View source for Lesotho

{{Short description|Country in Southern Africa}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2025}}
{{Use South African English|date=October 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Lesotho
| common_name            = Lesotho
| native_name            = {{native name|st|Naha ea Lesotho}}
| image_flag             = Flag of Lesotho.svg
| image_coat             = Coat of arms of Lesotho.svg
| coa_size               = 90
| national_motto         = {{native phrase|st|"Khotso, Pula, Nala"|italics=off|paren=off}}<br />"Peace, Rain, Prosperity"
| national_anthem        = ''[[Lesotho Fatše La Bontata Rona|Lesotho fatše la bo-ntat'a rona]]''<br />({{Langx|en|"Lesotho, Land of Our Fathers"}})<br /><div style="display:inline-block;margin-top:0.4em;">{{center|[[File:National_anthem_of_Lesotho,_performed_by_the_U.S._Navy_Band.wav]]}}</div>
| image_map              = Lesotho (orthographic projection).svg
| map_caption            = Location of Lesotho (dark green)
| image_map2             = 
| capital                = [[Maseru]]
| coordinates            = {{coord|29|18|54|S|27|29|13|E|region:LS|display=inline}}
| largest_city           = [[Maseru]]
| official_languages     = {{unbulleted list |[[Sotho language|Sesotho]] | [[South African English|English]]| [[Xhosa language|IsiXhosa]]| [[Phuthi language|SiPhuthi]]}}
| ethnic_groups          = {{unbulleted list |99.7% [[Sotho people|Basotho]] |0.3% others}}
| ethnic_groups_year     = 2020
| religion               = {{ublist |item_style=white-space:nowrap;
  |92.1% [[Christianity]]
  |6.6% [[Traditional African religion|traditional faiths]]
  |1.0% [[Irreligion|no religion]]
  |0.3% others
  }}
| religion_year          = 2020
| religion_ref           = <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thearda.com/world-religion/national-profiles?u=130c |title=Religion Indexes (Lesotho) |publisher=The Association of Religion Data Archives |access-date=29 December 2023 |archive-date=31 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031153535/https://www.thearda.com/world-religion/national-profiles?u=130c |url-status=live }}</ref>
| demonym                = {{unbulleted list |{{nowrap|Mosotho (singular)}} |Basotho (plural)}}
| government_type        = Unitary [[parliamentary constitutional monarchy]]
| leader_title1          = [[King of Lesotho|Monarch]]
| leader_name1           = [[Letsie III of Lesotho|Letsie III]]
| leader_title2          = [[Prime Minister of Lesotho|Prime Minister]]
| leader_name2           = [[Sam Matekane]]
| legislature            = [[Parliament of Lesotho|Parliament]]
| upper_house            = [[Senate (Lesotho)|Senate]]
| lower_house            = [[National Assembly (Lesotho)|National Assembly]]
| sovereignty_type       = Independence from the [[United Kingdom]]
| established_event1     = [[Basutoland]]
| established_date1      = 18 March 1884
| established_event2     = Independence declared
| established_date2      = 4 October 1966
| area_km2               = 30,355
| area_rank              = 137th <!-- Area rank should match [[List of countries and dependencies by area]] -->
| area_sq_mi             = 11,720 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
| percent_water          = negligible
| population_estimate    = 2,210,646<ref>{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Lesotho|access-date=22 June 2023|year=2023}}</ref>
| population_estimate_year = 2023
| population_estimate_rank = 147th
| population_density_km2 = 68.1
| population_density_sq_mi = 162.4 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
| population_density_rank = 138th
| GDP_PPP                = {{increase}} $6.915 billion<ref name="IMFWEO.LS">{{cite web |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/October/weo-report?c=666,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2020&ey=2028&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Lesotho) |publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]] |website=IMF.org |date=10 October 2023 |access-date=27 October 2023 |archive-date=26 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026215009/https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/October/weo-report?c=666,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2020&ey=2028&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_year           = 2023
| GDP_PPP_rank           = 168th
| GDP_PPP_per_capita     = {{increase}} $3,234<ref name="IMFWEO.LS" />
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 164th
| GDP_nominal            = {{increase}} $2.373 billion<ref name="IMFWEO.LS" />
| GDP_nominal_year       = 2023
| GDP_nominal_rank       = 184th
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{increase}} $1,110<ref name="IMFWEO.LS" />
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 169th
| Gini                   = 44.9 <!--number only-->
| Gini_year              = 2017
| Gini_change            = decrease<!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| Gini_ref               = <ref name="wb-gini">{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/gini-index-coefficient-distribution-of-family-income/country-comparison/ |title=Gini Index coefficient |publisher=CIA World Factbook |access-date=10 August 2021 |archive-date=17 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717071854/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/gini-index-coefficient-distribution-of-family-income/country-comparison |url-status=live }}</ref>
| HDI                    = 0.550<!--number only-->
| HDI_year               = 2023<!-- Please use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year-->
| HDI_change             = increase <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| HDI_ref                = <ref name="HDI">{{cite web|url=https://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/2023-24_HDR/HDR23-24_Statistical_Annex_HDI_Table.xlsx|title=Human Development Report 2023/2024|language=en|publisher=[[United Nations Development Programme]]|date=19 March 2024|access-date=19 March 2024|archive-date=19 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240319085123/https://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/2023-24_HDR/HDR23-24_Statistical_Annex_HDI_Table.xlsx|url-status=live}}</ref>
| HDI_rank               = 167th
| currency               = [[Lesotho loti]] (LSL)<br />[[South African rand]] (ZAR)
| currency_code          = 
| time_zone              = [[South African Standard Time|SAST]]
| utc_offset             = +02:00
| utc_offset_DST         = 
| time_zone_DST          = 
| calling_code           = +266
| cctld                  = [[.ls]]
| today                  = 
}}
{{Infobox Bantu name|root=Sotho|person='''Mo'''sotho|people='''Ba'''sotho|country='''Le'''sotho|language=[[Sotho language|'''Se'''sotho]]}}

