Lesotho (/lɪˈsuːtuː/ⓘlih-SOO-too,[6][7]Sotho pronunciation:[lɪˈsʊːtʰʊ]), formally the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. As an enclave of South Africa, with which it shares a 1,106 km (687 mi) border,[8] it is the only sovereign enclave in the world outside of the Italian Peninsula. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the highest peak in Southern Africa.[9] It has an area of over 30,000 km2 (11,600 sq mi) and has a population of about two million. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. The country is also known by the nickname The Mountain Kingdom.[10]
The Sotho ethnic group (also known as Basotho), from which the country derives its name, composes 99.7% of the country's current population, making it one of the most ethnically homogenous in the world. Their native language, Sesotho, is the official language along with English. The name Lesotho translates to "land of the Sesotho speakers".[11][12]
Lesotho was formed in 1824 by King Moshoeshoe I. Continuous encroachments by Dutch settlers made the King enter into an agreement with the British Empire to become a protectorate in 1868 and, in 1884, a crown colony. It achieved independence in 1966, and was subsequently ruled by the Basotho National Party (BNP) for two decades. Its constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. King Moshoeshoe II was exiled in 1990 but returned in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995. One year later, Moshoeshoe II died and his son Letsie III took the throne, which he still holds.[8]
Lesotho is considered a lower middle income country with significant socioeconomic challenges. Almost half of its population is below the poverty line, and the country's HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is the second-highest in the world. However, it also targets a high rate of universal primary education and has one of the highest rates of literacy in Africa (81.02% as of 2021). Lesotho is a member of the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Commonwealth of Nations, the African Union, and the Southern African Development Community. According to 2023 V-Dem Democracy indices, Lesotho is ranked 64th electoral democracy worldwide and 7th electoral democracy in Africa.[13]
^"Religion Indexes (Lesotho)". The Association of Religion Data Archives. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
^"Lesotho". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
^ abcd"World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Lesotho)". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
^"Gini Index coefficient". CIA World Factbook. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
^"Human Development Report 2023/2024". United Nations Development Programme. 19 March 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
^"lesotho noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com". www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
^Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Longman. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0.
^ abCite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Maloti Mountains | Drakensberg, Lesotho Highlands, Southern Africa | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
^"Office Of The King". Government Of Lesotho. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
^Nicole Itano (2007). No Place Left to Bury the Dead. Simon and Schuster. p. 314. ISBN 978-0-7432-7095-3.
^Roman Adrian Cybriwsky (2013). Capital Cities around the World: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture. ABC-CLIO. p. 182. ISBN 9781610692489. Archived from the original on 8 May 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
^V-Dem Institute (2023). "The V-Dem Dataset". Retrieved 14 October 2023.
Lesotho (/lɪˈsuːtuː/ lih-SOO-too, Sotho pronunciation: [lɪˈsʊːtʰʊ]), formally the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. As an...
of Lesotho (also known as Basutoland until 1966). The succession to the throne of Lesotho is laid down in Chapter V of the Constitution of Lesotho. The...
Lesotho is a mountainous, landlocked country located in Southern Africa. It is an enclave, surrounded by South Africa. The total length of the country's...
people living in the area now known as Lesotho (/ləˈsuːtuː, -ˈsoʊtoʊ/) goes back as many as 400 years. Present Lesotho (then called Basotholand) emerged as...
The economy of Lesotho is based on agriculture, livestock, manufacturing, mining, and depends heavily on inflows of workers’ remittances and receipts...
The current national flag of Lesotho, adopted on the 40th anniversary of Lesotho's independence on 4 October 2006, features a horizontal blue, white,...
The South African intervention in Lesotho, codenamed Operation Boleas, was a military invasion launched by the Southern African Development Community...
Letsie III (born Mohato Bereng Seeiso; 17 July 1963) is King of Lesotho. He succeeded his father, Bereng Seeiso Moshoeshoe II, who was forced into exile...
The Kingdom of Lesotho is divided into ten districts, each headed by a district administrator. Each district has a capital known as a camptown. The districts...
largest city of Lesotho. It is also the capital of the Maseru District. Located on the Caledon River, Maseru lies directly on the Lesotho–South Africa border...
The Loti (plural: Maloti) is the currency of the Kingdom of Lesotho. It is subdivided into 100 lisente (sg. sente). It is pegged to the South African...
Christianity is the dominant religion in Lesotho, with Protestantism and Catholicism being its main denominations. The 2022 United States Department of...
The Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) is the military of the Southern African Kingdom of Lesotho, which consists of about 2,000 personnel and is tasked with...
Events in the year 2024 in Lesotho. King: Letsie III Prime Minister: Sam Matekane Source: January 1 - New Year's Day March 11 – Moshoeshoe's Day March...
is a list of prime ministers of Lesotho (Sotho: Tona-Kholo) since the formation of the post of Prime Minister of Lesotho in 1965, to the present day. A...
This article concerns systems of transport in Lesotho. As a landlocked country, Lesotho has no seaports or harbours, but does have road, air transport...
Lesotho Television is the state television channel of Lesotho, the channel broadcasts in English and Sesotho languages. In the early 1970s, Lesotho only...
The Lesotho Highlands are formed by the Drakensberg and Maloti mountain ranges in the east and central parts of the country of Lesotho. Foothills form...
Lesotho Airways, formerly Air Lesotho, was the national airline of Lesotho based on the grounds of Mejametalana Airport in Maseru. Until 1997, it was wholly...
Lesotho, a country in Southern Africa, is home to several languages, including Phuthi, Sesotho, Xhosa, Zulu and English, — all, except for English, belong...
The Lesotho Promise, a 603 carat (121 g) diamond stone of exceptional colour was unearthed on 22 August 2006 at the Letseng diamond mine in the mountain...
country gained full independence from Britain in 1966. He was King of Lesotho from 1966 until his exile in 1990, and from 1995 until his death in 1996...
Lesotho: 2,008,000 – 144th most populous country Area of Lesotho: 30,355 km2 Atlas of Lesotho Climate of Lesotho Wildlife of Lesotho Fauna of Lesotho...