Lesotho

Lesotho, officially the Kingdom of Lesotho and formerly known as Basutoland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is surrounded by South Africa and is the largest of only three sovereign enclaves in the world. Lesotho is located in the Maloti Mountains and has the highest peak in southern Africa. The country covers an area of over 30,000 km² and has a population of about 2.3 million people. Its capital and largest city is Maseru.

Lesotho was formed in 1824 by King Moshoeshoe I. Due to pressures from Dutch settlers, the King made an agreement with the United Kingdom to become a protectorate in 1868 and later a crown colony in 1884. The country achieved independence in 1966 and was ruled by the Basotho National Party for two decades. After a period of military rule, constitutional government was restored in 1993. King Moshoeshoe II was exiled in 1990 but returned in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995. He passed away in 1996, and his son, Letsie III, became king and still rules today.

The Sotho ethnic group, also known as Basotho, makes up 99.7% of the population, making Lesotho one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries in the world. Their native language, Sesotho, is an official language along with English, IsiXhosa, and SiPhuthi. Lesotho is considered a lower middle income country with significant socioeconomic challenges, but it also has one of the highest rates of literacy in Africa. Lesotho is a member of the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Commonwealth of Nations, the African Union, and the Southern African Development Community.

History

Main article: History of Lesotho

Basutoland started as a group led by King Moshoeshoe I in 1822. Moshoeshoe brought his people together to protect themselves from attackers. He worked with visitors to learn new skills and build strong friendships.

Later, other groups tried to take over the land. Moshoeshoe made agreements to keep his people safe. In 1868, he asked the British for help, and Basutoland became a place where Britain protected the people but did not fully control them. In 1869, the British set the borders of Basutoland, making it smaller than before.

In 1966, Basutoland became independent and changed its name to the Kingdom of Lesotho. The leaders changed many times after that. In 1970, an election did not go as planned, and the leader did not give up power. This led to troubles and conflicts for many years.

In 1986, a group took control of the government for a short time. Later, the king was sent away from the country, and his son became king. After some years, the government changed again, and elections were held.

In 2014, there were worries about a possible takeover by the military, and the prime minister had to leave the country for a few days. In 2020, the prime minister left office after being linked to a serious crime. A new leader took over in 2022 after elections.

In 2025, Lesotho faced big economic problems when the United States changed rules about trading. Many factories closed, and many people lost their jobs. The government had to take special steps to help the country during this hard time.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Lesotho

Lesotho is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The prime minister, currently Sam Matekane, is the head of government and has executive authority. The King of Lesotho, Letsie III, is the head of state and serves a "largely ceremonial function"; he no longer possesses any executive authority and is prohibited from actively participating in political initiatives.

The Revolution for Prosperity leads a coalition government in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament. The upper house of parliament, the Senate, is composed of 22 principal chiefs whose membership is hereditary, and 11 appointees of the king, acting on the advice of the prime minister. The constitution provides for an independent judicial system, made up of the High Court, the Court of Appeal, Magistrate's Courts, and traditional courts that exist predominantly in rural areas. All but one of the Justices on the Court of Appeal are South African jurists. The constitution protects some civil liberties, including freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of the press, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of religion.

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Lesotho

Lesotho is a member of some regional economic organisations, including the SADC and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). It is active in the United Nations (UN), the AU, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Commonwealth, and other international organisations.

Lesotho has maintained ties with the United Kingdom (Wales in particular)^{[citation needed]}, Germany, the United States, and other Western states. It broke relations with China and re-established relations with Taiwan in 1990, and later restored ties with China. It recognises the State of Palestine. From 2014 up until 2018, it recognised the Republic of Kosovo.

It was a public opponent of apartheid in South Africa and granted a number of South African refugees political asylum during the apartheid era. In 2019, it signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Defence and law enforcement

The Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) is charged with the maintenance of internal security and the defence of Lesotho. Its chief officer is designated Commander.

The Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) is charged with the maintenance of law and order. Its chief officer is designated Commissioner. LMPS provides uniformed policing, criminal detection, and traffic policing. There are specialist units dealing with high-tech crime, immigration, wildlife, and terrorism. The force has existed, with changes of name, continuously since 1872.

The Lesotho National Security Service (LNSS) is charged with the protection of national security. Established in modern form by the National Security Services Act of 1998, its chief officer is designated Director General, and appointed and dismissed by the Prime Minister. LNSS is an intelligence service, part of the Ministry of Defence and National Security, and reporting directly to the Government.

Law

The Constitution of Lesotho came into force after the publication of the Commencement Order. Constitutionally, legislation refers to laws that have been passed by both houses of parliament and have been assented to by the king (Section 78(1)). Subordinate legislation refers to laws passed by other bodies to which parliament has, by virtue of Section 70(2) of the Constitution, validly delegated such legislative powers. These include government publications, ministerial orders, ministerial regulations, and municipal by-laws.

While Lesotho shares with South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia, and Zimbabwe a mixed general legal system which resulted from the interaction between the Roman-Dutch civil law and the English common law, its general law operates independently. Lesotho applies the common law, which refers to unwritten law or law from non-statutory sources, and excludes customary law. Decisions from South African courts are only persuasive, and courts refer to them in formulating their decisions. Decisions from some jurisdictions can be cited for their persuasive value. Magistrates' court decisions do not become precedent since these are lower courts. They are bound by the decisions of the High Court and the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal, the final appellate forum on all matters, has supervisory and review jurisdiction over all the courts of Lesotho.