'''Lesotho''',{{efn|{{IPAc-en|l|ə|ˈ|s|oː|t|oː}} {{respell|lih|SOH|toh}},<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/lesotho|title=lesotho noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes {{!}} Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com|website=www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com|language=en|access-date=2018-03-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180311081136/https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/lesotho|archive-date=11 March 2018|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite LPD|3}}</ref> {{IPA|st|lɪˈsʊːtʰʊ}}}}<!-- Do NOT add pronunciation outside of the note, as per [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section]]. -->{{efn|The country is also known by the nicknames "the Mountain Kingdom" and "the Kingdom in the Sky".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Office Of The King |url=https://www.gov.ls/office-of-the-king/ |access-date=2024-03-01 |website=Government Of Lesotho |language=en-US |archive-date=12 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312155115/https://www.gov.ls/office-of-the-king/ |url-status=live }}</ref>}} formally the '''Kingdom of Lesotho'''{{efn|{{langx|st|Naha ea Lesotho}}}} and formerly known as [[Basutoland]], is a [[landlocked country]] in [[Southern Africa]]. Entirely surrounded by [[South Africa]], it is the largest of only three sovereign [[enclave and exclave|enclaves]] in the world, the others being [[San Marino]] and [[Vatican City]], which are surrounded by [[Italy]].  Lesotho is situated in the [[Maloti Mountains]] and contains the [[Thabana Ntlenyana|highest peak in Southern Africa]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maloti Mountains {{!}} Drakensberg, Lesotho Highlands, Southern Africa {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Maloti-Mountains |access-date=2024-03-01 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en |archive-date=24 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124193607/https://www.britannica.com/place/Maloti-Mountains |url-status=live }}</ref> It has an area of over {{convert|30000|km2|mi2|abbr=on|sigfig=3}} and has a population of about  2.3 million. Its [[Capital city|capital]] and largest city is [[Maseru]].

Lesotho was formed in 1824 by [[Moshoeshoe I|King Moshoeshoe I]]. Continuous encroachments by Dutch settlers made the King enter into an agreement with the [[United Kingdom]] to become a [[protectorate]] in 1868 and, in 1884, a [[crown colony]]. [[History of Lesotho|It achieved independence]] in 1966, and was subsequently ruled by the [[Basotho National Party]] (BNP) for two decades. Its constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. [[Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho|King Moshoeshoe II]] was exiled in 1990 but returned in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995. One year later, Moshoeshoe II died and his son [[Letsie III]] took the throne, which he still holds.<ref name=":5" />

