Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA,
NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Molelekeng E. RAPOLAKI
FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815
telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536
chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert G. LOFTIS embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section) mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho telephone: [266] 312666 FAX: [266] 310116
Flag description:
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
Economy Lesotho
Economy - overview:
Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho relies on remittances
from miners employed in South Africa and customs duties from the
Southern Africa Customs Union for the majority of government
revenue, but the government has strengthened its tax system to
reduce dependency on customs duties. Completion of a major
hydropower facility in January 1998 now permits the sale of water to
South Africa, also generating royalties for Lesotho. As the number
of mineworkers has declined steadily over the past several years, a
small manufacturing base has developed based on farm products that
support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries and a
rapidly growing apparel-assembly sector. The economy is still
primarily based on subsistence agriculture, especially livestock,
although drought has decreased agricultural activity. The extreme
inequality in the distribution of income remains a major drawback.
Lesotho has signed an Interim Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility
with the IMF.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $5.583 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,000 (2003 est.)