presentation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Eunice M. BULANE
chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone : [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536
FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bismarck MYRICK
embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section)
mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho
telephone: [266] 312666
FAX : [266] 310116

Flag description: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner;
the upper half is white, bearing the brown silhouette of a large
shield with crossed spear and club; the lower half is a diagonal blue
band with a green triangle in the corner

Economy

Economy - overview: Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho has no
important natural resources other than water. Its economy is based on
agriculture, light manufacturing, and remittances from miners employed
in South Africa. The number of such mine workers has declined steadily
over the past five years; in 1996 their remittances added about 33% to
GDP compared with the addition of roughly 67% in 1990. The great
majority of households gain their livelihoods from subsistence farming
and migrant labor; a large portion of the adult male work force is
employed in South African mines. Manufacturing depends largely on farm
products which support the milling, canning, leather, and jute
industries. Although drought has decreased agricultural activity over
the past few years, completion of a major hydropower facility will
permit the sale of water to South Africa and will support the
economy's continued expansion. The pace of the privatization of
state-owned firms increased toward the end of 1994.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $3.7 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 10% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,860 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 14%
industry: 46%
services : 40% (1994 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 8.7% (1996 est.)

Labor force:
total : 689,000 economically active
by occupation: 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence
agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South
Africa

Unemployment rate: substantial unemployment and underemployment
effecting more than half of the labor force (1996 est.)

Budget:
revenues : $445 million
expenditures: $400 million, including capital expenditures of $128
million (FY94/95