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$Unique_ID{COW02172}
$Pretitle{400}
$Title{Lesotho
Introduction.}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Ministry of Information and Broadcasting}
$Affiliation{Embassy of Lesotho, Washington DC}
$Subject{lesotho
maseru
country
established
church
development
districts
flights
government
land}
$Date{1988}
$Log{Lesotho, Kingdom in the Sky*0217201.scf
Tribal Dress*0217205.scf
Mountain Village*0217206.scf
Mountain*0217207.scf
Cave Paintings*0217208.scf
Table 1.*0217201.tab
Table 2.*0217202.tab
Table 3.*0217203.tab
}
Country: Lesotho
Book: Lesotho - Facts and Figures 1987/88
Author: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Affiliation: Embassy of Lesotho, Washington DC
Date: 1988
Introduction.
[See Lesotho, Kingdom in the Sky: Courtesy Embassy of Lesotho, Washington DC]
Lesotho is a land - locked country completely surrounded by the Republic
of South Africa. It lies between latitudes 28 degrees and 31 degrees south and
longitude 27 degrees and 30 degrees east, with a land area of about 30 355
square kilometres (11,720 square miles). The whole country is more than 1500
metres above sea level and can be divided into three main zones: the lowlands
constituting about 26% of the total land area and consisting of a 4-48
kilometre - wide strip of land along the western and southern borders of the
Senqu (Orange) River Valley; the small plateau ranging between 1800 and 2000
metres in altitude constituting about 8% of land area; and the mountains
rising up to some 3000 metres, occupy the remaining 68% of the land area.
Most of the arable land which constitutes only 13% of the land area is
to be found in the lowlands.
People:
[See Tribal Dress: Courtesy Embassy of Lesotho, Washington DC]
The Basotho nation was formed through the amalgamation of several
Sesotho - speaking clans in the early 19th century. In 1824 King Moshoeshoe
established himself and his people at Thaba - Bosiu, the fortress that saved
the Basotho nation from the devastating wars of the time.
The people are called Basotho (single individual Mosotho) and their
language Sesotho.
Lesotho, a British Protectorate since 1868, gained independence on
October 4, 1966.
Population:
[See Mountain Village: Courtesy Embassy of Lesotho, Washington DC]
Population is reckoned according to ten administrative districts into
which the country is divided and is as follows, (1986 census preliminary
figures) Butha - Buthe - 100,644; Leribe - 257,988; Berea - 194,163;
Maseru- 311,159; Mafeteng - 195,591; Mohale's Hoek - 164,392;
Quthing - 110,376; Qacha's Nek - 63,984; Mokhotlong - 74,676;
Thaba-Tseka - 104,095. TOTAL: 1,677,536.
Climate:
[See Mountain: Courtesy Embassy of Lesotho, Washington DC]
Temperate: Lowland temperatures range from a day time maximum of
32C in summer to a night time minimum of 8C in winter. Highland temperatures
range from a maximum of 24C in summer to a minimum of 4C to sub - zero in
winter.
Annual rainfall ranges from 500 to 1300 millimetres in the mountains
and between 700 and 800 millimetres in the lowlands. Most rainfall, about
85%, occurs in the period October to April. Occasional rainfall in winter in
the lowlands. In the mountains snow has been recorded every month of the
period April to October.
GOVERNMENT
[See Cave Paintings: Courtesy Embassy of Lesotho, Washington DC]
Lesotho is under a Military Government which took power in a coup on
January 20, 1986.
His Majesty King Moshoeshoe II is the Head of State and government. The
Lesotho Order No. 1 of 1986 conferred on him both legislative and executive
powers. Before then he was a ceremonial monarch.
Major General Justin Metsing Lekhanya is Chairman of the Military Council
and the Council of Ministers.
There is the Military Council established to advise the King in the
performance of his duties. The six - man Council consists of officers in
charge of the Royal Lesotho Defence Force.
There is also the Council of Ministers appointed by the King to assist
him in the general administration of the country. The Council consists of
sixteen Cabinet Ministers and three Ministers of State.
The major task of the new government has been to lay the foundations for
a genuine participatory system of government for Lesotho.
The first elections towards establishing Districts Development Councils
were held in 1986 in all the ten districts of the country, as set out in Order
No. 9 of 1986. The Order established Village, Ward and District Development
Councils responsible for making government aware of local development needs
and priorities.
The Councillors are elected through this three - tier system to hold
office for three years.
The duties of the 15 - Member District Development Councils involve the
formulation, implementation and monitoring of development efforts in their
respective districts.
The Principal Chief of the district chairs the council meetings and the
District Secretary, who holds a public service position, is the Secretary.
The answer to the administration of the ten urban centres of the country,
is the town councils that function within municipalities, with Maseru the
capital, leading in their establishment.
TRANSPORT
Road: There is a network of roads linking the capital, Maseru with
other districts. The tarred 180 km Main South 1 road links Maseru and
Quthing passing through the districts of Mafeteng and Mohale's Hoek with a
17 km branch to Van Rooyens Gate.
The 126 km Main North 1 road links Maseru with Butha - Buthe and runs
through Berea and Hlotse districts.
Lesotho is linked by road with the Republic of South Africa at all
district border posts.
Railway: Most of Lesotho's exports are shipped through the port of
Durban with which there is a rail link with Maseru industrial areas.
This railway system also links Lesotho with the mining towns of the
Republic of South Africa.
Civil Aviation: Lesotho Airways - The airways operates International,
Domestic and Charter flights from the International Moshoeshoe
I airport.
International Flights: Lesotho Airways operates ten return flights
a week to Johannesburg - twice a day on Fridays Saturdays and Sundays. Others
are weekly flights between Maseru and Harare via Gaborone, Maseru - Maputo via
Manzini and Maseru - Sychelles.
Domestic Flights: There are 54 scheduled flights a week between Maseru
and fourteen out - lying destinations.
Charter Flights: Lesotho Airways and two other foreign companies organise
charter flights into the interior of the country and outside.
Moshoeshoe 1 International airport built at a cost of M 65 million
started operations in September 1985 but was commissioned in March 1988.
The airport, 22 km South of Maseru is adequate to meet the requirements
of the operations of medium range jet aircraft of the Boeing 727 type. Long
Range/ Wide body aircraft can be accommodated with limitations on payload.
Extension plans are in progress to remove these limitations.
COMMUNICATION
Telecommunications: The Lesotho Telecommunications Corporation,
established in 1980 provides some of the most sophisticated net work
facilities. The number of automatic exchanges has since risen to 20 and
connected subscribers to over 10,000.
Computerised stored programme - controlled (SPC) exchanges at Maputsoe,
Butha-Buthe, and Mohale's Hoek have come into operation in addition to those
at Maseru, Leribe, Teyateyaneng, Thaba - Tseka and Mafeteng.
The satellite earth station at Ha Sofonea, 30 km south - east of Maseru
provides direct overseas dialing facilities.
The introduction of computerised telex service has given subscribers
access to a number of reliable network services that have no risk of error in
complex transmissions. There are 296 telex lines for national and
international use.
Broadcasting: Radio Lesotho, which broadcasts daily from 05h00 to 24h00,
is Lesotho's link with