Lesotho
in Southern Africa
Africa

National active POI Bordering countries
Location Summary
Currency and Currency Code:
Loti - LSL
Spoken languages:
English, Southern Sotho, Zulu, Xhosa
Local electricity:
220 V - 50 Hz (plugs: M)
Mobile phone / cellular frequencies (MHz):
900 MHz, 3G, 4G
ISO 2-Letter code:
LS
Internet top level domain:
.ls
Country phone prefix:
+266
Local Time (capital):
Timezone:
UTC/GMT offset: hours
Current travel safety evaluation for Lesotho in Southern Africa

Safety Score: 3,0 of 5.0 based on data from 9 authorites. Meaning we advice caution when travelling to Lesotho.

Travel warnings are updated daily. Source: Travel Warning Lesotho. Last Update: 2024-08-13 08:21:03

Explore Lesotho

Lesotho with its capital Maseru is located in Africa (Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa). It covers some 30,356 square kilometers (slightly smaller than Maryland) with 1,958,040 citizens. English, Southern Sotho, Zulu and Xhosa are the common languages used in Lesotho (consider regional differences). As an interesting fact, South Africa is the only bordering country.

Lesothois a country in Southern Africa. Known as the Kingdom in the Sky because of its lofty altitude — it has the highest lowest point of any country in the world (1400m) and is the only country to be entirely above 1000m!Lesotho has 300 days of sunshine. The rainy season extends from October to April in which Lesotho gets 70mm of rainfall, mostly during severe thunderstorms. Do: Skiing, Hiking, Pony-Trekking...

Popular Destinations in Lesotho

 

Quthing
 

Mohale’s Hoek
 

Maseru
 

Mafeteng
 

Leribe
 

Butha-Buthe

Administrative regions of Lesotho

About the country

The topography is mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains. The average density of population is about 65 per km². The climate in Lesotho can be described as temperatecool to cold, dry winters, hot, wet summers. Potential natural disasters are periodic droughts.

To reach someone Lesotho dial +266 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 900 MHz, 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".ls". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 220 V - 50 Hz (plugs: M). The sign for the locally used currency Loti is LSL.

Three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green in the proportions of 3:4:3; the colors represent rain, peace, and prosperity respectively; centered in the white stripe is a black Basotho hat representing the indigenous people; the flag was unfurled in October 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence.

Flag of Lesotho

Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basutho National Party ruled the country during its first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995 and subsequently succeeded by his son, King LETSIE III, in 1996. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Batswana military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections in 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties disputed how the electoral law was applied to award proportional seats in the Assembly. In 2012, competitive elections involving 18 parties saw Prime Minister Motsoahae Thomas THABANE form a coalition government - the first in the country's history - that ousted the 14-year incumbent, Pakalitha MOSISILI, who peacefully transferred power the following month. MOSISILI returned to power in snap elections in February 2015 after the collapse of THABANE’s coalition government and an alleged attempted military coup.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 142) 30,355sq km
Land (World Rank: 138) 30,355sq km
Forest (World Rank: 15) 65.90%
Comparative slightly smaller than Maryland
Landborder
1106
Elevation
Lowest point (World Rank: 1) 1,400m
Highest point (World Rank: 54) 3,482m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 10) 76.10%
Arable (World Rank: 110) 10.10%
Permanent crops (World Rank: 189) 0.10%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 15) 65.90%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 160) 30sq km
Map reference
Africa
Environment
Issues
  • - and redirects water to South Africa
  • - and soil exhaustion
  • - desertification
  • - Highlands Water Project controls
  • - population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing
  • - severe soil erosion
  • - stores
Agreement party
  • - Biodiversity
  • - Climate Change
  • - Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
  • - Desertification
  • - Endangered Species
  • - Hazardous Wastes
  • - Law of the Sea
  • - Marine Life Conservation
  • - Ozone Layer Protection
  • - Wetlands
Hazzards periodic droughts
Location
Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
Climate
temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain
mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains

People

Population
Total (World Rank: 148) 1,958,040
Deathrate (World Rank: 1) 1.50%
Birthrate (World Rank: 49) 2.46%
Growthrate (World Rank: 172) 0.28%
Migration rate (World Rank: 168) -0.68%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 72) 2.63%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 154) 24.20
Female (World Rank: 164) 24.20
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 141) 316,106
0 14 female (World Rank: 140) 312,869
15 24 male (World Rank: 146) 181,481
15 24 female (World Rank: 142) 199,039
25 54 male (World Rank: 150) 362,798
25 54 female (World Rank: 148) 380,001
55 64 male (World Rank: 152) 52,293
55 64 female (World Rank: 153) 45,828
65 x male (World Rank: 145) 55,163
65 x female (World Rank: 151) 52,464
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 37) 4.61%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 213) 53years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 217) 53years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 211) 53years
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 133) 1.30
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 179) 30.30%
Obesity adult (World Rank: 122) 16.60%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 158) 81.80%

Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 162) 600,000,000kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 161) 763,000,000kWh
Import (World Rank: 91) 205,000,000kWh
Source nuclear (World Rank: 1) 100.00%
Refined products
Consumption (World Rank: 174) 5,000bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 164) 5,121bbl / day
Natural gas
Consumption (World Rank: 155) 10m³
Carbon footprint
300000

Nation

Budget
Education (World Rank: 1) 13% of GDP
Military (World Rank: 56) 2% of GDP
Health (World Rank: 19) 11% of GDP
Surplus (World Rank: 179) -7% of GDP
National symbol
mokorotio
National colours
white
Adjective
Basotho
Noun
Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
Background
Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basutho National Party ruled the country during its first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995 and subsequently succeeded by his son, King LETSIE III, in 1996. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Batswana military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections in 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties disputed how the electoral law was applied to award proportional seats in the Assembly. In 2012, competitive elections involving 18 parties saw Prime Minister Motsoahae Thomas THABANE form a coalition government - the first in the country's history - that ousted the 14-year incumbent, Pakalitha MOSISILI, who peacefully transferred power the following month. MOSISILI returned to power in snap elections in February 2015 after the collapse of THABANE’s coalition government and an alleged attempted military coup.
Flag description
three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green in the proportions of 3:4:3; the colors represent rain, peace, and prosperity respectively; centered in the white stripe is a black Basotho hat representing the indigenous people; the flag was unfurled in October 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence

Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 167) 6,996,000,000USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 112) 2.40%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 180) 3,600USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 125) 5.40%
Source industry (World Rank: 57) 33.10%
Source service (World Rank: 109) 61.50%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 146) 922,400
In poverty (World Rank: 15) 57.00%
Products
Industries
  • - apparel assembly
  • - beverages
  • - construction
  • - food
  • - handicrafts
  • - textiles
  • - tourism
Agriculture
  • - barley
  • - corn
  • - livestock
  • - pulses
  • - sorghum
  • - wheat
Exports
  • - diamonds
  • - electricity
  • - food
  • - footwear)
  • - live animals
  • - manufactures (clothing
  • - mohair
  • - water
  • - wool
Imports
  • - building materials
  • - food
  • - machinery
  • - medicines
  • - petroleum products
  • - vehicles

Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 158) 41,158
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 176) 2.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 83) 117.00
Assessment 0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 147) 534,360
Population (World Rank: 163) 27.40%

Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 172) 3.00
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 101) 21.00
Road
Total length (World Rank: 150) 5,940
Paved length (World Rank: 143) 1,069
Unpaved length (World Rank: 102) 4,871
Popular places in this country

This is a list of famous places in this country in alphabetical order.