chief of state: President Emile LAHUD (since 24 November 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister Salim al-HUSS (since 4 December
1998)
cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the
president and members of the National Assembly; the current Cabinet
was formed in 1998
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a six-year
term; election last held 15 October 1998 (next to be held NA 2004);
prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president in
consultation with the National Assembly; by custom, the president is a
Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim, and the
speaker of the legislature is a Shi'a Muslim
election results: Emile LAHUD elected president; National Assembly
vote - 118 votes in favor, 0 against, 10 abstentions
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Majlis Alnuwab
(Arabic) or Assemblee Nationale (French) (128 seats; members elected
by popular vote on the basis of sectarian proportional representation
to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 18 August-15 September 1996 (next to be held NA
2000)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA
(one-half Christian and one-half Muslim)
Judicial branch: four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and
commercial cases and one court for criminal cases); Constitutional
Council (called for in Ta'if Accord) rules on constitutionality of
laws; Supreme Council (hears charges against the president and prime
minister as needed)
Political parties and leaders: political party activity is organized
along largely sectarian lines; numerous political groupings exist,
consisting of individual political figures and followers motivated by
religious, clan, and economic considerations
International organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AL, AMF,
CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Farid ABBOUD
chancery: 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: (202) 939-6300
FAX: (202) 939-6324
consulate(s) general: Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador David SATTERFIELD
embassy: Antelias, Beirut
mailing address: P. O. Box 70-840, Beirut; PSC 815, Box 2, FPO AE
09836-0002
telephone: (4) 543600, 542600, 544133, 544130, 544131
FAX: (4) 544136
Flag description: three horizontal bands of red (top), white (double
width), and red with a green and brown cedar tree centered in the
white band
@Lebanon:Economy
Economy - overview: The 1975-91 civil war seriously damaged Lebanon's
economic infrastructure, cut national output by half, and all but
ended Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub.
Peace has enabled the central government to restore control in Beirut,
begin collecting taxes, and regain access to key port and government
facilities. Economic recovery has been helped by a financially sound
banking system and resilient small- and medium-scale manufacturers,
with family remittances, banking services, manufactured and farm
exports, and international aid as the main sources of foreign
exchange. Lebanon's economy has made impressive gains since the launch
of "Horizon 2000," the government's $20 billion reconstruction program
in 1993. Real GDP grew 8% in 1994 and 7% in 1995 before Israel's
Operation Grapes of Wrath in April 1996 stunted economic activity.
Real GDP grew at an average annual rate of less than 3% per year for
1997 and 1998 and only 1% in 1999. During 1992-98, annual inflation
fell from more than 100% to 5%, and foreign exchange reserves jumped
to more than $6 billion from $1.4 billion. Burgeoning capital inflows
have generated foreign payments surpluses, and the Lebanese pound has
remained relatively stable. Progress also has been made in rebuilding
Lebanon's war-torn physical and financial infrastructure. Solidere, a
$2-billion firm, is managing the reconstruction of Beirut's central
business district; the stock market reopened in January 1996; and
international banks and insurance companies are returning. The
government nonetheless faces serious challenges in the economic arena.
It has had to fund reconstruction by tapping foreign exchange reserves
and boosting borrowing. Reducing the government budget deficit is a
major goal of the LAHUD government. The stalled peace process and
ongoing violence in southern Lebanon could lead to wider hostilities
that would disrupt vital capital inflows. Furthermore, the gap between
rich and poor has widened in the 1990's, resulting in grassroots
dissatisfaction over the skewed distribution of the reconstruction's
benefits and leading the government to shift its focus from rebuilding
infrastructure to improving living conditions.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $16.2 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,500 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 12%
industry: 27%
services: 61% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line: 28% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (1999 est.)
Labor force: 1.3 million (1999 est.)
note: in addition, there are as many as 1 million foreign workers
(1997 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: services 62%, industry 31%, agriculture
7% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 18% (1997 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $4.9 billion
expenditures: $8.36 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1999 est.)
