Where is lesotho in africa

The Kingdom of Lesotho is made up mostly of highlands, where many of the villages can be reached only on horseback, by foot or light aircraft. Resources are scarce - a consequence of the harsh environment of the highland plateau and limited agricultural space in the lowlands. The former British protectorate has been heavily dependent on the country which completely surrounds it - South Africa. Over the decades thousands of workers have been forced by the lack of job opportunities to find work at South African mines.

Five years later, after the return to civilian government and amid political instability, he abdicated and his father was reinstated as monarch. Letsie III was restored as king in after his father died in a car accident. The monarch has no legislative or executive powers. The Foothills, with elevations averaging between 1, and 2, Metres, descend in undulating slopes to the west, where the lowlands bordering Free State rise to elevations of 1, to 1, Metres.

The Mountain soils are of Basaltic origin and are shallow but rich. The soils of the Lowlands derive mainly from the underlying Sandstone. Extensive erosion has severely damaged soils throughout the Country. King Moshoeshoe I united the Sotho tribes against the Zulu invaders.

During the 19th Century, the territory of Basutoland played an important role in the Colonial History of Southern Africa. The first formal contact between European immigrants and its indigenous residents was probably made in when three French missionaries, Thomas Abousset, Eugene Casalis and Constant Gosselin, visited Moshoeshoe , king of the newly formed baSotho nation, and obtained permission to establish a mission station at Morija. They were followed in October by a research party led by Dr Andrew Smith.

After the first visits by Missionaries, groups of migrant Dutch farmers, some of whom were granted land for settlement under baSotho customary law, infiltrated the country. In the territory was invaded by groups of Voortrekkers who, despite having signed a "treaty of friendship" with the baSotho in , declared a separate republic on their lands in A series of inconclusive territorial wars between the baSotho and Dutch slowly eroded baSotho land holdings in what was to become the Orange Free State despite the intervention of the British at the Cape.

Despite having managed to retain his independence against the Voortrekkers, Moshoeshoe realised that the future of baSotho sovereignty lay in a close association with the British. Key facts Region: Africa Population: 2. Learn more about the Secretariat's work on tackling corruption Education Lesotho has used the Commonwealth Education Policy Framework to help it improve governance and capacity in its education system. Learn more about the Secretariat's education work Gender equality The Secretariat helped Lesotho collect data to measure the economic cost of violence against women and girls VAWG.

Learn more about the Secretariat's gender equality work Trade In December , the Secretariat experts worked with Lesotho to review its trade policy. Learn more about the Secretariat's natural resources work Find out more Learn more about the Secretariat's work. News Toggle 22 May Conference on transparency in public sector concludes in Ghana.