KEY FACTS

Joined Commonwealth: 1966
Population: 2,052,000 (2012)
GDP p.c. growth: 2.8% p.a. 1990–2012
UN HDI 2012: world ranking 158
Official languages: Sesotho, English
Time: GMT plus 2hr
Currency: Loti, plural maloti (M)

Geography

Area: 30,355 sq km
Coastline: none
Capital: Maseru

The Kingdom of Lesotho is a small landlocked country entirely surrounded by South Africa. It is known as the ‘Mountain Kingdom’, the whole country being over 1,000 metres in altitude. The country is divided into ten districts, each named after the principal town: Berea, Butha Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale’s Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha’s Nek, Quthing and Thaba-Tseka.

Main towns:

Maseru (capital, pop. 253,900 in 2010), Hlotse (45,300), Mafeteng (40,900), Teyateyaneng (27,100), Maputsoa (23,100), Mohale’s Hoek (22,400), Qacha’s Nek (17,100), Quthing (6,400), Mokhotlong (6,100) and Butha Buthe (5,900).

Society

KEY FACTS 2012

Population per sq km: 68
Life expectancy: 49 years
Net primary enrolment: 82%

Population:

2,052,000 (2012); 28 per cent of people live in urban areas; growth 1.1 per cent p.a. 1990–2012; birth rate 28 per 1,000 people (43 in 1970); life expectancy 49 years (49 in 1970 and 59 in 1990).The people are mostly Basotho, with a few thousand expatriate Europeans and several hundred Asians.

Language:

Sesotho and English are official languages; Zulu and Xhosa are also spoken.

Education:

Public spending on education was 13 per cent of GDP in 2008. Primary school comprises seven years and secondary five, with cycles of three and two years. Some 66 per cent of pupils complete primary school (2010). The school year starts in March. Higher education institutions include National University of Lesotho; Lesotho Institute of Public Administration and Management; Lesotho College of Education; Lerotholi Polytechnic; and Lesotho Agricultural College. Literacy among people aged 15–24 is 92 per cent (2010).