00 (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: rudimentary system consisting of a modest but
growing number of landlines, a small microwave radio relay system,
and a small radiotelephone communication system; mobile-cellular
telephone system is expanding
domestic: privatized in 2001, Telecom Lesotho tasked with providing
an additional 50,000 fixed-line connections within five years, a
target not met; mobile-cellular service is expanding with a
subscribership approaching 25 per 100 persons; rural services are
scant
international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

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 hosts:

83 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

1 (2000)

Internet users:

70,000 (2007)

Transportation
Lesotho

Airports:

28 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 21 (2007)

Roadways:

total: 7,091 km
paved: 1,404 km
unpaved: 5,687 km (2003)

Military
Lesotho

Military branches:

Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army (includes Air Wing) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 525,203
females age 16-49: 522,485 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 262,101
females age 16-49: 238,350 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 26,084
female: 26,006 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

2.6% of GDP (2006)

Military - note:

Lesotho's declared policy is maintenance of its independent
sovereignty and preservation of internal security; in practice,
external security is guaranteed by South Africa; restructuring of
the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) and Ministry of Defense and Public
Service over the past five years has focused on subordinating the
defense apparatus to civilian control and restoring the LDF's
cohesion; the restructuring has considerably improved capabilities
and professionalism, but the LDF is disproportionately large for a
small, poor country; the government has outlined