The [[Sotho people|Sotho ethnic group]] (also known as Basotho), from which the country derives its name, comprises 99.7% of the country's current population, making it one of the most [[Monoethnicity|ethnically homogeneous]] in the world. Their native language, [[Sotho language|Sesotho]], is an official language along with [[English language|English]], [[Xhosa language|IsiXhosa]], and [[Phuthi language|SiPhuthi]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Lesotho Government Gazette Number 73 |date=31 August 2022 |url=https://gazettes.africa/akn/ls/officialGazette/government-gazette/2022-08-31/73/eng@2022-08-31 |access-date=26 July 2025}}</ref>

Lesotho is considered a [[Developing country|lower middle income country]] with significant socioeconomic challenges, but also [[List of countries by literacy rate|one of the highest rates of literacy]] in Africa (81% as of 2021). Lesotho is a member of the [[United Nations]], the [[Non-Aligned Movement]], the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], the [[African Union]], and the [[Southern African Development Community]].

==History==
{{Main|History of Lesotho}}
{{more citations needed section|date=October 2015}}

===Basotho land===
[[File:King Moshoeshoe of the Basotho with his ministers.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Moshoeshoe I|King Moshoeshoe I]] with his ministers]]
[[Basutoland]] emerged as a single [[body politic|polity]] under King [[Moshoeshoe I]] in 1822.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rct.uk/collection/1190108/the-basutos-the-mountaineers-their-country-being-a-narrative-of-events-relating |title=The Basutos : the mountaineers & their country : being a narrative of events relating to the tribe from its formation early in the nineteenth century to the present day / by Sir Godfrey Lagden. 1909 |author=Sir Godfrey Laden |access-date=2025-04-02  }}</ref> Moshoeshoe, a son of Mokhachane, a minor [[tribal chief|chief]] of the Bakoteli lineage, formed his own [[clan]] and became a chief around 1804. Between 1820 and 1823, he and his followers settled at the [[Butha-Buthe]] Mountain, joining with former adversaries in resistance against the [[Mfecane|Lifaqane]] associated with the reign of [[Shaka kaSenzangakhona]] from 1818 to 1828.

Further evolution of the state emerged from conflicts between [[British Empire|British]] and [[Netherlands|Dutch]] colonists leaving the [[Cape Colony]] following its seizure from the French-allied Dutch by the British in 1795, and also from the [[Orange River Sovereignty]] and subsequent [[Orange Free State]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://britishonlinearchives.com/collections/130/british-colonial-rule-in-the-cape-of-good-hope-and-basutoland-1854-1910 |title=British Colonial Rule in the Cape of Good Hope and Basutoland, 1854–1910 |author=Shula Marks |website=britishonlinearchives.com |access-date=2025-04-05  }}</ref> Missionaries Thomas Arbousset, Eugène Casalis and Constant Gosselin from the [[Paris Evangelical Missionary Society]], invited by Moshoeshoe I, were placed at [[Morija]], developing Sesotho [[orthography]] and printed works in the [[Sesotho language]] between 1837 and 1855.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://brill.com/view/journals/exch/29/3/article-p264_5.xml |title=MISSIONARY CONTRIBUTIONS OF FRENCH PROTESTANTISM IN THE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY |author=Marc R. Spindler |journal=Exchange |date=2000 |volume=29 |issue=3 |pages=264–278 |doi=10.1163/157254300X00184 |access-date=2025-04-26 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Casalis, acting as translator and providing advice on foreign affairs, helped set up diplomatic channels and acquire guns for use against the encroaching Europeans and the [[Griqua people]].

[[Trekboers]] from Cape Colony arrived on the western borders of Basutoland and claimed rights to its land, the first of which being Jan de Winnaar who settled in the Matlakeng area in 1838. Incoming [[Boers]] attempted to colonise the land between the two rivers and north of the [[Caledon River|Caledon]], claiming that it had been abandoned by the Sotho people. Moshoeshoe subsequently signed a treaty with the British Governor of the Cape Colony, Sir [[George Thomas Napier]], that annexed the Orange River Sovereignty where Boers had settled. These outraged Boers were suppressed in a skirmish in 1848. In 1851, a British force was defeated by the Basotho army at the city of Kolonyama. After repelling another British attack in 1852, Moshoeshoe sent an appeal to the British commander that settled the dispute diplomatically, and then defeated the Batlokoa in 1853. In 1854, the British pulled out of the region, and in 1858, Moshoeshoe fought a series of wars with the Boers in what is known as the [[Free State–Basotho Wars|Free State–Basotho War]]. As a result, Moshoeshoe lost a portion of the western lowlands. The last war with the Boers ended in 1867 when Moshoeshoe appealed to [[Queen Victoria]] who agreed to make Basutoland a [[British protectorate]] in 1868.

