Unemployment rate: 7.8% (2000 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.33 billion
expenditures: $1.27 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Industries: buses, vans, street and railroad cars, synthetic fibers, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios, electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, textiles; note - dependent on imports for energy, raw materials, and intermediate products
Industrial production growth rate: 6.3% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production: 3.996 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 31.78%
hydro: 68.22%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 4.316 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 400 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 1 billion kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, milk, eggs; fish
Exports: $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs
Exports - partners: Germany 16%, UK 11%, Sweden 11%, Russia 7% (1999)
Imports: $3.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels
Imports - partners: Russia 15%, Germany 10%, Finland 9%, Sweden 7% (1999)
Debt - external: $800 million (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $96.2 million (1995)
Currency: Latvian lat (LVL)
Currency code: LVL
Exchange rates: lati per US dollar - 0.614 (January 2001), 0.607 (2000), 0.585 (1999), 0.590 (1998), 0.581 (1997), 0.551 (1996)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Latvia Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 748,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 77,100 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: inadequate, but is being modernized to provide an international capability independent of the Moscow international switch; more facilities are being installed for individual use
domestic: expansion underway in intercity trunk line connections, rural exchanges, and mobile systems; still many unsatisfied subscriber applications
international: international connections are now available via cable and a satellite earth station at Riga, enabling direct connections for most calls (1998)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 1.76 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions: 1.22 million (1997)
Internet country code: .lv
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 42 (2000)
Internet users: 234,000 (2000)
Latvia Transportation
Railways: total: 2,412 km
broad gauge: 2,379 km 1.520-m gauge (271 km electrified) (1992)
narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (1994)
Highways: total: 59,178 km
paved: 22,843 km
unpaved: 36,335 km (1998 est.)
Waterways: 300 km (perennially navigable)
Pipelines: crude oil 750 km; refined products 780 km; natural gas 560 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Daugavpils, Liepaja, Riga, Ventspils
Merchant marine: total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 27,984GRT/29,978 DWT
ships by type: cargo 2, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 3 (2000 est.)
Airports: 25 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 4 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.)
Latvia Military
Military branches: Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces,Security Forces, Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 590,784 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 463,944 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 19,114 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $60 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.9% (FY99)
Latvia Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: draft treaty delimiting the boundary with Russia has not been signed; has not ratified 1998 maritime boundary agreement with Lithuania (primary concern is oil exploration rights)
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for opiates and cannabis fromCentral and Southwest Asia to Western Europe and Scandinavia andLatin American cocaine and some synthetics from Western Europe toCIS; limited production of illicit amphetamine, ephedrine, andecstasy for export
======================================================================
@Lebanon
Lebanon Introduction
Background: Lebanon has made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions and regaining its national sovereignty since 1991 and the end of the devastating 16-year civil war. Under the Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation - the Lebanese have established a more equitable political system, particularly by giving Muslims a greater say in the political process while institutionalizing sectarian divisions in the government. Since the end of the war, the Lebanese have conducted several successful elections, most of the militias have been weakened or disbanded, and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have extended central government authority over about two-thirds of the country. Hizballah, the radical Shi'a party, retains its weapons. Syria maintains about 25,000 troops in Lebanon based mainly in Beirut, North Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley. Syria's troop deployment was legitimized by the Arab League during Lebanon's civil war and in the Ta'if Accord. Damascus justifies its continued military presence in Lebanon by citing the continued weakness of the LAF, Beirut's requests, and the failure of the Lebanese Government to implement all of the constitutional reforms in the Ta'if Accord. Israel's withdrawal from its security zone in southern Lebanon in May of 2000, however, has emboldened some Lebanese Christians and Druze to demand that Syria withdraw its forces as well.
Lebanon Geography
Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, betweenIsrael and Syria
Geographic coordinates: 33 50 N, 35 50 E
Map references: Middle East
Area: total: 10,400 sq km
land: 10,230 sq km
water: 170 sq km
Area - comparative: about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries: total: 454 km
border countries: Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km
Coastline: 225 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows
Terrain: narrow coastal plain; Al Biqa' (Bekaa Valley) separatesLebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Qurnat as Sawda' 3,088 m
Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land
Land use: arable land: 18%
permanent crops: 9%
permanent pastures: 1%
forests and woodland: 8%
other: 64% (1996 est.)
