*Lebanon, Defense Forces
Branches:
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF; including Army, Navy, and Air Force)
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 798,299; fit for military service 495,763 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $271 million, 8.2% of GDP (1992 budget)
*Lesotho, Geography
Location:
Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
Map references:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
30,350 km2
land area:
30,350 km2
comparative area:
slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total 909 km, South Africa 909 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none; landlocked
International disputes:
none
Climate:
temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain:
mostly highland with some plateaus, hills, and mountains
Natural resources:
some diamonds and other minerals, water, agricultural and grazing land
Land use:
arable land:
10%
permanent crops:
0% meadows and pastures:
66%
forest and woodland:
0%
other:
24%
Irrigated land:
NA km2
Environment:
population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in
overgrazing, severe soil erosion, soil exhaustion; desertification
Note:
landlocked; surrounded by South Africa; Highlands Water Project will
control, store, and redirect water to South Africa
*Lesotho, People
Population:
1,896,484 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.52% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
34.64 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
9.44 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
71.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
61.73 years
male:
59.91 years
female:
63.6 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.6 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
adjective:
Basotho
Ethnic divisions:
Sotho 99.7%, Europeans 1,600, Asians 800
Religions:
Christian 80%, rest indigenous beliefs
Languages:
Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1966)
total population:
59%
male: 44%
female:
68%
Labor force:
689,000 economically active
by occupation:
86.2% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 60%
of active male labor force works in South Africa
*Lesotho, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Kingdom of Lesotho
conventional short form:
Lesotho
former:
Basutoland
Digraph:
LT
Type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
Maseru
Administrative divisions:
10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek,
Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka
Independence:
4 October 1966 (from UK)
Constitution:
4 October 1966, suspended January 1970
Legal system:
based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of
legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
Political parties and leaders:
Basotho National Party (BNP), Evaristus SEKHONYANA; Basutoland Congress
Party (BCP), Ntsu MOKHEHLE; National Independent Party (NIP), A. C. MANYELI;
Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP), Vincent MALEBO; United Democratic Party,
Charles MOFELI; Communist Party of Lesotho (CPL), JCOB M. KENA
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal
Elections:
National Assembly:
dissolved following the military coup in January 1986; military has pledged
elections will take place in March 1993
Executive branch:
monarch, chairman of the Military Council, Military Council, Council of
Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
none - the bicameral Parliament was dissolved following the military coup in
January 1986; note - a National Constituent Assembly convened in June 1990
to rewrite the constitution and debate issues of national importance, but it
has no legislative authority
Judicial branch:
High Court, Court of Appeal
Leaders:
Chief of State:
King LETSIE III (since 12 November 1990 following dismissal of his father,
exiled King MOSHOESHOE II, by Maj. Gen. LEKHANYA)
Head of Government:
Chairman of the Military Council Gen. Elias Phisoana RAMAEMA (since 30 April
1991)
Member of:
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
*Lesotho, Government
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Designate Teboho KITLEI
chancery:
2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 797-5534
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Leonard H.O. SPEARMAN, Sr.
embassy:
address NA, Maseru
mailing address:
P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100 Lesotho
telephone:
[266] 312-666
FAX:
(266) 310-116
Flag:
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