Lesotho (original) (raw)
Lesotho
| Map of Lesotho | Hear National Anthem "Lesotho fatse la bo ntat'a rona" (Lesotho, Land of Our Fathers) | Text of National Anthem Adopted 1 Jun 1967 (retroactive to 4 Oct 1966) | Constitution (2 Apr 1993) |
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| Capital: Maseru (Thaba Bosiu Jul 1824-11 Mar 1869; Butha-Buthe 1822- 1824) | Currencies: Loti (LSL) (from 1980); South African Rand (ZAR); 1920-61 South African Pound (ZAP) | National Holiday: 4 Oct (1966) Independence Day | Population: 1,962,461 (2018) |
| GDP: 6.65billion(2017)∣∗∗Exports∗∗:6.65 billion (2017) | Exports: 6.65billion(2017)∣∗∗Exports∗∗:1.03 billion (2017) Imports: $1.83 billion (2017) | Ethnic groups: Sotho 80.3%, Zulu 14.4%, white, Asian, and other 5.3% (2000) | |
| Total Active Armed Forces: 2,000 (2010) Merchant marine: None (2018) | Religions: Protestant 47.8% (Pentecostal 23.1%, Lesotho Evangelical 17.3%, Anglican 7.4%), Roman Catholic 39.3%, other Christian 9.1%, non-Christian 1.4%, none 2.3% (2014) | ||
| International Organizations/Treaties: ACP,AfCFTA,AfDB, APM, AU, BTWC, C, CCM, CD, CMA, CTBT, CWC, ESCR, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, ICSID, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISA, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, NPT, OPCW, OST (signatory), SACU, SADC, UN, UNCLOS, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, UNFCC-KP,UNFCC-PA, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Lesotho | Chronology 1822 Lesotho emerges as a polity. 13 Dec 1843 Recognized by the U.K. 12 Mar 1868 British protectorate (Basutoland). 11 Aug 1871 - 18 Mar 1884 Annexed to Cape Colony (Basutoland territory). 18 Mar 1884 Basutoland colony, separatesas one of the High Commission Territories (see Botswana). 30 Apr 1965 Autonomy granted (Protected State of Basutoland). 4 Oct 1966 Independence from Britain (Kingdom of Lesotho). 22 Sep 1998 - 15 May 1999 Occupied by Southern African Development Community (SADC) peacekeeping force led by Botswana and South Africa. |
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Paramount chiefs
(title Mor�na o Moholo oa baSotho)
1822 - 18 Jan 1870 Moshoeshoe I (b. c.1786 - d. 1870)
18 Jan 1870 - 20 Nov 1891 Letsie I Moshoeshoe (b. c.1811 - d. 1891)
20 Nov 1891 - 19 Aug 1905 Lerotholi Letsie (b. c.1836 - d. 1905)
21 Aug 1905 - 28 Jan 1913 Letsie II Lerotholi (b. c.1869 - d. 1913)
11 Apr 1913 - Jul 1939 Nathaniel Griffith Lerotholi (b. c.1871 - d. 1939)
3 Aug 1939 - 26 Dec 1940 Simon Seeiso Griffith (b. 1905 - d. 1940)
26 Dec 1940 - 28 Jan 1941 Gabasane Masopha (acting) (b. 1908 - d. 1949)
28 Jan 1941 - 12 Mar 1960 'Masntsebo Amelia 'Matsaba (b. 1902 - d. 1964)
Sempe (f) -Regent
12 Mar 1960 - 4 Oct 1966 Moshoeshoe II (Bereg Seeiso) (b. 1938 - d. 1996)
Kings
�
4 Oct 1966 - 10 Feb 1970 Moshoeshoe II (1st time) (s.a.)
(in Netherlands exile Feb 1970 - Dec 1970)
10 Feb 1970 - 5 Jun 1970 Joseph Leabua Jonathan (Tona-Kholo)(b. 1914 - d. 1987)
5 Jun 1970 - 5 Dec 1970 Queen 'MaMohato (1st time) -Regent (b. 1941 - d. 2003)
5 Dec 1970 - 12 Nov 1990 Moshoeshoe II (2nd time) (s.a.)
(in exile from 10 Mar 1990)
10 Mar 1990 - 12 Nov 1990 Queen 'MaMohato (2nd time) -Regent (s.a.)
(regent for exiled Moshoeshoe)
