Lesotho

Location

• Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
• landlocked, surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 m (5,900 ft) above sea level

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Maseru	359,753	Capital
Maputsoe	61,916
Mohale's Hoek	46,593
Mafeteng	45,287
Hlotse	43,967
Butha-Buthe	40,599
Mabote	38,047
Quthing	33,910
Teyateyaneng	27,272
Qacha’s Nek	25,573

Size

• 11,720 square miles
• 30,355 square kilometers
• slightly smaller than Maryland

History

Paramount chief MOSHOESHOE I consolidated what would become Basutoland in the early 19th century and made himself king in 1822. Continuing encroachments by Dutch settlers from the neighboring Orange Free State caused the king to enter into an 1868 agreement with the UK that made Basutoland first a British protectorate and, after 1884, a crown colony. After gaining independence in 1966, the country was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho. The Basotho National Party ruled the country during its first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE II was exiled in 1990, returned to Lesotho in 1992, was reinstated in 1995, and was then succeeded by his son, King LETSIE III, in 1996. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Batswana military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections in 2007 were hotly contested, and aggrieved parties disputed how seats were awarded. In 2012, competitive elections saw Prime Minister Motsoahae Thomas THABANE form a coalition government -- the first in the country's history -- that ousted the 14-year incumbent, Pakalitha MOSISILI, who peacefully transferred power the following month. MOSISILI returned to power in snap elections in 2015 after the collapse of THABANE’s coalition government and an alleged attempted military coup. In 2017, THABANE returned to become prime minister but stepped down in 2020 after being implicated in his estranged wife’s murder. He was succeeded by Moseketsi MAJORO. In 2022, Ntsokoane Samuel MATEKANE was inaugurated as prime minister and head of a three-party coalition.

Climate

temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers

Terrain

mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains

Languages

Sesotho (official), English (official), Phuthi, Xhosa, Zulu

Religions

Protestant 47.8% (Pentecostal 23.1%, Lesotho Evangelical 17.3%, Anglican 7.4%), Roman Catholic 39.3%, other Christian 9.1%, non-Christian 1.4%, none 2.3% (2014 est.)

Government

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

• Constitution: history: previous 1959, 1967; latest adopted 2 April 1993 (effectively restoring the 1967 version)amendment process: proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions, including fundamental rights and freedoms, sovereignty of the kingdom, the office of the king, and powers of Parliament, requires a majority vote by the National Assembly, approval by the Senate, approval in a referendum by a majority of qualified voters, and assent of the king; passage of amendments other than those specified provisions requires at least a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of Parliament
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: mixed system of English common law and Roman-Dutch law; High Court and Court of Appeal review legislative acts
• Executive Branch: chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996)head of government: Prime Minister Ntsokoane Samuel MATEKANE (28 October 2022)cabinet: consists of the prime minister (appointed by the King on the advice of the Council of State), the deputy prime minister, and 18 other ministers; the prime minister is the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the National Assemblyelection/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary but has no executive or legislative powers under the constitution; under traditional law, the College of Chiefs has the power to depose the monarch, determine next in line of succession, or serve as regent in the event that a successor is not of mature agenote: King LETSIE III previously occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995 while his father was in exile
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, such number of justices of appeal as set by Parliament, and the Chief Justice and the puisne judges of the High Court ex officio); High Court (consists of the chief justice and such number of puisne judges as set by Parliament)judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal president and High Court chief justice appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; puisne judges appointed by the monarch on advice of the Judicial Service Commission, an independent body of judicial officers and officials designated by the monarch; judges of both courts can serve until age 75subordinate courts: Magistrate Courts; customary or traditional courts; military courtsnote: both the Court of Appeal and the High Court have jurisdiction in constitutional issues
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Parliamentlegislative structure: bicameral

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• lower middle-income economy surrounded by South Africa; environmentally fragile and politically unstable; key infrastructure and renewable energy investments; dire poverty; urban job and income losses due to COVID-19; systemic corruption
• Budget: revenues: $1.13 billion (2022 est.)expenditures: $1.256 billion (2022 est.)note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone
• Industries: food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism
• Agricultural Products: milk, potatoes, maize, vegetables, fruits, sorghum, wheat, game meat, beans, wool (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 74.8% (2022 est.)arable land: 8.8% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 0.1% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 65.9% (2022 est.)forest: 1.1% (2022 est.)other: 24.1% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: refined petroleum, fabric, trucks, garments, cotton fabric (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: South Africa 78%, China 10%, Taiwan 3%, Japan 1%, India 1% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: diamonds, garments, wool, power equipment, bedding (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: South Africa 31%, Belgium 26%, USA 20%, UAE 8%, India 8% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports