Capital (and largest city) Maseru 29°18′S, 27°28′E Official languages Sesotho, English Demonym Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural) Government Constitutional monarchy - King Letsie III - Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili Independence - from the United Kingdom October 4, 1966 Area - Total 30,355 km² (140th) 11,717 sq mi - Water (%) negligible Population - July 2005 estimate 1,795,0001 (146th) - 2004 census 2,031,348 - Density 59/km² (138th) 153/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2005 estimate - Total $4.996 billion (150th) - Per capita $2,113 (139th) Gini (1995) 63.2 (high) HDI (2007) ▲ 0.549 (medium) (138th) Currency Loti (LSL) Time zone (UTC+2) Internet TLD .ls Calling code +266 1 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. This article does not cite any references or sources. (April 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.
Lesotho (pronounced /lɪˈsuːtuː/ listen (help·info)), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a land-locked country, entirely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. Formerly Basutoland, it is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name Lesotho roughly translates into "the land of the people who speak Sesotho."[citation needed]
Contents [hide] 1 History 2 Politics 3 Districts 4 Geography 4.1 Climate 5 Economy 6 Demographics 6.1 Population 6.2 Ethnic groups and languages 6.3 Religion 6.4 Education and literacy 7 HIV/AIDS 8 Taxation 9 Foreign relations 10 Culture 11 Human rights 12 Assassinated Leaders 13 See also 14 External links
[edit] History Main article: History of Lesotho The earliest inhabitants of the area were Khoisan hunter-gatherers. They were largely replaced by Bantu-speaking tribes during Bantu migrations.
The present Lesotho emerged as a single polity under paramount chief Moshoeshoe I in 1822. It was recognized by the United Kingdom on 13 December 1843, and on 12 March 1868 became one of the High Commission Territories. On 30 April 1965 it was granted autonomy. Its name changed when Lesotho gained full independence within the Commonwealth of Nations on October 4, 1966.
In January 1970 the ruling Basotho National Party (BNP) lost the first post-independence general elections, with 23 seats to the Basutoland Congress Party's 36. Prime Minister Leabua Jonathan refused to cede power to the Basotho Congress Party (BCP), declared himself Tona Kholo (Sesotho translation of prime minister),[citation needed] and imprisoned the BCP leadership.
The BCP began a rebellion and then received training in Libya for its Lesotho Liberation Army (LLA) under the pretence of being Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA) soldiers of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). Deprived of arms and supplies by the Sibeko faction of the PAC in 1978, the 178-strong LLA was rescued from their Tanzanian base by the financial assistance of a Maoist PAC officer but launched the guerrilla war with a handful of old weapons. The main force was defeated in northern Lesotho and later guerrillas launched sporadic but usually ineffectual attacks. The campaign was severely compromised when BCP's leader, Ntsu Mokhehle, went to Pretoria. In the early 1980s, several Basotho who sympathized with the exiled BCP were threatened with death and attacked by the government of Leabua Jonathan. In September 1981 the family of Benjamin Masilo was attacked. A few days later, Edgar Mahlomola Motuba was taken from his home and murdered.
The BNP ruled by decree until January 1986 when a military coup forced it out of office. The Military Council that came to power granted executive powers to King Moshoeshoe II, who was until then a ceremonial monarch. But in 1987 the King was forced into exile after a falling out with the army. His son was installed as King Letsie III.
The chairman of the military junta, Major General Justin Metsing Lekhanya, was ousted in 1991 and replaced by Major General Elias Phisoana Ramaema, who handed over power to a democratically elected government of the BCP in 1993. Moshoeshoe II returned from exile in 1992 as an ordinary citizen. After the return to democratic government, King Letsie III tried unsuccessfully to persuade the BCP government to reinstate his father (Moshoeshoe II) as head of state.
In August 1994, Letsie III staged a military-backed coup that deposed the BCP government. The new government did not receive full international recognition. Member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) engaged in negotiations to reinstate the BCP government. One of the conditions Letsie III put forward for this was that his father should be re-installed as head of state. After protracted negotiations, the BCP government was reinstated and Letsie III abdicated in favor of his father in 1995, but Moshoeshoe II died in a car 'accident' in 1996 and was again succeeded by his son.
In 1997, the ruling BCP split over leadership disputes. Prime Minister Ntsu Mokhehle formed a new party, the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), and was followed by a majority of Members of Parliament, which enabled him to form a new government. Pakalitha Mosisili succeeded Mokhehle as party leader and the LCD won the general elections in 1998. Although the elections were pronounced free and fair by local and international observers and a subsequent special commission appointed by SADC, the opposition political parties rejected the results.
Opposition protests in the country intensified, culminating in a peaceful demonstration outside the royal palace in August 1998. Exact details of what followed are greatly disputed and it remain contested even within South Africa, but in September that year, a SADC task force operating on orders of unclear provenance entered the capital Maseru. While the Botswana Defence Force troops were welcomed, tensions with South African National Defence Force troops were high, resulting in fighting. Incidences of sporadic rioting intensified when South African troops hoisted a South African flag over the Royal Palace. By the time the SADC forces withdrew in May 1999, much of Maseru lay in ruins, and the southern provincial capital towns of Mafeteng and Mohale's Hoek had seen the loss of over a third of their commercial real estate. A number of South Africans and Basotho also died in the fighting.
An Interim Political Authority (IPA), charged with reviewing the electoral structure in the country, was created in December 1998. The IPA devised a proportional electoral system to ensure that the opposition would be represented in the National Assembly. The new system retained the existing 80 elected Assembly seats, but added 40 seats to be filled on a proportional basis. Elections were held under this new system in May 2002, and the LCD won again, gaining 54% of the vote. But for the first time, opposition political parties won significant numbers of seats, and despite some irregularities and threats of violence from Major General Lekhanya, Lesotho experienced its first peaceful election. Nine opposition parties now hold all 40 of the proportional seats, with the BNP having the largest share (21). The LCD has 79 of the 80 constituency-based seats. Although its elected members participate in the National Assembly, the BNP has launched several legal challenges to the elections, including a recount; none has been successful.
[edit] Politics Main article: Politics of Lesotho The Lesotho Government is a constitutional monarchy. The Prime Minister, Pakalitha Bethuel Mosisili, is head of government and has executive authority. The king serves a largely ceremonial function; he no longer possesses any executive authority and is proscribed from actively participating in political initiatives.
The Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) controls a majority in the National Assembly (the lower house of parliament) with 62 seats. The All Basotho Convention (ABC), a party formed shortly before the poll under the leadership of former foreign minister Tom Thabane, is the main opposition. The Basotho National Party (BNP), the Alliance of Congress Parties (ACP) and the newly formed Basotho Batho Democratic Party (BBDP) and the Basotho Democratic National Party (BDNP) Lesotho are among the other five opposition parties represented.
