Lesotho is located in Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa.
Lesotho has borders with South Africa for 909km.
Land in Lesotho is mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains.
Basotho land covers an area of 30355 square kilometers which is slightly smaller than Maryland
As for the Basotho climate; temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers.
Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural) speak Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa.
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Maseru Mafeteng Leribe Maputsoe Qacha's Nek Quthing | Butha-Buthe Mokhotlong Thaba-Tseka Teyateyaneng |
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Berea Butha-Buthe Leribe Lesotho (general) (LT01) (LT02) (LT03) (LT04) (LT05) | (LT06) Mafeteng Maseru Mohaleʼs Hoek Mokhotlong Qachaʼs Nek Quthing Thaba-Tseka |
Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled for the first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and reinstated in 1995. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after 7 years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Botswanan military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Constitutional reforms have since restored political stability; peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002.
Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho relies on remittances from miners employed in South Africa and customs duties from the Southern Africa Customs Union for the majority of government revenue. However, the government has recently strengthened its tax system to reduce dependency on customs duties. Completion of a major hydropower facility in January 1998 now permits the sale of water to South Africa, also generating royalties for Lesotho. As the number of mineworkers has declined steadily over the past several years, a small manufacturing base has developed based on farm products that support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries, as well as a rapidly expanding apparel-assembly sector. The latter has grown significantly, mainly due to Lesotho qualifying for the trade benefits contained in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. The economy is still primarily based on subsistence agriculture, especially livestock, although drought has decreased agricultural activity. The extreme inequality in the distribution of income remains a major drawback. Lesotho has signed an Interim Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility with the IMF.
Basotho natural resources include water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone
landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea level
Basotho religion is Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%.
Natural hazards in Lesotho include periodic droughts.