective adoptive parent should be 21 years older than the child they aim to adopt. Gay/lesbian prospective adoptive parents are not permitted to adopt Lesotho children.

Residency Requirements: Officially, Lesotho adoption laws require that at least one of the prospective adoptive parent(s) be a resident of Lesotho for at least two years prior to the adoption. In practice, however, the courts have granted adoptions to non-residents if it is in the best interests of the child. The Child Welfare and Protection Bill presently under discussion in the National Assembly would explicitly allow for adoptions by non-residents.

The Department of Social Welfare in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare strongly advises prospective parent(s) to spend a minimum of two weeks in Lesotho. The purpose of this stay is so that the prospective parent(s) will learn about Lesotho and be able later to tell their adopted children about their country of origin.

Time Frame: The time frame for adoption procedures differs widely and depends in large measure on how quickly the prospective adoptive parent(s) and their agents collect the necessary paperwork. From start to finish, most adoptions will be completed in six months. Once paperwork has been submitted, Adoption Orders and Removal Orders will take between one week and one month, depending on how quickly cases can be brought to court. A Lesotho Passport, which will be necessary for the U.S. immigrant visa application, can take from 6 to 12 months to procure.

Adoption Agencies and Attorneys: There are no adoption agencies or attorneys approved by the Lesotho government. Prospective adoptive parents apply directly to the Department of Social Welfare. At this time, there are no formal application forms. Prospective adoptive parents should let the Department of Social Welfare know the details of their request (age of child, boy/girl, health, etc.).

Adoption Fees: The Department of Social Welfare in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare does not charge any fees for processing adoption submissions. The Magistrates courts do not charge fees for hearing adoption cases. The High Court requires revenue stamps to hear removal cases. These revenue stamps are in the amount of 83 maluti (approximately $13 at the exchange rate at the beginning of April 2006). One reputable law firm charges 4,500 maluti (approx. $722) to process an order for adoption and an additional 4,500 maluti for an order for removal (permission to take the child out of the country).

Adoption Procedures: Generally, adoption procedures are initiated when a prospective adoptive parent(s) submits a request to the Department of Social Welfare. The Department of Social Welfare in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare will liaise with an approved social service or adoption agency identified by the adoptive parent(s). After a home study has been successfully completed, a child will be identified from one of the orphanages or abandoned children centers. The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare will accept home-studies submitted in an I-600A application, which they will forward to the courts. Children have birth certificates confirming their orphan/abandoned status. In some cases, a child may have a letter from extended family, certified by the local authorities (usually the village chief) that the child is eligible for adoption.

The prospective adoptive parents should procure the services of a lawyer to refer the case to the Magistrates Court for an adoption hearing. The same lawyer can be retained to submit a case for removal of child from Lesotho. An order of adoption terminates all the rights and obligations existing between the child and any legally recognized parent or extended family. The adopted child is thereafter deemed by law to be the legitimate child of the adoptive parent(s). Prospective adoptive parents can apply for a revised Lesotho birth certificate and a Lesotho passport based on the official order of adoption. The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare or a lawyer can help with both of these. The revised birth certificate is ordered from the District Administrator and requires proof of ID, a certified copy of the order of adoption and a revenue stamp for 26c(Stamps for 26c are available from the Lesotho Revenue Authority). The passport with revised names is applied for from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Please provide a certified copy of the order of adoption and a fee of M/R100.

An order for removal allows the child to leave Lesotho with the adoptive parent(s).

Useful Information About Lesotho Custody Law And The Rights Of Birth Parents: Laws pertaining to child custody are not applied evenly in Lesotho and are complicated by traditional practice. Children born out of wedlock are considered illegitimate. A child born to unmarried parents becomes legitimate when the mother marries, if the husband decides to recognize the child and pays an agreed bridal price. Such a child would otherwise be the ward of the maternal grandparent(s).

Unmarried women are considered legal minors and, as mentioned above, their children would be legally in the custody of the mother’ parent(s). According to custom, the expanded family has certain custodial rights to children. The Department of Social Welfare will ensure, prior to approving an adoption, that the concerned children are free from custody issues and all family have waived any rights to the child.

Unmarried fathers do not have legal access, custody or guardianship of a biological child unless they have reached an understanding with the maternal grandparent(s). Customarily, the father will be involved at the invitation of the maternal grandparent(s). The Department of Social Welfare would, prior to accepting a child for adoption proceedings, ensure that any known father will have waived his rights to the child.

Required Documents:

Prospective adoptive parent(s) must submit the following documents:

• Request for adoption to the Department of Social Welfare;
• Home Study;
• Financial statement(s);
• Police record(s);
• Medical Certificate(s);
• Letter(s) from the family of the prospective adoptive parent(s) that these family members accept and acknowledge the adoption. Lesotho adoption law is based on local cultural practices. By these standards adoption is an extended family issue not just the nuclear family. It is customary that the extended family writes a

letter condoning the adoption. In Lesotho, these relations would be expected to care for the child in the case the parents are unable to do so.

Centers for orphaned or abandoned children will supply identification for the child and certification the child is eligible for adoption. The Social Worker will submit a report to the prospective adoptive parents’ legal counsel, who will prepare the necessary court cases.

Embassy Of The Kingdom Of Lesotho

2511 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20008
Tel.: 1-202-797-5533
Fax: 1-202-234-6815
Email: Lesothoembassy@Verizon.Net
Internet: http://www.lesothoemb-usa.gov.ls

U.S. Immigration Requirements: Prospective adopting parents are strongly encouraged to consult USCIS publicationM-249, The Immigration of Adopted and Prospective Adoptive Children, as well as the Department of State publication, International Adoptions. Please see the International Adoption section of this book for more details and review current reports online at http://travel.state.gov/family.

U.S. Embassy
254 Kingsway Road Maseru Lesotho
E-mail: infomaseru@state.gov
URL: http://maseru.usembassy.gov
Tel: +266 22 312 666
Fax: +266 22 310 116

Additional Information: Specific questions about adoption in Lesotho may be addressed to the U.S. Embassy in Maseru. Questions about the immigrant visa process in Johannesburg should be directed to the U.S. Consulate General in Johannesburg. Questions regarding intercountry adoption may be addressed to the Office of Children's Issues, U.S. Department of State, CA/OCS/CI, SA-29, 4th Floor, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20520-4818, toll-free Tel: 1-888-407-4747.

Lesotho

Compiled from the October 2006 Background Note and supplemented with additional information from the State Department and the editors of this volume. See the introduction to this set for explanatory notes.

Official Name:
Kingdom of Lesotho

PROFILE

PEOPLE

HISTORY

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS

ECONOMY

HIV/AIDS

DEFENSE

FOREIGN RELATIONS

U.S.-LESOTHO RELATIONS

TRAVEL

PROFILE

Geography

Area: 30,355 sq. km. (11,718 sq. mi.), about the size of Maryland.

Cities: Capital—Maseru (173,700). Other cities—Teyateyaneng (22,800), Leribe (35,000), Mafeteng (32,900), Mohale’s Hoek (18,400).

Terrain: High veld, plateau and mountains.

Climate: Temperate; summers hot, winters cool to cold; humidity generally low and evenings cool year round. Rainy season in summer, winters dry. Southern hemisphere seasons are reversed.

People

Nationality: Noun—Mosotho (sing.); Basotho (pl.). Adjective—Basotho.

Population: (2005 est.) 2 million.

Annual growth rate: (2004 est.) 1.4%. (Note: the population growth rate is depressed by an HIV/AIDS prevalence rate estimated to be at approximately 29%.)

Ethnic groups: Basotho 99.7%; Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%.

Religions: 80% Christian, including Roman Catholic (majority), Lesotho Evangelical, Anglican, other denominations; other religions include Islam, Hindu, indigenous.