The ABC has brought a dramatic change in the Lesotho's politics, due to it having won 17, mainly urban, seats out of 80 Constituency seats, only a few months after it was formed in September 2006. Of the 40 Proportional Representation (PR) seats, the National Independent Party (NIP), a parliamentary ally of the ruling party, has the highest number of seats at 21. The Lesotho Workers Party has the next highest number of proportional seats with 10. The BNP is the opposition party with the biggest loss in the February 2007 election with its representation reduced from 21 to 3 seats. A total of 12 political parties are represented in the 120-member parliament.
The upper house of parliament, called the Senate, is composed of twenty-two principal chiefs whose membership is hereditary, and eleven appointees of the king, acting on the advice of the prime minister.
The constitution provides for an independent judicial system, made up of the High Court, the Court of Appeal, Magistrate's Courts, and traditional courts that exist predominantly in rural areas. All but one of the Justices on the Court of Appeal are South African jurists. There is no trial by jury; rather, judges make rulings alone, or, in the case of criminal trials, with two other judges as observers.
The constitution also protects basic civil liberties, including freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of the press, freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of religion.
[edit] Districts
Districts of LesothoMain article: Districts of Lesotho Administratively, Lesotho is divided into ten districts, each headed by a district administrator. Each district has a capital known as a camptown.
The districts are further subdivided into 80 constituencies, which consists of 129 local community councils.
[edit] Geography
Satellite image of Lesotho, generated from raster graphics data supplied by The Map Library Snow on the Lesotho Moteng passMain article: Geography of Lesotho Lesotho covers 30,355 square kilometres (11,720 sq mi). The most notable geographic fact about Lesotho, apart from its status as an enclave, is that it is the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) in elevation. Its lowest point is 1,400 metres (4,593 ft), and over 80% of the country lies above 1,800 metres (5,900 ft).
[edit] Climate Due to its altitude, Lesotho remains cooler throughout the year than other regions at the same latitude. Most of the rain falls as summer thunderstorms. Maseru and surrounding lowlands often reach 30 °C (86 °F) in summer. Winters can be cold with the lowlands getting down to −7 °C (19 °F) and the highlands to −18 °C (0 °F) at times. Snow is common in the deserts and low valleys between May and September; the higher peaks can experience snowfalls year-round.
[edit] Economy Main article: Economy of Lesotho Lesotho's economy is based on exports of water and electricity sold to South Africa, manufacturing, agriculture, livestock, and to some extent the earnings of laborers employed in South Africa. Lesotho also exports diamonds, wool, mohair, clothing, and footwear. One of Levi's jeans manufacturing facilities is located there. Lesotho is geographically surrounded by South Africa and economically integrated with it as well. The majority of households subsist on farming or migrant labor, primarily miners who remain in South Africa for 3 to 9 months. The western lowlands form the main agricultural zone. Almost 50% of the population earns some income through crop cultivation or animal husbandry, with over half the country's income coming from the agricultural sector.
Gorges of the River Makhaleng in Lesotho's highlands.Water is Lesotho's only significant natural resource. It is utilised through the 21-year, multi-billion-dollar Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), which began in 1986. The LHWP is designed to capture, store, and transfer water from the Orange River system to South Africa's Free State and greater Johannesburg area, which features a large concentration of South African industry, population, and agriculture. Completion of the first phase of the project has made Lesotho almost completely self-sufficient in the production of electricity and generated approximately $24 million annually from the sale of electricity and water to South Africa. The World Bank, African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, and many other bilateral donors financed the project. Lesotho has taken advantage of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to become the largest exporter of garments to the US from sub-Saharan Africa. Exports totaled over $320 million in 2002. Employment reached over 50,000, marking the first time that manufacturing sector workers outnumbered government employees. Asian investors own most factories.
Lesotho has nearly 6,000 kilometers of unpaved and modern all-weather roads. There is a short freight rail line linking Lesotho with South Africa that is owned and operated by South Africa.
The official currency is the loti (plural: maloti), but can be used interchangeably with the South African rand. Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, and South Africa also form a common currency and exchange control area known as the Common Monetary Area (CMA). The loti is at par with the rand, while one hundred lisente equal one loti.
The Afriski resort in the Maluti Mountains of Lesotho.Lesotho is a member of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), in which tariffs have been eliminated on the trade of goods between other member countries Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland.
Lesotho has received economic aid from a variety of sources, including the United States, the World Bank, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Germany.
Tourism is a slowly growing industry. A ski resort recently opened in the high Maluti Mountains is drawing tourists from South Africa.
Significant levels of child labour exist in Lesotho, and the country is in the process of formulating an Action Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (APEC), which is likely to be adopted in the period 2006-2007 (see Child labour in Lesotho).
[edit] Demographics See also: Demographics of Lesotho
[edit] Population Lesotho has a population of approximately 2.3 million, according to recent estimates.[citation needed] The population distribution of Lesotho is 19 percent urban and 81 percent rural. Population density is lower in the highlands than in the western lowlands. Although the majority of the population -- 57.6 percent -- is between 15 and 64 years of age, Lesotho has a substantial youth population numbering around 37 percent. The annual population growth is -0.46%.
[edit] Ethnic groups and languages Lesotho's ethno-linguistic structure consists almost entirely of the Basotho, a Bantu-speaking people. The Kwena (Bakoena) are the largest subgroup of the Sotho; other Basotho subgroups include the Natal (North) Nguni, Batloung (the Tlou), Baphuthi (the Phuti), Bafokeng, Bataung (the Tau), Bats'oeneng (the tso'ene) and the Cape (South) Nguni (Thembu). Sesotho (Southern Sotho) and English languages are both official. Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa and French are also spoken.
[edit] Religion Main article: Religion in Lesotho Roman Catholics, the largest religious group, make up more than two-fifths of the population;[citation needed] smaller groups include the Lesotho Evangelical Church which comprises more than one-fourth of the population;[citation needed] Anglican, one-ninth;[citation needed] and other Christian and tribal religions.
[edit] Education and literacy An estimated 85 percent of the population 15 and over was literate, according to recent estimates. As such, Lesotho boasts one of the higher literacy rates in Africa. Although education is not compulsory, the Government of Lesotho is incrementally implementing a programme for free primary education. It was expected that the program would be fully in place by 2006.
