{
  "Introduction": {
    "Background": {
      "text": "Paramount chief MOSHOESHOE I consolidated what would become Basutoland in the early 19th century and made himself king in 1822. Continuing encroachments by Dutch settlers from the neighboring Orange Free State caused the king to enter into an 1868 agreement with the UK by which Basutoland became a British protectorate, and after 1884, a crown colony. Upon independence in 1966, the country was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho. The Basotho National Party ruled the country during its first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE II was exiled in 1990 but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995 and subsequently succeeded by his son, King LETSIE III, in 1996. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Batswana military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections in 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties disputed how the electoral law was applied to award proportional seats in the Assembly. In 2012, competitive elections involving 18 parties saw Prime Minister Motsoahae Thomas THABANE form a coalition government - the first in the country's history - that ousted the 14-year incumbent, Pakalitha MOSISILI, who peacefully transferred power the following month. MOSISILI returned to power in snap elections in February 2015 after the collapse of THABANE’s coalition government and an alleged attempted military coup. In June 2017, THABANE returned to become prime minister but stepped down in May 2020 after being implicated in his estranged wife’s murder. He was succeeded by Moseketsi MAJORO. In November 2022, Ntsokoane Samuel MATEKANE was inaugurated as prime minister as head of a three-party coalition featuring his Revolution for Prosperity (RFP), the Monyane MOLELEKI-led Alliance of Democrats (AD), and the Selibe MOCHOBOROANE-led Movement for Economic Change (MEC)."
    }
  },
  "Geography": {
    "Location": {
      "text": "Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa"
    },
    "Geographic coordinates": {
      "text": "29 30 S, 28 30 E"
    },
    "Map references": {
      "text": "Africa"
    },
    "Area": {
      "total": {
        "text": "30,355 sq km"
      },
      "land": {
        "text": "30,355 sq km"
      },
      "water": {
        "text": "0 sq km"
      }
    },
    "Area - comparative": {
      "text": "slightly smaller than Maryland"
    },
    "Land boundaries": {
      "total": {
        "text": "1,106 km"
      },
      "border countries": {
        "text": "South Africa 1,106 km"
      }
    },
    "Coastline": {
      "text": "0 km (landlocked)"
    },
    "Maritime claims": {
      "text": "none (landlocked)"
    },
    "Climate": {
      "text": "temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers"
    },
    "Terrain": {
      "text": "mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains"
    },
    "Elevation": {
      "highest point": {
        "text": "Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m"
      },
      "lowest point": {
        "text": "junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m"
      },
      "mean elevation": {
        "text": "2,161 m"
      }
    },
    "Natural resources": {
      "text": "water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone"
    },
    "Land use": {
      "agricultural land": {
        "text": "76.1% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: arable land": {
        "text": "arable land: 10.1% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent crops": {
        "text": "permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent pasture": {
        "text": "permanent pasture: 65.9% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "forest": {
        "text": "1.5% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "other": {
        "text": "22.4% (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Irrigated land": {
      "text": "12 sq km (2013)"
    },
    "Major rivers (by length in km)": {
      "text": "Orange river source (shared with South Africa and Namibia [m]) - 2,092 km<br><strong>note</strong> – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth"
    },
    "Major watersheds (area sq km)": {
      "text": "Atlantic Ocean drainage: Orange (941,351 sq km)"
    },
    "Population distribution": {
      "text": "relatively higher population density in the western half of the nation, with the capital of Maseru, and the smaller cities of Mafeteng, Teyateyaneng, and Leribe attracting the most people as shown in this population distribution map"
    },
    "Natural hazards": {
      "text": "periodic droughts"
    },
    "Geography - note": {
      "text": "landlocked, an enclave of (completely surrounded by) South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 m above sea level"
    }
  },
  "People and Society": {
    "Population": {
      "text": "2,210,646 (2023 est.)"