Languages: Official—Sesotho and English. Others—Zulu, Xhosa.

Education: Years compulsory—None. Literacy (2003 est.)—84.8%. The Government of Lesotho is incrementally implementing a program for free primary education (grades 1-7). It will be fully in place in 2006.

Health: Infant mortality rate (2004 est.)—85.22/1,000. Life expectancy (2004 est.)—36.81 years.

Work force: (2001 est.) 704,000.

Government

Type: Constitutional monarchy.

Constitution: April 2, 1993.

Independence: October 4, 1966.

Government branches: Executive—monarch is head of state; prime minister is head of government and cabinet. Legislative—Bicameral parliament consists of elected Assembly and non-elected Senate. Judicial—High Court, Court of Appeals, Magistrate’s Court, traditional and customary courts.

Political subdivisions: 10 districts.

Political parties: Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), Basotho National Party (BNP), Lesotho Peoples Congress (LPC), National Independent Party (NIP), Basutoland African Congress (BAC), Basutoland Congress Party (BCP), Lesotho Workers Party (LWP), Popular Front for Democracy (PFD), Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP), Christian Democratic Party (CDP), Kopanang Basotho Party (KBP), National Progressive Party (NPP), New Lesotho’s Freedom Party (NLFP), Sefate Democratic Union (SDU), Social Democratic Party (SDP), United Party (UP).

Suffrage: 18 years of age.

Budget: (FY 2003–2004 est.) Revenues—$560 million. Expenditures—$599 million.

Economy

GDP: (2003) $1.43 billion.

Annual growth rate: (2004) 3.4%.

Per capita GDP: (2003) $550.

Average inflation rate: (2003) 10%.

Natural resources: Water, agricultural and grazing land, some diamonds and other minerals. Lesotho is an exporter of excess labor.

Agriculture: (2003 est.) 16.8% of GDP. Products—corn, wheat, sorghum, barley, peas, beans, asparagus, wool, mohair, livestock. Arable land—11%.

Industry: (2003 est.) 43.1% of GDP. Types—apparel, food, beverages, handicrafts, construction, tourism.

Trade: (2003) Exports—$450 million; clothing, furniture, footwear and wool. Partners—South Africa, United States, Botswana, Swaziland, Namibia, EU. Imports—$661 million; corn, clothing, building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products. Partners—South Africa, Asia, EU.

Fiscal year: 1 April–31 March.

Economic aid received: (2002) $972.6 million. Primary donors—World Bank, IMF, EU, UN, U.K., Ireland, U.S.

PEOPLE

More than 99% of Lesotho’s population is ethnically Basotho; other ethnic groups include Europeans and Asians. The country’s population is 80% Christian, the majority of whom are Roman Catholic. Other religions are Islam, Hindu, and indigenous beliefs. Sesotho and English are official languages, and other languages spoken include Zulu and Xhosa.

HISTORY

Lesotho gained independence from Britain on October 4, 1966. In January 1970 the ruling Basotho National Party (BNP) appeared set to lose the first post-independence general elections when Prime Minister Leabua Jonathan annulled the election. He refused to cede power to the Basotho Congress Party (BCP) and imprisoned its leadership.

The BNP ruled by decree until January 1986 when a military coup forced them out of office. The Military Council that came into power granted executive powers to King Moshoeshoe II, who was until then a ceremonial monarch. In 1990, however, the King was forced into exile after a falling out with the army. His son was installed as King Letsie III.

The chairman of the military junta, Major General Metsing Lekhanya, was ousted in 1991 and then replaced by Major General Phisoane Ramaema, who handed over power to a democratically elected government of the BCP in 1993. Moshoeshoe II returned from exile in 1992 as an ordinary citizen. After the return to democratic government, King Letsie III tried unsuccessfully to persuade the BCP government to reinstate his father (Moshoeshoe II) as head of state. In August 1994, Letsie III staged a coup which was backed by the military and deposed the BCP government. The new government did not receive full international recognition. Member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) engaged in negotiations aimed at the reinstatement of the BCP government. One of the conditions put forward by the King for the return of the BCP government was that his father should be re-installed as head of state. After protracted negotiations, the BCP government was reinstated and the King abdicated in favor of his father in 1995, but Moshoeshoe II died in a car accident in 1996 and was again succeeded by his son, Letsie III. The ruling BCP split over leadership disputes in 1997.

Prime Minister Ntsu Mokhehle formed a new party, the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), and was followed by a majority of Members of Parliament, which enabled him to form a new government. The LCD won the general elections in 1998 under the leadership of Pakalitha Mosisili, who had succeeded Mokhehle as party leader. Despite the elections being pronounced free and fair by local and international observers and a subsequent special commission appointed by SADC, the opposition political parties rejected the results.

Opposition protests in the country intensified, culminating in a violent demonstration outside the royal palace in August 1998. When junior members of the armed services mutinied in September, the government requested a SADC task force to intervene to prevent a coup and restore stability. A military group of South African and Botswana troops entered the country in September, put down the mutiny, and withdrew in May 1999. Looting, casualties, and widespread destruction of property followed.

An Interim Political Authority (IPA), charged with reviewing the electoral structure in the country, was created in December 1998. The IPA devised a proportional electoral system to ensure that there be opposition in the National Assembly. The new system retained the existing 80 elected Assembly seats, but added 40 seats to be filled on a proportional basis. Elections were held under this new system in May 2002, and the LCD won again. For the first time, due to the inclusion of proportional seats, opposition political parties won significant numbers of seats. Nine opposition parties now hold all 40 of the proportional seats, with the BNP having the largest share (21). The LCD has 79 of the 80 constituency-based seats. Although its elected members participate in the National Assembly, the BNP has launched several legal challenges to the elections, including a recount; none has been successful.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS

The Lesotho Government is a constitutional monarchy. The Prime Minister, Pakalitha Mosisili, is head of government and has executive authority. The King serves a largely ceremonial function; he no longer possesses any executive authority and is proscribed from actively participating in political initiatives.

The Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) controls a majority in the National Assembly (the lower house of parliament), with the Basotho National Party (BNP), Lesotho Peoples Congress, and the National Independent Party among the 9 opposition parties represented. The upper house of parliament, called the Senate, is composed of 22 principal chiefs whose membership is hereditary, and 11 appointees of the King, acting on the advice of the prime minister.

The constitution provides for an independent judicial system. The judiciary is made up of the Court of Appeal, the High Court, Magistrate’s Courts, and traditional courts that exist predominately in rural areas. All but one of the Justices on the Court of Appeal are South African jurists. There is no trial by jury; rather, judges make rulings alone, or, in the case of criminal trials, with two

other judges as observers. The constitution also protects basic civil liberties, including freedom of speech, association, and the press; freedom of peaceful assembly; and freedom of religion.

For administrative purposes, Lesotho is divided into 10 districts, each headed by a district administrator.

Lesotho held its first post-independence local government elections on April 30, 2005 using a quota system that reserved one-third of electoral divisions for women candidates. In these elections, 53% of the victorious candidates were women. Locally elected officials are presently in post-election training while regulations for local governance are drawn up by the National Assembly and infrastructure is created.