[edit] HIV/AIDS
A house in Lesotho. Malealea, situated in a remote part of Western Lesotho.With a shortage of trained personnel and medical supplies, Lesotho is severely afflicted by HIV/AIDS. According to recent estimates, the prevalence is about 29%, one of the highest in the world.[citation needed] The United Nations projects that this will rise to 36% within fifteen years,[citation needed] resulting in a sharp drop in life expectancy. According to the Lesotho Bureau of Statistics, in 2001 life expectancy was estimated at forty-eight years for men and fifty-six for women.[citation needed] Recent statistics estimate about thirty-seven years. Many children have lost parents. Traditionally lavish funerals leave survivors with another burden.[citation needed]
The government of Lesotho was initially slow to recognise the scale of the crisis, and its efforts to date in combating the spread of the disease have had limited success. In 1999, the government finalised its Strategic Plan on HIV/AIDS, a diagram for addressing the education, prevention, counseling, and treatment needs of the populace. In late 2003, the government announced that it was forming a new National AIDS Commission to coordinate society-wide anti-AIDS activities. Also in 2003 the government hosted a SADC Extraordinary Summit on HIV/AIDS.
In 2005, programmes for the distribution of anti-retrovirals were initiated. One such programme is in Hlotse, Leribe at Tsepong Clinic which is part of Motebang Hospital. However, such programmes remain limited in resources and have relatively few participants.
The government has also started a proactive programme called "Know your status" to test for HIV everyone in the country who wants to be tested. The programme is funded by the Clinton Foundation and started in June of 2006. Bill Clinton and Microsoft chairman Bill Gates visited Lesotho in July 2006 to assess its fight against AIDS. Dubbed "The two Bills" by the media,[citation needed] the two men visited the Mafeteng Hospital which is about 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of the capital, Maseru, to assess progress in public health endeavours funded by their respective foundations.
[edit] Taxation The taxation system in Lesotho has undergone major revisions in recent years (in part due to the establishment of the Lesotho Revenue Authority in 2003 - www.lra.org.ls).
Personal income tax: Personal income tax is due on income above M14,000 per annum, with a tax credit of M3,500. The standard rate is 25%, with a 35% rate on income over a certain threshold.
Company / corporate tax: The headline rate is 25%, with a special 10% rate on income generated from manufacturing, and a 0% rate for income generated from exporting manufactures to outside the Southern African Customs Union (the so called extra-SACU rate). Capital depreciation allowances exist and are 25% for most types of capital asset.
Value Added Tax: VAT was introduced in 2003 at 14% (replacing a 10% Government Sales Tax). An upfront VAT refund facility is in operation that effectively means that no VAT is paid on inputs into goods destined for export (a big help to Lesotho's garment exporters).
Dividends paid to non-residents and interest are subject to a 25 percent withholding tax. Resident companies that pay dividends must make an advance income tax payment of 53.8 percent, unless the dividends are paid out of manufacturing income or out of dividends paid by another resident company. Manufacturing companies pay no tax on dividends. Repatriated income is subject to a 25 percent tax.
[edit] Foreign relations
The flag used by Lesotho until October 2006. A gorge in Lesotho.Main article: Foreign relations of Lesotho Lesotho's geographic location makes it extremely vulnerable to political and economic developments in South Africa. It is a member of many regional economic organizations including the Southern African Development Community (SADC)[citation needed] and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).[citation needed] It is also active in the United Nations (UN), the African Union, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Commonwealth, and many other international organizations.[citation needed]
South Africa, the United States, Libya, Ireland, China, Botswana and the European Union all currently retain resident diplomatic missions in Lesotho. The British High Commission closed in 2005 and the UK is now represented in Lesotho by its High Commissioner resident in South Africa.
His Excellency, Prince Seeiso Bereng Seeiso is the present High Commissioner of the Kingdom of Lesotho to the Court of St. James's. The UN is represented by a resident mission as well, including UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, FAO, WFP, and UNAIDS.
Historically, Lesotho has maintained generally close ties with Ireland,[citation needed] but also with the United Kingdom (Wales in particular), Germany, the United States and other Western states. Although in 1990 it broke relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC) and re-established relations with Taiwan, it later restored ties with the PRC.
Lesotho also recognises the State of Palestine.[citation needed] In the past, it was a strong public supporter[citation needed] of the end of apartheid in South Africa and granted a number of South African refugees political asylum during the apartheid era.
[edit] Culture Traditional musical instruments include lekolulo, a kind of flute used by herding boys, setolo-tolo, played by men using their mouth, and the women's stringed thomo.
The national anthem of Lesotho is "Lesotho Fatše La Bo-ntata Rona," which literally translates into "Lesotho, Land Of Our Fathers."
The traditional style of housing in Lesotho is called a rondavel.
The Morija Arts & Cultural Festival is a prominent Sesotho arts and music festival. It is held annually in the historical town of Morija, where the first missionaries arrived in 1833.
See also: Music of Lesotho and List of writers from Lesotho
[edit] Human rights This article does not cite any references or sources. (March 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.
Lesotho is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. King Letsie III is the head of state but has no executive authority. In 2002, Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili was re-elected in what were judged to be free and fair elections. The government works to respect the civil and human rights of its citizens; however some serious abuses were reported in the past year. Police and security forces have been known to use excessive force and torture against detainees, often with impunity. The judiciary is subject to external influences and due process cannot be guaranteed. Lengthy pre-trial detention and long delays in trial are problems. Child labor and discrimination against persons with disabilities and HIV/AIDS are other known abuses committed in the region.
Recently with the disputes in Kenya, many groups of young adults trying to visit the UK from Lesotho have been treated with the utmost contempt by authorities.
[edit] Assassinated Leaders Selometsi Baholo, Deputy Prime Minister Makhele Motuba Seheri Selala Sekhonyana Sixishe
[edit] See also
Basotho-horseman with traditional blanket.Communications in Lesotho List of Basotho companies List of Lesotho-related topics Military of Lesotho National University of Lesotho National University of Lesotho International School Transportation in Lesotho Lesotho Scouts Association
[edit] External links Lesotho Portal Find more about Lesotho on Wikipedia's sister projects: Dictionary definitions Textbooks Quotations Source texts Images and media News stories Learning resources Government of Lesotho Judgments of the Lesotho High Court Lesotho at the Open Directory Project Lesotho travel guide from Wikitravel ‹ The template below (Wikia) is being considered for deletion. See templates for deletion to help reach a consensus. › Wikia has a wiki on this subject: Lesotho
[show]v • d • eTopics on Lesotho History Archaeology · South African intervention in Lesotho Geography Towns · Trees Government Constitution · Parliament · Districts · Foreign relations · Military · Courts of Lesotho Politics Political parties (Alliance of Congress Parties · All Basotho Convention · Basotho Congress Party · Basotho National Party · Basutoland African Congress · Communist Party of Lesotho · Lesotho Congress for Democracy) · Elections Monarchy Basotho monarchs · Succession · Economy Companies · Communications · Transport Culture Language · Cinema · Cuisine · Education · Literature · Modern Breakthrough · Music · Public holidays Other List of Basotho · Religion · Islam · Courts · Tourism Demographics · [hide]Geographic locale [show]v • d • eCountries of Africa West Africa Benin · Burkina Faso · Cape Verde · Côte d'Ivoire · The Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Liberia · Mali · Mauritania · Niger · Nigeria · Senegal · Sierra Leone · Togo
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Dependencies British Indian Ocean Territory (UK) · Mayotte (France) · Réunion (France) · St. Helena2 (UK) Unrecognized Canary Islands (Spain) · Ceuta (Spain) · Madeira (Portugal) · Melilla (Spain) · Socotra (Yemen) · Puntland · Somaliland · Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic 1 Partly in Asia. 2 Includes the dependencies of Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha.