Irrigated land: 860 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: dust storms, sandstorms
Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Beirut from vehicular traffic and the burning of industrial wastes; pollution of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spills
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note: Nahr al Litani only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, and ethnicity
Lebanon People
Population: 3,627,774 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.57% (male 509,975; female 490,031)
15-64 years: 65.72% (male 1,136,995; female 1,247,184)
65 years and over: 6.71% (male 110,964; female 132,625) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.38% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 20.16 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 6.39 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 28.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.52 years
male: 69.13 years
female: 74.03 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.05 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.09% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Lebanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Lebanese
Ethnic groups: Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
Religions: Muslim 70% (including Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite,Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 30% (including Orthodox Christian,Catholic, Protestant), Jewish NEGL%
Languages: Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.4%
male: 90.8%
female: 82.2% (1997 est.)
Lebanon Government
Country name: conventional long form: Lebanese Republic
conventional short form: Lebanon
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
local short form: Lubnan
Government type: republic
Capital: Beirut
Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Beyrouth, Ech Chimal, Ej Jnoub, El Bekaa, Jabal Loubnane
Independence: 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate underFrench administration)
National holiday: Independence Day, 22 November (1943)
Constitution: 23 May 1926, amended a number of times, most recently Charter of Lebanese National Reconciliation (Taif Accord) of October 1989
Legal system: mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education
Executive branch: chief of state: President Emile LAHUD (since 24November 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister Rafiq HARIRI (since 23 October 2000); Deputy Prime Minister Issam FARES (since 23 October 2000)
cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president and members of the National Assembly; the current Cabinet was formed in 1998
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a six-year term; election last held 15 October 1998 (next to be held NA 2004); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with the National Assembly; by custom, the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of the legislature is a Shi'a Muslim
election results: Emile LAHUD elected president; National Assembly vote - 118 votes in favor, 0 against, 10 abstentions
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Majlis Alnuwab (Arabic) or Assemblee Nationale (French) (128 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of sectarian proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 August and 3 September 2000 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - Muslim 57% (of which Sunni 25%, Sh'ite 25%, Druze 6%, Alawite less than 1%), Christian 43% (of which Maronite 23%); seats by party - Muslim 64 (of which Sunni 27, Sh'ite 27, Druze 8, Alawite 2), Christian 64 (of which Maronite 34)
Judicial branch: four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and commercial cases and one court for criminal cases); Constitutional Council (called for in Ta'if Accord - rules on constitutionality of laws); Supreme Council (hears charges against the president and prime minister as needed)
Political parties and leaders: political party activity is organized along largely sectarian lines; numerous political groupings exist, consisting of individual political figures and followers motivated by religious, clan, and economic considerations
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AL,AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC,PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorDr. Farid ABBOUD
chancery: 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-6300
consulate(s) general: Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorDavid M. SATTERFIELD
embassy: Antelias, Beirut
mailing address: P. O. Box 70-840, Antelias, Beirut; PSC 815, Box 2, FPO AE 09836-0002
telephone: [961] (4) 543600, 543600
Flag description: three horizontal bands of red (top), white (double width), and red with a green and brown cedar tree centered in the white band
Lebanon Economy
Economy - overview: The 1975-91 civil war seriously damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure, cut national output by half, and all but ended Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. Peace enabled the central government to restore control in Beirut, begin collecting taxes, and regain access to key port and government facilities. Economic recovery was helped by a financially sound banking system and resilient small- and medium-scale manufacturers. Family remittances, banking services, manufactured and farm exports, and international aid provided the main sources of foreign exchange. Lebanon's economy has made impressive gains since the launch in 1993 of "Horizon 2000," the government's $20 billion reconstruction program. Real GDP grew 8% in 1994, 7% in 1995, 4% per year in 1996 and 1997 but slowed to 2% in 1998, -1% in 1999, and 1% in 2000. Annual inflation fell during the course of the 1990s from more than 100% to 0%, and foreign exchange reserves jumped from $1.4 billion to more than $6 billion. Burgeoning capital inflows have generated foreign payments surpluses, and the Lebanese pound has remained very stable for the past two years. Lebanon has rebuilt much of its war-torn physical and financial infrastructure. Solidere, a $2-billion firm, has managed the reconstruction of Beirut's central business district; the stock market reopened in January 1996; and international banks and insurance companies are returning. The government nonetheless faces serious challenges in the economic arena. It has funded reconstruction by tapping foreign exchange reserves and by borrowing heavily - mostly from domestic banks. The newly re-installed HARIRI government's announced policies fail to address the ever-increasing budgetary deficits and national debt burden. The gap between rich and poor has widened in the 1990s, resulting in grassroots dissatisfaction over the skewed distribution of the reconstruction's benefits.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $18.2 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,000 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12%
industry: 27%
services: 61% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line: 28% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 1.3 million (1999 est.)