Principal Government Officials

Last Updated: 2/21/2006

King: LETSIE III Prime Minister: Pakalitha Bethuel MOSISILI

Dep. Prime Min.: Archibald Lesao LEHOHLA

Min. of Agriculture & Food Security: Rakoro PHORORO

Min. of Communications, Science, & Technology: Thomas THABANE

Min. of Defense & National Security: Pakalitha Bethuel MOSISILI

Min. of Education & Training: Mohlabi Kenneth TSEKOA

Min. of Employment & Labor: Mpeo MAHASE-MOILOA

Min. of Finance & Development Planning: Timothy THAHANE

Min. of Foreign Affairs: Monyane MOLELEKI

Min. of Forestry & Land Reclamation: Ralechate MOKOSE

Min. of Gender, Youth, Sports, & Recreation: Mathabiso LEPONO

Min. of Health & Social Welfare: Motloheloa PHOOKO

Min. of Home Affairs & Public Safety: Archibald Lesao LEHOHLA

Min. of Justice, Human Rights & Rehabilitation, Law & Constitutional Affairs: Refiloe MASEMENE

Min. of Local Government: Pontso SEKATLE

Min. of Natural Resources: Mamphono KHAKETLA

Min. in the Prime Minister’s Office: Rammotsi LEHATA

Min. of Public Service: Pakalitha Bethuel MOSISILI

Min. of Public Works & Transportation: Popane LEBESA

Min. of Tourism, Environment, & Culture: Lebohang NTSINYI

Min. of Trade & Industry, Cooperatives & Marketing: Mpho MALI MALIE

Governor, Central Bank: Motlatsi MATEKANE

Ambassador to the US: Molelekeng Ernestina RAPOLAKI

Permanent Representative to the UN, New York: Lebohang Fine MAEMA

Lesotho maintains an embassy in the United States at 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel: 202-797-5533). Lesotho’s mission to the United Nations is located at 204 East 39th Street, New York, NY 10016 (tel: 212-661-1690).

ECONOMY

Lesotho’s economy is based on water and electricity sold to South Africa, manufacturing, earnings from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), agriculture, livestock, and to some extent earnings of laborers employed in South Africa. Lesotho also exports diamonds, wool, and mohair. Lesotho is geographically surrounded by South Africa and economically integrated with it as well. The majority of households subsist on farming or migrant labor, primarily miners in South Africa for 3 to 9 months. The western lowlands form the main agricultural zone. Almost 50% of the population earns some income through crop cultivation or animal husbandry, with over half the country’s income coming from the agricultural sector.

Water is Lesotho’s only significant natural resource. It is being exploited through the 30-year, multi-billion-dollar Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), which was initiated in 1986. The LHWP is designed to capture, store, and transfer water from the Orange River system and send it to South Africa’s Free State and greater Johannesburg area, which features a large concentration of South African industry, population, and agriculture. Completion of the first phase of the project has made Lesotho almost completely self-sufficient in the production of electricity and generated approximately $24 million annually from the sale of electricity and water to South Africa. The World Bank, African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, and many other bilateral donors financed the project. Lesotho has taken advantage of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to become the largest exporter of garments to the U.S. from sub-Saharan Africa. Exports totaled $466.9 million in 2004. Employment reached 40,000. Asian investors own most factories.

Lesotho has received economic aid from a variety of sources, including the United States, the World Bank, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Germany, and the People’s Republic of China.

Lesotho has nearly 6,000 kilometers of unpaved and modern all-weather roads. There is a short rail line (freight) linking Lesotho with South Africa that is totally owned and operated by South Africa. Lesotho is a member of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) in which tariffs have been eliminated on the trade of goods with other member countries, which include Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland. With the exception of Botswana, these countries also form a common currency and exchange control area known as the Common Monetary Area (CMA). The South African rand can be used interchangeably with the loti, the Lesotho currency (plural: maloti). One hundred lisente equal one loti. The loti is at par with the rand.

HIV/AIDS

According to recent estimates, the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Lesotho is about 29%, one of the highest rates in the world. The United Nations estimates that this rate will rise to 36% within the next 15 years, resulting in a sharp drop in life expectancy. According to the Lesotho Bureau of Statistics, in 2001 life expectancy was estimated at 48 for men and 56 for women. Recent statistics estimate that life expectancy has fallen to an average of 36.81.

The government of Lesotho was initially slow to recognize the scale of the HIV/AIDS crisis, and its efforts to date in combating the spread of the disease have met with limited success. In 1999, the government finalized its Strategic Plan on HIV/AIDS, a diagram for addressing the education, prevention, counseling, and treatment needs of the populace. In late 2003, the government announced that it was forming a new National AIDS Commission to coordinate society-wide anti-AIDS activities. Also in 2003 the Government of Lesotho hosted a SADC Extraordinary Summit on HIV/AIDS. In July 2005 legislation was passed to create the National AIDS Commission.

DEFENSE

The security force is composed of the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF—estimated 4,000 personnel) and the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS—estimated 3,000-4,000 personnel). The LDF consists of an army, an air wing, and a paramilitary wing. The LDF answers to the Prime Minister (who is the Minister of Defense and National Security and also the Minister of Public Service), while the Lesotho Mounted Police Service reports to the Minister of Home Affairs. There also is a National Security Service (NSS), Intelligence, which is directly accountable to the Prime Minister. Relations between the police and the army have occasionally been tense, and in 1997 the army was called upon to put down a serious police mutiny.

FOREIGN RELATIONS

Lesotho’s geographic location makes it extremely vulnerable to political and economic developments in South Africa. It is a member of many regional economic organizations including the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). Lesotho also is active in the United Nations, the African Union, the Nonaligned Movement, the Commonwealth, and many other international organizations. In addition to the United States, South Africa, China, Libya, Ireland (Consulate General), and the European Union all currently retain resident diplomatic missions in Lesotho.

The United Nations is represented by a resident mission as well, including UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, FAO, WFP, and UNAIDS.

Lesotho has historically maintained generally close ties with the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other Western states. Although Lesotho decided in 1990 to break relations with the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C.) and reestablish relations with Taiwan, it has since restored ties with the P.R.C.

Lesotho also recognized Palestine as a state, was a strong public supporter of the end of apartheid in South Africa, and granted a number of South African refugees political asylum during the apartheid era.

U.S.-LESOTHO RELATIONS

The United States was one of the first four countries to establish an embassy in Maseru after Lesotho gained its independence from Great Britain in 1966. Since this time, Lesotho and the United States have consistently maintained warm bilateral relations. In 1996, the United States closed its bilateral aid program in Lesotho. The Southern African regional office of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Gaborone, Botswana now administers most of the U.S. assistance to Lesotho, which totaled approximately $2 million in FY 2004. Total U.S. aid to Lesotho is over $10 million, including humanitarian food assistance. The Peace Corps has operated in Lesotho since 1966. About 100 Peace Corps volunteers concentrate in the sectors of health, agriculture, education, rural community development, and the environment. The Government of Lesotho encourages greater American participation in commercial life and welcomes interest from potential U.S. investors and suppliers.

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials

MASERU (E) Address: 254 King-sway Avenue; Phone: 266 (22) 312-666; Fax: 266 (22) 310-116; Workweek: M-TH 0730-1700, F 0730-1330.

Last Updated: 1/31/2007

TRAVEL

Consular Information Sheet : January 18, 2007

Country Description: Lesotho is a constitutional monarchy with a democratically elected lower house of parliament. The Senate is comprised of hereditary chiefs and appointed statesmen. A Prime Minister is the head of the government and a cabinet. Geographically, Lesotho is an extremely mountainous developing country completely surrounded by the country of South Africa. The capital, Maseru, is at 5,000 feet (1,500M) above sea level, and the mountains reach to 11,400 feet (3,500M). Facilities for tourism are limited. A limited number of restaurants are available in Maseru.

Entry/Exit Requirements: A passport is required, but no visa is needed for visits of 30 days or less. Vaccination for yellow fever is a common requirement and travelers should carry their international vaccination cards with them. For more information concerning entry requirements, travelers may contact the Embassy of the Kingdom of Lesotho, 2511 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008, telephone (202) 797-5533. Visit the Embassy of Lesotho’s web site at http://www.lesothoembusa.gov.ls/ for the most current visa information.

