Lesotho
Kingdom of Lesotho Naha ea Lesotho (Sotho) | |
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Flag
Coat of arms
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| Motto: "Khotso, Pula, Nala" "Peace, Rain, Prosperity" | |
| Anthem: Lesōthō Fatše La Bo-Ntat'a Rōna (English: "Lesotho, land of our Fathers") | |
Location of Lesotho (dark green) | |
| Capital and largest city | Maseru 29°18′54″S 27°29′13″E / 29.31500°S 27.48694°E |
| Official languages |
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| Ethnic groups (2020) |
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| Religion (2020)[1] |
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| Demonym(s) |
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| Government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Letsie III |
• Prime Minister | Sam Matekane |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| Senate | |
| National Assembly | |
| Independence from the United Kingdom | |
• Basutoland | 18 March 1884 |
• Independence declared | 4 October 1966 |
| Area | |
• Total | 30,355 km2 (11,720 sq mi) (137th) |
• Water (%) | negligible |
| Population | |
• 2023 estimate | 2,210,646[2] (147th) |
• Density | 68.1/km2 (176.4/sq mi) (138th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | $6.915 billion[3] (168th) |
• Per capita | $3,234[3] (164th) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | $2.373 billion[3] (184th) |
• Per capita | $1,110[3] (169th) |
| Gini (2017) | 44.9[4] medium inequality |
| HDI (2023) | 0.550[5] medium (167th) |
| Currency | Lesotho loti (LSL) South African rand (ZAR) |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (SAST) |
| Calling code | +266 |
| ISO 3166 code | LS |
| Internet TLD | .ls |
| Sotho | |
|---|---|
| Person | Mosotho |
| People | Basotho |
| Language | Sesotho |
| Country | Lesotho |
Lesotho,[a][b] formally the Kingdom of Lesotho[c] and formerly known as Basutoland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Entirely surrounded by South Africa, it is the largest of only three sovereign enclaves in the world, the others being San Marino and Vatican City, which are surrounded by Italy. Lesotho is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the highest peak in Southern Africa.[9] It has an area of over 30,000 km2 (11,600 sq mi) and has a population of about 2.3 million. Its capital and largest city is Maseru.
Lesotho was formed in 1824 by King Moshoeshoe I. Continuous encroachments by Dutch settlers made the King enter into an agreement with the United Kingdom to become a protectorate in 1868 and, in 1884, a crown colony. It achieved independence in 1966, and was subsequently ruled by the Basotho National Party (BNP) for two decades. Its constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. King Moshoeshoe II was exiled in 1990 but returned in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995. One year later, Moshoeshoe II died and his son Letsie III took the throne, which he still holds.[10]
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.[11]
Lesotho is considered a lower middle income country with significant socioeconomic challenges, and one of the highest rates of literacy in Africa (81% as of 2021). 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.
- ^ "Religion Indexes (Lesotho)". The Association of Religion Data Archives. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ "Lesotho". The World Factbook (2025 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 22 June 2023. (Archived 2023 edition.)
- ^ a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Lesotho)". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ "Gini Index coefficient". CIA World Factbook. Archived from the original on 17 July 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- ^ "Human Development Report 2023/2024". United Nations Development Programme. 19 March 2024. Archived from the original on 19 March 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
- ^ "lesotho noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com". www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
- ^ Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Longman. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0.
- ^ "Office Of The King". Government Of Lesotho. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ "Maloti Mountains | Drakensberg, Lesotho Highlands, Southern Africa | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Archived from the original on 24 January 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:5was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Lesotho Government Gazette Number 73". 31 August 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
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