note: in addition, there are as many as 1 million foreign workers (1997 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: services NA%, industry NA%, agricultureNA%
Unemployment rate: 18% (1997 est.)
Budget: revenues: $3.31 billion
expenditures: $5.55 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Industries: banking; food processing; jewelry; cement; textiles; mineral and chemical products; wood and furniture products; oil refining; metal fabricating
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 7.748 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 91.29%
hydro: 8.71%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 7.86 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 654 million kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco; sheep, goats
Exports: $700 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: foodstuffs and tobacco, textiles, chemicals, precious stones, metal and metal products, electrical equipment and products, jewelry, paper and paper products
Exports - partners: UAE 9%, Saudi Arabia 8%, Syria 6%, US 6%, Kuwait 6%, France 5%, Belgium 5%, Jordan 4% (1999)
Imports: $6.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, textiles, metals, fuels, agricultural foods
Imports - partners: Italy 13%, France 11%, Germany 8%, US 7%,Switzerland 6%, Japan, UK, Syria (1999)
Debt - external: $9.6 billion (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $3.5 billion (pledges 1997-2001)
Currency: Lebanese pound (LBP)
Currency code: LBP
Exchange rates: Lebanese pounds per US dollar - 1,507.5 (January 2001), 1,507.5 (2000), 1,507.8 (1999), 1,516.1 (1998), 1,539.5 (1997), 1,571.4 (1996)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Lebanon Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 700,000 (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 580,000 (1999)
Telephone system: general assessment: telecommunications system severely damaged by civil war; rebuilding well underway
domestic: primarily microwave radio relay and cable
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 IndianOcean and 1 Atlantic Ocean) (erratic operations); coaxial cable toSyria; microwave radio relay to Syria but inoperable beyond Syria toJordan; 3 submarine coaxial cables
Radio broadcast stations: AM 20, FM 22, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios: 2.85 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 15 (plus 5 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions: 1.18 million (1997)
Internet country code: .lb
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 22 (2000)
Internet users: 227,500 (2000)
Lebanon Transportation
Railways: total: 399 km (mostly unusable because of damage in civil war)
standard gauge: 317 km 1.435-m
narrow gauge: 82 km (1999)
Highways: total: 7,300 km
paved: 6,350 km
unpaved: 950 km (1999 est.)
Waterways: none
Pipelines: crude oil 72 km (none in operation)
Ports and harbors: Antilyas, Batroun, Beirut, Chekka, El Mina, EzZahrani, Jbail, Jounie, Naqoura, Sidon, Tripoli, Tyre
Merchant marine: total: 71 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 379,705 GRT/592,672 DWT
ships by type: bulk 10, cargo 42, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, combination ore/oil 1, container 4, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 5, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 2, vehicle carrier 3
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Netherlands 1, Syria 1 (2000 est.)
Airports: 8 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)
Lebanon Military
Military branches: Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF; includes Army, Navy, and Air Force)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 980,412 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 605,332 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $343 million (FY99/00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.8% (FY99/00)
Lebanon Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Syrian troops in northern, central, andeastern Lebanon since October 1976; Lebanese government claimsShab'a Farms area of Israeli-occupied Golan Heights as a part ofLebanon from which Hizballah conducts cross-border attacks
Illicit drugs: inconsequential producer of hashish; a Lebanese/Syrian eradication campaign started in the early 1990s has practically eliminated the opium and cannabis crops
======================================================================
@Lesotho
Lesotho Introduction
Background: Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after 23 years of military rule.
