46.8%, China 25.5%, South Korea 5.6%, Germany 4.8% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$402.2 million (2004 est.)

Debt - external:
$735 million (2002)

Economic aid - donor:
ODA $4.4 million

Economic aid - recipient:
$41.5 million (2000)

Currency (code):
loti (LSL); South African rand (ZAR)

Currency code:
LSL; ZAR

Exchange rates:
maloti per US dollar - 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407
(2002), 8.6092 (2001), 6.9398 (2000)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Lesotho

Telephones - main lines in use:
28,600 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
92,000 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: rudimentary system
domestic: consists of a modest but growing number of landlines, a
small microwave radio relay system, and a minor radiotelephone
communication system; a cellular mobile telephone system is growing
international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

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:
119 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
21,000 (2002)

Transportation Lesotho

Highways:
total: 5,940 km
paved: 1,087 km
unpaved: 4,853 km (1999)

Airports:
28 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)

Military Lesotho

Military branches:
Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army and Air Wing

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 400,457 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 162,857 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$32.3 million (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.3% (2004)

Military - note:
the Lesotho Government in 1999 began an open debate on the future
structure, size, and role of the armed forces, especially
considering the Lesotho Defense Force's (LDF) history of intervening
in political affairs

Transnational Issues Lesotho

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on