    },
    "Nationality": {
      "noun": {
        "text": "Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)"
      },
      "adjective": {
        "text": "Basotho"
      }
    },
    "Ethnic groups": {
      "text": "Sotho 99.7%, other 0.3% (includes San, Kwena, Nguni (Hlubi and Phuthi), Zulu)"
    },
    "Languages": {
      "text": "Sesotho (official) (southern Sotho), English (official), Phuthi, Xhosa, Zulu"
    },
    "Religions": {
      "text": "Protestant 47.8% (Pentecostal 23.1%, Lesotho Evangelical 17.3%, Anglican 7.4%), Roman Catholic 39.3%, other Christian 9.1%, non-Christian 1.4%, none 2.3% (2014 est.)"
    },
    "Demographic profile": {
      "text": "<p>Lesotho faces great socioeconomic challenges. Almost half of its population lives below the poverty line as of 2017, and the country’s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is the second highest in the world as of 2021. In addition, Lesotho is a small, mountainous, landlocked country with little arable land, leaving its population vulnerable to food shortages and reliant on remittances. Lesotho’s persistently high infant, child, and maternal mortality rates have been increasing during the last decade, according to the last two Demographic and Health Surveys. Despite these significant shortcomings, Lesotho has made good progress in education; it is on-track to achieve universal primary education and has one of the highest adult literacy rates in Africa.</p> <p>Lesotho’s migration history is linked to its unique geography; it is surrounded by South Africa with which it shares linguistic and cultural traits. Lesotho at one time had more of its workforce employed outside its borders than any other country. Today remittances equal about 20% of its GDP. With few job options at home, a high rate of poverty, and higher wages available across the border, labor migration to South Africa replaced agriculture as the prevailing Basotho source of income decades ago. The majority of Basotho migrants were single men contracted to work as gold miners in South Africa. However, migration trends changed in the 1990s, and fewer men found mining jobs in South Africa because of declining gold prices, stricter immigration policies, and a preference for South African workers.</p> <p>Although men still dominate cross-border labor migration, more women are working in South Africa, mostly as domestics, because they are widows or their husbands are unemployed. Internal rural-urban flows have also become more frequent, with more women migrating within the country to take up jobs in the garment industry or moving to care for loved ones with HIV/AIDS. Lesotho’s small population of immigrants is increasingly composed of Taiwanese and Chinese migrants who are involved in the textile industry and small retail businesses.</p>"
    },
    "Age structure": {
      "0-14 years": {
        "text": "32.4% (male 360,327/female 355,863)"
      },
      "15-64 years": {
        "text": "62.21% (male 688,373/female 686,911)"
      },
      "65 years and over": {
        "text": "5.39% (2023 est.) (male 44,313/female 74,859)"
      }
    },
    "Dependency ratios": {
      "total dependency ratio": {
        "text": "62.1"
      },
      "youth dependency ratio": {
        "text": "55.3"
      },
      "elderly dependency ratio": {
        "text": "6.8"
      },
      "potential support ratio": {
        "text": "14.7 (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Median age": {
      "total": {
        "text": "24.7 years"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "24.7 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "24.7 years (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Population growth rate": {
      "text": "0.76% (2023 est.)"
    },
    "Birth rate": {
      "text": "23.01 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)"
    },
    "Death rate": {
      "text": "10.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)"
    },
    "Net migration rate": {
      "text": "-4.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)"
    },
    "Population distribution": {
      "text": "relatively higher population density in the western half of the nation, with the capital of Maseru, and the smaller cities of Mafeteng, Teyateyaneng, and Leribe attracting the most people as shown in this population distribution map"
    },
    "Urbanization": {
      "urban population": {
        "text": "30.4% of total population (2023)"
      },
      "rate of urbanization": {
        "text": "2.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Major urban areas - population": {
      "text": "202,000 MASERU (capital) (2018)"
    },
    "Sex ratio": {
      "at birth": {
        "text": "1.03 male(s)/female"
      },
      "0-14 years": {
        "text": "1.01 male(s)/female"
      },
      "15-64 years": {
        "text": "1 male(s)/female"
      },
      "65 years and over": {
        "text": "0.59 male(s)/female"
      },
      "total population": {
        "text": "0.98 male(s)/female (2023 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Mother's mean age at first birth": {
      "text": "20.9 years (2014 est.)",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49"
    },
    "Maternal mortality ratio": {
      "text": "566 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)"
    },
    "Infant mortality rate": {
      "total": {
        "text": "47.04 deaths/1,000 live births"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "52.47 deaths/1,000 live births"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "41.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Life expectancy at birth": {
      "total population": {
        "text": "59.87 years"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "57.85 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "61.95 years (2023 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Total fertility rate": {
      "text": "2.88 children born/woman (2023 est.)"
