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HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT Basutoland (now Lesotho) was sparsely populated by the nomadic Khoisan ("bushmen") until the end of the 16th century. Between the 16th and 19th centuries, refugees from surrounding areas gradually formed the Basotho (Bah-SOO-too) ethnic group. In 1818, the legendary statesman Moshoeshoe I (moh-SHWAY-shway) consolidated these Basotho groupings and became their king. Basing his people on a high plateau, Moshoeshoe built a strong following while simultaneously defending his kingdom from a variety of invaders. Gradually, this nation of cattle herders spread outward to incorporate fertile plains that today form part of South Africa's Orange Free State. Clashes with white Boer settlers, emigrating from the Cape of South Africa, led to loss of these lands. Once again, the Basotho nation was relegated to the mountain regions. Against continued threats, Moshoeshoe I appealed to Queen Victoria for assistance. In 1868, the country was placed under British protection. This arrangement set the Basotho nation on a political course separate from surrounding territories, which eventually united as the nation of South Africa in 1909. Basutoland began to move toward independent sovereignty in the 1950s. In 1955, the Basutoland Council asked that it be empowered to legislate on internal affairs and in 1959, a new constitution gave Basutoland its first elected legislature. General elections with universal adult suffrage were held in April 1965, with several political parties represented. On October 4, 1966, the new Kingdom of Lesotho attained full independence as a constitutional monarchy with an elected bicameral parliament. As with many new nations, Lesotho's first steps as an independent democracy were faltering ones. After national elections in 1970 indicated a loss to the ruling political party, the Lesotho parliament was dissolved and a new pro-government national assembly instituted. Opposition to the ruling regime led to internal disorder. A Lesotho military take-over occurred in 1986, prompted by these internal tensions as well as external pressure from the Republic of South Africa. (Across the border, Lesotho was perceived as a haven for members of the African National Congress (ANC), the anti-apartheid party of Nelson Mandela.) After the coup, activities of Lesotho's political parties were suspended. Executive and legislative powers were given to King Moshoeshoe II, who was to act on the advice of a self-appointed Military Council. Continued differences led the military government to strip King Moshoeshoe II of his powers in 1990; he was exiled to Europe. The Military Council then established a National Constituent Assembly to formulate a new constitution. It also promised to return Lesotho to civilian rule. Later that same year, Moshoeshoe's son, Letsie III, was installed as king. Today Lesotho has a constitutional monarchy in conjunction with a democratically elected, civilian government. PEOPLE According to 1988 statistics, Lesotho's current population totals over one and a half million persons (1,660,000), with an annual growth rate of 2.7 percent, one of the lowest in Africa. Unlike the United States, the population is primarily rural, with only about 15 percent of people living in towns and cities. Most Basotho live in small, well-defined villages which are surrounded by crop and grazing lands. Nevertheless, recent migration patterns within the country suggest that over a third of Lesotho's citizens will be urban dwellers by the year 2000. (By far the largest city in Lesotho, Maseru presently has a population of over 109,000 persons.) Lesotho is a patriarchal society. According to 1991 statistics from The Europa World Year Book, however, more than a third (38%) of the entire male labor force lives and works outside Lesotho as migrant labor in the Republic of South Africa. For this reason, women play a strong and vital role in community life. They make many day-to-day decisions and take the lead in both farming and domestic duties. Families in Lesotho tend to be larger than those in United States with children considered a great blessing and ties with relatives of utmost importance. Those who have come before--the elderly, ancestors, and parents--are accorded considerable respect. In Lesotho, all men are addressed as Ntate (n-DAH-day), which means father; all women are addressed as 'M'e (m-MAY), which means mother. Similarly, unmarried young adults and children often address one another as Abuti (ah-BOO-tee), brother, or Ausi (ah-OO-see), sister, regardless of family connections. Bound together as a people after a series of tribal wars in the early 19th century, the Basotho now represent a distinct ethnic group. Over three million Basotho permanently reside in South Africa; the rest are citizens of Lesotho. This settlement pattern makes Lesotho one of the most culturally homogenous countries in Africa: more than 99 percent of its people are Basotho. The other one percent represent Europeans and Asians, primarily those working in business and trade. Despite the tensions across the border in South Africa, racial relations in apartheid-free Lesotho are very good. Like their nation's founder, Moshoeshoe I, the Basotho are known as a remarkably conciliatory and hospitable people. Nearly all who reside in Lesotho speak the official language, Sesotho (say-SOO-too), which shares many grammatical features with other African Bantu languages. Among other attributes, Sesotho is organized around six classes of nouns, each with its own singular and plural prefixes. (For example, in one class of nouns referring to things, sefofane (airplane) and sefate (tree) become lifofane and lifate in the plural. In the class of nouns referring to human beings, the singular words mosali (wife), monna (husband) become, in the plural, basali and banna. Thus, while one person from Lesotho, is called a Mosotho (moh-SOO-too), two persons are referred to as Basotho.) Many also consider the Sesotho language to be particularly well-suited to poetry and indeed the nation has a rich heritage of ballads and songs. Reflecting Lesotho's colonial legacy, English is also an official language, most commonly used in urban and government circles. All schoolchildren learn English as well as Sesotho. English is the medium of instruction in all high schools. Most Basotho today are Roman Catholics; Christianity was introduced to the nation more than 150 years ago with the advent of French missionaries. Today there are Protestant denominations as well, which, like the Roman Catholic dioceses, are now under Basotho leadership. Alongside these religions, traditional beliefs and customs continue to play an important role in the conduct of Basotho life, particularly in rural areas. Lesotho is a landlocked independent republic with a democratic government situated within the borders of South Africa and forms part of the Southern African region. The capital city is Maseru. Other major towns are Mafateng and Leribe. Lesotho has an estimated 1995 population of 2,010,000 people. The official language is Sesotho but English is widely spoken in business and commerce. The country's GDP was estimated to be $536 million in 1992. Exports from Lesotho to the rest of the world accounted for $134 million and imports for $942 million in 1994. The official inflation rate in 1994 was estimated to be 7,6%. The local currency is the Loti (plural Maluti) which is linked to the South African rand. (US$ / Maluti - current exchange rate).