Lesotho
country
Maseru
capital city
English, Sotho, Xhosa, Zulu
language(s)
LSL
currency
30,355 km²
area
1,867,035
population
61.51 people/km²
population density
Lesotho
Regions of Lesotho
- Berea District
- Butha-Buthe District
- Leribe District
- Mafeteng District
- Maseru District
- Mohale's Hoek District
- Mokhotlong District
- Qacha's Nek District
- Quthing District
- Thaba-Tseka District
Lesotho description
Lesotho (pronounced /lɪˈsuːtuː/), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave — entirely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. Formerly Basutoland, it is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name Lesotho roughly translates into "the land of the people who speak Sotho". Lesotho covers 30,355 square kilometres (11,720 sq mi). It is the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) in elevation. Its lowest point is 1,400 metres (4,593 ft), and over 80% of the country lies above 1,800 metres (5,900 ft). Due to its altitude, Lesotho remains cooler throughout the year than other regions at the same latitude. Most of the rain falls as summer thunderstorms. Maseru and surrounding lowlands often reach 30 °C (86 °F) in summer. Winters can be cold with the lowlands getting down to −7 °C (19 °F) and the highlands to −18 °C (0 °F) at times. Snow is common in the highlands between May and September; the higher peaks can experience snowfalls year-round.
