Country Summary: Lesotho (Kingdom of Lesotho)
Country Name: Lesotho (Kingdom of Lesotho)
Capital: Maseru
Government Type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Background: 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 by which Basutoland became a British protectorate, and after 1884, a crown colony. Upon 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 but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995 and subsequently 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 the electoral law was applied to award proportional seats in the Assembly. In 2012, competitive elections involving 18 parties 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 February 2015 after the collapse of THABANE’s coalition government and an alleged attempted military coup. In June 2017, THABANE returned to become prime minister but stepped down in May 2020 after being implicated in his estranged wife’s murder. He was succeeded by Moseketsi MAJORO. In October 2022, Ntsokoane Samuel MATEKANE was inaugurated as prime minister and head of a three-party coalition featuring his Revolution for Prosperity (RFP), then Monyane MOLELEKI-led Alliance of Democrats (AD), and the Selibe MOCHOBOROANE-led Movement for Economic Change (MEC).
Continent: Africa
Population: 2,210,646 (2023 est.)
Ethnic Groups: Sotho 99.7%, other 0.3% (includes Kwena, Nguni (Hlubi and Phuthi), Zulu)
Languages: Sesotho (official) (southern Sotho), 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.)
Economic Overview: 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
Currency: Lesotho (Basotho) Loti (LSL)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange & Gold: $774.095 million (2019 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $5.166 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars
Real GDP Growth Rate: 1.11% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP per Capita: $2,200 (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars
Exports:
$1.07 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Comparison Ranking: 180
Export Commodities: diamonds, clothing and apparel, wool, low-voltage protection equipment, wheat flours (2021)
Export Partners: United States 29%, Belgium 26%, South Africa 25%, Switzerland 6% (2019)
Imports:
$2.244 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Comparison Ranking: 172
Import Commodities: refined petroleum, clothing and apparel, packaged medicines, delivery trucks, poultry meats (2019)
Import Partners: South Africa 85%, China 5% (2019)
Natural Resources: water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone
Agricultural Products: milk, potatoes, maize, vegetables, fruit, beef, game meat, mutton, beans, wool
Industries: food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism
Industrial Production Growth Rate:
-0.12% (2022 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Comparison Ranking: 163
Labor Force: 990,000 (2022 est.)
Unemployment Rate: 16.75% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment
Natural Hazards: periodic droughts
Geography:
Total: 30,355 sq km
Land: 30,355 sq km
Water: 0 sq km
(Country Summary, The World Factbook, CIA.gov)
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