Everything about Lesotho totally explained
The districts are further subdivided into 80 constituencies, which consists of 129 local community councils.
Geography
Lesotho covers 30,355
square kilometres (11,720
sq mi). The most notable geographic fact about Lesotho, apart from its status as an
enclave, is that it's the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) in elevation. Its lowest point is 1,400 metres (4,593 ft), and over 80% of the country lies above 1,800 metres (5,900 ft).
Climate
Due to its altitude, Lesotho remains cooler throughout the year than other regions at the same latitude. Most of the rain falls as summer
thunderstorms.
Maseru and surrounding lowlands often reach 30 °
C (86 °
F) in summer. Winters can be cold with the lowlands getting down to −7 °C (19 °F) and the highlands to −18 °C (0 °F) at times.
Snow is common in the
deserts and low
valleys between May and September; the higher peaks can experience snowfalls year-round.
Economy
Lesotho's economy is based on exports of
water sold to South Africa, manufacturing, agriculture, livestock, and to some extent the earnings of laborers employed in South Africa. Lesotho also exports
diamonds,
wool,
mohair,
clothing, and
footwear. One of
Levi's jeans manufacturing facilities is located there. 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 who remain 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 utilised through the 21-year, multi-billion-dollar
Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), which began in 1986. The LHWP is designed to capture, store, and transfer water from the
Orange River system 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 US from sub-Saharan Africa. Exports totaled over $320 million in 2002. Employment reached over 50,000, marking the first time that manufacturing sector workers outnumbered government employees. Asian investors own all factories.
Lesotho has nearly 6,000 kilometers of unpaved and modern all-weather roads. There is a short freight rail line linking Lesotho with South Africa that's owned and operated by South Africa.
The official currency is the
loti (plural: maloti), but can be used interchangeably with the South African
rand. Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, and South Africa also form a common currency and exchange control area known as the
Common Monetary Area (CMA). The loti is at par with the rand, while one hundred
lisente equal one loti.
Lesotho is a member of the
Southern African Customs Union (SACU), in which tariffs have been eliminated on the trade of goods between other member countries
Botswana,
Namibia,
South Africa, and
Swaziland.
Lesotho has received economic aid from a variety of sources, including the
United States, the
World Bank,
Ireland, the
United Kingdom, the
European Union, and
Germany.
Tourism is a slowly growing industry. A ski resort recently opened in the high
Maluti Mountains is drawing tourists from South Africa.
Significant levels of child labour exist in Lesotho, and the country is in the process of formulating an Action Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (APEC), which is likely to be adopted in the period 2006-2007 (see
Child labour in Lesotho).
Demographics
Population
Lesotho has a population of approximately 1.881 million, according to 2006 Census. The population distribution of Lesotho is 23.8 percent urban and 76.2 percent rural. Population density is lower in the highlands than in the western lowlands. Although the majority of the population -- 57.6 percent -- is between 15 and 64 years of age, Lesotho has a substantial youth population numbering around 37 percent. The annual population growth is -0.46%.
Languages
Lesotho's ethno-linguistic structure consists almost entirely of the Basotho, a Bantu-speaking people. The Kwena (Bakoena) are the largest subgroup of the Sotho; other Basotho subgroups include the Natal (North) Nguni, Batloung (the Tlou), Baphuthi (the Phuti), Bafokeng, Bataung (the Tau), Bats'oeneng (the tso'ene) and the Cape (South) Nguni (Thembu).
Sesotho (Southern Sotho) and English languages are both official.
Afrikaans,
Zulu,
Xhosa and
French are also spoken.
Religion
Roman Catholics, the largest religious group, make up more than two-fifths of the population; smaller groups include the Lesotho
Evangelical Church which comprises more than one-fourth of the population;
Anglican, one-ninth; and other Christian and tribal religions.
Education and literacy
An estimated 85 percent of the population 15 and over was literate, according to recent estimates. As such, Lesotho boasts one of the higher literacy rates in Africa. Although education isn't compulsory, the Government of Lesotho is incrementally implementing a programme for free primary education. It was expected that the program would be fully in place by 2006.
HIV/AIDS
With a shortage of trained personnel and medical supplies, Lesotho is severely afflicted by
HIV/
AIDS. According to recent estimates, the
prevalence is about 29%, one of the highest in the world. The United Nations projects that this will rise to 36% within fifteen years, resulting in a sharp drop in life expectancy. According to the Lesotho Bureau of Statistics, in 2001 life expectancy was estimated at forty-eight years for men and fifty-six for women. Recent statistics estimate about thirty-seven years. Many children have lost parents. Traditionally lavish funerals leave survivors with another burden.