[hide]International membership [show]v • d • eSouthern African Customs Union (SACU) South Africa · Botswana · Lesotho · Swaziland · Namibia [show]v • d • eSouthern African Development Community (SADC) Angola · Botswana · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Lesotho · Madagascar · Malawi · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Seychelles · South Africa · Swaziland · Tanzania · Zambia · Zimbabwe [show]v • d • eAfrican Union (AU) Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cameroon · Cape Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Côte d'Ivoire · Djibouti · Egypt · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Equatorial Guinea · Gabon · The Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Rwanda · Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · Sudan · Swaziland · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe [show]v • d • eCommonwealth of Nations Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda · Australia · Bahamas · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belize · Botswana · Brunei · Cameroon · Canada · Cyprus · Dominica · Fiji · The Gambia · Ghana · Grenada · Guyana · India · Jamaica · Kenya · Kiribati · Lesotho · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Malta · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Nauru · New Zealand · Nigeria · Pakistan · Papua New Guinea · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Samoa · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Solomon Islands · South Africa · Sri Lanka · Swaziland · Tanzania · Tonga · Trinidad and Tobago · Tuvalu · Uganda · United Kingdom · Vanuatu · Zambia
Dependencies Australia Ashmore and Cartier Islands · Australian Antarctic Territory · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Coral Sea Islands · Heard Island and McDonald Islands · Norfolk Island
New Zealand Cook Islands · Niue · Ross Dependency · Tokelau
United Kingdom Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Anguilla · Bermuda · British Antarctic Territory · British Indian Ocean Territory · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey · Montserrat · Pitcairn Islands · St. Helena (including Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha) · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Turks and Caicos Islands
[show]v • d • eMonarchies Absolute monarchies Brunei · Oman · Saudi Arabia · Swaziland · Vatican Constitutional monarchies Antigua and Barbudac · Australiac · Andorra · Bahamasc · Bahrain · Barbadosc · Belizec · Belgium · Bhutan · Cambodia · Canadac · Denmark · Grenadac · Jamaicac · Japanj · Jordan · Kuwait · Liechtenstein · Lesotho · Luxembourg · Malaysia · Monaco · Netherlands · Morocco · Nepaln · New Zealandc · Norway · Papua New Guineac · Qatarq · Spain · Saint Kitts and Nevisc · Saint Luciac · Saint Vincent and the Grenadinesc · Solomon Islandsc · Sweden · Thailand · Tonga · Tuvaluc · United Arab Emiratesu · United Kingdomc Elective monarchies Andorra · Cambodia · Kuwait · Malaysia · Swaziland · United Arab Emiratesu · Vatican Subnational monarchies Alo (Wallis and Futuna) · Ankole (Uganda) · Ashanti (Ghana) · Buganda (Uganda) · Bunyoro (Uganda) · Busoga (Uganda) · Dagbon (Ghana) · Māori (New Zealand) · Sigave (Wallis and Futuna) · Tibet (China) · Toro (Uganda) · Uvea (Wallis and Futuna) · Yogyakarta (Indonesia) · Zululand (South Africa) (c) All 16 Commonwealth realms share one monarch represented, except for the U.K., by a Governor-General · (j) Monarch debatable as being true Head of State. · (n) Currently under suspension. · (q) Technically a constitutional monarchy but displays effective properties of an absolute monarchy. (u) Uses the non-monarchical title President.
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I have seen that somebody - and I can guess who - is trying to drag my name into this in mentioning the distantlover-blog. Let me assure you that I am not interested to participate in these funny games - nor did I send any comments regarding 'Jeff Koinange for President'.... this is again a very unprofessional and unfair way trying to connect me to some comments sent in regarding Sam Okello. Maybe he should start looking into other directions to find his enemies. It seems he has plenty. But please count me out - at least for now.
Susan Akinyi is not an IDP but her story is equally heartrending. She sat her KCPE exams last year and scored 204 out of a possible 500 marks. Susan’s parents are poor and jobless and she was looking upon her 2 brothers to pay her school fees. Both of them were killed during the post election violence.
A sympathetic auntie however took her in and enrolled her in a local boarding High School. Just when she thought life was finally on the smooth path, her auntie passed away and her education was disrupted once again. Before her Auntie was even buried, her dormitory in school caught fire and she lost everything. Just how much can one girl take?
Does anyone know this girl or her family? She's from Rachuonyo and someone would like to get in touch with her to help.
Wanjiku i agree....Provide the link...long document inachoosa!!! That is a sad story indeed......Ritch i think Kibaki the marionette lost meaning....people have set their own Qn......But to me he is indeed getting so many advises from so many quarters that he is becoming irrelevant to himself!!!! Imagine ati a minister is telling the president i am not giving up my ministry ....kwani is it their personal stuff halafu as their prezzy you are saying ni sawa tu!!!Ati? Fire THEM ALL UNLESS they helped you to steal the election!!!
Marasa Biggy za Dame congratulation...you are qualified enough to be the president of this great country.Don't you know there is something called hyper link.
Any posts breaking the house rules of COMMON DECENCY will be promptly deleted, i.e. NO TRIBALISTIC, racist, sexist, homophobic, sexually explicit, abusive, swearing, DIVERSIONS, impersonation and spam AMONG OTHERS. No exceptions WHATSOEVER.
The 2nd hand from left is definitely Karua's...ama is it Ruci's?
ReplyDeleteLesotho
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Muso oa Lesotho
Kingdom of Lesotho
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Khotso, Pula, Nala" (Sesotho)
"Peace, Rain, Prosperity"
Anthem: Lesotho Fatse La Bontata Rona
Capital
(and largest city) Maseru
29°18′S, 27°28′E
Official languages Sesotho, English
Demonym Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
Government Constitutional monarchy
- King Letsie III
- Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili
Independence
- from the United Kingdom October 4, 1966
Area
- Total 30,355 km² (140th)
11,717 sq mi
- Water (%) negligible
Population
- July 2005 estimate 1,795,0001 (146th)
- 2004 census 2,031,348
- Density 59/km² (138th)
153/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2005 estimate
- Total $4.996 billion (150th)
- Per capita $2,113 (139th)
Gini (1995) 63.2 (high)
HDI (2007) ▲ 0.549 (medium) (138th)
Currency Loti (LSL)
Time zone (UTC+2)
Internet TLD .ls
Calling code +266
1 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.