Lesotho Geography
Location: Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
Geographic coordinates: 29 30 S, 28 30 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 30,355 sq km
land: 30,355 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 andMakhaleng 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: 0%
permanent pastures: 66%
forests and woodland: 0%
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,Hazardous Wastes, 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
Lesotho People
Population: 2,177,062
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 39.28% (male 430,147; female 424,994)
15-64 years: 56.03% (male 588,440; female 631,404)
65 years and over: 4.69% (male 43,033; female 59,044) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.49% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 31.24 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 15.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 82.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 48.84 years
male: 47.97 years
female: 49.74 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.08 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 23.57% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 240,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 16,000 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
adjective: Basotho
Ethnic groups: Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%,
Religions: Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%
Languages: Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83%
male: 72%
female: 93% (1999 est.)
Lesotho Government
Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
conventional short form: Lesotho
former: Basutoland
Government type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Capital: Maseru
Administrative divisions: 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe,Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing,Thaba-Tseka
Independence: 4 October 1966 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
Constitution: 2 April 1993
Legal system: based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996); note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995, while his father was in exile
head of government: Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 23 May 1998)
cabinet: Cabinet
elections: none; according to the constitution, the leader of the majority party in the assembly automatically becomes prime minister; the monarch is hereditary, but, under the terms of the constitution which came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is a "living symbol of national unity" with no executive or legislative powers; under traditional law the college of chiefs has the power to determine who is next in the line of succession, who shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age, and may even depose the monarch
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (33 members - 22 principal chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the ruling party) and the Assembly (80 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms); note - number of seats in the Assembly rose from 65 to 80 in the May 1998 election; on 28 February 2001, the Senate approved expansion of the Assembly by a further 50 seats in the next election, which may be held as early as January 2002
elections: last held 23 May 1998 (next to be held NA March 2001)
election results: percent of vote by party - LCD 60.7%, BNP 24.5%, other 14.8%; seats by party - LCD 79, BNP 1
note: results contested; opposition parties claimed the election was fraudulent and staged a coup; Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces intervened in September 1998 and restored order; the Interim Political Authority (IPA) was set up in December 1998 to create a new electoral system and conduct new elections.
Judicial branch: High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court; customary or traditional court
Political parties and leaders: Basotho Congress Party or BCP[Tseliso MAKHAKHE]; Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. JustineMetsing LEKHANYA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [PhebeMOTEBANO, chairwoman; Dr. Pakalitha MOSISILI, leader] - thegoverning party; United Democratic Party or UDP [Charles MOFELI];Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP and Setlamo Alliance [VincentMALEBO]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Chief Peete NkoebePEETE]; Sefate Democratic Party or SDP [Bofihla NKUEBE]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA,FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU,NAM, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU,WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorLebohang Kenneth MOLEKO
chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorKatherine H. PETERSON
embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section)
mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho
telephone: [266] 312666
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's primary natural resource is water. Its economy is based on subsistence agriculture, livestock, and remittances from miners employed in South Africa. The number of such mineworkers has declined steadily over the past several years. A small manufacturing base depends largely on farm products that support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries. Agricultural products are exported primarily to South Africa. Proceeds from membership in a common customs union with South Africa form the majority of government revenue. 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, generating royalties for Lesotho. The pace of substantial privatization has increased in recent years. In December 1999, the government embarked on a nine-month IMF staff-monitored program aimed at structural adjustment and stabilization of macroeconomic fundamentals. The government is in the process of applying for a three-year successor program with the IMF under its Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $5.1 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.5% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,400 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 18%
industry: 38%
services: 44% (1999)
Population below poverty line: 49.2% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.9%
highest 10%: 43.4% (1986-87)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 700,000 economically active
Labor force - by occupation: 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa
Unemployment rate: 45% (2000 est.)
Budget: revenues: $76 million
expenditures: $80 million, including capital expenditures of $15 million (FY99/00 est.)
Industries: food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts; construction; tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 15.5% (1999 est.)