Industries: banking; food processing; jewelry; cement; textiles;
mineral and chemical products; wood and furniture products; oil
refining; metal fabricating
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 9.7 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 90.72%
hydro: 9.28%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 9.629 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 608 million kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables,
potatoes, olives, tobacco; sheep, goats
Exports: $866 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Exports - commodities: foodstuffs and tobacco, textiles, chemicals,
metal and metal products, electrical equipment and products, jewelry,
paper and paper products
Exports - partners: Saudi Arabia 12%, UAE 10%, France 9%, Syria 7%, US
7%, Kuwait 4%, Jordan, Turkey (1998)
Imports: $5.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment,
consumer goods, chemicals, textiles, metals, fuels, agricultural foods
Imports - partners: Italy 12%, France 10%, US 9%, Germany 9%,
Switzerland 6%, Japan, UK, Syria (1998)
Debt - external: $8.8 billion (1999 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $3.5 billion (pledges 1997-2001)
Currency: 1 Lebanese pound = 100 piasters
Exchange rates: Lebanese pounds per US$1 - 1,507.5 (January 2000),
1,507.8 (1999), 1,516.1 (1998), 1,539.5 (1997), 1,571.4 (1996),
1,621.4 (1995)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Lebanon:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 330,000 (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 120,000 (1995)
Telephone system: telecommunications system severely damaged by civil
war; rebuilding well underway
domestic: primarily microwave radio relay and cable
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean
and 1 Atlantic Ocean) (erratic operations); coaxial cable to Syria;
microwave radio relay to Syria but inoperable beyond Syria to Jordan;
3 submarine coaxial cables
Radio broadcast stations: AM 20, FM 22, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios: 2.85 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 28 (1997)
Televisions: 1.18 million (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 19 (1999)
@Lebanon:Transportation
Railways:
total: 399 km (mostly unusable because of damage in civil war)
standard gauge: 317 km 1.435-m
narrow gauge: 82 km (1999)
Highways:
total: 7,300 km
paved: 6,200 km
unpaved: 1,100 km (1999 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 72 km (none in operation)
Ports and harbors: Antilyas, Batroun, Beirut, Chekka, El Mina, Ez
Zahrani, Jbail, Jounie, Naqoura, Sidon, Tripoli, Tyre
Merchant marine:
total: 68 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 346,029 GRT/536,861 DWT
ships by type: bulk 8, cargo 44, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk
1, combination ore/oil 1, container 4, livestock carrier 4,
roll-on/roll-off 2, vehicle carrier 3 (1999 est.)
Airports: 9 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 7
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1999 est.)
@Lebanon:Military
Military branches: Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF; includes Army, Navy,
and Air Force)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 957,729 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 592,264 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $500 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4% (FY98)
@Lebanon:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since
June 1982; Syrian troops in northern, central, and eastern Lebanon
since October 1976
Illicit drugs: inconsequential producer of hashish; some heroin
processing mostly in the Bekaa valley; a Lebanese/Syrian eradication
campaign started in the early 1990s has practically eliminated the
opium and cannabis crops
______________________________________________________________________
LESOTHO
@Lesotho:Introduction
Background: Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon
independence from the UK in 1966. Constitutional government was
restored in 1993 after 23 years of military rule.
@Lesotho:Geography
Location: Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
Geographic coordinates: 29 30 S, 28 30 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 30,355 sq km
land: 30,355 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 909 km
border countries: South Africa 909 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain: mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m
highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m
Natural resources: water, agricultural and grazing land, some diamonds
and other minerals
Land use:
arable land: 11%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 66%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 23% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 30 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts
Environment - current issues: 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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping
Geography - note: landlocked; surrounded by South Africa
@Lesotho:People
Population: 2,143,141
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 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 40% (male 426,556; female 421,563)
15-64 years: 56% (male 575,580; female 619,280)
65 years and over: 4% (male 42,274; female 57,888) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.65% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 31.74 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 14.59 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 82.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 50.79 years
male: 49.78 years
female: 51.84 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.15 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
adjective: Basotho
Ethnic groups: Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%,
Religions: Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%
Languages: Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 71.3%
male: 81.1%
female: 62.3% (1995 est.)
@Lesotho:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
conventional short form: Lesotho
former: Basutoland
Data code: LT
Government type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Capital: Maseru
Administrative divisions: 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe,
Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing,
Thaba-Tseka
Independence: 4 October 1966 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
Constitution: 2 April 1993
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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: 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: Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 23 May
1998)
cabinet: Cabinet
elections: none; according to the constitution, the leader of the
majority party in the assembly automatically becomes prime minister;
the monarch is hereditary, but, under the terms of the constitution
which 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
determine who is next in the line of succession, who shall serve as
regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age, and may
even depose the monarch
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (33
members - 22 principal chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the
ruling party) and the Assembly (80 seats; members elected by popular
vote for five-year terms); note - number of seats in the Assembly rose
from 65 to 80 in the May 1998 election
elections: last held 23 May 1998 (next to be held in 2000; date to be
determined by Interim Political Authority)
election results: percent of vote by party - LCD 61%; seats by party -
LCD 79, BNP 1
note: results contested; opposition parties claimed the election was
fraudulent and staged a coup; Southern African Development Community
(SADC) forces intervened in September 1998 and restored order; the
Interim Political Authority (IPA) was set up in December 1998 to
create a new electoral system and conduct new elections within 18
months
Judicial branch: High Court, chief justice appointed by the monarch;
Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court; customary or traditional court
Political parties and leaders: Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj.