Safety and Security: Lesotho held completely peaceful elections in both May 2002 for the parliament and in April 2005 for local offices. New general elections will be held in 2007. As a matter of general safety, U.S. citizens should avoid political gatherings and street demonstrations and maintain security awareness at all times.

U.S. citizens are advised of that there have been episodes of hostility toward Asian-Americans and those of Asian appearance in Lesotho.

For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Internet web site where the current Travel Warnings and Public Announcements, including the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, can be found. Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada, or for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

Crime: U.S. citizens should remain vigilant about their surroundings at all times. Lesotho has a high level of crime and foreigners are frequently targeted, robbed and sometimes killed. Police have reported the presence of a number of armed gangs. Lesotho’s high unemployment rate, aggravated by the return of large numbers of unemployed miners from South Africa, and the ongoing effects of social upheaval due to high HIV/AIDS infection rates, have contributed to an increasing number of armed robberies, break-ins, and incidents of carjacking. These types of crimes occur primarily in the capital city of Maseru, but can occur elsewhere in Lesotho. Crime scenes have included popular restaurants, and other locations foreigners are known to frequent. Victims have included foreign diplomats and members of foreign aid missions. U.S. citizens are advised to avoid large groups and demonstrations, and not to walk in the city even during daylight.

Personal crime is more likely to occur at night, but there have been numerous recent incidents in the middle of the day. Traveling alone or at night is particularly dangerous. The Lesotho Mounted Police Service handles policing duties. Police resources are limited and response time can vary widely. U.S. citizens should report crime to the police.

Persons traveling by air to Lesotho must travel via Johannesburg, South Africa. Baggage pilferage is an ongoing problem at Johannesburg’s Oliver Tambo International Airport in South Africa. The pilferage problem particularly affects travelers changing airlines and those flying on smaller airlines. Passengers flying on major international carriers may not be affected to the same degree. Travelers are encouraged to secure their luggage, use an airport plastic wrapping service, and avoid placing currency, electronics, jewelry, cameras or other valuables in checked luggage. Having a complete inventory of items placed in checked baggage can aid in processing a claim if theft does occur.

Information for Victims of Crime: The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are the victim of a crime while overseas, in addition to reporting to local police, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for assistance. The Embassy/Consulate staff can, for example, assist you to find appropriate medical care, contact family members or friends and explain how funds could be transferred. Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney if needed.

Medical Facilities and Health Information: Medical facilities in Lesotho are limited. Good medical service is available in Bloemfontein, South Africa, 90 miles west of Maseru. In Lesotho, there is no reliable ambulance service. The U.S. Embassy maintains a list of physicians and other health care professionals. However, the Embassy does not guarantee their services or provide recommendations.

Many medicines are unavailable at facilities in Lesotho; travelers should carry adequate supply of needed medicines and/or prescription drugs with them, along with copies of prescriptions. Lesotho has a very high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate, currently estimated at over thirty percent of the adult population.

Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747) or via the CDC’s internet site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization’s (WHO) website at http://www.who.int/en. Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith/en/.

Medical Insurance: The Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation.

Traffic Safety and Road Conditions: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Lesotho is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.

Traffic moves on the left, with right-hand drive vehicles. Never assume right-of-way, as aggressive and undisciplined local driving habits result in frequent collisions. Lesotho has a high number of traffic-related deaths and injuries given its small size. The previous king died in a road accident in 1996. Driving after dark is dangerous due to the absence of street lighting, animals on the roads, and the prevalence of crime, including occasional incidents of carjacking.

Travel is best done by private car. Rental cars are available, and cars rented in neighboring South Africa may be brought into Lesotho with written permission from the rental company. Although bus and public taxi services exist, chronic overloading combined with inadequate vehicle maintenance and lack of driver training make them unsafe. Some private taxi service exists in the capital, but roving mini-bus taxis should be avoided. There is no passenger train service in the country.

Although the number of paved roads is gradually increasing, the majority of Lesotho’s 5,000 miles of roads are unpaved. A few main rural highways are comparable to U.S. two-lane rural roads, but lane markings, signs, shoulders and guardrails are not to U.S. standards, and unfenced livestock pose a particular danger. Lesotho’s mountainous terrain makes driving on secondary roads hazardous. Unpaved roads in the interior, often narrow, twisty and steep, are poorly maintained. For travel in the interior, especially in wet or snowy weather, a high ground clearance or four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended. Four-wheel-drive is required for entering Lesotho through the Sani Pass on the eastern border. The authority for road safety issues rests with the Lesotho Mounted Police. There are no auto clubs or reliable ambulance services. Drivers should contact the police in emergencies. Visit the website of the country’s national tourist office and national authority responsible for road safety at http://www.lesotho.gov.ls./lstourism.htm.

Aviation Safety Oversight: As there is no direct commercial air service between the United States and Lesotho, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed Lesotho’s Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards. For more information, travelers may visit the FAA’s internet website at http://www.faa.gov.

The only scheduled air service is between Maseru and Johannesburg on a South African Airways subsidiary. There is no scheduled service among towns within Lesotho.

Special Circumstances: Tap water is not reliably potable.

Visitors to the interior of Lesotho should bring clothing and equipment suitable for cold weather. In the mountains, weather conditions can deteriorate rapidly. In winter (June-October), snow often closes mountain passes and temperatures often drop below freezing during the night, even in the lowlands.

Criminal Penalties: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country’s laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating Lesotho’s laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Lesotho are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime, prosecutable in the United States.

Children’s Issues: For information on international adoption of children and international parental child abduction, see the Office of Children’s Issues website at http://travel.state.gov/family/family_1732.html.

Registration/Embassy Location: Americans living or traveling in Lesotho are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department’s travel registration website so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security within Lesotho. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. The U.S. Embassy is located at 254 Kingsway, Maseru West; the mailing address is P.O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho. The telephone number is 266-22-312-666. The Embassy’s email address is infomaseru@state.gov and the URL is http://maseru.usembassy.gov/.

International Adoption : May 2006

The information below has been edited from a report of the State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Overseas Citizens Services. For more information, please read the International Adoption section of this book and review current reports online at www.travel.state.gov/family.

Disclaimer: The information in this flyer relating to the legal requirements of specific foreign countries is based on public sources and current understanding. Questions involving foreign and U.S. immigration laws and legal interpretation should be addressed respectively to qualified foreign or U.S. legal counsel.

Please Note: In Lesotho, intercountry adoptions are governed under the Child Welfare and Protection Act, no. 60 of 1980 and the Adoption Proclamation of 1952. Under these laws, prospective adoptive parents are required to reside in Lesotho for two years before adoptions. Despite this, intercountry adoptions are processed and approved. A revised Child Welfare and Protection Bill, being debated in the National Assembly, would allow for intercountry adoptions. Adoptions in practice borrow from all three of these documents, the two laws and the new proposed bill. If and when the National Assembly passes the proposed revised bill, this will change how adoptions are processed, and this flyer will be amended accordingly.

Immigrant Visas for Lesotho citizens are issued by the U.S. Consulate General in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Patterns of Immigration: Please review current reports online at www.travel.state.gov/family.

Adoption Authority: The government office responsible for adoptions in Lesotho is the following:

Department of Social Welfare
Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
P/Bag A 222
Maseru, 100
Lesotho
Tel: +266 (22) 326-013
Fax: +266 (22) 317-206

Eligibility Requirements for Adoptive Parents: Prospective adoptive parent(s) are required to undergo a thorough home study by an approved social service or adoption agency and be found qualified. To locate an approved social service or adoption agency, persons interested in adopting in Lesotho should contact the Lesotho Department of Social Welfare in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. The adoptive parent(s) must be at least 25 years old and one prospective adoptive parent should be 21 years older than the child they aim to adopt. Gay/lesbian prospective adoptive parents are not permitted to adopt Lesotho children.