    },
    "Gross reproduction rate": {
      "text": "1.42 (2023 est.)"
    },
    "Contraceptive prevalence rate": {
      "text": "64.9% (2018)"
    },
    "Drinking water source": {
      "improved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 95.7% of population"
      },
      "improved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 77.2% of population"
      },
      "improved: total": {
        "text": "total: 82.6% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 4.3% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 22.8% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: total": {
        "text": "total: 17.4% of population (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Current health expenditure": {
      "text": "11.8% of GDP (2020)"
    },
    "Physicians density": {
      "text": "0.47 physicians/1,000 population (2018)"
    },
    "Sanitation facility access": {
      "improved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 93.6% of population"
      },
      "improved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 62.4% of population"
      },
      "improved: total": {
        "text": "total: 71.4% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 6.4% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 37.6% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: total": {
        "text": "total: 28.6% of population (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Major infectious diseases": {
      "degree of risk": {
        "text": "intermediate (2023)"
      },
      "food or waterborne diseases": {
        "text": "bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever"
      }
    },
    "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": {
      "text": "16.6% (2016)"
    },
    "Alcohol consumption per capita": {
      "total": {
        "text": "3.56 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      },
      "beer": {
        "text": "1.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      },
      "wine": {
        "text": "0.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      },
      "spirits": {
        "text": "0.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      },
      "other alcohols": {
        "text": "0.82 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Tobacco use": {
      "total": {
        "text": "24.3% (2020 est.)"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "43.1% (2020 est.)"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "5.4% (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": {
      "text": "10.5% (2018)"
    },
    "Currently married women (ages 15-49)": {
      "text": "53.7% (2023 est.)"
    },
    "Child marriage": {
      "women married by age 15": {
        "text": "1%"
      },
      "women married by age 18": {
        "text": "16.4%"
      },
      "men married by age 18": {
        "text": "1.9% (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Education expenditures": {
      "text": "8.7% of GDP (2021 est.)"
    },
    "Literacy": {
      "definition": {
        "text": "age 15 and over can read and write"
      },
      "total population": {
        "text": "81%"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "72.9%"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "88.8% (2021)"
      }
    },
    "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": {
      "total": {
        "text": "12 years"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "12 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "13 years (2017)"
      }
    },
    "Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)": {
      "total": {
        "text": "37.4%"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "32.8% NA"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "43.8% (2021 est.) NA"
      }
    }
  },
  "Environment": {
    "Environment - current issues": {
      "text": "population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa"
    },
    "Environment - international agreements": {
      "party to": {
        "text": "Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands"
      },
      "signed, but not ratified": {
        "text": "none of the selected agreements"
      }
    },
    "Climate": {
      "text": "temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers"
    },
    "Land use": {
      "agricultural land": {
        "text": "76.1% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: arable land": {
        "text": "arable land: 10.1% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent crops": {
        "text": "permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent pasture": {
        "text": "permanent pasture: 65.9% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "forest": {
        "text": "1.5% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "other": {
        "text": "22.4% (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Urbanization": {
      "urban population": {
        "text": "30.4% of total population (2023)"
      },
      "rate of urbanization": {
        "text": "2.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Food insecurity": {
      "severe localized food insecurity": {
        "text": "<em><em>due to h</em>igh food prices and economic downturn - </em>food insecurity conditions are primarily underpinned by the high food prices and a slow economic recovery that is impinging on households’ economic capacity to access food; Lesotho  is a net importer of key staple food commodities and energy, domestic prices have been largely influenced by the high level of international prices (2023)"
      }
    },
    "Revenue from forest resources": {
      "text": "3.34% of GDP (2018 est.)"
    },
    "Revenue from coal": {
      "text": "0% of GDP (2018 est.)"
    },
    "Air pollutants": {
      "particulate matter emissions": {
        "text": "27.78 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)"
      },
      "carbon dioxide emissions": {
        "text": "2.51 megatons (2016 est.)"
