The Kingdom of Lesotho (Sesotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is a small, landlocked monarchy wholly surrounded by South Africa. The country, which was previously called Basutoland, became a safe haven for the Basotho under chief Moshoeshoe I, who created a polity in the mountains of Butha-Buthe against Shaka of the Zulu Kingdom. It was previously much larger, containing a chunk of the Orange Free State, but constant wars with the British, who recently took over South Africa, and the Boers, reduced it to its present territory. Eventually, Moshoeshoe I concluded a treaty with Queen Victoria to make Basutoland a protectorate of the British Empire, though it at times receded from being a protectorate to a colony. This era also saw the move of the capital from Thaba Bosiu to the current Maseru, located in the lowlands of the northwestern border with the Orange Free State, which was initially intended to be temporary but later became permanent.
Basutoland gained independence from Britain in 1966 and renamed itself "Lesotho". The ruling Basotho National Party (BNP) initially ruled fairly until the first general elections that saw seats being transferred to the opposition, causing its head, Leabua Jonathan, to initiate a crackdown on the opposition. One of them, the Basotho Congress Party (BCP), rebelled, and Jonathan was eventually deposed by the military, who also gave the king ‒ then only a ceremonial head of state ‒ more sway in executive decisions. The king, Moshoeshoe II, however, was forced to flee the country when people started accusing him of autocracy, and power was passed to his son, Letsie III. Letsie, though, insisted that his father be reinstated, a process that involved another military coup. Moshoeshoe II later returned and became a king again, only to die in a car accident.
In 1998, Lesotho became a multiparty democracy again with the election of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), a splinter group of BCP, into majority. Despite it being seen as a free and fair election, the opposition cried foul of the LCD and launched an infamous sit-in at the Royal Palace in Maseru, triggering a brief civil war that saw the intervention of Botswana and South Africa. By the time things died down, much of the capital was in ruins.
The country's politics have been relatively stable since then, though not without uneasiness; it recently faced a failed military coup in 2014 which forced Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili to seek asylum in South Africa.
The country is famous for its highlands and mountains. In fact, the country's lowest point is 1,400 m, making it the only country on earth with no land below 1,000 m. (However, four other countries, plus Antarctica, have a higher average elevation.) Consequently, it's quite cold there compared to most African countries. Most of the population reside in the lowlands of the northwest, which is where the capital Maseru is located.
Basotho people, who lend the country its name, represent almost 100% of the population, making it one of the most homogeneous countries in Africa. The Basotho are closely related to the Batswana of Botswana and share similar culture, including an affinity for rain. Unlike the Batswana, who see rain as a miracle in their mainly-desert country, the Basotho are lucky enough to receive it a significant part of the year, thanks to the highlands.
Literacy is very high for an African country (87%) and it is one of the few countries in the world where the female literacy outweighs the males. Females are also well-represented in many sectors of the society, though the country sadly also has one of the highest cases regarding violence against women. However, a quarter of the populations still live below the poverty line. Plus, the recent recession has hit the country hard to the point that some has been advocating for South Africa to annex the country, which the latter vehemently rejects.
Unfortunately, Lesotho has a very serious problem with AIDS. Approximately 23.6% are infected, and over a half of women under 40 in the urban areas have AIDS.
The Basotho flag
The Basotho national nathem
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Government
- Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
- Monarch: Letsie III
- Prime Minister: Sam Matekane
- Deputy Prime Minister: Nthomeng Majara
- Assembly Speaker: Tlohang Sekhamane
Miscellaneous
- Capital and largest city: Maseru
- Population: 2,108,328
- Area: 30,355 km² (11,720 sq mi) (85th)
- Currency: Lesotho loti (L) (LSL)
- ISO-3166-1 Code: LS
- Country calling code: 266
- Highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana (3482 m/11,424 ft) (49th)
- Lowest point: Confluence of Orange River and Makhaleng River (1400 m/4,593 ft) (79th)
