Part 425

Currency: 1 loti (L) = 100 lisente

Exchange rates: maloti (M) per US$1 - 3.6417 (January 1996), 3.6266 (1995), 3.5490 (1994), 3.2636 (1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7563 (1991); note - the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Transportation --------------

Railways: total: 2.6 km; note - owned by, operated by, and included in the statistics of South Africa narrow gauge: 2.6 km 1.067-m gauge

Highways: total: 5,324 km paved: 799 km unpaved: 4,525 km (1993 est.)

Ports: none

Airports: total: 29 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 23 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 4 (1995 est.)

Communications --------------

Telephones: 12,000 (1991 est.)

Telephone system: rudimentary system domestic: consists of a few landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a minor radiotelephone communication system international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0

Radios: 66,000

Television broadcast stations: 1

Televisions: 11,000 (1992 est.)

Defense -------

Branches: Lesotho Defense Force (LDF; includes Army and Air Wing), Lesotho Mounted Police

Manpower availability: males age 15-49: 455,218 males fit for military service: 245,774 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP

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@Liberia -------

Years of civil strife have destroyed much of Liberia's economic infrastructure, made civil administration nearly impossible, and brought economic activity virtually to a halt. The deterioration of economic conditions has been greatly exacerbated by the flight of most business people with their expertise and capital. Civil order ended in 1990 when President Samuel Kanyon DOE was killed by rebel forces. The ensuing civil war persisted until August 1995 when the major factions signed the Abuja peace accord and, in September 1995, formed a transitional coalition government under Wilton SANKAWULO. The war was resumed in April 1996, when forces loyal to faction leaders Charles TAYLOR and Alhaji KROMAH attacked rival factions in Monrovia, further damaging the capital's already dilapidated infrastructure and causing panic among the remaining foreign residents, thousands of whom sought refuge in US facilities. Prospects for peace became extremely uncertain again.

Map ---

Location: 6 30 N, 9 30 W -- Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone

Flag ----

Description: 11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a white five-pointed star on a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner; the design was based on the US flag

Geography ---------

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone