Lesotho is the only country lying entirely above 1,000 metres. It sits fully surrounded by South Africa and sells water to it from dams in its highlands.
Lesotho
Lesotho Flag
Lesotho Armorial
Easy learning about Lesotho
The capital city of Lesotho is Maseru, capital city of Lesotho.
Word: Highlands
Meaning: mountain kingdom
Administrative Divisions
10 districts:
- Berea
- Butha-Buthe
- Leribe
- Mafeteng
- Maseru
- Mohale's Hoek
- Mokhotlong
- Qacha's Nek
- Quthing
- Thaba-Tseka
Districts of Lesotho map
Lesotho is a Country on the Sub-Saharan Africa located in the Southern Africa sub-region in the continent of Africa.
060 km (37 mi)120 km (75 mi)180 km (112 mi)240 km (149 mi)
Height
1388 m (4550 ft), 1600 m (5250 ft), 1700 m (5580 ft), 1900 m (6230 ft), 2100 m (6890 ft), 2400 m (7870 ft), 2800 m (9190 ft), 3100 m (10170 ft), 3200 m (10500 ft), Max altitude 3475 m (11400 ft)Winter snow (approximate)
Height from west to east in Lesotho
Height from south to north in Lesotho
1Orange1 425 to 2 296 m2Caledon1 431 to 1 628 m
Population of Lesotho, 1960–2025
The World Bank: Population, total (SP.POP.TOTL): United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices
Basic Information
Capital City: Maseru, capital city of Lesotho
Population: 2,363,325 (World Bank)
Area: 30,355 km² / 18,862 sq mi
People from Lesotho are called: Basotho (singular Mosotho)
Geography
Latitude: 29.480° S
Longitude: 28.247° E
Geographical Subregion: Southern Africa
Intermediary Region: Sub-Saharan Africa
Continental Region: Africa
Highest Elevation Point: Thabana Ntlenyana (3 482 m)
Lowest point: Orange River (1 400 m)
Borders
- South Africa — Land border
Climate
temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Human Development
HDI Rank: 167 (UNDP)
HDI Value: 0.55
Mean Years of Schooling: 7.7
Expected Years of Schooling: 11.0
Life Expectancy at Birth: 57.4 Years
Religion
Most Predominant: Protestant Pentecostal, Lesotho Evangelical, Anglican
Second Most Predominant: Catholic
LGBTI Rights
Legal Status: Legal (ILGA)
Legal Mechanism: Legislative
Death Penalty: No
Maximum Prison Sentence: No
Physical Punishment: No
Technical Information
Time Zone: UTC+02:00
Official website: gov.ls
TLD: .ls
Calling Code: +266
MapGeo Name: Lesotho
MapGeo Code: LS