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Lesotho

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: African Countries;
Countries

   SOS Children works in Lesotho. For more information see SOS Children in
   Lesotho, Africa
                              Muso oa Lesotho
   Kingdom of Lesotho

   Flag of Lesotho Coat of arms of Lesotho
   Flag            Coat of arms
   Motto: "Khotso, Pula, Nala"  ( Sotho)
   "Peace, Rain, Prosperity"
   Anthem: Lesotho Fatse La Bontata Rona
   Location of Lesotho
   Capital
   (and largest city)         Maseru
                              29°18′S 27°28′E
       Official languages     Sesotho, English
   Government                 Constitutional monarchy
    - King                    Letsie III
    - Prime Minister          Pakalitha Mosisili
          Independence
    - from the United Kingdom October 4, 1966
                                   Area
    - Total                   30,355 km² ( 140th)
                              11,717 sq mi
    - Water (%)               negligible
                                Population
    - July 2005 estimate      1,795,000^1 ( 146th)
    - 2004 census             1,861,959
    - Density                 59/km² ( 138th)
                              153/sq mi
           GDP ( PPP)         2005 estimate
    - Total                   $4.996 billion ( 150th)
    - Per capita              $2,113 ( 139th)
          HDI  (2003)         0.497 (low) ( 149th)
            Currency          Loti ( LSL)
           Time zone          ( UTC+2)
          Internet TLD        .ls
          Calling code        +266
   ^1 Estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects
   of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life
   expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population
   and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age
   and sex than would otherwise be expected.

   Lesotho (pronounced [lɪˈsuːtu]), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is
   a land-locked country, entirely surrounded by the Republic of South
   Africa. Formerly Basutoland, it is a member of the Commonwealth of
   Nations. The name Lesotho roughly translates into "the land of the
   people who speak Sotho."

History

   The earliest inhabitants of the area were Khoisan hunter-gatherers.
   They were largely replaced by Bantu-speaking tribes during Bantu
   migrations. The present Lesotho emerged as a single polity (state)
   under paramount chief Moshoeshoe I in 1822; it was recognized by
   Britain on 13 December 1843,and on 12 March 1868 became the High
   Commission Territories. On 30 April 1965 it was granted autonomy. Its
   name was changed when Lesotho gained full independence from the United
   Kingdom on October 4, 1966. In January 1970 the ruling Basotho National
   Party (BNP) lost the first post-independence general elections, with 23
   seats to the Basutoland Congress Party's 36. Prime Minister Leabua
   Jonathan refused to cede power to the Basotho Congress Party (BCP),
   declared himself Tono Kholo (Sesotho translation of prime minister),
   and imprisoned the BCP leadership.

   The BCP began a rebellion and then received training in Libya for its
   Lesotho Liberation Army (LLA) under the pretence of being Azanian
   People's Liberation Army (APLA) soldiers of the Pan Africanist Congress
   (PAC). Deprived of arms and supplies by the Sibeko faction of the PAC
   in 1978, the 178-strong LLA was rescued from their Tanzanian base by
   the financial assistance of a Maoist PAC officer but launched the
   guerilla war with a handful of old weapons. The main force was defeated
   in northern Lesotho and thereafter guerrillas launched sporadic but
   usually ineffectual attacks. The campaign was severely compromised when
   Ntsu Mokhehle, the BCP leader, went over to Pretoria. In the early
   1980s, several Basotho who sympathized with the exiled BCP were
   threatened with death and attacked by the government of Leabua
   Jonathan. In September 1981 Edgar Mahlomola Motuba was taken from his
   home and murdered. A few months later the family of Benjamin Masilo was
   attacked.

   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 1987, 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 Justin Metsing
   Lekhanya, was ousted in 1991 and then replaced by Major General Elias
   Phisoana 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 favour 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
   peaceful demonstration outside the royal palace in August 2000. Exact
   details of what followed are greatly disputed and it remains a
   contentious topic even within South Africa, but in September of that
   year, an SADC task force operating on orders of unclear provenance
   entered the capital city. While the Botswana troops were welcomed,
   tensions with South African National Defence Force troops were high,
   resulting in fighting. Incidences of sporadic rioting intensified when
   South African troops hoisted a South African flag over the Royal
   Palace. By the time the SADC forces withdrew in May 1999, much of
   Maseru lay in ruins, and the southern provincial capital towns of
   Mafeteng and Mohale's Hoek had seen the loss of over a third of their
   commercial real estate. A number of South Africans and Basotho also
   tragically died in the fighting.