This article does not cite any references or sources. (April 2008)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.
Lesotho (pronounced /lɪˈsuːtuː/ listen (help·info)), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a land-locked country, entirely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. Formerly Basutoland, it is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name Lesotho roughly translates into "the land of the people who speak Sesotho."[citation needed]
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Politics
3 Districts
4 Geography
4.1 Climate
5 Economy
6 Demographics
6.1 Population
6.2 Ethnic groups and languages
6.3 Religion
6.4 Education and literacy
7 HIV/AIDS
8 Taxation
9 Foreign relations
10 Culture
11 Human rights
12 Assassinated Leaders
13 See also
14 External links
[edit] History
Main article: History of Lesotho
The earliest inhabitants of the area were Khoisan hunter-gatherers. They were largely replaced by Bantu-speaking tribes during Bantu migrations.
The present Lesotho emerged as a single polity under paramount chief Moshoeshoe I in 1822. It was recognized by the United Kingdom on 13 December 1843, and on 12 March 1868 became one of the High Commission Territories. On 30 April 1965 it was granted autonomy. Its name changed when Lesotho gained full independence within the Commonwealth of Nations on October 4, 1966.
In January 1970 the ruling Basotho National Party (BNP) lost the first post-independence general elections, with 23 seats to the Basutoland Congress Party's 36. Prime Minister Leabua Jonathan refused to cede power to the Basotho Congress Party (BCP), declared himself Tona Kholo (Sesotho translation of prime minister),[citation needed] and imprisoned the BCP leadership.
The BCP began a rebellion and then received training in Libya for its Lesotho Liberation Army (LLA) under the pretence of being Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA) soldiers of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). Deprived of arms and supplies by the Sibeko faction of the PAC in 1978, the 178-strong LLA was rescued from their Tanzanian base by the financial assistance of a Maoist PAC officer but launched the guerrilla war with a handful of old weapons. The main force was defeated in northern Lesotho and later guerrillas launched sporadic but usually ineffectual attacks. The campaign was severely compromised when BCP's leader, Ntsu Mokhehle, went to Pretoria. In the early 1980s, several Basotho who sympathized with the exiled BCP were threatened with death and attacked by the government of Leabua Jonathan. In September 1981 the family of Benjamin Masilo was attacked. A few days later, Edgar Mahlomola Motuba was taken from his home and murdered.
The BNP ruled by decree until January 1986 when a military coup forced it out of office. The Military Council that came to power granted executive powers to King Moshoeshoe II, who was until then a ceremonial monarch. But in 1987 the King was forced into exile after a falling out with the army. His son was installed as King Letsie III.
The chairman of the military junta, Major General Justin Metsing Lekhanya, was ousted in 1991 and replaced by Major General Elias Phisoana Ramaema, who handed over power to a democratically elected government of the BCP in 1993. Moshoeshoe II returned from exile in 1992 as an ordinary citizen. After the return to democratic government, King Letsie III tried unsuccessfully to persuade the BCP government to reinstate his father (Moshoeshoe II) as head of state.
In August 1994, Letsie III staged a military-backed coup that deposed the BCP government. The new government did not receive full international recognition. Member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) engaged in negotiations to reinstate the BCP government. One of the conditions Letsie III put forward for this was that his father should be re-installed as head of state. After protracted negotiations, the BCP government was reinstated and Letsie III abdicated in favor of his father in 1995, but Moshoeshoe II died in a car 'accident' in 1996 and was again succeeded by his son.
In 1997, the ruling BCP split over leadership disputes. Prime Minister Ntsu Mokhehle formed a new party, the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), and was followed by a majority of Members of Parliament, which enabled him to form a new government. Pakalitha Mosisili succeeded Mokhehle as party leader and the LCD won the general elections in 1998. Although the elections were pronounced free and fair by local and international observers and a subsequent special commission appointed by SADC, the opposition political parties rejected the results.
Opposition protests in the country intensified, culminating in a peaceful demonstration outside the royal palace in August 1998. Exact details of what followed are greatly disputed and it remain contested even within South Africa, but in September that year, a SADC task force operating on orders of unclear provenance entered the capital Maseru. While the Botswana Defence Force troops were welcomed, tensions with South African National Defence Force troops were high, resulting in fighting. Incidences of sporadic rioting intensified when South African troops hoisted a South African flag over the Royal Palace. By the time the SADC forces withdrew in May 1999, much of Maseru lay in ruins, and the southern provincial capital towns of Mafeteng and Mohale's Hoek had seen the loss of over a third of their commercial real estate. A number of South Africans and Basotho also died in the fighting.
An Interim Political Authority (IPA), charged with reviewing the electoral structure in the country, was created in December 1998. The IPA devised a proportional electoral system to ensure that the opposition would be represented in the National Assembly. The new system retained the existing 80 elected Assembly seats, but added 40 seats to be filled on a proportional basis. Elections were held under this new system in May 2002, and the LCD won again, gaining 54% of the vote. But for the first time, opposition political parties won significant numbers of seats, and despite some irregularities and threats of violence from Major General Lekhanya, Lesotho experienced its first peaceful election. Nine opposition parties now hold all 40 of the proportional seats, with the BNP having the largest share (21). The LCD has 79 of the 80 constituency-based seats. Although its elected members participate in the National Assembly, the BNP has launched several legal challenges to the elections, including a recount; none has been successful.
[edit] Politics
Main article: Politics of Lesotho
The Lesotho Government is a constitutional monarchy. The Prime Minister, Pakalitha Bethuel Mosisili, is head of government and has executive authority. The king serves a largely ceremonial function; he no longer possesses any executive authority and is proscribed from actively participating in political initiatives.
The Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) controls a majority in the National Assembly (the lower house of parliament) with 62 seats. The All Basotho Convention (ABC), a party formed shortly before the poll under the leadership of former foreign minister Tom Thabane, is the main opposition. The Basotho National Party (BNP), the Alliance of Congress Parties (ACP) and the newly formed Basotho Batho Democratic Party (BBDP) and the Basotho Democratic National Party (BDNP) Lesotho are among the other five opposition parties represented.
The ABC has brought a dramatic change in the Lesotho's politics, due to it having won 17, mainly urban, seats out of 80 Constituency seats, only a few months after it was formed in September 2006. Of the 40 Proportional Representation (PR) seats, the National Independent Party (NIP), a parliamentary ally of the ruling party, has the highest number of seats at 21. The Lesotho Workers Party has the next highest number of proportional seats with 10. The BNP is the opposition party with the biggest loss in the February 2007 election with its representation reduced from 21 to 3 seats. A total of 12 political parties are represented in the 120-member parliament.