      },
      "methane emissions": {
        "text": "2.56 megatons (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Waste and recycling": {
      "municipal solid waste generated annually": {
        "text": "73,457 tons (2006 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Major rivers (by length in km)": {
      "text": "Orange river source (shared with South Africa and Namibia [m]) - 2,092 km<br><strong>note</strong> – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth"
    },
    "Major watersheds (area sq km)": {
      "text": "Atlantic Ocean drainage: Orange (941,351 sq km)"
    },
    "Total water withdrawal": {
      "municipal": {
        "text": "20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)"
      },
      "industrial": {
        "text": "20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural": {
        "text": "3.8 million cubic meters (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Total renewable water resources": {
      "text": "3.02 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)"
    }
  },
  "Government": {
    "Country name": {
      "conventional long form": {
        "text": "Kingdom of Lesotho"
      },
      "conventional short form": {
        "text": "Lesotho"
      },
      "local long form": {
        "text": "Kingdom of Lesotho"
      },
      "local short form": {
        "text": "Lesotho"
      },
      "former": {
        "text": "Basutoland"
      },
      "etymology": {
        "text": "the name translates as \"Land of the Sesotho Speakers\""
      }
    },
    "Government type": {
      "text": "parliamentary constitutional monarchy"
    },
    "Capital": {
      "name": {
        "text": "Maseru"
      },
      "geographic coordinates": {
        "text": "29 19 S, 27 29 E"
      },
      "time difference": {
        "text": "UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
      },
      "etymology": {
        "text": "in the Sesotho language the name means \"[place of] red sandstones\""
      }
    },
    "Administrative divisions": {
      "text": "10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka"
    },
    "Independence": {
      "text": "4 October 1966 (from the UK)"
    },
    "National holiday": {
      "text": "Independence Day, 4 October (1966)"
    },
    "Constitution": {
      "history": {
        "text": "previous 1959, 1967; latest adopted 2 April 1993 (effectively restoring the 1967 version)"
      },
      "amendments": {
        "text": "proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions, including fundamental rights and freedoms, sovereignty of the kingdom, the office of the king, and powers of Parliament, requires a majority vote by the National Assembly, approval by the Senate, approval in a referendum by a majority of qualified voters, and assent of the king; passage of amendments other than those specified provisions requires at least a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of Parliament; amended several times, last in 2011"
      }
    },
    "Legal system": {
      "text": "mixed legal system of English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal"
    },
    "International law organization participation": {
      "text": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction"
    },
    "Citizenship": {
      "citizenship by birth": {
        "text": "yes"
      },
      "citizenship by descent only": {
        "text": "yes"
      },
      "dual citizenship recognized": {
        "text": "no"
      },
      "residency requirement for naturalization": {
        "text": "5 years"
      }
    },
    "Suffrage": {
      "text": "18 years of age; universal"
    },
    "Executive branch": {
      "chief of state": {
        "text": "King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996); note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995 while his father was in exile"
      },
      "head of government": {
        "text": "Prime Minister Ntsokoane Samuel MATEKANE (4 November 2022)"
      },
      "cabinet": {
        "text": "consists of the prime minister, appointed by the King on the advice of the Council of State, the deputy prime minister, and 15 other ministers"
      },
      "elections/appointments": {
        "text": "the monarchy is hereditary, but under the terms of the constitution that came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is a \"living symbol of national unity\" with no executive or legislative powers; under traditional law, the College of Chiefs has the power to depose the monarch, to determine next in line of succession, or to serve as regent in the event that a successor is not of mature age; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the Assembly automatically becomes prime minister"
      }
    },
    "Legislative branch": {
      "description": {
        "text": "bicameral Parliament consists of:<br>Senate (33 seats; 22 principal chiefs and 11 other senators nominated by the king with the advice of the Council of State, a 13-member body of key government and non-government officials; members serve 5-year terms)<br>National Assembly (120 seats; 80 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 40 elected through proportional representation; members serve 5-year terms)"
      },
      "elections": {
        "text": "<p>Senate - last nominated by the king on July 2022 (next in late July 2027)<br>National Assembly - last held on 7 October 2022 (next to be held in October 2027)</p>"
      },
      "election results": {
        "text": "<p>Senate - percent of votes by party - NA, seats by party - NA; composition - men 26, women 7, percent of women 21.2%<br><br>National Assembly - percent of votes by party - RFP 38.9%, DC 24.7%, ABC 7.1%, BAP 5.4%, AD 4.0%, MEC 3.2%, LCD 2.3%, SR 2.1%, BNP 1.4%, PFD 0.9%, BCM 0.8%, MPS 0.8%, MIP 0.7%; seats by party - RFP 56, DC 29, ABC 8, BAP 6, AD 5, MEC 4, LCD 3, SR 2, BNP 1, PFD 1,BCM 1, MPS 1, NIP 1, HOPE 1, TBD 1; composition - men 87, women 28, percent of women 23.3%; note - total Parliament percent of women 22.9%</p>"
