Diplomatic representation 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

@Lesotho: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. Manufacturing
depends largely on farm products which support the milling, canning,
leather, and jute industries. Recent foreign investments will enable
Lesotho to export garments made from imported textiles. Although
drought has decreased agricultural activity over the past few years,
completion of a major hydropower facility in January 1998 now permits
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-$5.1 billion (1997 est.)

GDP-real growth rate: 9% (1997 est.)

GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$2,500 (1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 10%
industry: 53%
services: 37% (1997)

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: $507 million
expenditures: $487 million, including capital expenditures of $170
million (FY96/97 est.)

Industries: food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts; construction;