The upper house of parliament, called the Senate, is composed of twenty-two principal chiefs whose membership is hereditary, and eleven appointees of the king, acting on the advice of the prime minister.
The constitution provides for an independent judicial system, made up of the High Court, the Court of Appeal, Magistrate's Courts, and traditional courts that exist predominantly in rural areas. All but one of the Justices on the Court of Appeal are South African jurists. There is no trial by jury; rather, judges make rulings alone, or, in the case of criminal trials, with two other judges as observers.
The constitution also protects basic civil liberties, including freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of the press, freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of religion.
[edit] Districts
Districts of LesothoMain article: Districts of Lesotho
Administratively, Lesotho is divided into ten districts, each headed by a district administrator. Each district has a capital known as a camptown.
Berea
Butha-Buthe
Leribe
Mafeteng
Maseru
Mohale's Hoek
Mokhotlong
Qacha's Nek
Quthing
Thaba-Tseka
The districts are further subdivided into 80 constituencies, which consists of 129 local community councils.
[edit] Geography
Satellite image of Lesotho, generated from raster graphics data supplied by The Map Library
Snow on the Lesotho Moteng passMain article: Geography of Lesotho
Lesotho covers 30,355 square kilometres (11,720 sq mi). The most notable geographic fact about Lesotho, apart from its status as an enclave, is that it is the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) in elevation. Its lowest point is 1,400 metres (4,593 ft), and over 80% of the country lies above 1,800 metres (5,900 ft).
[edit] Climate
Due to its altitude, Lesotho remains cooler throughout the year than other regions at the same latitude. Most of the rain falls as summer thunderstorms. Maseru and surrounding lowlands often reach 30 °C (86 °F) in summer. Winters can be cold with the lowlands getting down to −7 °C (19 °F) and the highlands to −18 °C (0 °F) at times. Snow is common in the deserts and low valleys between May and September; the higher peaks can experience snowfalls year-round.
[edit] Economy
Main article: Economy of Lesotho
Lesotho's economy is based on exports of water and electricity sold to South Africa, manufacturing, agriculture, livestock, and to some extent the earnings of laborers employed in South Africa. Lesotho also exports diamonds, wool, mohair, clothing, and footwear. One of Levi's jeans manufacturing facilities is located there. Lesotho is geographically surrounded by South Africa and economically integrated with it as well. The majority of households subsist on farming or migrant labor, primarily miners who remain in South Africa for 3 to 9 months. The western lowlands form the main agricultural zone. Almost 50% of the population earns some income through crop cultivation or animal husbandry, with over half the country's income coming from the agricultural sector.
Gorges of the River Makhaleng in Lesotho's highlands.Water is Lesotho's only significant natural resource. It is utilised through the 21-year, multi-billion-dollar Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), which began in 1986. The LHWP is designed to capture, store, and transfer water from the Orange River system to South Africa's Free State and greater Johannesburg area, which features a large concentration of South African industry, population, and agriculture. Completion of the first phase of the project has made Lesotho almost completely self-sufficient in the production of electricity and generated approximately $24 million annually from the sale of electricity and water to South Africa. The World Bank, African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, and many other bilateral donors financed the project. Lesotho has taken advantage of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to become the largest exporter of garments to the US from sub-Saharan Africa. Exports totaled over $320 million in 2002. Employment reached over 50,000, marking the first time that manufacturing sector workers outnumbered government employees. Asian investors own most factories.
Lesotho has nearly 6,000 kilometers of unpaved and modern all-weather roads. There is a short freight rail line linking Lesotho with South Africa that is owned and operated by South Africa.
The official currency is the loti (plural: maloti), but can be used interchangeably with the South African rand. Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, and South Africa also form a common currency and exchange control area known as the Common Monetary Area (CMA). The loti is at par with the rand, while one hundred lisente equal one loti.
The Afriski resort in the Maluti Mountains of Lesotho.Lesotho is a member of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), in which tariffs have been eliminated on the trade of goods between other member countries Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland.
Lesotho has received economic aid from a variety of sources, including the United States, the World Bank, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Germany.
Tourism is a slowly growing industry. A ski resort recently opened in the high Maluti Mountains is drawing tourists from South Africa.
Significant levels of child labour exist in Lesotho, and the country is in the process of formulating an Action Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (APEC), which is likely to be adopted in the period 2006-2007 (see Child labour in Lesotho).
[edit] Demographics
See also: Demographics of Lesotho
[edit] Population
Lesotho has a population of approximately 2.3 million, according to recent estimates.[citation needed] The population distribution of Lesotho is 19 percent urban and 81 percent rural. Population density is lower in the highlands than in the western lowlands. Although the majority of the population -- 57.6 percent -- is between 15 and 64 years of age, Lesotho has a substantial youth population numbering around 37 percent. The annual population growth is -0.46%.
[edit] Ethnic groups and languages
Lesotho's ethno-linguistic structure consists almost entirely of the Basotho, a Bantu-speaking people. The Kwena (Bakoena) are the largest subgroup of the Sotho; other Basotho subgroups include the Natal (North) Nguni, Batloung (the Tlou), Baphuthi (the Phuti), Bafokeng, Bataung (the Tau), Bats'oeneng (the tso'ene) and the Cape (South) Nguni (Thembu). Sesotho (Southern Sotho) and English languages are both official. Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa and French are also spoken.
[edit] Religion
Main article: Religion in Lesotho
Roman Catholics, the largest religious group, make up more than two-fifths of the population;[citation needed] smaller groups include the Lesotho Evangelical Church which comprises more than one-fourth of the population;[citation needed] Anglican, one-ninth;[citation needed] and other Christian and tribal religions.
[edit] Education and literacy
An estimated 85 percent of the population 15 and over was literate, according to recent estimates. As such, Lesotho boasts one of the higher literacy rates in Africa. Although education is not compulsory, the Government of Lesotho is incrementally implementing a programme for free primary education. It was expected that the program would be fully in place by 2006.
[edit] HIV/AIDS
A house in Lesotho.