      }
    },
    "Judicial branch": {
      "highest court(s)": {
        "text": "Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, such number of justices of appeal as set by Parliament, and the Chief Justice and the puisne judges of the High Court ex officio); High Court (consists of the chief justice and such number of puisne judges as set by Parliament); note - both the Court of Appeal and the High Court have jurisdiction in constitutional issues"
      },
      "judge selection and term of office": {
        "text": "Court of Appeal president and High Court chief justice appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; puisne judges appointed by the monarch on advice of the Judicial Service Commission, an independent body of judicial officers and officials designated by the monarch; judges of both courts can serve until age 75"
      },
      "subordinate courts": {
        "text": "Magistrate Courts; customary or traditional courts; military courts"
      }
    },
    "Political parties and leaders": {
      "text": "All Basotho Convention or ABC [Nkaku KABI]<br>Alliance of Democrats or AD [Monyane MOLELEKI]<br>Basotho Action Party or BAP [Nqosa MAHAO]<br>Basotho National Party or BNP [Thesele MASERIBANE]<br>Democratic Congress or DC [Mathibeli MOKHOTHU]<br>Democratic Party of Lesotho or DPL [Limpho TAU]<br>Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Mothetjoa METSING]<br>Lesotho People's Congress or LPC [Mabusetsa MAKHARILELEJ]<br>Movement of Economic Change or MEC [Selibe MOCHOBOROANE]<br>National Independent Party or NIP [Kimetso MATHABA]<br>Popular Front for Democracy of PFD [Lekhetho RAKUOANE]<br>Reformed Congress of Lesotho or RCL [Keketso RANTSO]"
    },
    "International organization participation": {
      "text": "ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"
    },
    "Diplomatic representation in the US": {
      "chief of mission": {
        "text": "Ambassador Tumisang MOSOTHO (since 16 September 2022)"
      },
      "chancery": {
        "text": "2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008"
      },
      "telephone": {
        "text": "[1] (202) 797-5533"
      },
      "FAX": {
        "text": "[1] (202) 234-6815"
      },
      "email address and website": {
        "text": "lesothoembassy@verizon.net<br><br>https://www.gov.ls/"
      }
    },
    "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
      "chief of mission": {
        "text": "Ambassador Maria E. BREWER (since 10 March 2022)"
      },
      "embassy": {
        "text": "254 Kingsway Avenue, Maseru"
      },
      "mailing address": {
        "text": "2340 Maseru Place, Washington DC&nbsp; 20521-2340"
      },
      "telephone": {
        "text": "[266] 22312666"
      },
      "FAX": {
        "text": "[266] 22310116"
      },
      "email address and website": {
        "text": "<br>USConsularMaseru@state.gov<br><br>https://ls.usembassy.gov/"
      }
    },
    "Flag description": {
      "text": "three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green in the proportions of 3:4:3; the colors represent rain, peace, and prosperity respectively; centered in the white stripe is a black mokorotlo, a traditional Basotho straw hat and national symbol; the redesigned flag was unfurled in October 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence"
    },
    "National symbol(s)": {
      "text": "mokorotio (Basotho hat); national colors: blue, white, green, black"
    },
    "National anthem": {
      "name": {
        "text": "\"Lesotho fatse la bo ntat'a rona\" (Lesotho, Land of Our Fathers)"
      },
      "lyrics/music": {
        "text": "Francois COILLARD/Ferdinand-Samuel LAUR"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> adopted 1967; music derives from an 1823 Swiss songbook"
    },
    "National heritage": {
      "total World Heritage Sites": {
        "text": "1 (mixed)"
      },
      "selected World Heritage Site locales": {
        "text": "Maloti-Drakensberg Park"
      }
    }
  },
  "Economy": {
    "Economic overview": {
      "text": "lower middle-income economy surrounded by South Africa; environmentally fragile and politically unstable; key infrastructure and renewable energy investments; dire poverty; urban job and income losses due to COVID-19; systemic corruption"
    },
    "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": {
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": {
        "text": "$5.236 billion (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020": {
        "text": "$5.167 billion (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019": {
        "text": "$5.638 billion (2019 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> data are in 2017 dollars"
    },
    "Real GDP growth rate": {
      "Real GDP growth rate 2021": {
        "text": "1.35% (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP growth rate 2020": {
        "text": "-8.36% (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP growth rate 2019": {
        "text": "0.93% (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Real GDP per capita": {
      "Real GDP per capita 2021": {
        "text": "$2,300 (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP per capita 2020": {
        "text": "$2,300 (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP per capita 2019": {
        "text": "$2,500 (2019 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> data are in 2017 dollars"
    },
    "GDP (official exchange rate)": {
      "text": "$2.462 billion (2019 est.)"
