World Atlas 2010 (4th edition)

258

Lesotho

AFRICA

FACTFILE

OFFICIAL NAME: Kingdom of Lesotho

DATE OF FORMATION: 1966

CAPITAL: Maseru

POPULATION: 2.07 million

TOTAL AREA: 11,720 sq. miles

(30,355 sq. km)

DENSITY: 176 people per sq. mile

LANGUAGES: English, Sesotho,

isiZulu

RELIGIONS: Christian 90%,

traditional beliefs 10%

ETHNIC MIX: Sotho 97%, European

and Asian 3%

GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary system

CURRENCY: Loti = 100 lisente

The landlocked Kingdom of Lesotho is entirely

surrounded by – and economically dependent on – South Africa,

which even sent in troops to restore calm after rioting in 1998.

GEOGRAPHY

A high mountainous plateau, cut by

valleys and ravines. The Maluti Range runs

through the center. The Drakensberg

Range lies to the east.

CLIMATE

Temperate. Summers are hot with

torrential rain storms. Snow is frequent in

the mountains in winter.

PEOPLE & SOCIETY

The overwhelming majority of

people are Sotho, though there are

some South Asians, Europeans, and

Chinese. A strong sense of national

identity has tended to minimize

ethnic tensions. Many men work

as migrant laborers in South Africa,

leaving women to run households.

THE ECONOMY

Dependent on South Africa. Water

and energy exported from new Highlands

Water Scheme. Subsistence farming.

Garment exports struggle to compete.

HIV/AIDS is depleting workforce.

INSIGHT: Lesotho has one of the

highest literacy rates in Africa – but one

of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS too

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MASERU