Malealea, situated in a remote part of Western Lesotho.With a shortage of trained personnel and medical supplies, Lesotho is severely afflicted by HIV/AIDS. According to recent estimates, the prevalence is about 29%, one of the highest in the world.[citation needed] The United Nations projects that this will rise to 36% within fifteen years,[citation needed] resulting in a sharp drop in life expectancy. According to the Lesotho Bureau of Statistics, in 2001 life expectancy was estimated at forty-eight years for men and fifty-six for women.[citation needed] Recent statistics estimate about thirty-seven years. Many children have lost parents. Traditionally lavish funerals leave survivors with another burden.[citation needed]
The government of Lesotho was initially slow to recognise the scale of the crisis, and its efforts to date in combating the spread of the disease have had limited success. In 1999, the government finalised its Strategic Plan on HIV/AIDS, a diagram for addressing the education, prevention, counseling, and treatment needs of the populace. In late 2003, the government announced that it was forming a new National AIDS Commission to coordinate society-wide anti-AIDS activities. Also in 2003 the government hosted a SADC Extraordinary Summit on HIV/AIDS.
In 2005, programmes for the distribution of anti-retrovirals were initiated. One such programme is in Hlotse, Leribe at Tsepong Clinic which is part of Motebang Hospital. However, such programmes remain limited in resources and have relatively few participants.
The government has also started a proactive programme called "Know your status" to test for HIV everyone in the country who wants to be tested. The programme is funded by the Clinton Foundation and started in June of 2006. Bill Clinton and Microsoft chairman Bill Gates visited Lesotho in July 2006 to assess its fight against AIDS. Dubbed "The two Bills" by the media,[citation needed] the two men visited the Mafeteng Hospital which is about 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of the capital, Maseru, to assess progress in public health endeavours funded by their respective foundations.
[edit] Taxation
The taxation system in Lesotho has undergone major revisions in recent years (in part due to the establishment of the Lesotho Revenue Authority in 2003 - www.lra.org.ls).
Personal income tax: Personal income tax is due on income above M14,000 per annum, with a tax credit of M3,500. The standard rate is 25%, with a 35% rate on income over a certain threshold.
Company / corporate tax: The headline rate is 25%, with a special 10% rate on income generated from manufacturing, and a 0% rate for income generated from exporting manufactures to outside the Southern African Customs Union (the so called extra-SACU rate). Capital depreciation allowances exist and are 25% for most types of capital asset.
Value Added Tax: VAT was introduced in 2003 at 14% (replacing a 10% Government Sales Tax). An upfront VAT refund facility is in operation that effectively means that no VAT is paid on inputs into goods destined for export (a big help to Lesotho's garment exporters).
Dividends paid to non-residents and interest are subject to a 25 percent withholding tax. Resident companies that pay dividends must make an advance income tax payment of 53.8 percent, unless the dividends are paid out of manufacturing income or out of dividends paid by another resident company. Manufacturing companies pay no tax on dividends. Repatriated income is subject to a 25 percent tax.
[edit] Foreign relations
The flag used by Lesotho until October 2006.
A gorge in Lesotho.Main article: Foreign relations of Lesotho
Lesotho's geographic location makes it extremely vulnerable to political and economic developments in South Africa. It is a member of many regional economic organizations including the Southern African Development Community (SADC)[citation needed] and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).[citation needed] It is also active in the United Nations (UN), the African Union, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Commonwealth, and many other international organizations.[citation needed]
South Africa, the United States, Libya, Ireland, China, Botswana and the European Union all currently retain resident diplomatic missions in Lesotho. The British High Commission closed in 2005 and the UK is now represented in Lesotho by its High Commissioner resident in South Africa.
His Excellency, Prince Seeiso Bereng Seeiso is the present High Commissioner of the Kingdom of Lesotho to the Court of St. James's. The UN is represented by a resident mission as well, including UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, FAO, WFP, and UNAIDS.
Historically, Lesotho has maintained generally close ties with Ireland,[citation needed] but also with the United Kingdom (Wales in particular), Germany, the United States and other Western states. Although in 1990 it broke relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC) and re-established relations with Taiwan, it later restored ties with the PRC.
Lesotho also recognises the State of Palestine.[citation needed] In the past, it was a strong public supporter[citation needed] of the end of apartheid in South Africa and granted a number of South African refugees political asylum during the apartheid era.
[edit] Culture
Traditional musical instruments include lekolulo, a kind of flute used by herding boys, setolo-tolo, played by men using their mouth, and the women's stringed thomo.
The national anthem of Lesotho is "Lesotho Fatše La Bo-ntata Rona," which literally translates into "Lesotho, Land Of Our Fathers."
The traditional style of housing in Lesotho is called a rondavel.
The Morija Arts & Cultural Festival is a prominent Sesotho arts and music festival. It is held annually in the historical town of Morija, where the first missionaries arrived in 1833.
See also: Music of Lesotho and List of writers from Lesotho
[edit] Human rights
This article does not cite any references or sources. (March 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.
Lesotho is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. King Letsie III is the head of state but has no executive authority. In 2002, Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili was re-elected in what were judged to be free and fair elections. The government works to respect the civil and human rights of its citizens; however some serious abuses were reported in the past year. Police and security forces have been known to use excessive force and torture against detainees, often with impunity. The judiciary is subject to external influences and due process cannot be guaranteed. Lengthy pre-trial detention and long delays in trial are problems. Child labor and discrimination against persons with disabilities and HIV/AIDS are other known abuses committed in the region.
Recently with the disputes in Kenya, many groups of young adults trying to visit the UK from Lesotho have been treated with the utmost contempt by authorities.
[edit] Assassinated Leaders
Selometsi Baholo, Deputy Prime Minister
Makhele
Motuba
Seheri
Selala Sekhonyana
Sixishe
[edit] See also
Basotho-horseman with traditional blanket.Communications in Lesotho
List of Basotho companies
List of Lesotho-related topics
Military of Lesotho
National University of Lesotho
National University of Lesotho International School
Transportation in Lesotho
Lesotho Scouts Association
[edit] External links
Lesotho Portal
Find more about Lesotho on Wikipedia's sister projects:
Dictionary definitions
Textbooks
Quotations
Source texts
Images and media
News stories
Learning resources
Government of Lesotho
Judgments of the Lesotho High Court
Lesotho at the Open Directory Project
Lesotho travel guide from Wikitravel
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[show]v • d • eTopics on Lesotho
History Archaeology · South African intervention in Lesotho
Geography Towns · Trees
Government Constitution · Parliament · Districts · Foreign relations · Military · Courts of Lesotho
Politics Political parties (Alliance of Congress Parties · All Basotho Convention · Basotho Congress Party · Basotho National Party · Basutoland African Congress · Communist Party of Lesotho · Lesotho Congress for Democracy) · Elections
Monarchy Basotho monarchs · Succession ·
Economy Companies · Communications · Transport
Culture Language · Cinema · Cuisine · Education · Literature · Modern Breakthrough · Music · Public holidays
Other List of Basotho · Religion · Islam · Courts · Tourism Demographics ·
[hide]Geographic locale
[show]v • d • eCountries of Africa
West Africa
Benin · Burkina Faso · Cape Verde · Côte d'Ivoire · The Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Liberia · Mali · Mauritania · Niger · Nigeria · Senegal · Sierra Leone · Togo
North Africa
Algeria · Egypt1 · Libya · Mauritania · Morocco · Sudan · Tunisia · Western Sahara
Central Africa
Angola · Burundi · Cameroon · Central African Republic · Chad · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Equatorial Guinea · Gabon · Republic of the Congo · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe
East Africa
Burundi · Comoros · Djibouti · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Kenya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mauritius · Mozambique · Rwanda · Seychelles · Somalia · Tanzania · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe
Southern Africa
Botswana · Lesotho · Namibia · South Africa · Swaziland
Dependencies British Indian Ocean Territory (UK) · Mayotte (France) · Réunion (France) · St. Helena2 (UK)
Unrecognized Canary Islands (Spain) · Ceuta (Spain) · Madeira (Portugal) · Melilla (Spain) · Socotra (Yemen) · Puntland · Somaliland · Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