Residency Requirements: Officially, Lesotho adoption laws require that at least one of the prospective adoptive parent(s) be a resident of Lesotho for at least two years prior to the adoption. In practice, however, the courts have granted adoptions to non-residents if it is in the best interests of the child. The Child Welfare and Protection Bill presently under discussion in the National Assembly would explicitly allow for adoptions by non-residents.

The Department of Social Welfare in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare strongly advises prospective parent(s) to spend a minimum of two weeks in Lesotho. The purpose of this stay is so that the prospective parent(s) will learn about Lesotho and be able later to tell their adopted children about their country of origin.

Time Frame: The time frame for adoption procedures differs widely and depends in large measure on how quickly the prospective adoptive parent(s) and their agents collect the necessary paperwork. From start to finish, most adoptions will be completed in six months. Once paperwork has been submitted, Adoption Orders and Removal Orders will take between one week and one month, depending on how quickly cases can be brought to court. A Lesotho Passport, which will be necessary for the U.S. immigrant visa application, can take from 6 to 12 months to procure.

Adoption Agencies and Attorneys: There are no adoption agencies or attorneys approved by the Lesotho government. Prospective adoptive parents apply directly to the Department of Social Welfare. At this time, there are no formal application forms. Prospective adoptive parents should let the Department of Social Welfare know the details of their request (age of child, boy/girl, health, etc.).

Adoption Fees:

• The Department of Social Welfare in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare does not charge any fees for processing adoption submissions;
• The Magistrates courts do not charge fees for hearing adoption cases;
• The High Court requires revenue stamps to hear removal cases. These revenue stamps are in the amount of 83 maluti (approximately $13 at the exchange rate at the beginning of April 2006);
• One reputable law firm charges 4,500 maluti (approx. $722) to process an order for adoption and an additional 4,500 maluti for an order for removal (permission to take the child out of the country).

Adoption Procedures: Generally, adoption procedures are initiated when a prospective adoptive parent(s) submits a request to the Department of Social Welfare. The Department of Social Welfare in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare will liaise with an approved social service or adoption agency identified by the adoptive parent(s). After a home study has been successfully completed, a child will be identified from one of the orphanages or abandoned children centers. The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare will accept home-studies submitted in an I-600A application, which they will forward to the courts. Children have birth certificates confirming their orphan/abandoned status. In some cases, a child may have a letter from extended family, certified by the local authorities (usually the village chief) that the child is eligible for adoption.

The prospective adoptive parents should procure the services of a lawyer to refer the case to the Magistrates Court for an adoption hearing. The same lawyer can be retained to submit a case for removal of child from Lesotho. An order of adoption terminates all the rights and obligations existing between the child and any legally recognized parent or extended family. The adopted child is thereafter deemed by law to be the legitimate child of the adoptive parent(s).

Prospective adoptive parents can apply for a revised Lesotho birth certificate and a Lesotho passport based on the official order of adoption. The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare or a lawyer can help with both of these. The revised birth certificate is ordered from the District Administrator and requires proof of ID, a certified copy of the order of adoption and a revenue stamp for 26c(Stamps for 26c are available from the Lesotho Revenue Authority). The passport with revised names is applied for from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Please provide a certified copy of the order of adoption and a fee of M/R100.

An order for removal allows the child to leave Lesotho with the adoptive parent(s).

Useful Information about Lesotho Custody Law and the Rights of Birth Parents: Laws pertaining to child custody are not applied evenly in Lesotho and are complicated by traditional practice. Children born out of wedlock are considered illegitimate. A child born to unmarried parents becomes legitimate when the mother marries, if the husband decides to recognize the child and pays an agreed bridal price. Such a child would otherwise be the ward of the maternal grandparent(s).

Unmarried women are considered legal minors and, as mentioned above, their children would be legally in the custody of the mother’s parent(s). According to custom, the expanded family has certain custodial rights to children. The Department of Social Welfare will ensure, prior to approving an adoption, that the concerned children are free from custody issues and all family have waived any rights to the child.

Unmarried fathers do not have legal access, custody or guardianship of a biological child unless they have reached an understanding with the maternal grandparent(s). Customarily, the father will be involved at the invitation of the maternal grandparent(s). The Department of Social Welfare would, prior to accepting a child for adoption proceedings, ensure that any known father will have waived his rights to the child.

Documentary Requirements: Prospective adoptive parent(s) must submit the following documents:

• Request for adoption to the Department of Social Welfare;
• Home Study;
• Financial statement(s);
• Police record(s);
• Medical Certificate(s);
• Letter(s) from the family of the prospective adoptive parent(s) that these family members accept and acknowledge the adoption. Lesotho adoption law is based on local cultural practices. By these standards adoption is an extended family issue not just the nuclear family. It is customary that the extended family writes a letter condoning the adoption. In Lesotho, these relations would be expected to care for the child in the case the parents are unable to do so.

Centers for orphaned or abandoned children will supply:

• Identification for the child
• Certification the child is eligible for adoption
• The Social Worker will submit a report to the prospective adoptive parents’ legal counsel, who will prepare the necessary court cases.

Embassy of The Kingdom of Lesotho:
2511 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
Tel.: 1-202-797-5533
Fax: 1-202-234-6815
Email: Lesothoembassy@Verizon.Net
Internet: http://www.lesothoemb-usa.gov.ls/

U.S. Immigration Requirements: Prospective adopting parents are strongly encouraged to consult USCIS publication M-249, The Immigration of Adopted and Prospective Adopting Children, as well as the Department of State publication, International Adoptions. Please see the International Adoption section of this book for more details and review current reports online at www.travel.state.gov/family.

U.S. Embassy in Lesotho:
254 Kingsway Road Maseru Lesotho
E-mail: infomaseru@state.gov
URL: http://maseru.usembassy.gov/
Tel: +266 22 312 666
Fax: +266 22 310 116

Consulate General of the United States of America:
1 River St
Killarney
P.O. Box 1762
Houghton, 2041
South Africa
Tel: (27-11) 644-8000
Fax: (27-11) 646-6916
Email: consularjohannesburg@state.gov

Additional Information: Specific questions about adoption in Lesotho may be addressed to the U.S. Embassy in Maseru. Questions about the immigrant visa process in Johannesburg should be directed to the U.S. Consulate General in Johannesburg. Questions regarding intercountry adoption may be addressed to the Office of Children’s Issues, U.S. Department of State, CA/OCS/CI, SA-29, 4th Floor, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20520-4818, toll-free Tel: 1-888-407-4747.

LESOTHO

Kingdom of Lesotho
Muso oa Lesotho

COUNTRY OVERVIEW

LOCATION AND SIZE.

Formerly called Basutoland, Lesotho is a small, landlocked, and mountainous state in southern Africa. The total area of 30,355 square kilometers (11,718 square miles) is a geographic enclave completely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. There are no large lakes or direct access to the sea. This is the only country in the world where all the terrain is 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) above sea level. The westward tilting highland plateau descends from steep basaltic ridges into deep gorges and treeless rolling lowlands. The confluence of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers form the lowest point (1,400 meters/4,593 feet), while Thabana Nitlenyana is the highest peak (3,482 meters/11,424 feet). The 3 large rivers, the Orange, the Caledon, and the Tugela, all rise in the mountains. Most of the population lives in a fertile 30 to 65 kilometers (18 to 40 miles) strip of lowland adjacent to the Caledon River in northwest Lesotho, where the capital of Maseru (population 386,000) is located.