Gen. Justine Metsing LEKHANYA]; Basotholand Congress Party or BCP
[Molapo QHOBELA, leader (currently suspended), Ntsukunyane MPHANYA,
secretary general]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Dr.
Pakalitha MOSISILI, leader; Shakhane MOKHEHLE, secretary general] -
the governing party; United Democratic Party or UDP ;
Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP and Setlamo Alliance ;
National Progressive Party or NPP ; Sefate
Democratic Party or SDP
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO,
G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat
(nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lebohang Kenneth MOLEKO
chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: (202) 797-5533 through 5536
FAX: (202) 234-6815
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Katherine H. PETERSON
embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section)
mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho
telephone: 312666
FAX: 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
@Lesotho:Economy
Economy - overview: Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho's only
important natural resource is water. Its economy is based on
subsistence agriculture, livestock, and remittances from miners
employed in South Africa. The number of such mine workers has declined
steadily over the past several years. In 1996 their remittances added
about 33% to GDP compared with the addition of roughly 67% in 1990. A
small manufacturing base depends largely on farm products which
support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries.
Agricultural products are exported primarily to South Africa. Proceeds
from membership in a common customs union with South Africa form the
majority of government revenue. Although drought has decreased
agricultural activity over the past few years, completion of a major
hydropower facility in January 1998 now permits the sale of water to
South Africa, generating royalties that will be an important source of
income for Lesotho. The pace of parastatal privatization has increased
in recent years. Civil disorder in September 1998 destroyed 80% of the
commercial infrastructure in Maseru and two other major towns. Most
firms were not covered by insurance, and the rebuilding of small and
medium business has been a significant challenge in terms of both
economic growth and employment levels. Output dropped 10% in 1998 and
recovered slowly in 1999.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.7 billion (1998 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: -10% (1998 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,240 (1998 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 14%
industry: 42%
services: 44% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: 49.2% (1993 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.9%
highest 10%: 43.4% (1986-87)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 689,000 economically active
Labor force - by occupation: 86% of resident population engaged in
subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners
work in South Africa
Unemployment rate: substantial unemployment and underemployment
affecting more than half of the labor force (1999 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $507 million
expenditures: $487 million, including capital expenditures of $170
million (FY96/97 est.)
Industries: food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts; construction;
tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 19.7% (1995)
Electricity - production: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 0%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 209 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 209 million kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley;
livestock
Exports: $235 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Exports - commodities: manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road
vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (1998)
Exports - partners: South African Customs Union 65%, North America 34%
(1998)
Imports: $700 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Imports - commodities: food; building materials, vehicles, machinery,
medicines, petroleum products (1995)
Imports - partners: South African Customs Union 90%, Asia 7% (1997)
Debt - external: $675 million (1998 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $123.7 million (1995)
Currency: 1 loti (L) = 100 lisente; note - maloti (M) is the plural
form of loti
Exchange rates: maloti (M) per US$1 - 6.12439 (January 2000), 6.10948
(1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796 (1997), 4.29935 (1996), 3.62709
(1995); note - the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@Lesotho:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 18,000 (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1995)
Telephone system: rudimentary system
domestic: consists of a few landlines, a small microwave radio relay
system, and a minor radiotelephone communication system
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 104,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (2000)
Televisions: 54,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (1999)
@Lesotho:Transportation
Railways:
total: 2.6 km; note - owned by, operated by, and included in the
statistics of South Africa
narrow gauge: 2.6 km 1.067-m gauge (1995)
Highways:
total: 4,955 km
paved: 887 km
unpaved: 4,068 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 29 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 21 (1999 est.)
@Lesotho:Military
Military branches: Lesotho Defense Force (LDF; includes Army and Air
Wing), Royal Lesotho Mounted Police (RLMP)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 503,751 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 271,098 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Military - note: The Lesotho Government in 1999 began an open debate
on the future structure, size, and role of the armed forces,
especially considering the Lesotho Defense Force's (LDF) history of
intervening in political affairs.
@Lesotho:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
______________________________________________________________________
LIBERIA
@Liberia:Introduction
Background: Seven years of civil strife were brought to a close in
1996 when free and open presidential and legislative elections were
held. President TAYLOR now holds strong executive power with no real
political opposition. The years of fighting coupled with the flight of
most businesses has disrupted formal economic activity. A still
unsettled domestic security situation has slowed the process of
rebuilding the social and economic structure of this war-torn country.
@Liberia:Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone
Geographic coordinates: 6 30 N, 9 30 W
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 111,370 sq km
land: 96,320 sq km
water: 15,050 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries:
total: 1,585 km
border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone
306 km
Coastline: 579 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to
cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
Terrain: mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling
plateau and low mountains in northeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 m
Natural resources: iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 3%
permanent pastures: 59%
forests and woodland: 18%
other: 19% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara
(December to March)