Kingdom of Lesotho Muso oa Lesotho | |
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Motto: "Khotso, Pula, Nala" (Sesotho) "Peace, Rain, Prosperity" | |
Anthem: Lesotho Fatse La Bontata Rona Lesotho, land of our Fathers | |
Capital and largest city | Maseru |
Official languages | English Sesotho |
Demonym(s) | Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural) |
Government | Unitary parliamentary democracy and Constitutional monarchy |
• King | Letsie III |
Sam Matekane | |
Independence | |
• from the United Kingdom | October 4, 1966 |
Area | |
• Total | 30,355 km2 (11,720 sq mi) (140th) |
• Water (%) | negligible |
Population | |
• 2009 estimate | 2,067,000 (144th) |
• 2004 census | 2,031,348 |
• Density | 68.1/km2 (176.4/sq mi) (138th) |
GDP (PPP) | 2011 estimate |
• Total | $3.444 billion[1] |
• Per capita | $1,666[1] |
GDP (nominal) | 2010 estimate |
• Total | $2.127 billion[1] |
• Per capita | $1,029[1] |
Gini (1995) | 63.2 very high |
HDI (2010) | 0.427[2] low · 141st |
Currency | Lesotho loti (LSL) |
Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
Driving side | left |
Calling code | +266 |
ISO 3166 code | LS |
Internet TLD | .ls |
1 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. |
Lesotho is a small country in southern Africa, it is an enclave of South Africa. Its population is about 1,800,000. The capital of Lesotho is called Maseru.