[[File:1959 Basutoland National Council stamps.jpg|thumb|left|1959 stamps for the Basutoland National Council]]
In 1869, the British signed a treaty at [[Aliwal North]] with the Boers that defined the boundaries of Basutoland. This treaty reduced Moshoeshoe's kingdom to half its previous size by ceding the western territories. Then, the British transferred functions from Moshoeshoe's capital in [[Thaba Bosiu]] to a police camp on the northwest border, [[Maseru]], until eventually the administration of Basutoland was transferred to the Cape Colony in 1871. Moshoeshoe died on 11 March 1870, marking the beginning of the colonial era of Basutoland. In the Cape Colony period between 1871 and 1884, Basutoland was treated similarly to other territories that had been forcibly annexed, much to the humiliation of the Basotho, leading to the [[Basuto Gun War]] in 1880–1881.<ref name="cities">{{cite journal|first1=Sam|last1=Romaya|first2=Alison|last2=Brown|date=April 1999|title=City profile: Maseru, Lesotho|journal=Cities|volume=16|issue=2|pages=123–133|doi=10.1016/S0264-2751(98)00046-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Olson |first1=James S. |title=Historical Dictionary of the British Empire |last2=Shadle |first2=Robert S. |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=1996 |isbn=0-313-27917-9 |page=118}}</ref> In 1884, the territory became a [[Crown colony]] by the name of Basutoland, with Maseru as its capital. It remained under direct rule by a governor, while effective internal power was wielded by [[tribal chief]]s. In 1905, a [[Maseru branch line|railway line]] was built to connect Maseru to the railway network of South Africa.

===Independence===
Basutoland gained its independence from the United Kingdom and became the Kingdom of Lesotho [[History of Lesotho#Kingdom of Lesotho|on 4 October 1966]].<ref name="hansenvaa">{{cite book |author=Karen Tranberg Hansen, Mariken Vaa |url=http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn%3Anbn%3Ase%3Anai%3Adiva-103 |title=Reconsidering Informality: Perspectives from Urban Africa |publisher=Nordic African Institute |year=2004 |isbn=91-7106-518-0 |page=[https://archive.org/details/reconsideringinf00hans/page/n179 180] |url-access=limited}}</ref> 
The [[Basotho National Party]] (BNP) ruled from 1966 until January 1970. What later ensued was a [[de facto]] government led by [[Leabua Jonathan]].

In January 1970, the ruling BNP lost the [[1970 Lesotho general election|first post-independence general elections]], with 23 seats to the [[Basutoland Congress Party|Basotho Congress Party]]'s (BCP) 36. Prime Minister Jonathan refused to cede power to BCP, instead declaring himself prime minister and imprisoning the BCP leadership. BCP began a rebellion and then received training in [[Libyan Arab Republic|Libya]] for its [[Lesotho Liberation Army]] (LLA) under the pretense of being [[Azanian People's Liberation Army]] soldiers of the [[Pan Africanist Congress of Azania|Pan Africanist Congress]] (PAC). Deprived of arms and supplies by the [[David Sibeko]] faction of PAC in 1978, the 178-strong LLA was rescued from their [[Tanzania]]n base by the financial assistance of a [[Maoism|Maoist]] PAC officer and launched a [[Guerrilla warfare|guerrilla war]]. A force was defeated in northern Lesotho, and later guerrillas launched more sporadic attacks. The campaign was compromised when BCP's leader, [[Ntsu Mokhehle]], went to [[Pretoria]]. In the 1980s, some Basotho who sympathised with the exiled BCP were threatened with death and attacked by the government of Leabua Jonathan. On 4 September 1981, the family of Benjamin Masilo was attacked. In the attack his 3-year-old grandson died. Four days later, Edgar Mahlomola Motuba, the editor of the newspaper ''Leselinyana la Lesotho'', was abducted from his home, together with two friends, and murdered.

[[File:Lesotho mountain village (5285775857).jpg|thumb|Lesotho mountain village]]
After Jonathan was sacked in a 1986 coup, the Transitional Military Council that came to power granted executive powers to [[Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho|King Moshoeshoe II]], who was until then a [[ceremonial monarch]]. In 1987 the king was forced into [[exile]] after coming up with a 6-page memorandum on how he wanted the Lesotho's constitution to be, which would have given him more executive powers than the military government had originally agreed to. His son was installed as [[Letsie III of Lesotho|King Letsie III]] in his place.

