Television broadcast stations: NA (linked to Swiss networks) (1997)
Televisions: 12,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .li
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 44 (Liechtenstein and Switzerland)
(2000)
Internet users: NA
Transportation Liechtenstein
Railways: 18.5 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified) note: (2001)
Highways: total: 250 km paved: 250 km unpaved: 0 km
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: none (2001)
Military Liechtenstein
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Switzerland
Transnational Issues Liechtenstein
Disputes - international: Liechtenstein's royal family claims restitution
for 1,600 sq km of land in the Czech Republic confiscated in 1918
Illicit drugs: multilateral organizations engaged in issuing
international guidelines for financial sector oversight found gaps in
Liechtenstein's financial services controls that made it vulnerable
to money laundering, but Liechtenstein has become less attractive
as a haven for illicit funds, based on implementation in 2001 of new
anti-money-laundering legislation and improved mutual legal assistance
cooperation with other countries
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
========================================================================
Lesotho
Introduction
Lesotho
Background: Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon
independence from the UK in 1966. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in
1990. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after 23 years of
military rule.
Geography Lesotho
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 water: 0 sq km land: 30,355 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% other: 89% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1998 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes,
Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified:
Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping
Geography - note: landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa;
mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea level
People Lesotho
Population: 2,207,954 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 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 39% (male 433,229; female 427,926) 15-64
years: 56.3% (male 600,476; female 642,538) 65 years and over: 4.7%
(male 43,691; female 60,094) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.33% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 30.72 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 16.81 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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 (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 82.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 47.8 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 4.01 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 23.57% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 240,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 16,000 (1999 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: 83% male: 72% female: 93% (1999 est.)
Government Lesotho
Country name: Kingdom of Lesotho conventional short form: 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 (120 seats, 80 by direct popular vote and 40 by
proportional vote; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms);
note - number of seats in the Assembly rose from 80 to 120 in the May 2002
election elections: last held NA May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - LCD 54%, BNP 21%, LPC 7%,
other 18%; seats by party - LCD 76, BNP 21, LPC 5, other 18
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 Congress Party or BCP [Tseliso
MAKHAKHE]; Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justine Metsing
LEKHANYA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Phebe MOTEBANO,
chairwoman; Pakalitha MOSISILI, leader] - the governing party; Lesotho
People's Congress or LPC [Kelebone MAOPE]; United Democratic Party or UDP
[Charles MOFELI]; Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP and Setlamo Alliance
[Vincent MALEBO]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Chief Peete Nkoebe
PEETE]; Sefate Democratic Party or SDP [Bofihla NKUEBE]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO,
G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC,
ISO (subscriber), 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
Molelekeng Ernestina RAPOLAKI FAX: [1]
[1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536 chancery:
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's
primary natural resource is water. Its economy is based on subsistence
agriculture, livestock, remittances from miners employed in South Africa,
and a rapidly growing apparel-assembly sector. The number of mineworkers
has declined steadily over the past several years. A small manufacturing
base depends largely on farm products that 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 for Lesotho. The pace of privatization
has increased in recent years. In December 1999, the government embarked
on a nine-month IMF staff-monitored program aimed at structural adjustment
and stabilization of macroeconomic fundamentals. The government is in
the process of applying for a three-year successor program with the IMF
under its Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility. Lesotho has a marked
inequality in income distribution and serious unemployment/underemployment
problems that will not yield to short-run solutions.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $5.3 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.6% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,450 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 18% industry: 38% services:
44% (2001)
Population below poverty line: 49.2% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.9%
highest 10%: 43.4% (1986-87)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 56 (1986-87)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.9% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 700,000 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: 45% (2000 est.)
Budget: revenues: $76 million expenditures: $80 million, including
capital expenditures of $15 million (FY99/00 est.)
Industries: food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts;
construction; tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 15.5% (1999 est.)
