@Lesotho
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Geography

Location: Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa

Geographic coordinates: 29 30 S, 28 30 E

Map references: Africa

Area:
total: 30,350 sq km
land: 30,350 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area--comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:
total: 909 km
border countries: South Africa 909 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers

Terrain: mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m
highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m

Natural resources: water, agricultural and grazing land, some
diamonds and other minerals

Land use:
arable land: 11%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: 66%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: 23% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 30 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts

Environment--current issues: population pressure forcing
settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil
erosion, and soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water
Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping

Geography--note: landlocked; surrounded by South Africa

People

Population: 2,128,950 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 40% (male 424,355; female 422,892)
15-64 years: 56% (male 573,285; female 610,636)
65 years and over: 4% (male 40,604; female 57,178) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.8% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 31.26 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 13.23 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 77.58 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.99 years
male: 51.37 years
female: 54.65 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.03 children born/woman (