Country lead by Sovereign: King Letsie III (1996)
Prime Minister: Pakalitha Mosisili (1998)
Population
2,022,331 (growth rate: –0.5%); birth rate: 24.8/1000; infant mortality rate: 87.2/1000; life expectancy: 34.4; density per sq mi: 173
Land Area
11,718 sq mi (30,350 sq km)
Monetary unit
Maluti Language
English, Sesotho (both official); Zulu, Xhosa
Ethnicity Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%
Religion Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%
Transportation Railways: total: 2.6 km; note: owned by, operated by, and included in the statistics of South Africa (1995). Highways: total: 5,940 km; paved: 1,087 km; unpaved: 4,853 km (1999). Ports and harbors: none. Airports: 28 (2002).