The chairman of the [[military junta]], Major General [[Justin Metsing Lekhanya]], was ousted in 1991 and replaced by Major General [[Elias Phisoana Ramaema]] who handed over power to a democratically elected government of BCP in 1993. Moshoeshoe II returned from exile in 1992 as an ordinary citizen. After the return to democratic government, King Letsie III tried unsuccessfully to persuade the BCP government to reinstate his father (Moshoeshoe II) as [[head of state]]. In August 1994, Letsie III staged [[1994 Lesotho coup d'état|a military-backed coup]] that deposed the BCP government, after the BCP government refused to reinstate his father, Moshoeshoe II, according to Lesotho's constitution. Member states of the [[Southern African Development Community]] (SADC) engaged in negotiations to reinstate the BCP government. One of the conditions Letsie III put forward for this was that his father should be re-installed as head of state. After protracted negotiations, the BCP government was reinstated and Letsie III abdicated in favour of his father in 1995, and ascended the throne again when Moshoeshoe II died at the age of 57 in a supposed road accident when his car plunged off a mountain road on 15 January 1996. According to a government statement, Moshoeshoe had set out at 1 am to visit his [[cattle]] at Matsieng and was returning to [[Maseru]] through the [[Maluti Mountains]] when his car left the road.<ref name=nyt>Donald G. McNeil Jr (16 January 1996) [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E4D91139F935A25752C0A960958260 King of Tiny Land Circled by South Africa Dies in Car Plunge]. [[The New York Times]].</ref>

In 1997, the ruling BCP split over leadership disputes. [[Prime Minister]] [[Ntsu Mokhehle]] formed a new party, the [[Lesotho Congress for Democracy]] (LCD), and was followed by a majority of members of [[parliament]], which enabled him to form a new government. [[Pakalitha Mosisili]] succeeded Mokhehle as party leader and LCD won the general elections in 1998. Opposition protests "intensified", culminating in a demonstration outside the royal [[palace]] in August 1998. While the [[Botswana Defence Force]] troops were welcomed, tensions with [[South African National Defence Force]] troops resulted in fighting. Incidents of [[rioting]] "intensified" when South African troops hoisted a South African flag over the Royal Palace. By the time the SADC forces withdrew in May 1999, much of the capital of [[Maseru]] "lay in ruins", and the southern provincial capital towns of [[Mafeteng]] and [[Mohale's Hoek]] had lost over a third of their commercial [[real estate]].

An Interim Political Authority (IPA), charged with reviewing the electoral structure in the country, was created in December 1998. IPA devised a proportional electoral system to ensure that the opposition would be represented in the [[National Assembly (Lesotho)|National Assembly]]. The new system retained the existing 80 elected Assembly seats, and added 40 seats to be filled on a proportional basis. [[2002 Lesotho general election|Elections]] were held under this new system in May 2002, and LCD won, gaining 54% of the vote. There are irregularities and threats of violence from Major General Lekhanya. Nine opposition parties hold all 40 of the proportional seats, with BNP having the largest share (21). LCD has 79 of the 80 [[constituency]]-based seats.<ref>{{cite web |title=LESOTHO: parliamentary elections National Assembly, 2002 |url=http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2181_02.htm |website=archive.ipu.org |access-date=6 April 2024 |archive-date=3 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203191320/http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2181_02.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> While its elected members participate in the National Assembly, BNP has launched legal challenges to the elections, including a recount.