Positioned in the Southern Hemisphere, the kingdom enjoys a temperate climate with 300 days of annual sunshine and well marked seasons that vary significantly with elevation. The cool lowland winters last from May to July and become very cold in the mountainous center of the country where freezing temperatures occur most evenings. Summer extends from November to January, when the lowland daytime temperatures frequently exceed 37°C (100°F). About 85 percent of the rain falls from October to April, when snow blankets the highlands. Periodic droughts, lowland flooding, and deadly lightning strikes are the main climate hazards.

POPULATION.

The 2000 population of 2.1 million was an increase of 6.5 percent since 1990. There are 33.4 live births per 1,000 population, countered by a death rate average of 12.7 per 1,000 population. The gap between these 2 rates explains why the United Nations is projecting an annual growth rate of 2.07 percent to the year 2015. The population is expected to reach 2.4 million by the year 2025. In 2000, the life expectancy at birth was 44.6 years for the total population and slightly higher for women. This dropped from 52.4 years in 1995 and reflects the devastating effects of the HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis epidemics. The total fertility rate of 4.15 children per woman is among the world's highest and is nearly double that of fully industrialized countries. Out-migration in search of employment and the HIV/AIDS epidemic will likely curb population growth during the next 50 years. This "demographic fatigue" (a declining growth rate for negative reasons) is common in developing African countries.

The population is overwhelmingly "Basotho" (99.7 percent). Europeans, Asians, and other Africans comprise the remaining small minority (0.3 percent). The dependency ratio —the number of people under 15 and over 65 years of age, compared with those who fall between— is a very high, 72.5 percent. Approximately 80 percent are Christians, while 20 percent follow indigenous faiths. A total of 81 percent of the males and 62.5 percent of females are literate. Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official language), Zulu, Xhosa, and Afrikaans are spoken throughout the kingdom.

The overall population density is 70.2 persons square kilometer (181 per square mile). However, since 85 percent are subsistence farmers , the rural population density of 461 persons per square kilometer (176 per square mile) of arable land clearly reveals a critical land shortage. This expanding population is pushing settlements, grazing, and cultivation into the marginal higher elevations and more arid eastern parts of the kingdom. The resulting overgrazing and soil erosion accompanying this land use is perhaps the most serious problem facing Lesotho.

OVERVIEW OF ECONOMY

Subsistence agriculture, livestock, manufacturing, and the paycheck remittances of "migratory" laborers employed in South Africa dominate the economy of Lesotho. Fresh water is the only important natural resource and is being exploited under the multi-year, 30 billion dollar, Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP). This massive scheme provides employment, domestic energy needs, and revenue from selling both water and hydropower to South Africa. The country also depends on foreign development assistance to meet much of its current food and infrastructure needs.

Since the 1950s, fixed-length migratory contracts to work gold and diamond mines in South Africa have been the most important source of income for Lesotho. Under present employment terms, a percentage of the salary is remitted directly to the National Bank in Lesotho. These earnings support the farms and families back home. In the 1990s, 70 percent of households had at least 1 migrant worker, and 35 percent of households used migratory earnings as their primary income. However, the Economist Intelligence Unit reports that from 1995 to 1999, the number of migrant mine workers hired in South Africa declined from 104,000 to an estimated 65,000, adding to a growing unemployment problem.

Subsistence agriculture accounts for 75 percent of domestic employment and production and about 14 percent of the GDP. However, land shortages, international aid, and government initiatives to increase credit and implement seed-fertilizer machinery are not keeping pace with population growth and decreasing migratory work in South Africa. Since 1987, population increase has doubled the growth of agricultural productivity.

A small but growing manufacturing sector produces woolen items and machine parts, and an expanding service industry accounts for the remaining 25 percent of domestic production.

Tourism in this "Rooftop of Africa" attracts South Africans and other foreigners to hike, pony-trek, and bird watch. The hospitable Basotho villages afford excellent opportunities to observe subsistence agriculture and transhumance (the seasonal migration of livestock and the people who herd them from lowlands to mountainous regions). This sector is expanding rapidly.

Foreign assistance to Lesotho in support of the struggle against apartheid (the legal separation of races) in South Africa increased during the 1970s. This aid quickened the pace of modernization and urban development, and there were significant improvements in infrastructure, education, and communications. Since 1995, the real GDP growth rate averaged an impressive 7 to 10 percent. However, population growth, political conflicts, and the shrinking demand for mine workers in South Africa now jeopardize these gains.

From 1988 to 1998, the annual GNP growth averaged 3.7 percent, and the per capita GNP increased US$47, from US$649 to US$696 (in constant 1995 U.S. dollars). Civil unrest following an unsuccessful coup in 1998 eroded Lesotho's economy and destroyed nearly 80 percent of the commercial infrastructure. The CIA World Factbook estimated the rate of GDP growth to be 2.5 percent in 2000 and GDP per capita was estimated at US$2,400.

POLITICS, GOVERNMENT, AND TAXATION

Khoisan-speaking hunter-gatherers first settled this region 10,000 years ago. They were overwhelmed in the 16th century by sedentary farmers who evolved into the Sotho nation of today. By the mid-19th century internecine (struggle within a nation) conflict, competition from Boer trekkers for the Cape Colony, and British intervention finally resulted in Basutoland—a British Protectorate that lasted from 1871 until independence in 1966.

Today, Lesotho is a multi-party constitutional monarchy. There is a bicameral National Assembly composed of a lower house of directly elected representatives, and an Upper House (Senate) comprised of 22 non-elected principal chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the king. The legal system is modeled after English common law and Roman-Dutch law. The High Court and Court of Appeal exert judicial review of legislation.

During the 1970s, discord over apartheid in South Africa destabilized all of southern Africa. The conservative South African regime accused Lesotho of accepting refugees and harboring African National Congress operatives. South African troops attacked Maseru in 1982. About 4 years later their border blockades severed the kingdom from the outside world. A pro-South African military faction within Lesotho reacted by removing Chief Jonathan and establishing military rule. The king became a figurative head of state.

In 1993, Lesotho returned to democracy after 23 years of authoritarian rule. The current head of state is King Letsie III, and the head of government is Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisil. The Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), Basotho Congress Party (BCP), Basotho National Party (BNP), and Maramatlou Freedom Party (MFP) are the largest of 12 to 15 political parties. The political system remains very fragile and prone to disruption. The last general election on May 1998, was disputed and triggered civil tension that is still present. An Interim Political Authority will oversee the next elections.

The government consumes 21.5 percent of the GDP. The top income tax rate is 35 percent, and the average taxpayer pays a 25 percent marginal tax rate. The top corporate tax rate is 35 percent.

INFRASTRUCTURE, POWER, AND COMMUNICATIONS

Printed and electronic media are available from 3 sources. South African newspapers, magazines, radio and television are the most numerous and widespread. Of these independent publications, the Mopheme (Survivor) and The Mirror are the most popular. Catholic and Evangelical church newspapers that appear on a weekly and bi-weekly schedule are a second source. Finally, the Lesotho News Agency (LENA) provides government- sanctioned perspectives on all issues. One organ of this, the Lesotho National Broadcasting Service, offers programs in English and Sesotho. There are 2 FM radio stations and 1 AM radio station. LENA plans to establish an Internet news service in the next few years. The government tolerates criticism from independent media.

There is no national airline, but South African Airways offers direct flights from Johannesburg to Maseru. The 31 other airstrips scattered throughout the country

service private aircraft and occasional charter flights. The South African railroad stops near Maseru and connects to points within Southern Africa.

In 2000, 18.3 percent (800 kilometers/480 miles) of the roads were paved. The remaining 1,600 kilometers (960 miles) vary between high quality gravel corridors and rough dirt tracks. Road upgrades since 1970 were designed to unite the country, improve commerce, and reduce the dependence on peripheral South African roads.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS.