Electricity - production: 0 kWh; note - electricity supplied bySouth Africa (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 55 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 55 million kWh
note: electricity supplied by South Africa (1999)
Agriculture - products: corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock
Exports: $175 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (1998)
Exports - partners: South African Customs Union 65%, North America 34% (1998)
Imports: $700 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (1995)
Imports - partners: South African Customs Union 90%, Asia 7% (1998)
Debt - external: $720 million (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $123.7 million (1995)
Currency: loti (LSL); South African rand (ZAR)
Currency code: LSL; ZAR
Exchange rates: maloti per US dollar - 7.78307 (January 2001), 6.93983 (2000), 6.10948 (1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796 (1997), 4.29935 (1996); note - the Lesotho loti is at par with the South African rand which is also legal tender; maloti is the plural form of loti
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Lesotho Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 20,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 1,262 (1996)
Telephone system: general assessment: rudimentary system
domestic: consists of a few landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a minor radiotelephone communication system
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 104,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (2000)
Televisions: 54,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .ls
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: 1,000 (2000)
Lesotho Transportation
Railways: total: 2.6 km; note - owned by, operated by, and included in the statistics of South Africa
narrow gauge: 2.6 km 1.067-m gauge (1995)
Highways: total: 4,955 km
paved: 887 km
unpaved: 4,068 km (1996)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 29 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 21 (2000 est.)
Lesotho Military
Military branches: Lesotho Defense Force (LDF; includes Army and AirWing), Royal Lesotho Mounted Police (RLMP)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 515,464 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 277,369 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $34 million (1999)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
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.
Lesotho Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
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@Liberia
Liberia Introduction
Background: Seven years of civil strife were brought to a close in 1996 when free and open presidential and legislative elections were held. President TAYLOR now holds strong executive power with no real political opposition. The years of fighting coupled with the flight of most businesses have disrupted formal economic activity. A still unsettled domestic security situation has slowed the process of rebuilding the social and economic structure of this war-torn country.
Liberia Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone
Geographic coordinates: 6 30 N, 9 30 W
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 111,370 sq km
land: 96,320 sq km
water: 15,050 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries: total: 1,585 km
border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km
Coastline: 579 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 200 NM
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
Terrain: mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 m
Natural resources: iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 3%
permanent pastures: 59%
forests and woodland: 18%
other: 19% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara(December to March)
Environment - current issues: tropical rain forest subject to deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,Desertification, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone LayerProtection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
Liberia People
Population: 3,225,837 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 43.21% (male 698,178; female 695,599)
15-64 years: 53.34% (male 840,103; female 880,403)
65 years and over: 3.45% (male 56,073; female 55,481) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.92% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 46.55 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 16.36 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: -11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
note: by the end of 1999, all Liberian refugees, who had fled the domestic strife, were assumed to have returned
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 132.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 51.41 years
male: 49.96 years
female: 52.91 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.36 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 2.8% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 39,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 4,500 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Liberian(s)
adjective: Liberian
Ethnic groups: indigenous African tribes 95% (including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, and Bella), Americo-Liberians 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the US who had been slaves), Congo People 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean who had been slaves)
Religions: indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%
Languages: English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 38.3%
male: 53.9%
female: 22.4% (1995 est.)
note: these figures are increasing because of the improving school system
Liberia Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Liberia
conventional short form: Liberia
Government type: republic
Capital: Monrovia
Administrative divisions: 13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa,Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland,Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, Sinoe
Independence: 26 July 1847
National holiday: Independence Day, 26 July (1847)
Constitution: 6 January 1986
Legal system: dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American common law for the modern sector and customary law based on unwritten tribal practices for indigenous sector
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Charles Ghankay TAYLOR (since 2 August 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Charles Ghankay TAYLOR (since 2 August 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (renewable); election last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held NA July 2003)
