Country (long form) |
Kingdom of Lesotho |
Capital |
Maseru |
Total Area |
11,720.13 sq mi 30,355.00 sq km (slightly smaller than Maryland) |
Population |
2,177,062 (July 2001 est.)
note: 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 |
Estimated Population in 2050 |
2,849,325 |
Languages |
Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa |
Literacy |
83% total, 72% male, 93% female (1999 est.) |
Religions |
Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20% |
Life Expectancy |
47.97 male, 49.74 female (2001 est.) |
Government Type |
parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
Currency |
1 loti (L) = 100 lisente |
GDP (per capita) |
$2,400 (2000 est.) |
Industry |
food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts; construction; tourism |
Agriculture |
corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock |
Arable Land |
11% |
Natural Resources |
water, agricultural and grazing land, some diamonds and other minerals |
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