.84 years

male: 47.97 years

female: 49.74 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.08 children born/woman (2001 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.)

Lesotho Government

Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho

conventional short form: Lesotho

former: Basutoland

Government type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Capital: Maseru

Administrative divisions: 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe,
Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing,
Thaba-Tseka

Independence: 4 October 1966 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 4 October (1966)

Constitution: 2 April 1993

Legal system: based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law;
judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of
Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February
1996); note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from
November 1990 to February 1995, while his father was in exile

head of government: Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 23 May
1998)

cabinet: Cabinet

elections: none; according to the constitution, the leader of the
majority party in the assembly automatically becomes prime minister;
the monarch is hereditary, but, under the terms of the constitution
which came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is
a "living symbol of national unity" with no executive or legislative
powers; under traditional law the college of chiefs has the power to
determine who is next in the line of succession, who shall serve as
regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age, and may
even depose the monarch

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (33
members - 22 principal chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the
ruling party) and the Assembly (80 seats; members elec