    },
    "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": {
      "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021": {
        "text": "6.05% (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020": {
        "text": "4.98% (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019": {
        "text": "5.19% (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Credit ratings": {
      "Fitch rating": {
        "text": "B (2019)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note: </strong>The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained."
    },
    "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": {
      "agriculture": {
        "text": "5.8% (2016 est.)"
      },
      "industry": {
        "text": "39.2% (2016 est.)"
      },
      "services": {
        "text": "54.9% (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "GDP - composition, by end use": {
      "household consumption": {
        "text": "69.2% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "government consumption": {
        "text": "26.4% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "investment in fixed capital": {
        "text": "31.4% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "investment in inventories": {
        "text": "-13.4% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "exports of goods and services": {
        "text": "40.8% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "imports of goods and services": {
        "text": "-54.4% (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Agricultural products": {
      "text": "milk, potatoes, maize, vegetables, fruit, beef, game meat, mutton, beans, wool"
    },
    "Industries": {
      "text": "food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism"
    },
    "Industrial production growth rate": {
      "text": "8.52% (2021 est.)"
    },
    "Labor force": {
      "text": "955,600 (2021 est.)"
    },
    "Labor force - by occupation": {
      "agriculture": {
        "text": "86%"
      },
      "industry and services": {
        "text": "14% (2002 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> most of the resident population is engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa"
    },
    "Unemployment rate": {
      "Unemployment rate 2021": {
        "text": "24.6% (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Unemployment rate 2020": {
        "text": "24.56% (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Unemployment rate 2019": {
        "text": "22.44% (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)": {
      "total": {
        "text": "37.4%"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "32.8% NA"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "43.8% (2021 est.) NA"
      }
    },
    "Population below poverty line": {
      "text": "49.7% (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": {
      "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017": {
        "text": "44.9 (2017 est.)"
      },
      "note": "56 (1986-87)"
    },
    "Household income or consumption by percentage share": {
      "lowest 10%": {
        "text": "1%"
      },
      "highest 10%": {
        "text": "39.4% (2003)"
      }
    },
    "Budget": {
      "revenues": {
        "text": "$1.054 billion (2020 est.)"
      },
      "expenditures": {
        "text": "$1.21 billion (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": {
      "text": "-6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Public debt": {
      "Public debt 2017": {
        "text": "33.7% of GDP (2017 est.)"
      },
      "Public debt 2016": {
        "text": "36.2% of GDP (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Taxes and other revenues": {
      "text": "18.47% (of GDP) (2020 est.)"
