Geography

Lesotho has an area of 11,720 square miles (30,355 square kilometers). The Maloti and Drakensberg mountain ranges cover about two thirds of the country. Mount Ntlenyana, at 11,424 feet (3,482 meters), is the highest point in Lesotho. In the western part of the country is a relatively flat plateau where most of the population lives. The Orange and Tugela rivers, two of Southern Africa's largest waterways, have their sources in the Maloti Mountains.

Plants and animals

The natural grasslands of Lesotho have been drastically depleted through overgrazing and erosion. Trees native to the region include Cape willows and wild olives. Wild willows and white poplars have also been introduced. Attempts at large-scale planting of trees have met with little success, however.

Sehlabathebe National Park in the southeastern highlands protects such birds as raptors and such mammals as leopards. Hunting and deforestation have mostly eliminated the population of large mammals, however. Smaller antelope and hares can still be found. Lesotho is the last stronghold in Southern Africa of the magnificent bearded vulture, or lammergeyer.

People and culture

Most of Lesotho's citizens are of the Sotho ethnic group. A small percentage of the population is Asian or European. Sotho and English are the two official languages. About 85 percent of Lesotho's people are native speakers of Sotho, a Bantu language. English is used in government and education and is the second language of most of the people. The country's Zulu minority speaks Zulu. A majority of the population is Christian, though almost one third of the people follow traditional beliefs.

The Sotho people combine traditional and modern ways. More than three quarters of the population lives in rural areas. Families and clans join together as units in small villages consisting of huts made of earth and stone. Since independence, however, many people have moved to the capital, Maseru. The city has shops and markets that offer regional crafts and goods alongside modern hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs. Lesotho has no other large towns.

In the 1990s the disease of AIDS became a serious problem in Lesotho. By the turn of the 21st century nearly one quarter of the country's adults were infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Economy

Lesotho is a poor country. Farming is the basis of its economy, though only a very small portion of the land is suitable for growing crops. The majority of the people are farmers who produce food for themselves and their families. Important crops include corn (maize), roots and tubers, sorghum, wheat, beans, and peas. About two thirds of the land is used as meadows and pastures for herds of cattle, sheep, and goats. Drought, especially in the 1990s, has drastically reduced Lesotho's agricultural output.

Manufacturing increased in importance in the late 20th century but remained modest in scale. Small factories produce candles, ceramics, furniture, and jewelry. Other activities include weaving and canning. Some diamonds are mined. Tourism became a major source of revenue in the 1990s.

Lesotho is heavily dependent on South Africa for food and consumer goods. In addition, many of the country's adult males cross the border to work in the mines and industries of South Africa. In the 1990s, however, opportunities for Sotho in South Africa became far more restricted.

History

The Lesotho region was probably first inhabited by the San people, also known as Bushmen. In about the 16th century Bantu-speaking farmers began to settle in the area. Many of these peoples were wiped out or dispersed during a series of violent conflicts in the 1820s. A few strong chiefs arose to form kingdoms, however. The most powerful of these chiefs was Moshoeshoe. He established the Sotho nation (or Basutoland) and became its king.

Beginning in the 1830s the kingdom faced conflict with the Boers, or Dutch-speaking white settlers. In the late 1860s Moshoeshoe was forced to ask for the protection of the British. Basutoland became a British colony in 1871. Opposition to the colonial system grew in the mid-20th century. Political parties calling for independence were formed in the 1950s. In 1966 Basutoland received its independence from Britain as the Kingdom of Lesotho. King Moshoeshoe II was the head of state and Chief Leabua Jonathan was the prime minister.

In 1986 Jonathan was overthrown by the military. A poor economy and political discontent led to continuing government instability in the 1990s. In late 1998 an Interim Political Authority (IPA) was created to develop a new system for holding elections. After more than three years of planning, peaceful elections were held in May 2002. Population (2001 estimate), 2,177,000.