Adequate telephone service exists in and around Maseru and in settlements adjacent to the major roads. Many remote areas still await electrification. In 2000 there were approximately 30,000 telephones in use (about 1.4 per 100 people), and connections increase 13 percent each year. In 1995, a consortium (a cooperative group) of public and private telecommunications corporations combined to offer cellular service in Lesotho for the first time. Service will increase over the next decade so that remote areas will likely leap into the cellular age. There is 1 satellite Earth station for international calls. Personal computers are almost unknown, and the 1 Internet Service Provider appeared only recently.

ECONOMIC SECTORS

Lesotho's principle economic sectors are agriculture (18 percent), mining and manufacturing (38 percent), and retail /tourism/services (44 percent) in 1999, according to the CIA World Factbook. Although politically autonomous, Lesotho's economy is almost totally dependent on trade and cooperative development with the Republic of South Africa. Several reasons explain this dependence. First, South Africa completely surrounds mountainous Lesotho in the same manner that water surrounds an island. Thus, all commerce and travelers to and from Lesotho must pass through their wealthier neighbor which is also their dominant trading partner. Second, 75 percent of Lesotho families rely on wages earned in South African mines for at least some of their income. Any fluctuation in mine productivity affects Lesotho. Finally, political changes in South Africa greatly alter foreign aid and investment in Lesotho. In the past, the international donor community (wealthy industrialized nations) viewed this small mountain kingdom as an island of racial freedom surrounded by a South Africa locked in apartheid. When Nelson Mandela spearheaded majority rule, South Africa became a more important recipient of international development dollars.

AGRICULTURE

Agriculture employs a modest 57 percent of the labor force , mostly on subsistence farms. This figure is lower than similar developing countries as the mountain environment offers less terrain for growing crops and many adult males work in South African mines. While the CIA World Factbook estimates that 35 percent of the male wage earners do work in South African mines, it also estimates that 86 percent of the resident population is involved in subsistence agriculture, a much higher number.

Most crops and livestock are produced in small villages distant from the major roads. The products are consumed locally with the surplus shipped for sale and profit in outside markets. Maize, wheat, and sorghum predominate. As a percentage of the GDP, farming has declined from 50 percent in the 1970s, to just 18 percent in 2000. During the 1990s, about 13 percent of the country was cultivated. This amount is shrinking as soil erosion, droughts, and the destruction of farm equipment during civil unrest in 1998 take a cumulative toll. To stimulate exports to South Africa, the government is liberalizing price controls , improving roads, and encouraging monocropping of cut flowers, asparagus, and fruits.

Most farmers also raise livestock to supplement crops and maintain "food security" during drought years when crop yields are low. Animal husbandry is important everywhere and is often the only revenue source in the higher elevations. Sheep and goats that produce meat, milk, and very high quality wool and mohair are the most important animals. Cattle are also increasing because they fetch more lucrative contracts.

Lesotho's forest cover is very fragmented as neither the arid lowlands nor the colder highlands favor tree growth. The best stands are in riparian sites (located on the bank of a natural watercourse) and in sheltered mountain hillsides. Aggressive wood collection for cooking, warmth, and home construction prevents trees from attaining commercial stature. The Ministry of Agriculture manages one 874-hectare (2,518-acre) forest reserve of mostly rapidly growing eucalyptus. Fishing resources are also minimal in this landlocked country with no significant lakes. There is sport fishing for river trout, and village cooperatives are experimenting with fishponds (mostly carp) to boost protein in the local diet.

INDUSTRY

MINING.

Local mining and migratory labor to South African mines are essential to Lesotho's economic fortune. Diamond is the principal commercial mineral. Clay for manufacture into bricks and ceramic ware is also important. Deposits of coal, quartz, agate, galena, and uranium have been identified but are not yet commercially viable. Domestic mining and migratory mine wages account for 24 percent of total income in Lesotho. This amount exceeds comparable developing countries and stems from the unusual migratory labor pattern.

Traditional diamond mining from small and independent diggings averaged only 9,000 carats per year until 1977, when South African mining giant De Beers opened the Letseng-la-Terae open-cast mine. Production surged to 105,200 carats in 1980, so that high quality gemstones accounted for 55 percent of Lesotho's exports. The oscillating global diamond market produced many periods of boom and bust, and in 1983 De Beers ceased the Letseng-la-Terae operation. It was recently reopened under a new private/government partnership, and the rising demand for raw diamonds may also stimulate foreign investment in additional mines within Lesotho.

The "fixed contract" (or circular) migration of mostly 20-to 40-year-old male workers from Lesotho to South African mines is integral to the economy. It is also subject to market forces, and since the late 1990s, falling output from South African mines has reduced the need for foreign labor. In 2001 this demand dropped to its lowest level since the early 1970s. Still, 25 percent of Lesotho's total labor force engages in what are typically fixed-term contracts of 12 months. Remittances from mine employment accounted for 45 percent of Lesotho's GNP from 1983-91 (30 percent of each paycheck is now "deferred" until the worker returns home). If this downward spiral continues, Lesotho will face severe unemployment and a staggering loss of outside earnings that have been the primary source of family support and economic development since independence.

MANUFACTURING.

Manufacturing as a percentage of the GDP rose from 8 percent in 1980 to 18 percent in 2000. This rapidly expanding sector employs 24,000 people. Basotho workers produce clothing, footwear, leather goods, handicrafts, furniture, pottery and tapestries from mostly imported raw materials. Finished goods are exported primarily to South Africa and the United States. This sector will continue to improve if the political situation remains stable.

Increasing both output and employment is an important government objective, although achieving these goals has proved contentious. Prior to 1965 the industrial base was small because geographic isolation, poor infrastructure, and no access to major commerce routes restricted growth. In 1967 the government founded the Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC) to attract foreign investment. The effort succeeded but hurt "indigenous" enterprise that lacked the entrepreneurial capacity and financial resources to compete with government/foreign partnerships. Basotho workers resented some foreign operations, especially those under Chinese ownership, for their demeaning labor practices (low compensation, unpaid overtime, gender bias), and apparent bribing of local officials to skirt labor laws. From 1992 to 1998, repeated strikes, walkouts, and political rallies diminished productivity. Teachers, manufacturing workers, and even those staffing the Highlands Water Project participated. Moreover, the protests coincided with the transition to majority rule and erasure of economic sanctions against South Africa, which opened their larger labor force and excellent infrastructure to the same outside investors.

ENERGY: WATER.

Begun in 1986, the Lesotho Highlands Water Development Project (LHWDP) has been the most important economic and resource development project in Lesotho. Water exports started in 1998 and are now a reliable source of foreign income. Much of the water is bound for South Africa. Leadership from the World Bank and a consortium of public and private sources financed the project that provides Lesotho with 4,000 jobs, water, and energy. More hydropower stations are under construction so that the kingdom will soon export power to South Africa. The government is also investigating the possibilities of solar and LHWDP power for its rural areas.

SERVICES

TOURISM.

When compared to South Africa, traveling in Lesotho is very inexpensive. Commercial accommodation and food are available in the larger towns. Elsewhere, Basotho farmers and herders accept tourists into their homes for a small fee or bartered item. Tourists choose to hike, pony trek, bird watch (over 300 species), and observe a rural subsistence way of life. A pony trekking cooperative offers highland routes that overnight in villages. The cool upland air and a fine reputation for local hospitality also explain why tourism is flourishing. Lesotho offers free entry visas and compared with much of Africa, risk of crime and disease is low.

FINANCIAL SERVICES.

Despite pervasive state involvement in the financial sector, state control is shrinking, as are revenues from state-owned enterprises and government property ownership. The government plans to privatize the state-owned Lesotho Bank that formulates and implements monetary policy and advises on fiscal policy . Foreign banks operate in the kingdom. Procuring credit for investment and land purchases remains beyond financial reach for most Basotho.