1 Partly in Asia. 2 Includes the dependencies of Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha.
[hide]International membership
[show]v • d • eSouthern African Customs Union (SACU)
South Africa · Botswana · Lesotho · Swaziland · Namibia
[show]v • d • eSouthern African Development Community (SADC)
Angola · Botswana · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Lesotho · Madagascar · Malawi · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Seychelles · South Africa · Swaziland · Tanzania · Zambia · Zimbabwe
[show]v • d • eAfrican Union (AU)
Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cameroon · Cape Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Côte d'Ivoire · Djibouti · Egypt · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Equatorial Guinea · Gabon · The Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Rwanda · Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · Sudan · Swaziland · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe
[show]v • d • eCommonwealth of Nations
Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda · Australia · Bahamas · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belize · Botswana · Brunei · Cameroon · Canada · Cyprus · Dominica · Fiji · The Gambia · Ghana · Grenada · Guyana · India · Jamaica · Kenya · Kiribati · Lesotho · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Malta · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Nauru · New Zealand · Nigeria · Pakistan · Papua New Guinea · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Samoa · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Solomon Islands · South Africa · Sri Lanka · Swaziland · Tanzania · Tonga · Trinidad and Tobago · Tuvalu · Uganda · United Kingdom · Vanuatu · Zambia
Dependencies Australia Ashmore and Cartier Islands · Australian Antarctic Territory · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Coral Sea Islands · Heard Island and McDonald Islands · Norfolk Island
New Zealand Cook Islands · Niue · Ross Dependency · Tokelau
United Kingdom Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Anguilla · Bermuda · British Antarctic Territory · British Indian Ocean Territory · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey · Montserrat · Pitcairn Islands · St. Helena (including Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha) · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Turks and Caicos Islands
[show]v • d • eMonarchies
Absolute monarchies Brunei · Oman · Saudi Arabia · Swaziland · Vatican
Constitutional
monarchies Antigua and Barbudac · Australiac · Andorra · Bahamasc · Bahrain · Barbadosc · Belizec · Belgium · Bhutan · Cambodia · Canadac · Denmark · Grenadac · Jamaicac · Japanj · Jordan · Kuwait · Liechtenstein · Lesotho · Luxembourg · Malaysia · Monaco · Netherlands · Morocco · Nepaln · New Zealandc · Norway · Papua New Guineac · Qatarq · Spain · Saint Kitts and Nevisc · Saint Luciac · Saint Vincent and the Grenadinesc · Solomon Islandsc · Sweden · Thailand · Tonga · Tuvaluc · United Arab Emiratesu · United Kingdomc
Elective monarchies Andorra · Cambodia · Kuwait · Malaysia · Swaziland · United Arab Emiratesu · Vatican
Subnational
monarchies Alo (Wallis and Futuna) · Ankole (Uganda) · Ashanti (Ghana) · Buganda (Uganda) · Bunyoro (Uganda) · Busoga (Uganda) · Dagbon (Ghana) · Māori (New Zealand) · Sigave (Wallis and Futuna) · Tibet (China) · Toro (Uganda) · Uvea (Wallis and Futuna) · Yogyakarta (Indonesia) · Zululand (South Africa)
(c) All 16 Commonwealth realms share one monarch represented, except for the U.K., by a Governor-General · (j) Monarch debatable as being true Head of State. · (n) Currently under suspension. · (q) Technically a constitutional monarchy but displays effective properties of an absolute monarchy. (u) Uses the non-monarchical title President.
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Categories: Lesotho | African Union member states | Landlocked countries | English-speaking countries and territories | Constitutional monarchies | Least Developed Countries
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ReplyDeleteHaki Yetu
I have seen that somebody - and I can guess who - is trying to drag my name into this in mentioning the distantlover-blog. Let me assure you that I am not interested to participate in these funny games - nor did I send any comments regarding 'Jeff Koinange for President'.... this is again a very unprofessional and unfair way trying to connect me to some comments sent in regarding Sam Okello. Maybe he should start looking into other directions to find his enemies. It seems he has plenty. But please count me out - at least for now.
ReplyDeleteAll I want to know is who among Kibaki's GEMA cronies is in line to purchase the Grand Regency.
ReplyDeleteHawa watu ni hatari!!!
anon 1:36 purchase? miappropriate perhaps.
ReplyDeleteThese are the last convulsions of the old order. Bring in ACCOUNTABILITY.
ReplyDeleteAi! Marasa good morning. Couldn't you just provide the link?
ReplyDeleteSusan Akinyi is not an IDP but her story is equally heartrending. She sat her KCPE exams last year and scored 204 out of a possible 500 marks. Susan’s parents are poor and jobless and she was looking upon her 2 brothers to pay her school fees. Both of them were killed during the post election violence.
ReplyDeleteA sympathetic auntie however took her in and enrolled her in a local boarding High School. Just when she thought life was finally on the smooth path, her auntie passed away and her education was disrupted once again. Before her Auntie was even buried, her dormitory in school caught fire and she lost everything. Just how much can one girl take?
Does anyone know this girl or her family? She's from Rachuonyo and someone would like to get in touch with her to help.
Wanjiku i agree....Provide the link...long document inachoosa!!!
ReplyDeleteThat is a sad story indeed......Ritch i think Kibaki the marionette lost meaning....people have set their own Qn......But to me he is indeed getting so many advises from so many quarters that he is becoming irrelevant to himself!!!! Imagine ati a minister is telling the president i am not giving up my ministry ....kwani is it their personal stuff halafu as their prezzy you are saying ni sawa tu!!!Ati? Fire THEM ALL UNLESS they helped you to steal the election!!!
Ivy
Marasa Biggy za Dame congratulation...you are qualified enough to be the president of this great country.Don't you know there is something called hyper link.
ReplyDelete