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All land in Lesotho is held by the king in trust for the Sotho nation and is apportioned on his behalf by local chiefs; non-Sotho may not hold land. Only a tenth of Lesotho's land is arable. Corn, sorghum, beans, peas, and wheat are extensively cultivated; subsistence farming sustains about two thirds of the workforce. Many staples, however, must be imported from South Africa, the country's main trading partner. Sheep are bred for wool, and cattle and Angora goats are raised.
Lesotho is a water-rich nation in a water-starved region. The Lesotho Highlands water scheme, a six-dam project scheduled to be completed in 2015, already provides water for Lesotho and South Africa and will eventually supply hydroelectricity to a power grid for much of S Africa.
The country has varied and growing light industries, including food and beverages, textiles, and clothing. Tourism is also important; the country has two national parks bordering on the Drakensberg Mts. About a third of Lesotho's male workforce is employed in South Africa's mines, down considerably from the 1980s; their remittances provide an important source of revenue. Lesotho is a member of the Southern African Development Community.
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