Lesotho has a dual legal system consisting of customary and general laws operating side by side. Customary law is made up of the customs of the Basotho, written and codified in the Laws of Lerotholi. The general law consists of Roman Dutch law imported from the Cape and the Lesotho statutes. The codification of customary law came about after a council was appointed in 1903 to advise the British Resident Commissioner on which laws would be best for governing the Basotho. Until this time, the Basotho customs and laws were passed down from generation to generation through oral tradition. The council was given the task of codifying them, and they came up with the Laws of Lerotholi which are then applied by customary courts (local courts). The written works of certain authors have persuasive value in the courts of Lesotho. These include the writings of the "old authorities as well as contemporary writers from similar jurisdictions".

Districts

Main article: Districts of Lesotho

For administrative purposes, Lesotho is divided into 10 districts, each headed by a district administrator. Each district has a capital known as a camptown.

• Berea
• Butha-Buthe
• Leribe
• Mafeteng
• Maseru
• Mohale's Hoek
• Mokhotlong
• Qacha's Nek
• Quthing
• Thaba-Tseka

The districts are subdivided into 80 constituencies, which consist of 129 local community councils.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Lesotho

Lesotho is a small country in Southern Africa that is completely surrounded by South Africa. It covers an area of 30,355 km² and is special because it is the only country in the world that is entirely above 1,000 metres in height. This makes its lowest point the highest of any country on Earth. Most of Lesotho is made up of mountains, with over 80% of the land sitting above 1,800 metres.

Main article: Climate of Lesotho

Because of its height, Lesotho has cooler temperatures than other places at the same distance from the equator. The country gets most of its rain during the summer months, often in the form of thunderstorms. While summers can get quite warm, winters can be very cold, especially in the highlands where snow is common. The amount of rain can vary a lot from place to place and year to year.

Main article: Wildlife of Lesotho

See also: Category:Environment of Lesotho

Lesotho is home to many different birds, reptiles, and mammals. The country's plants are adapted to its mountainous environment, and there are special gardens where many important plants are kept safe.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Lesotho

Lesotho's economy relies on farming, raising animals, making things, and mining. Many people work on farms or raise animals, and this is a big part of how they make money. The country also makes clothes and other goods, and it has mines where valuable stones are found.

Lesotho sells its goods to other countries, especially the United States, where many well-known stores buy things made there. Even though this created many jobs, competition from other places has made it harder to keep those jobs. The country also gets money from selling water and valuable stones, which helps its economy grow. However, changes in the world economy, like when people buy and sell less, can make it harder for Lesotho to grow and keep people working.

Demographics

See also: Demographics of Lesotho

Lesotho has about 2.3 million people. Most people live in villages, while only a few live in cities. The country’s people are mostly between 15 and 64 years old.

Ethnic groups and languages

Main article: Languages of Lesotho

Most people in Lesotho are Basotho, a group that speaks a Bantu language. Almost all people there are Basotho, with only a small number from other groups like Europeans, Asians, and Xhosa.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Lesotho

Most people in Lesotho believe in Christianity. Many are Catholics, and others are Protestants, Pentecostals, or Anglicans. A smaller number follow other religions or none at all.

Education and literacy

Main article: Education in Lesotho

Lesotho has good reading skills for many people, especially women. The government works to make school free for young children. Some people also use the internet to learn more.

Health

Main article: Health in Lesotho

Lesotho faces health challenges, with shorter lives and some diseases being common. The country works to support people with disabilities in getting education, healthcare, and jobs.

Violence against women

Main article: Women in Lesotho

Lesotho has worked to support equal rights for women and men in marriage. The country continues to improve how it supports women’s rights and safety.

Sport and culture

See also: Music of Lesotho and List of African writers by country § Lesotho

The cuisine of Lesotho mixes African traditions with British influences. The national dish is Motoho, a fermented sorghum porridge. Common foods include pap, or 'mealies', a cornmeal porridge served with vegetable sauces. People enjoy tea and locally made beer, especially a famous fermented ginger beer. Chesanyama restaurants serve dishes like cabbage, pap, and baked bean salad.

Lesotho's traditional clothing features the Basotho blanket, originally made of wool but now often from acrylic fibres. The main maker of these blankets is Aranda, with a factory just across the border in South Africa.

British influence can still be seen in old trading posts from the 18th to 20th centuries in villages like Roma and Malealea. These spots once sold fuel, grains, and animals. Beautiful San rock art can be found in the mountains, including near Ha Matela.

The Morija Arts & Cultural Festival happens every year in Morija, where missionaries first arrived in 1833.

The Basotho pony used to be ridden in battles and now helps with travel and farming.

The most popular sport in Lesotho is football.

Film and media

Ryan Coogler, the director of the 2018 film Black Panther, said his vision of Wakanda was inspired by Lesotho. Because of the film, Basotho blankets became more well-known around the world.

In November 2020, This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection became the first film from Lesotho to be entered for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.