Lesotho

Overview

Lesotho is a small landlocked country entirely surrounded by South Africa . It is known as the "Kingdom in the Sky" because the entire country is at a high altitude. Its lowest point is 1,388 m (4,554 ft) above sea level; no other country in the world has its lowest point above 1,000 m (3,300 ft). Lesotho is a fantastic adventure holiday destination because of its smiling and resourceful people and bracing climate.

Before European settlement of the area, the Sotho-Tswana people lived in what is now Free State in neighbouring South Africa . They were a farming people, and when the Zulus started attacking villages and the Dutch Voortrekkers started encroaching on their land, they fled up into the Lesotho mountains. Here, continuous attacks from the Zulus forced local tribes to join together for protection, and by 1824, King Moeshoeshoe had established himself as king and Thaba Bosiu as his mountain fortress.

The Kingdom of Lesotho was formed through the pursuit of peace, and this peaceful nature still exists in the Basotho. They are a friendly and welcoming people and do not have the aggressive history some of the peoples of neighbouring countries have. People are especially grateful to the British, and the older generation will come up to a Briton and tell them how much they thank them for saving them from Apartheid.

Lesotho ( / l ɪ ˈ s uː t uː / ⓘ lih- SOO -too ; Sotho pronunciation: [lɪˈsʊːtʰʊ] ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho , is a landlocked country in Southern Africa . Surrounded by South Africa , it is the largest of the three sovereign enclaves . Lesotho is located in the Maloti Mountains , with the highest peak in southern Africa . It has an area of over 30,000 km 2 (11,600 mi 2 ), with a population of about 2.3 million. Its capital and largest city is Maseru .

The Sotho ethnic group (also known as Basotho), from which the country derives its name, comprises 99.7% of the country's current population, making it one of the most ethnically homogeneous in the world. Their native language, Sesotho , is an official language along with English , IsiXhosa , and SiPhuthi .

Planning your route

Regular taxis (you phone, they pick you up) and 4+1s have a yellow stripe down the side and squeeze in 4 passengers. Always check the cost of a taxi before you get in.

Sights and landscapes

Lesotho covers 30,355 km 2 (11,720 sq mi). It is the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above 1,000 metres (3,281 ft) in elevation. Its lowest point of 1,400 metres (4,593 ft) is thus the highest lowest point of any country in the world . Over 80% of the country lies above 1,800 metres (5,906 ft). Lesotho is the southernmost landlocked country in the world. It is the largest of the world's three independent states completely surrounded by the territory of another country , with Vatican City and San Marino being the other two. It is the only such state outside the Italian peninsula and Europe , as well as the only one that is not a microstate .

Lesotho lies between latitudes 28° and 31°S , and longitudes 27° and 30°E . About 12% of Lesotho is arable land which is vulnerable to soil erosion ; it is estimated that 40 million tons of soil are lost each year due to erosion.

Because of its elevation, Lesotho remains cooler throughout the year than other regions at the same latitude. Most of the rain falls as summer thunderstorms . Maseru and surrounding lowlands may reach 30 °C (86 °F) in summer. The temperature in the lowlands can get down to −7 °C (19 °F) and the highlands to −18 °C (0 °F) at times. Snow is more common in the highlands between May and September; the higher peaks may experience snowfalls year-round. Rainfall in Lesotho is variable regarding both when and where precipitation occurs. Annual precipitation can vary from 500 millimetres (20 in) annually in one area to 1,200 millimetres (47 in) in another because of elevation. The summer season that stretches from October to April sees the most rainfall, and from December to February, the majority of the country receives over 100 millimetres (3.9 in) of rain a month. The least monthly rainfall in Lesotho occurs in June when most regions receive less than 15 mm a month.

Background

Basutoland emerged as a single polity under King Moshoeshoe I in 1822. Moshoeshoe, a son of Mokhachane, a minor chief of the Bakoteli lineage, formed his own clan and became a chief around 1804. Between 1820 and 1823, he and his followers settled at the Butha-Buthe Mountain, joining with former adversaries in resistance against the Lifaqane associated with the reign of Shaka kaSenzangakhona from 1818 to 1828.

Further evolution of the state emerged from conflicts between British and Dutch colonists leaving the Cape Colony following its seizure from the French-allied Dutch by the British in 1795, and also from the Orange River Sovereignty and subsequent Orange Free State . Missionaries Thomas Arbousset , Eugène Casalis and Constant Gosselin from the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society , invited by Moshoeshoe I, were placed at Morija , developing Sesotho orthography and printed works in the Sesotho language between 1837 and 1855. Casalis, acting as translator and providing advice on foreign affairs, helped set up diplomatic channels and acquire guns for use against the encroaching Europeans and the Griqua people .

Travel guide text compiled and adapted from Wikivoyage article (contributors) and Wikipedia article (contributors). Sections were selected and reordered for this guide. Text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Check current arrangements with your travel consultant.