LIFE EXPECTANCY: men 52 years, women 53 years (2014)
LIVING CONDITIONS INDEX, HDI: 0486
LIVING CONDITIONS INDEX, POSITION: 162
INTERNET DOMAIN NAME: .ls
Lesotho, since 1966 independent kingdom in southern Africa, former British protectorate, Basutoland. The country lies as an enclave, completely surrounded by South Africa, and for many years the majority of the male population has worked in the South African mining industry. Lesotho is a mountain country with large parts of the country at 2000-3000 m altitude; only 10% are cultivated.
Lesotho – national flag
Lesotho – national flag, Lesotho flag was adopted in 1987. The flag shows battle shield, spear and club in light brown, the only national flag that has brown as one of the main colors. The whole weapon symbolizes the will to defend the country. The three colors refer to the state motto: peace (white), rain (blue) and prosperity (green).
Lesotho Geography
Lesotho Geography, Two thirds of the country is covered by mountains, the highest being Thabana Ntlenyana (3482 m) in the eastern Drakensberg. The terrain gradually falls west towards lower forests and furthest towards NV the lush and densely populated valleys around the Caledon River. In the Maloti mountains towards the NO, the great rivers of Orange flow to the Atlantic Ocean and Tugela, which flows to the Indian Ocean. The climate varies with altitude, but is predominantly subtropical in agricultural areas. In winter, many mountains are snowy.
Compared to the rather limited natural resources, Lesotho is very densely populated. Many years of intensifying low-productivity sweat farming have eradicated most of the natural forest vegetation, and large areas have been destroyed or threatened by erosion. The pressure on the ground has also depleted the fauna, and there is not much wild left in Lesotho. Even the country’s only national park, Sehlabathebe, isolated in Drakensberge, has only a sparse wildlife.
Population and occupation. Lesotho is ethnically homogeneous. Almost the entire population belongs to the south Sotho people. 70% live in rural areas where there is widespread poverty. Only half the population has access to clean water, and fewer to elementary health services. approximately 29% of the adult population is infected with HIV/AIDS (2003). The infant mortality rate is among the highest in the world. The limited agricultural land is mainly cultivated by women, while the majority of men work in South Africa. It is estimated that approximately 250,000 Lesothians are in South Africa, but the number varies considerably over time. In 1998, rationalizations in South Africa’s gold mines meant that many migrant workers from Lesotho lost their jobs and returned home to unemployment. In 2002, the unemployment rate in Lesotho is estimated to be approximately 45%.
Countryaah: Do you know how many people there are in Lesotho? Check this site to see population pyramid and resident density about this country.
The diamond mine in Letseng is among the most important local employers, but since 1986 the large Lesotho Highland Water Scheme has had a significant impact on employment and the economy. It consists of a series of connected dam lakes to supply water to Johannesburg in South Africa via a 120 km long tunnel route through the country’s eastern mountains. The project is expected to be completed in 2025 and must have made water the country’s most important export product, while turbines in the tunnel supply electricity to the country’s cities and towns.
Several years of economic growth ended abruptly in 1998, when the country was thrown into political turmoil following a parliamentary election. The government was restored to calm by troops from Botswana and South Africa, but the unrest resulted in economic decline.
Lesotho – language
Lesotho languages, Bantu languages Sotho and Zulu are spoken by respectively. approximately 85% of the population and just under 15%. In addition, xhosa and Afrikaans occur. Both Sotho and English, which continue to dominate as an administrative language and as a language of instruction after initial education, are official languages. For culture and traditions of Lesotho, please check allunitconverters.
Lesotho – Constitution
Lesotho – Constitution, Lesotho is a parliamentary, constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth. The 1993 Constitution introduced a two-chamber parliamentary system. The National Assembly has 120 members, 80 of whom are elected by direct election and 40 by proportional election for five years. The Senate has 22 chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the ruling party. The king is elected or dismissed by a chief council by majority vote and has no executive power; he appoints the Prime Minister with the approval of the National Assembly. New elections are printed if the government party (s) loses confidence in the National Assembly.
Lesotho education
Lesotho Education, For the education system, which is mainly run by the three dominant Christian faiths, a major goal has been the fight against illiteracy, which is among the lowest in Africa and comprises 26% of all adults (1990). The school system consists of a seven-year free compulsory compulsory school, which is followed by approximately 70% (1990), and a five-year superstructure divided into a three-year and a two-year level. In addition to a teacher’s college and a number of technical schools, there is a university.
Lesotho – history
Lesotho – History, The area was originally populated by bushmen. Throughout the 1800’s and 1900’s. this group was other people, however, displaced by Bantu tribesmen from sothostammen. The Sothonation was founded in 1827 by Moshoeshoe I, and the area became known as the Basutoland. In 1868 the country was made, at will, to become a British protectorate; a border demarcation was established and a fairly high degree of self-determination was achieved, which it managed to maintain despite sustained South African pressure.
Lesotho became independent in 1966 with Moshoeshoe 2nd (1938-96) as king. The conservative Basotho National Party, GDP, led by Joseph Leabua Jonathan sat on government power 1966-86. Although Lesotho was economically totally dependent on South Africa, it was periodically dismissive of the apartheid regime, which led to harassment in the form of increased border controls, stops for food deliveries and attempts at coups.
Jonathan’s government was ousted at a military coup in 1986 by General Justin Lekhanya (b. 1938), and Lesotho then followed a more South Africa-oriented policy. When Moshoeshoe II in 1990 refused to support the military government, he was expelled and sent into exile, and his son Letsie 3. (b. 1963) was deployed as king.
In 1991, Lekhanya was ousted by a coup led by Elias Tutsoane Ramaema, and the political parties were again allowed to operate. In March 1993, the first free elections were held since 1970, resulting in a major victory for the Basutoland Congress Party, BCP, and its leader, Ntsu Mokhehle (1918-99). Internal turmoil caused major problems for the government from the mid-1990’s, which is why Mokhehle in 1997 chose to leave the BCP and instead participated in the formation of the new party Lesotho Congress for Democracy, LCD. In the 1998 elections, LCD got over 60% of the vote and the party’s new leader Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili (b. 1945) was named prime minister. Dissatisfaction with the election threw the country into political turmoil, which was only dampened after the deployment of military forces from South Africa and Botswana. In the subsequent election in 2002, LCD got 55% of the vote while BCP got 22% and Mosisili could continue as prime minister. After the 2007 election, he retained the post. In 2012, he was succeeded by Tom Thabane.
After a period of political turmoil, in the summer of 2014, the government faced a military coup and Prime Minister Thabane fled the country. After elections in February 2015, Mosisili again became prime minister at the head of a coalition government.