12 Nov 1990 - 25 Jan 1995 Letsie III (1st time) (b. 1963)
25 Jan 1995 - 15 Jan 1996 Moshoeshoe II (3rd time) (s.a.)
15 Jan 1996 - 7 Feb 1996 Queen 'MaMohato (3rd time) -Regent (s.a.)
7 Feb 1996 - Letsie III (2nd time) (s.a.)
Prime ministers
6 May 1965 - 7 Jul 1965 Chief Sekhonyana Nehemia (b. 1918 - d. 1986) BNP
Maseribane
7 Jul 1965 - 20 Jan 1986 Chief Joseph Leabua Jonathan (s.a.) BNP
Chairmen of the Military Council
24 Jan 1986 - 2 May 1991 Justin Metsing Lekhanya (b. 1938 - d. 2021) Mil
2 May 1991 - 2 Apr 1993 Elias Phisoana Ramaema (b. 1933 - d. 2015) Mil
Prime ministers
2 Apr 1993 - 17 Aug 1994 Ntsu Clement Mokhehle (1st time) (b. 1918 - d. 1999) BCP
17 Aug 1994 - 14 Sep 1994 Hae Edward Phoofolo (interim) (b. 1947) Mil
14 Sep 1994 - 29 May 1998 Ntsu ClementMokhehle (2nd time) (s.a.) BCP;1997 LCD
29 May 1998 - 8 Jun 2012 Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili (b. 1945) LCD
(1st time)
8 Jun 2012 - 17 Mar 2015 Tom Motsoahae Thabane (1st time) (b. 1939) ABC
(in South Africa 30 Aug - 3 Sep 2014)
31 Aug 2014 - 3 Sep 2014 Mothetjoa Metsing (b. 1967) LCD
(acting for Thabane)
17 Mar 2015 - 16 Jun 2017 Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili (s.a.) DC
(2nd time)
16 Jun 2017 - 20 May 2020 Tom Motsoahae Thabane (2nd time) (s.a.) ABC
20 May 2020 - 28 Oct 2022 Moeketsi Majoro (b. 1961) ABC
28 Oct 2022 - Sam Matekane (b. 1958) RFP
British High Commissioners, Agents
12 Mar 1868 - Apr 1868 Sir Walter Currie (b. 1819 - d. 1872)
Apr 1868 - May 1870 James Henry Bowker (acting to 1869)(b. 1822 - d. 1900)
May 1870 - Aug 1871 William Henry Surmon (b. 1835 - d. 1900)
Cape Colony Government Agents
Aug 1871 - 1877 Charles Duncan Griffith (1st time) (b. 1830 - d. 1906)
1877 - 9 Dec 1877 Emile Samuel Rolland (1st time) (b. 1836 - d. 1915)
(acting)
9 Dec 1877 - 1878 Charles Duncan Griffith (2nd time) (s.a.)
1878 - 10 Oct 1878 Emile Samuel Rolland (2nd time) (s.a.)
(acting)
10 Oct 1878 - 25 Aug 1881 Charles Duncan Griffith (3rd time) (s.a.)
25 Aug 1881 - 16 Mar 1883 Joseph Millerd Orpen (acting) (b. 1828 - d. 1923)
17 Mar 1883 - 8 Apr 1884 Matthew Smith Blyth (acting) (b. 1835 - d. 1889)
Governors
1878 - 31 Jul 1964 the High Commissioners for South Africa
British Resident Commissioners, Basutoland
(subordinated to the High Commissioner for South Africa to 3 Oct 1963)
8 Apr 1884 - 17 Mar 1893 Marshal James Clarke (b. 1841 - d. 1909)
(from 29 May 1886, Sir Marshal James Clarke)
17 Mar 1893 - 1895 Godfrey Yeatsman Lagden (1st time) (b. 1851 - d. 1934)
(acting to 18 Sep 1894)
1895 Herbert Cecil Sloley (1st time) (b. 1855 - d. 1937)
(acting)
1895 - 1901 Godfrey Yeatsman Lagden (2nd time) (s.a.)
(from 22 Jun 1897, Sir Godfrey Yeatman Lagden)
1901 - 1913 Herbert Cecil Sloley (2nd time) (s.a.)
(from 19 Jun 1911, Sir Herbert Cecil Sloley)
(acting to 1902)
1913 James MacGregor (1st time)(acting) (b. 1861 - d. 1935)
1913 - 12 Jan 1916 Sir Herbert Cecil Sloley (3rd time)(s.a.)
13 Jan 1916 - Nov 1917 Robert Thorne Coryndon (b. 1870 - d. 1925)
Nov 1917 - 15 Dec 1917 James MacGregor (2nd time)(acting) (s.a.)
15 Dec 1917 - 19 Apr 1926 Edward Charles Frederick Garraway (b. 1865 - d. 1932)
(from 3 Jun 1922, Sir Edward Charles Frederick Garraway)
Apr 1926 - Mar 1935 John Christian Ramsay Sturrock (b. 1875 - d. 1937)
(from 4 Jun 1934, Sir John Christian Ramsay Sturrock)
Mar 1935 - Aug 1942 Edmund Charles Smith Richards (b. 1889 - d. 1955)
(from 1 Jan 1941, Sir Edmund Charles Richards)
Aug 1942 - Nov 1946 Charles Nobel Arden Clarke (b. 1898 - d. 1962)
Nov 1946 - 24 Oct 1951 Aubrey Denzil Forsyth-Thompson (b. 1897 - d. 1982)
24 Oct 1951 - Sep 1956 Edwin Porter Arrowsmith (b. 1909 - d. 1992)
1 Sep 1956 - Feb 1962 Alan Geoffrey Tunstal Chaplin (b. 1908 - d. 1967)
1 May 1962 - 30 Apr 1965 Alexander Falconer Giles (b. 1915 - d. 1989)
(from 1 Jan 1965, Sir Alexander Falconer Giles)
British Government Representative Basutoland
30 Apr 1965 - 4 Oct 1966 Sir Alexander Falconer Giles (s.a.)
Commander of Southern African Development Community Forces
22 Sep 1998 - 15 May 1999 Robbie Hartslief (South Africa) (b. 1957 - d. 2006)
�Full style of the ruler: Mor�na o Moholo oa Lesotho ("King of Lesotho") with the title Motlotlehi.
**Territorial Dispute: South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration.
Party abbreviations: ABC = All Basotho Convention (liberal, centrist, split from LCD, est.Oct 2006); BCP = Basutoland Congress Party (nationalist, pan-Africanist, socialist, named Basutoland African Congress 1952-57, est.1952);BNP = Basotho National Party (populist, nationalist, conservative, est.1959); DC = Democratic Congress (pan-Africanist, social-democratic,split from LCD, est.2012); LCD = Lesotho Congress for Democracy (pan-Africanist, social-democratic, split from BCP, est.1997); RFP = Revolution for Prosperity (social liberal, populist, centrist, est.22 Mar 2022); Mil = Military
� Ben Cahoon