The official name is the Kingdom of Lesotho.
Located in southern Africa. The area is 30.35 thousand km2, the population is 2.2 million people. (2002, estimate). The official languages are Sesotho and English. The capital is the city of Maseru (380 thousand people, 2000). Public holiday – Independence Day October 4 (since 1966). The monetary unit is the loti.
Member ok. 40 international organizations, incl. UN (since 1966), AU (since 2000), SADC (since 1992).
Geography of Lesotho
Located between 30°48 and 32° east longitude, 28°42 and 30°36 south latitude; enclave of South Africa.
Lesotho occupies the highest part of the South African plateau, bordered in the east by the Drakensberg Mountains. 2/3 of the territory is a mountainous area, the height above sea level is 1400-3000 m. The highest peak is Mount Thabana-Ntlenyana (3482 m). The rivers of South Africa are born in the mountains, incl. Orange and Caledon. Narrow river valleys are numerous in the west. The soils are sandy and volcanic fertile. The vegetation is poor. Cereal grasses of the plateau are replaced by alpine meadows, and higher – by rare alpine plants. Islands of forest have been preserved in the gorges. The animal world, exterminated by man, is also poor. Of the large mammals, the antelope can occasionally be found.
Of the minerals found deposits of diamonds, asbestos, coal.
The subtropical climate has features of continentality, snow falls in winter, although it does not last long. The average temperature in January is +25°С, in July +15°С. Precipitation is 600 mm per year in the west and 1905 mm in the east.
Population of Lesotho
According to Countryaah, population growth rates in 1970-90s amounted to 2.4% per year, in 2002 they decreased due to AIDS to 1.33%. Over the past 15 years, the population has increased by 25%. Birth rate 30.72%, mortality – 16.81%, infant mortality 82.57 people. per 1000 newborns (2002). Average life expectancy is 47 years (47.8 for women, 46.3 for men) (2002). Gender and age structure: 0-14 years – 39% (433,229 men and 427,926 women), 15-64 years – 56.3% (respectively 600,476 and 642,538), 65 years and older – 4.7% (43,691 and 60,094) (2002). Adult literacy is 83%. Primary schools are attended by 97% of children.
98% of the population are Basotho. 90% of the population are Christians (Catholics and Protestants), the rest adhere to traditional beliefs.
History of Lesotho
The ancestors of the modern Basotho moved to South Africa in the 17th century. In the 1820s the leader of a small Suto tribe, Moshesh, united under his rule the tribes living in the mountains of Maloti and in the valley of the Caledon River. K ser. 19th century the state he founded was twice the size of what is now Lesotho. From con. 1830s the lands of the Basotho began to seize the Boers, and then the British. Considering the Boers to be the main enemy, Moshesh signed an agreement in 1868 establishing a British protectorate. The country was named Basutoland. In 1880, Moshesh rejected the British demand that the Basotho surrender their firearms, and this led to the so-called. Weapon war. In 1881, in several battles, the English cavalry, and then the infantry, were utterly defeated in the mountains, Moshesh’s detachments pursued the retreating, freeing the Caledon valley. Britain sued for peace. Realizing that the forces are unequal, The Basotho agreed to retain their protectorate status on the condition that Basutoland would not be part of the Cape Colony. The struggle against foreign domination took different forms. In the period between the two world wars, the League of the Poor was active – the first organization in southern Africa to put forward a demand for the elimination of colonialism. Its successor was the African Congress of Basutoland, created in 1952, renamed in 1966 into the Basutoland Congress Party (PCP) and leading the struggle for independence. In 1966 Great Britain granted independence to Basutoland and it became the Kingdom of Lesotho. The first government of Lesotho was headed by the leader of the Basutoland National Party (NPB) L. Jonathan. In the period between the two world wars, the League of the Poor was active – the first organization in southern Africa to put forward a demand for the elimination of colonialism. Its successor was the African Congress of Basutoland, created in 1952, renamed in 1966 into the Basutoland Congress Party (PCP) and leading the struggle for independence. In 1966 Great Britain granted independence to Basutoland and it became the Kingdom of Lesotho. The first government of Lesotho was headed by the leader of the Basutoland National Party (NPB) L. Jonathan. In 1966 Great Britain granted independence to Basutoland and it became the Kingdom of Lesotho. The first government of Lesotho was headed by the leader of the Basutoland National Party (NPB) L. Jonathan.
In the parliamentary elections of 1970, the PCB won, but Jonathan refused to admit defeat and carried out a coup d’état. In 1986, Jonathan’s regime collapsed in a military coup. This coup was followed by others, and within 7 years power passed from one military junta to another. In 1993, the military was forced to hand over power to civilians. The PCB won the general election. The next elections in 1998 resulted in unrest, which was used by the army, which overthrew the government. South African and Botswana troops were brought in to restore constitutional order. An interim administration was set up, and in 2002 parliamentary elections were held under international supervision, which resulted in the formation of a government.
