Geographically surrounded by South Africa, Lesotho is economically integrated with it as well. This makes Lesotho extremely vulnerable to political and economic developments in South Africa as well. Lesotho's economy is based on agriculture, livestock, manufacturing, and the earnings of laborers employed in South Africa. Water is Lesotho's only significant natural resource.
Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. In 1993, a constitutional government was implemented government after 23 years of military rule. Multiparty elections were then held soon after. The new constitution left the King without any executive authority and prohibited him from engaging in political affairs. In early 1994, political instability increased as first the army, followed by the police and prisons services, engaged in mutinies. In August 1994, King Letsie III, in collaboration with some members of the military, staged a coup, suspended Parliament, and appointed a ruling council. As a result of domestic and international pressures, the constitutionally elected government was restored within a month.
In 1995, there were isolated incidents of unrest, including a police strike in May to demand higher wages. For the most part, however, there have been no serious challenges to Lesotho's constitutional order in the past few years. However, the threat of another mutiny is ever-present.
Lesotho has historically maintained generally close ties with the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other Western states.
Demographic Data
Capital: Maseru
Government type: Monarchy
Government stability: 86.0%
Government efficiency: 47.4%
Population's support to government: 85.9%
Area: 30,350 square kilometers
Habitable land: 76.0%
Farmable land: 10.0%
Total population: 1,992 thousands
Population's growth: 2.4%
Country's development level: 4,640
Economic Data
GNP: 2,600,000,000
Industralisation: 23.1%
International funding: 2,000,000
Political Data
Secret services efficiency: 768
Military Data
Technological generation: 1
Number of rebels: 99
Rebels development: 4,176
Rebels technological access: 3,247