    },
    "Fiscal year": {
      "text": "1 April - 31 March"
    },
    "Current account balance": {
      "Current account balance 2021": {
        "text": "-$90.886 million (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Current account balance 2020": {
        "text": "-$18.211 million (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Current account balance 2019": {
        "text": "-$72.308 million (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Exports": {
      "Exports 2021": {
        "text": "$1.08 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars"
      },
      "Exports 2020": {
        "text": "$902.123 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars"
      },
      "Exports 2019": {
        "text": "$1.093 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars"
      }
    },
    "Exports - partners": {
      "text": "United States 29%, Belgium 26%, South Africa 25%, Switzerland 6% (2019)"
    },
    "Exports - commodities": {
      "text": "diamonds, clothing and apparel, wool, low-voltage protection equipment, wheat flours (2021)"
    },
    "Imports": {
      "Imports 2021": {
        "text": "$2.221 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars"
      },
      "Imports 2020": {
        "text": "$1.98 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars"
      },
      "Imports 2019": {
        "text": "$2.23 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars"
      }
    },
    "Imports - partners": {
      "text": "South Africa 85%, China 5% (2019)"
    },
    "Imports - commodities": {
      "text": "refined petroleum, clothing and apparel, packaged medicines, delivery trucks, poultry meats (2019)"
    },
    "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": {
      "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019": {
        "text": "$774.095 million (31 December 2019 est.)"
      },
      "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2018": {
        "text": "$728.528 million (31 December 2018 est.)"
      },
      "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017": {
        "text": "$657.668 million (31 December 2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Debt - external": {
      "Debt - external 2019": {
        "text": "$868 million (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Debt - external 2018": {
        "text": "$834 million (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Exchange rates": {
      "Currency": {
        "text": "maloti (LSL) per US dollar -"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2021": {
        "text": "14.779 (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2020": {
        "text": "16.459 (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2019": {
        "text": "14.448 (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2018": {
        "text": "13.234 (2018 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2017": {
        "text": "13.324 (2017 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Energy": {
    "Electricity access": {
      "population without electricity": {
        "text": "(2020) 1 million"
      },
      "electrification - total population": {
        "text": "50.3% (2021)"
      },
      "electrification - urban areas": {
        "text": "80.6% (2021)"
      },
      "electrification - rural areas": {
        "text": "37.7% (2021)"
      }
    },
    "Electricity": {
      "installed generating capacity": {
        "text": "74,000 kW (2020 est.)"
      },
      "consumption": {
        "text": "912.8 million kWh (2019 est.)"
      },
      "exports": {
        "text": "0 kWh (2019 est.)"
      },
      "imports": {
        "text": "541.7 million kWh (2019 est.)"
      },
      "transmission/distribution losses": {
        "text": "129.9 million kWh (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Electricity generation sources": {
      "fossil fuels": {
        "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)"
      },
      "nuclear": {
        "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)"
      },
      "solar": {
        "text": "0.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)"
      },
      "wind": {
        "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)"
      },
      "hydroelectricity": {
        "text": "99.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)"
      },
      "tide and wave": {
        "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)"
      },
      "geothermal": {
        "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)"
      },
      "biomass and waste": {
        "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Coal": {
      "production": {
        "text": "0 metric tons (2020 est.)"
      },
      "consumption": {
        "text": "0 metric tons (2020 est.)"
      },
      "exports": {
        "text": "0 metric tons (2020 est.)"
      },
      "imports": {
        "text": "0 metric tons (2020 est.)"
      },
      "proven reserves": {
        "text": "0 metric tons (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Petroleum": {
      "total petroleum production": {
        "text": "0 bbl/day (2021 est.)"
      },
      "refined petroleum consumption": {
        "text": "5,100 bbl/day (2019 est.)"
      },
      "crude oil and lease condensate exports": {
        "text": "0 bbl/day (2018 est.)"
      },
      "crude oil and lease condensate imports": {
        "text": "0 bbl/day (2018 est.)"
      },
      "crude oil estimated reserves": {
        "text": "0 barrels (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - production": {
      "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - exports": {
      "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - imports": {
      "text": "5,118 bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas": {
      "production": {
        "text": "0 cubic meters (2021 est.)"
      },
      "consumption": {
        "text": "0 cubic meters (2021 est.)"
      },
      "exports": {
        "text": "0 cubic meters (2021 est.)"
      },
      "imports": {
        "text": "0 cubic meters (2021 est.)"
