Text Area - Lesotho
Lesotho
Content List - News from LesothoLESOTHO: A village tries new ideas to beat climate change
LESOTHO: Motlomelo Thakali, "There were days on which I lived on water, but still had my ARVs"
LESOTHO: Mathabang Letsoara, "We have less than half a sack of maize to live on"
LESOTHO: Makoanyane Letsoara: "I want to be able to help others who don't have food."
LESOTHO: High, dry and hungry
LESOTHO: A village tries new ideas to beat climate change
Kingdom of Lesotho
Geography
Capital: Maseru
Major Towns: Maseru, Qacha's Nek, Mafeteng, Leribe, Mokhotlong, Thaba-Tseka
Location (geographical coordinates/latitude and longitude): Maseru: 29°18'S, 27°28'E
Time Zone: UTC+2
Size (Land and Sea): 30,355 km², Water: negligible
Borders with: land-locked entirely by South Africa.
Elevation extremes: Lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m, highest point : Mount Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m
Politics
Head of State: King: Letsie III, Prime Minister: Pakalitha Mosisili
Form of Government: Constitutional monarchy
Independancy (from UK): October 4, 1966
Currency: Loti
Industry
Lesotho's economy is based on exports of water and electricity sold to South Africa, manufacturing, agriculture, livestock, and to some extent the earnings of laborers employed in South Africa. Lesotho also exports diamonds, wool, mohair, clothing, and footwear
Other Industries: food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism.
Natural resources: water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone.
Agriculture: corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock
Population and People
Population: 2,012,649 (July 2007 est.), 1,865,040 (2004)
Population density per sq mi: 172
Growth rate: -0.5%
Birth rate: 24.5 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.21 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 85.9/1000
Religion: Christian 80%, rest indigenous beliefs
Languages Sesotho, English, Zulu, Afrikaans, Xhosa
Ethnic groups / Tribes: Basotho, Sesotho, Kwena, Natal,
Age structure: 0-14 years: 35.7% (male 382,308/female 377,303); 15-64 years: 59.3% (male 613,979/female 645,818); 65 years and over: 5% (male 42,621/female 63,233) (2007 est.)
Life expectancy: 34.5
Literacy: Total population: 83%; male: 72%, female: 93% (1999 est.)
Map - Lesotho Map- Lesotho means "the land of the people who speak Sesotho”
- Lesotho’s lowest point is at the junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers at 1,400 m which is the highest lowest-point of any country in the world.
- The highest point isThabana Ntlenyana at 3,482 m
- Lesotho's economy is based on exports of water and electricity sold to South Africa
- One of Levi's jeans manufacturing facilities is located in Lesotho
- Lesotho is the largest exporter of garments to the US from sub-Saharan Africa (exports totaled over $320 million in 2002)
- The Morija Arts & Cultural Festival is Lesotho’s most famous festival which is held annually. The theme of the festival is "Kaofela re chabana sa khomo" (Unity in Diversity).
- Lesotho is a kingdom with King Letsie III as the head of state (no executive authority)
- Many villages are so remote that they can only be reached on horseback, by foot or by light aircraft
- Lesotho is the last stronghold of the bald ibis
- Malealea is a beautiful village with mountains, valleys and ancient San paintings hidden in rock shelters and often advertised as 'Lesotho in a nutshell'.
- Maseru’s highlights include historic cemetery and the fascinating architecture of the King's Palace and the Prime Minister's Residence
- Moyeni and Mohales Hoek, in the southern region of Lesotho are popular horse riding, mountain climbing and hiking regions
- Bushmen rock paintings
- The Maletsunyane Waterfalls are three times higher than the Niagara frontier and the highest single-drop fall in southern Africa.
- The forest of the mountain of Thaba-Ts'oeu is petrified
- 279 species of birds