   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 the
   opposition would be represented 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, gaining 54% of the
   vote. For the first time, however, opposition political parties won
   significant numbers of seats, and despite some irregularities and
   threats of violence from Major General Lekhanya, Lesotho experienced
   its first peaceful election. 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.

   Pakalitha Mosisili is the current Prime Minister. Prime Minister
   Mosisili's major issue is solving the problem of AIDS in Africa.

Politics

   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 predominantly 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.
   Administrative division.
   Enlarge
   Administrative division.

Administrative divisions

   Administratively, Lesotho is divided into ten districts, each headed by
   a district secretary. Each district has a capital known as a camptown.
     * Berea
     * Butha-Buthe
     * Leribe
     * Mafeteng
     * Maseru

                    * Mohale's Hoek
                    * Mokhotlong
                    * Qacha's Nek
                    * Quthing
                    * Thaba-Tseka

   The districts are further subdivided into wards, which are presided
   over by hereditary chiefs and administered by district coordinators.

Geography

   Satellite image of Lesotho, generated from raster graphics data
   supplied by The Map Library
   Enlarge
   Satellite image of Lesotho, generated from raster graphics data
   supplied by The Map Library

   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 is the only independent state in the world that
   lies entirely above 1,000 meters (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

   Snow on the Lesotho Moteng pass
   Enlarge
   Snow on the Lesotho Moteng pass

   Lesotho, due to its altitude, remains cooler in the mountains
   throughout the year, with most of the rain falling as summer
   thunderstorms. Maseru and surrounding lowlands can often reach 30º C
   (86° F)in the summer months. Winters can be cold with the lowlands
   getting down to -7ºC (19°F)and the highlands to -18ºC (0°F) at times.
   Snow is common in the deserts and low valleys between May and
   September, however the higher peaks can experience snowfalls
   year-round.

Economy

   Lesotho's economy is based on exports of water and electricity 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
   surroundedSouth 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.
   Malealea, Lesotho landscape
   Enlarge
   Malealea, Lesotho landscape

   Water is Lesotho's only significant natural resource. It is being
   exploited through the 20-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 over $320 million in 2002. Employment reached over
   50,000, marking the first time that manufacturing sector workers
   outnumbered government employees. Asian investors own most factories.
   River Makhaleng Gorges in the Highlands of Lesotho
   Enlarge
   River Makhaleng Gorges in the Highlands of Lesotho

   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. 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 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 between other member countries Botswana, Namibia, South Africa,
   and Swaziland. Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, and South Africa 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.

   Tourism is a slow growing industry in Lesotho. A skiing resort recently
   opened in the high Maluti mountains is drawing tourist from South
   Africa.
   The Afriski resort in the Maluti Mountains of Lesotho
   Enlarge
   The Afriski resort in the Maluti Mountains of Lesotho

   Significant levels of child labour are found in Lesotho, and the
   country is in the process of formulating an Action Programme on the
   Elimination of Child Labour (APEC). This is expected to be adopted in
   the period 2006-2007.

HIV/AIDS

   A house in Lesotho.
   Enlarge
   A house in Lesotho.
   Malealea, situated in a remote part of Western Lesotho.
   Enlarge
   Malealea, situated in a remote part of Western Lesotho.

   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 about 37 years.

   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.

   Short of trained personnel and medical supplies, Lesotho is severely
   afflicted by HIV/AIDS. Many children have lost parents. Traditionally
   lavish funerals leave survivors with another burden.

   In 2005/2006, programs for the distribution of anti-retrovirals have
   been initiated. For example, one such program is in Hlotse, Leribe at
   Motebang Hospital. However, such programs remain limited in resources
   and have relatively few participants.

   The government of Lesotho has also started a proactive initiative
   called " know your status" to test every person in the country for HIV
   if the person wants to be tested. The testing program is being funded
   by the Clinton Foundation and aims to start 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 or 50 miles south of the capital,
   Maseru, to assess progress in public health endeavours funded by their
   respective foundations.

Foreign relations

   The flag used by Lesotho until October 2006.
   Enlarge
   The flag used by Lesotho until October 2006.

   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. South Africa, the United States, Libya,
   Ireland (Consulate General), China, 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. 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 Kingdom (Wales in particular), Germany, the United States and
   other Western states. Although Lesotho decided in 1990 to break
   relations with the People's Republic of China (P.R.C.) and re-establish
   relations with Taiwan, it has since restored ties with the P.R.C.
   Lesotho also recognised Palestine as a state. 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.
   A gorge in Lesotho.
   Enlarge
   A gorge in Lesotho.

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 Morija Arts & Cultural Festival is a prominent Sotho music
   festival. It is held annually in the historical town of Morija, where
   the first missionaries arrived in 1833.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesotho"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
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