      },
      "proven reserves": {
        "text": "0 cubic meters (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Carbon dioxide emissions": {
      "total emissions": {
        "text": "736,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)"
      },
      "from coal and metallurgical coke": {
        "text": "0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)"
      },
      "from petroleum and other liquids": {
        "text": "736,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)"
      },
      "from consumed natural gas": {
        "text": "0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Energy consumption per capita": {
      "Total energy consumption per capita 2019": {
        "text": "7.823 million Btu/person (2019 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Communications": {
    "Telephones - fixed lines": {
      "total subscriptions": {
        "text": "9,559 (2021 est.)"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "(2021 est.) less than 1"
      }
    },
    "Telephones - mobile cellular": {
      "total subscriptions": {
        "text": "1,821,374 (2021 est.)"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "80 (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Telecommunication systems": {
      "general assessment": {
        "text": "until late 2020, Lesotho&rsquo;s telecom regulator maintained a market duopoly which is focused on fixed-line services; competition was insufficient to promote effective price reductions for consumers, while the regulator had no mechanisms in place to monitor the telcos to ensure quality of service and fair pricing for consumers; the small size of the country&rsquo;s population provided little incentive for new players to enter the market; a positive outcome for consumers was the deployment in early 2021 of a service to monitor traffic and billing; this ended the practice whereby the regulator was dependent on telcos submitting data about their performance, billing, and other matters; the regulator has also turned its attention to addressing multiple SIM ownership and stem incidences of crimes committed using unregistered SIMs; in May 2022, it instructed the country&rsquo;s MNOs to begin registering SIM cards on their networks from the following month; fixed-wireless 5G trials began in early 2019 (2022)"
      },
      "domestic": {
        "text": "fixed-line is less than 1 per 100 subscriptions; mobile-cellular service subscribership is 80 per 100 persons (2021)"
      },
      "international": {
        "text": "country code - 266; Internet accessibility has improved with several submarine fiber optic cables that land on African east and west coasts, but the country's land locked position makes access prices expensive; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)"
      }
    },
    "Broadcast media": {
      "text": "1 state-owned TV station and 2 state-owned radio stations; government controls most private broadcast media; satellite TV subscription service available; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters obtainable (2019)"
    },
    "Internet country code": {
      "text": ".ls"
    },
    "Internet users": {
      "total": {
        "text": "1.104 million (2021 est.)"
      },
      "percent of population": {
        "text": "48% (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": {
      "total": {
        "text": "5,060 (2020 est.)"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "0.2 (2020 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Transportation": {
    "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": {
      "text": "7P"
    },
    "Airports": {
      "text": "24 (2021)"
    },
    "Airports - with paved runways": {
      "text": "3",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)"
    },
    "Airports - with unpaved runways": {
      "text": "21",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control"
    },
    "Roadways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "5,940 km (2011)"
      },
      "paved": {
        "text": "1,069 km (2011)"
      },
      "unpaved": {
        "text": "4,871 km (2011)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Military and Security": {
    "Military and security forces": {
      "text": "Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army (includes Air Wing) (2023)",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> the Lesotho Mounted Police Service is responsible for internal security and reports to the Minister of Police and Public Safety"
    },
    "Military expenditures": {
      "Military Expenditures 2022": {
        "text": "1.6% of GDP (2022 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2021": {
        "text": "1.5% of GDP (2021 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2020": {
        "text": "1.6% of GDP (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2019": {
        "text": "1.8% of GDP (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2018": {
        "text": "2.1% of GDP (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Military and security service personnel strengths": {
      "text": "approximately 2,000 personnel (2022)"
    },
    "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": {
      "text": "the LDF has a small inventory of older and second-hand equipment from a variety of countries (2023)"
    },
    "Military service age and obligation": {
      "text": "20-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2022)"
    },
    "Military - note": {
      "text": "Lesotho's declared policy for its military is the maintenance of the country's sovereignty and the preservation of internal security; in practice, external security is guaranteed by South Africa; the LDF is a small force comprised of about a half dozen infantry companies; it began in 1964 as the Police Mobile Unit (PMU); the PMU was designated as the Lesotho Paramilitary Force in 1980 and became the Royal Lesotho Defense Force in 1986; it was subsequently renamed the Lesotho Defense Force in 1993 (2023)"
    }
  },
  "Transnational Issues": {
    "Disputes - international": {
      "text": "<p><em>Lesotho-South Africa</em>: South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration</p> <p> </p>"
    }
  }
}