Electricity - production: 0 kWh; note - electricity supplied by South
Africa (2000)
Electricity - consumption: 100 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 100 million kWh note: electricity supplied by
South Africa (2000)
Agriculture - products: corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock
Exports: $250 million (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road
vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals
Exports - partners: South African Customs Union 53.9%, North America
45.6% (1999)
Imports: $720 million (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: food; building materials, vehicles, machinery,
medicines, petroleum products
Imports - partners: South African Customs Union 89.5%, Asia 7% (1999)
Debt - external: $715 million (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $123.7 million (1995)
Currency: loti (LSL); South African rand (ZAR)
Currency code: LSL; ZAR
Exchange rates: maloti per US dollar - 11.58786 (January 2002), 8.60918
(2001), 6.93983 (2000), 6.10948 (1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796 (1997);
note - the Lesotho loti is at par with the South African rand which is
also legal tender; maloti is the plural form of loti
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Communications Lesotho
Telephones - main lines in use: 22,200 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 21,600 (2000)
Telephone system: general assessment: 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: NA (2002)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (2000)
Televisions: NA
Internet country code: .ls
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: 4,000 (2000)
Transportation Lesotho
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)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 28 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m:
1 under 914 m: 2 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 24 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m:
20 (2001)
Military Lesotho
Military branches: Lesotho Defense Force (LDF; including Army and Air
Wing), Royal Lesotho Mounted Police
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 526,332 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 283,203
(2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $34 million (1999)
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.
Transnational Issues Lesotho
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
========================================================================
Luxembourg
Introduction
Luxembourg
Background: Founded in 963, Luxembourg became a grand duchy in 1815
and an independent state under the Netherlands. It lost more than half
of its territory to Belgium in 1839, but gained a larger measure of
autonomy. Full independence was attained in 1867. Overrun by Germany in
both World Wars, it ended its neutrality in 1948 when it entered into
the Benelux Customs Union and when it joined NATO the following year.
In 1957, Luxembourg became one of the six founding countries of the
European Economic Community (later the European Union) and in 1999 it
joined the euro currency area.
Geography Luxembourg
Location: Western Europe, between France and Germany
Geographic coordinates: 49 45 N, 6 10 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 2,586 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 2,586 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries: total: 359 km border countries: Belgium 148 km, France
73 km, Germany 138 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: modified continental with mild winters, cool summers
Terrain: mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow valleys;
uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to Moselle
flood plain in the southeast
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Moselle River 133 m highest point:
Buurgplaatz 559 m
Natural resources: iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land
Land use: arable land: 25% permanent crops: 0% other: 75% (includes
Belgium) (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 40 sq km (includes Belgium) (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: air and water pollution in urban areas,
soil pollution of farmland
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Environmental Modification
Geography - note: landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world, it is
the smallest of the European Union member states
People Luxembourg
Population: 448,569 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.9% (male 43,634; female 41,164) 15-64
years: 67% (male 151,364; female 149,156) 65 years and over: 14.1%
(male 25,486; female 37,765) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.25% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 12.06 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 8.83 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: 9.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 4.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 80.97 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 1.7 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.16% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Luxembourger(s) adjective: Luxembourg
Ethnic groups: Celtic base (with French and German blend), Portuguese,
Italian, Slavs (from Montenegro, Albania, and Kososvo) and European
(guest and resident workers)
Religions: the greatest preponderance of the population is Roman Catholic
with a very few Protestants, Jews, and Muslims note: 1979 legislation
forbids the collection of religious statistics
Languages: Luxembourgish (national language), German (administrative
language), French (administrative language)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (2000 est.)