RETAIL.

Maseru offers the only significant hotel, dining, and retail enterprise with department stores and specialty shops marketing Basotho handicrafts. Teyateyaneng is the center of traditional arts and crafts industries such as tapestries, tribal wool products, and handcrafts.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Lesotho joined the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in 1994. The organization promotes economic growth and cooperation among its 14 member states. The kingdom also participates with South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Swaziland, in the South African Customs Union (SACU) to encourage free trade and economic exchange. Unfortunately, most SACU members are similarly underdeveloped. In 2000 the import of goods and services equaled approximately US$780 million. The net foreign direct investment was US$196 million.

The main exports are textiles (clothing and footwear), raw wool and mohair, agricultural produce (corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley), livestock (cattle, sheep, and goats, and building materials (especially ceramics). The

SACU accounts for 65 percent of export trade, with North America (34 percent), and the European Union (.07 percent) following. The primary imports include cereals, food ingredients, machinery, medical supplies, and oil and petroleum products. As with exports, the major import trading partners are the SACU (90 percent), Asia (7.4 percent), and the European Union (1.5 percent). There are no export controls except for diamonds, which require a license.

MONEY

The loti is pegged with the South African rand; both currencies are legal tender in Lesotho. Those wanting to exchange maloti for convertible currency (dollars, marks, francs, etc.) usually exchange inside Lesotho, or change for South African rand, which is then convertible worldwide. Lesotho's currency is convertible internationally but is very uncommon outside of Southern Africa. In January 2000, US$1=6.125 maloti, a rate that has remained stable in the last 3 years. There is no domestic exchange rate policy, and there are no controls on regional exchange flows. The average inflation rate is approximately 8.5 percent.

POVERTY AND WEALTH

Despite significant economic progress, Lesotho remains one of world's poorest countries. The average citizen

survives on less than 2 dollars per day. Half the population exists below the United Nations poverty line. Only 14 percent of the urban residents have good access to water. The most telling statistic is that 16.5 percent of children under 5 years of age suffer from malnutrition, a figure that swells during droughts.

In comparison to the majority of African nations the overall health of the population is good. The mountainous climate and southern latitude preclude tropical diseases that devastate developing regions elsewhere. Public health expenditures amount to only 3.7 percent of the GDP in 1990-98, yet 80 percent of the population has access to health services even though many medicines are unavailable. Those with money can use South Africa's excellent health system. There are 50 doctors and 33 nurses per 10,000 people. Only 23 percent use birth control.

The AIDS epidemic that is pervasive throughout Africa is evident in Lesotho. In 2001, 25 percent of those between the ages of 15 and 49 were infected with HIV/AIDS, and the rate grows each year. Tuberculosis also strains the health-care system to capacity. The government is sponsoring aggressive prevention, control, and screening programs for both diseases. In 2000, the World Bank issued a US$6.5 million credit to improve access to quality preventive, curative, and rehabilitative health care services.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The World Bank estimates that approximately 35 percent of the labor force is unemployed or underemployed . Another 50 percent are fully or partially employed in South Africa. About 86 percent of the population is rural subsistence farmers and herders. As is the case throughout sub-Saharan Africa, this cohort lives in "roundavels" (circular mud and thatch huts) with outdoor plumbing, oil lamps, and wood heat. Many villages are not connected to roadways. Fewer than 10 percent of the population works in the service and retail industry where wages are low and mistreatment by foreign-owned manufacturing plants resulted in mass civil unrest during the mid-1990s. There are no labor unions.

COUNTRY HISTORY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1600s. Sotho people arrive in present-day Lesotho, intermarry with the Khoisans, and establish trade links in Southern Africa.

1800. White traders introduce cattle. Boer pioneers usurp Sotho.

1820. Basotho emerge as Moshoeshoe the Great unites Sotho.

1860s. Boer wars and British intervention cost Basotho much of the western lowlands.

1880. The British gain control and prevent Lesotho's inclusion into the newly formed Union of South Africa, which spares Lesotho from apartheid.

1966. Basotholand becomes independent "Lesotho."

1970. The first prime minister, Chief Jonathan, is defeated at the 1970 poll; he suspends the constitution, expels the king, and bans the opposition.

1983. South Africa closes Lesotho's borders after Jonathan criticizes South African apartheid, strangling the country economically.

1984. Lesotho Highlands Water Development Project (LHWDP) initiated.

1986-97. A period of political unrest, coups, and skirmishes between rebel troops and government loyalists. Moshoeshoe II eventually gains power then dies in a car accident.

1994. Lesotho joins the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

1998. Elections are held under alleged cheating. Fearing violence the government calls on SADC treaty partners (Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe) to help restore order. South African troops enter the kingdom and heavy fighting engulfs Maseru. Eighty percent of the shops and other businesses are severely damaged.

2000. Government promises to call new elections and privatize more enterprise.

FUTURE TRENDS

As with many developing nations, Lesotho must reconcile population growth with limited agricultural, infrastructure, and monetary resources. An isolated geographic location lacking access to the sea, overgrazing, and soil erosion are other severe problems. Failure to reverse these trends will impose severe economic hardship.

The AIDS epidemic, political unrest, and declining migrant remittances from South Africa also cloud the future. Ironically, South Africa's adroit transition to majority rule made that country more attractive to foreign investment and ended Lesotho's role as an island of racial freedom. As a result, foreign assistance was reduced and, in many cases, redirected to healing wounds in South Africa.

There are 3 phenomena that will largely determine Lesotho's future. First, the Highlands Water Project must continue expanding to generate more profit, domestic power and reliable employment. Second, sustaining political stability to attract additional foreign enterprise is critical to grow employment and domestic capital. Finally, achieving zero population growth through family planning (instead of HIV/AIDS and outmigration) will reduce pressure on agricultural and grazing lands. Accomplishing these objectives will situate this tiny nation in an excellent position to prosper when Africa begins to fully industrialize later this century.

DEPENDENCIES

Lesotho has no territories or colonies.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Economist Intelligence Unit. Country Profile: Lesotho. London: Economist Intelligence Unit, 2001.

Lundahl, Mats, and Lennart Petersson. The Dependent Economy: Lesotho and the Southern African Customs Union. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1991.

Mochebelele, Motsamai T., and Alex Winter-Nelson. "MigrantLabor and Farm Technical Efficiency in Lesotho." World Development. Vol. 28, No. 1, 2000.

Murray, C. Families Divided: The Impact of Migrant Labour in Lesotho. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1981.

U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. World Factbook 2001. <http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html>. Accessed October 2001.

U.S. Department of State. Background Notes: Lesotho, August 1999. <http://www.state.gov/www/background_notes/lesotho_ 9908_bgn.html>. Accessed October 2001.

World Bank Group. "Countries: Lesotho." World Bank. <http://www.worldbank.org/afr/ls2.htm>. Accessed May 2001.

Stephen F. Cunha

CAPITAL:

Maseru.

MONETARY UNIT:

Loti (L) (the plural form is maloti). One loti equals 100 lisente. Notes include denominations 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 maloti. Coins include denominations of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 500 lisente. The South African Rand is also accepted as legal currency on par with the loti.

CHIEF EXPORTS:

Textiles (clothing and footwear), raw wool and mohair, agricultural produces (corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley), livestock (cattle, sheep, and goats).

CHIEF IMPORTS:

Food, building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, fuels.

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT:

US$5.1 billion (purchasing power parity, 2000 est.).

BALANCE OF TRADE:

Exports: US$260 million (2000). Imports: US$780 million (2000). [The CIA World Factbook 2001 estimated exports at US$175 million f.o.b. and imports at US$700 million f.o.b. for 2000.]