Lesotho: Map & History

History

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.

Economy

The economy of Lesotho is based on agriculture, livestock, manufacturing and mining, and depends workers' remittances and receipts from the SACU. Most of the population is involved in subsistence farming. The other main areas of employment are the clothing industry, mining in South Africa, and employment by the Lesotho government. The western lowlands form the main agricultural zone. Almost 50% of the population earn income through informal crop cultivation or animal husbandry with nearly two-thirds of the country's income coming from the agricultural sector. The percentage of the population living below USD Purchasing Power Parity US$1.25/day fell from 48% to 44% between 1995 and 2003.

Sport and culture

The cuisine of Lesotho includes African traditions and British influences. The national dish of Lesotho is Motoho, a fermented sorghum porridge. Some staple foods include pap, or 'mealies', a cornmeal porridge covered with a sauce consisting of vegetables. Tea and locally brewed beer are choices for beverages. Lesotho is famed for its fermented ginger beer. Chesanyama is regularly sold independently throughout Lesotho with side-dishes such as cabbage, pap and baked bean salad.

The national dress revolves around the Basotho blanket, a covering made originally of wool. Most of the Basotho blanket is now made out of acrylic fibres. The main manufacturer of the Basotho blanket is Aranda, which has a factory over the border in South Africa.

Geography

Lesotho covers 30,355 km2 (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.