Government Luxembourg
Country name: conventional long form: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
conventional short form: Luxembourg local short form: Luxembourg local
long form: Grand Duche de Luxembourg
Government type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Luxembourg
Administrative divisions: 3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg
Independence: 1839 (from the Netherlands)
National holiday: National Day (Birthday of Grand Duchess Charlotte)
23 June
Constitution: 17 October 1868, occasional revisions
Legal system: based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state: Grand Duke HENRI (since 7 October
2000); Heir Apparent Prince GUILLAUME (son of the monarch, born 11
November 1981) head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Claude JUNCKER
(since 1 January 1995) and Vice Prime Minister Lydie POLFER (since
7 August 1999) cabinet: the monarch elections: none; the monarch is
hereditary; prime minister and vice prime minister appointed by the
monarch, following popular election to the Chamber of Deputies; they
are responsible to the Chamber of Deputies note: government coalition -
CSV and DP
Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes
(60 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year
terms) elections: also a Council of State that serves as an advisory
body to the Chamber of Deputies; the Council of State has 21 members
appointed by the Grand Duke on the advice of the prime minister election
results: percent of vote by party - CSV 29.79%, DP 21.58%, LSAP 23.75%,
ADR 10.36%, Green Party 9.09%, the Left 3.77%; seats by party - CSV 19,
DP 15, LSAP 13, ADR 6, Green Party 5, the Left 2
Judicial branch: judicial courts and tribunals (3 Justices of the Peace,
2 district courts, and 1 Supreme Court of Appeals); administrative
courts and tribunals (State Prosecutor's Office, administrative courts
and tribunals, and the Constitutional Court); judges for all courts are
appointed for life by the monarch
Political parties and leaders: Action Committee for Democracy and Justice
or ADR [Robert MEHLEN]; Christian Social People's Party or CSV (known also
as Christian Social Party or PCS) [Erna HENNICOT-SCHOEPGES]; Democratic
Party or DP [Lydie POLFER]; Green Party [Abbes JACOBY and Felix BRAS];
Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Jean ASSELBORN]; Marxist
and Reformed Communist Party DEI LENK (the Left) [no formal leadership];
other minor parties
Political pressure groups and leaders: ABBL (bankers' association);
ALEBA (financial sector trade union); Centrale Paysanne (federation
of agricultural producers); CEP (professional sector chamber); CGFP
(trade union representing civil service); Chambre de Commerce (Chamber of
Commerce); Chambre des Metiers (Chamber of Artisans); FEDIL (federation
of industrialists); LCGP (center-right trade union); OGBL (center-left
trade union)
International organization participation: ACCT, Australia Group,
Benelux, CCC, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NATO, NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Arlette
CONZEMIUS-PACCOURD chancery: 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20008 consulate(s) general: (202) 265-4171
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
(vacant); Charge d'Affaires Gerald LOFTUS embassy: 22 Boulevard
Emmanuel-Servais, L-2535 Luxembourg City mailing address: American Embassy
Luxembourg, Unit 1410, APO AE 09126-1410 (official mail); American Embassy
Luxembourg, PSC 9, Box 9500, APO AE 09123 (personal mail) telephone:
[352] 46 01 23 FAX: [352] 46 14 01
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white,
and light blue; similar to the flag of the Netherlands, which uses a
darker blue and is shorter; design was based on the flag of France
Economy Luxembourg
Economy - overview: This stable, high-income economy features solid
growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. The industrial sector,
initially dominated by steel, has become increasingly diversified to
include chemicals, rubber, and other products. Growth in the financial
sector has more than compensated for the decline in steel. Services,
especially banking, account for a substantial proportion of the
economy. Agriculture is based on small family-owned farms. The economy
depends on foreign and trans-border workers for 30% of its labor
force. Although Luxembourg, like all EU members, has suffered from the
global economic slump, the country has maintained a fairly robust growth
rate. On 1 January 2002, Luxembourg - together with 11 of its EU partners
- began to replace its circulating national currency with the euro.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $19.2 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $43,400 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 30% services: 69%
(2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.4% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 262,300 (of whom 87,400 are foreign cross-border workers
primarily from France, Belgium, and Germany) (2000)
Labor force - by occupation: services 90.1%, industry 8%, agriculture
1.9% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2.4% (2001 est.)