Lesotho

COUNTRY FLAG

COAT OF ARMS
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LOCATION MAP

AREA MAP
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INFORMATION

Capital: Maseru

Government: Unitary Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy

Current King: King Letsie III

Economy:

  • Relies heavily on remittances from Basotho employed in South Africa, customs duties from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), and export revenue for the majority of government revenue.

Population: 1,969,334 (2020)

Land Size: 30,355 sq km (11,720 sq miles)

Major Ethnic Groups:

  • Sotho: 99.7%
  • Europeans, Asians, and other: 0.3%
 Religions:

  • Christian: 80%
  • Indigenous African Religions: 20%

Language(s):

  • Sesotho (official) (southern Sotho)
  • English (official)
  • Zulu
  • Xhosa

Links:

RECENT NEWS

  • Thu - Dec 2, 2021: The Making of Lesotho's Robust Cycling Culture - AllAfrica News: Lesotho
    [New Frame] The mountain kingdom, even though it has natural features best suited for the sport of cycling, was without a viable cycling culture for many years. That is beginning to change.
  • Wed - Dec 1, 2021: Further Changes to Boys' and Girls' Football At Region 5 Youth Games Maseru 2020 - AllAfrica News: Lesotho
    [Cosafa] The emergence of the Omicron variant and subsequent travel difficulties associated with it have forced more changes to the fixtures for the Boys' and Girls' football competitions at the Region 5 Games Maseru 2020.
  • Fri - Nov 26, 2021: Europe Halts Travel From Southern Africa Over New Coronavirus Variant - AllAfrica News: Lesotho
    [DW] The European Union wants member states to halt air travel with South Africa and several surrounding countries over a new coronavirus variant. Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic were all quick to react.
  • Tue - Nov 16, 2021: Zakes Mda On His Latest Novel, Set in Lesotho's Musical Gang Wars - AllAfrica News: Lesotho
    [The Conversation Africa] Zakes Mda is one of South Africa's best-loved novelists - though he is also a celebrated playwright, children's book author and an increasingly visible painter. His latest novel, Wayfarers' Hymns, is at once full of drama and mirth, set in Lesotho and playing out in the bloody world of famo musicians. At a launch of the book at the University of Pretoria, Dr Nokuthula Mazibuko-Msimang interviewed Mda about it. This is an edited transcription of that interview.
  • Fri - Nov 12, 2021: South Africa's Apartheid Regime Manipulated Borders. Today, the Effects Linger - AllAfrica News: Lesotho
    [The Conversation Africa] The issue of land, especially its redistribution, remains contentious in South Africa 27 years after the formal end of apartheid. Land redistribution was promised at the end of apartheid. The failure of the African National Congress (ANC) government to do so is emblematic of its failure to fundamentally transform the country.