election results: Charles Ghankay TAYLOR elected president; percent of vote - Charles Ghankay TAYLOR (NPP) 75.3%, Ellen Johnson SIRLEAF (UP) 9.6%, Alhaji KROMAH (ALCOP) 4%, other 11.1%
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (26 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve nine-year terms) and the House of Representatives (64 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held in NA 2006); House of Representatives - last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held in NA 2003)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPP 21, UP 3, ALCOP 2; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPP 49, UP 7, ALCOP 3, Alliance of Political Parties 2, UPP 2, LPP 1; note - the Alliance of Political Parties was a coalition of the LAP and the Liberia Unification Party or LUP
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: All Liberia Coalition Party or ALCOP[Lusinee KAMARA]; Liberian Action Party or LAP [Cletus WOTORSON];Liberian National Union or LINU [Henry MONIBA, chairman]; LiberianPeople's Party or LPP [Togba-Nah TIPOTEH, chairman]; NationalDemocratic Party of Liberia or NDPL [Isaac DAKINAH]; NationalPatriotic Party or NPP [Charles Ghankay TAYLOR] - governing party;People's Progressive Party or PPP [Chea CHEAPOO, chairman];Reformation Alliance Party or RAP [Henry Boimah FAHNBULLEH,chairman]; True Whig Party or TWP [Rudolph SHERMAN, chairman];United People's Party or UPP [Gabriel Baccus MATTHEWS, chairman];Unity Party or UP [Charles Clarke]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA,ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user),Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorWilliam BULL
chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: [1] (202) 723-0437
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorBismarck MYRICK
embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, P. O. Box 10-0098, Mamba Point, Monrovia
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [231] 226-370 through 226-380
Flag description: 11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a white five-pointed star on a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner; the design was based on the US flag
Liberia Economy
Economy - overview: A civil war in 1989-96 destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around Monrovia. Many businessmen fled the country, taking capital and expertise with them. Some returned during 1997. Many will not return. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia had been a producer and exporter of basic products, while local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, had been small in scope. The democratically elected government, installed in August 1997, inherited massive international debts and currently relies on revenues from its maritime registry to provide the bulk of its foreign exchange earnings. The restoration of the infrastructure and the raising of incomes in this ravaged economy depend on the implementation of sound macro- and micro-economic policies of the new government, including the encouragement of foreign investment. Recent growth has been from a low base, and continued growth will require major policy successes.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $3.35 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 15% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 60%
industry: 10%
services: 30% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 80%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 70%, industry 8%, services 22% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 70%
Budget: revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries: rubber processing, palm oil processing, diamonds
Industrial production growth rate: NA
Electricity - production: 432 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 401.8 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber
Exports: $55 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: diamonds, iron ore, rubber, timber, coffee, cocoa
Exports - partners: Belgium 53%, Switzerland 9%, US 6%, France 4% (1999)
Imports: $170 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods; rice and other foodstuffs
Imports - partners: South Korea 30%, Italy 24%, Japan 15%, Germany 9% (1999)
Debt - external: $3 billion (1999 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $200 million pledged (1998)
Currency: Liberian dollar (LRD)
Currency code: LRD
Exchange rates: Liberian dollars per US dollar - 39.8100 (December 2000), 41.0483 (2000), 41.9025 (1999), 41.5075 (1998), 1.0000 (officially fixed rate 1940-97); market exchange rate: Liberian dollars per US dollar - 40 (December 1998), 50 (October 1995)
note: until December 1997, rates were based on a fixed relationship with the US dollar; beginning in January 1998, rates are market determined
Fiscal year: calendar year
Liberia Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 6,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1995)
Telephone system: general assessment: telephone and telegraph service via microwave radio relay network; main center is Monrovia
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 6, shortwave 4 (1999)
Radios: 790,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (plus four low-power repeaters) (2000)
Televisions: 70,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .lr
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: 300 (2000)
Liberia Transportation
Railways: total: 490 km (328 km single track); note - three rail systems owned and operated by foreign steel and financial interests in conjunction with the Liberian Government; one of these, the Lamco Railroad, closed in 1989 after iron ore production ceased; the other two were shut down by the civil war; large sections of the rail lines have been dismantled; approximately 60 km of railroad track was exported for scrap
standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 145 km 1.067-m gauge
Highways: total: 10,600 km
paved: 657 km
unpaved: 9,943 km
note: (there is major deterioration on all highways due to heavy rains and lack of maintenance) (1996 est.)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Buchanan, Greenville, Harper, Monrovia
Merchant marine: total: 1,478 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 49,456,361 GRT/76,620,648 DWT
ships by type: barge carrier 3, bulk 324, cargo 97, chemical tanker 163, combination bulk 20, combination ore/oil 38, container 245, liquefied gas 97, multi-functional large-load carrier 4, passenger 24, petroleum tanker 310, refrigerated cargo 74, roll on/roll off 19, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 12, vehicle carrier 45