The government of Lesotho was initially slow to recognise the scale of the crisis, and its efforts to date in combating the spread of the disease have had limited success. In 1999, the government finalised 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 hosted a SADC Extraordinary Summit on HIV/AIDS.
In 2005, programs for the distribution of
anti-retrovirals were initiated. One such program is in
Hlotse,
Leribe at Tsepong Clinic which is part of Motebang Hospital. However, such programs remain limited in resources and have relatively few participants.
The government has also started a proactive program called "Know your status" to test for HIV everyone in the country who wants to be tested. The program is funded by the
Clinton Foundation and started in June of 2006.
Bill Clinton and
Microsoft chairman
Bill Gates visited Lesotho in July 2006 to assess its fight against AIDS. Dubbed "The two Bills" by the media, the two men visited the
Mafeteng Hospital which is about 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of the capital,
Maseru, to assess progress in public health endeavours funded by their respective foundations.
Taxation
The taxation system in Lesotho has undergone major revisions in recent years (in part due to the establishment of the Lesotho Revenue Authority in 2003 - www.lra.org.ls).
Personal income tax: Personal income tax is due on income above M14,000 per annum, with a tax credit of M3,500. The standard rate is 25%, with a 35% rate on income over a certain threshold.
Company / corporate tax: The headline rate is 25%, with a special 10% rate on income generated from manufacturing, and a 0% rate for income generated from exporting manufactures to outside the Southern African Customs Union (the so called extra-SACU rate). Capital depreciation allowances exist and are 25% for most types of capital asset.
Value Added Tax: VAT was introduced in 2003 at 14% (replacing a 10% Government Sales Tax). An upfront VAT refund facility is in operation that effectively means that no VAT is paid on inputs into goods destined for export (a big help to Lesotho's garment exporters).
Dividends paid to non-residents and interest are subject to a 25 percent withholding tax. Resident companies that pay dividends must make an advance income tax payment of 53.8 percent, unless the dividends are paid out of manufacturing income or out of dividends paid by another resident company. Manufacturing companies pay no tax on dividends. Repatriated income is subject to a 25 percent tax.
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). It is also active in the
United Nations (UN), the
African Union, the
Non-Aligned Movement, the
Commonwealth, and many other international organizations.
South Africa, the United States, Libya, Ireland, China, Botswana and the European Union all currently retain resident diplomatic missions in Lesotho. The British High Commission closed in 2005 and the UK is now represented in Lesotho by its High Commissioner resident in South Africa.
His Excellency, Prince
Seeiso Bereng Seeiso is the present High Commissioner of the Kingdom of Lesotho to the
Court of St. James's. The UN is represented by a resident mission as well, including
UNDP,
UNICEF,
WHO,
FAO,
WFP, and
UNAIDS.
Historically, Lesotho has maintained generally close ties with
Ireland, but also with the United Kingdom (
Wales in particular), Germany, the United States and other Western states. Although in 1990 it broke relations with the
People's Republic of China (PRC) and re-established relations with
Taiwan, it later restored ties with the PRC.
Lesotho also recognises the
State of Palestine. In the past, it 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.
Culture
Traditional musical instruments include
lekolulo, a kind of flute used by herding boys,
setolo-tolo, played by men using their mouth, and the women's stringed
thomo.
The national anthem of Lesotho is "Lesotho Fatše La Bo-ntata Rona," which literally translates into "Lesotho, Land Of Our Fathers."
The traditional style of housing in Lesotho is called a
rondavel.
The
Morija Arts & Cultural Festival is a prominent Sesotho arts and music festival. It is held annually in the historical town of Morija, where the first missionaries arrived in 1833.
and List of writers from Lesotho
Human rights
Lesotho is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. King Letsie III is the head of state but has no executive authority. In 2002, Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili was re-elected in what were judged to be free and fair elections. The government works to respect the civil and human rights of its citizens; however some serious abuses were reported in the past year. Police and security forces have been known to use excessive force and torture against detainees, often with impunity. The judiciary is subject to external influences and due process can't be guaranteed. Lengthy pre-trial detention and long delays in trial are problems. Child labor and discrimination against persons with disabilities and HIV/AIDS are other known abuses committed in the region.
Assassinated leaders
Selometsi Baholo, Deputy Prime Minister
Makhele
Motuba
Seheri
Selala Sekhonyana
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