On 30 August 2014, an alleged abortive military "coup" took place, forcing the Prime Minister [[Thomas Thabane]] to flee to South Africa for three days.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28994193 Lesotho 'coup' forces PM Thabane to South Africa] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802202642/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28994193 |date=2 August 2018 }}. BBC. 30 August 2014.</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29045113 Lesotho PM Thabane returns home after fleeing 'coup'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181029082641/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29045113 |date=29 October 2018 }}. BBC. 3 September 2014</ref>
On 19 May 2020, Thomas Thabane formally stepped down as prime minister of Lesotho following months of pressure after he was named as a suspect in the murder of his ex-wife.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52707752|title=Thomas Thabane resigns as Lesotho prime minister|work=BBC News|date=19 May 2020|access-date=6 June 2020|archive-date=19 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200519191521/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52707752|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Moeketsi Majoro]], the economist and former Minister of Development Planning, was elected as Thabane's successor.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-04-04|title=Majoro ready to take over|url=https://lestimes.com/majoro-ready-to-take-over/|access-date=2021-03-10|website=Lesotho Times|language=en-US|archive-date=14 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414114130/https://lestimes.com/majoro-ready-to-take-over/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 13 May 2020, according to the health ministry, Lesotho became the last African nation to report a [[COVID-19 pandemic in Lesotho|COVID-19 case]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Charumbira |first1=Silence |title=Lesotho records first coronavirus case a week after lifting lockdown |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/13/lesotho-records-first-coronavirus-case-a-week-after-lifting-lockdown |work=The Guardian |date=13 May 2020 |access-date=24 March 2023 |archive-date=14 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514101256/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/13/lesotho-records-first-coronavirus-case-a-week-after-lifting-lockdown |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 28 October 2022, [[Sam Matekane]] was sworn in as Lesotho's new Prime Minister after forming a new coalition government. His [[Revolution for Prosperity]] (RFP) party, formed earlier same year, won the 7 October [[2022 Lesotho general election|elections]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Sam Matekane sworn in as Lesotho's New Prime Minister {{!}} Friedrich Naumann Foundation |url=https://www.freiheit.org/sub-saharan-africa/sam-matekane-sworn-lesothos-new-prime-minister |work=www.freiheit.org |language=en |access-date=23 March 2023 |archive-date=2 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602084658/https://www.freiheit.org/sub-saharan-africa/sam-matekane-sworn-lesothos-new-prime-minister |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Second presidency of Donald Trump|second Trump administration]] (since 20 January 2025) imposed [[Tariffs in the second Trump administration|tariffs]] on [[Liberation Day tariffs|2 April 2025]]. The US government classified Lesotho as one of the countries that allegedly hindered trade with the US and made an import tariff of 50 percent – one of the highest in the world. Factories had to be closed.

According to US officials, the basis for this measure was that Lesotho taxes American goods at almost 100 percent. Many observers consider this accusation unfounded. Lesotho does not fully control its own tariffs. As a member of the [[Southern African Customs Union]] (SACU), it has common external tariffs that are set centrally. Furthermore, trade in US products is marginal for Lesotho – the poor country primarily exports and hardly imports from the United States.

Lesotho has relied on textile exports to the US. The impact of the tariff shock was therefore immediate. Within weeks, orders were canceled, factories closed, and thousands of people laid off. The government of Lesotho declared a state of economic emergency.<ref>{{cite web | title=Drohende US-Zölle verschärfen Wirtschaftskrise in Lesotho | url=https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/afrika/lesotho-usa-zoelle-100.html }}</ref> 
Particularly affected were women, who make up the majority of workers in the textile industry. Related sectors such as transportation, hospitality, and housing rental also suffer massively from the downturn.<ref name=t-online /> 

On 1 August 2025, the tariff was reduced to 15 percent,<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/trump-modifies-tariff-rate-lesotho-15-small-country-reels-tariff-impacts-2025-08-01/ "Trump modifies tariff rate for Lesotho to 15% as small country reels from tariff impacts"]</ref> 
but the confidence of many buyers has been shaken. "No one can rely on the rules anymore." Some companies have already permanently withdrawn from the country, while others are cautiously monitoring the situation.<ref name=t-online>{{cite web | title="Geht nicht nur um die Höhe der Zölle": Land kämpft ums Überleben nach US-Zollschock | url=https://www.t-online.de/nachrichten/ausland/internationale-politik/id_100847996/trumps-us-zoelle-lesotho-kaempft-ums-wirtschaftliche-ueberleben.html }}</ref><ref>bbc.com: [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgeqe09wnn8o "'How will we survive?' Lesotho factory that made Trump golf shirts hit hard by US tariffs"]</ref><ref>nytimes.com: [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/world/africa/lesotho-tariffs-textile-industry.html "How the Threat of Trump's Highest Tariff Derailed an industry"]</ref>

==Politics==
{{Main|Politics of Lesotho}}

Lesotho is a parliamentary [[constitutional monarchy]].<ref> {{cite web |url=https://www.gov.ls/cabinet/ |title=Cabinet |access-date= 22 March 2025}} </ref> The Prime Minister, [[Sam Matekane]], is the [[head of government]] and has [[executive authority]].<ref name=Cabinet> {{cite web |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/160128.pdf |title=LESOTHO |access-date= 22 March 2025}} </ref> The [[King of Lesotho]], [[Letsie III of Lesotho|Letsie III]], is the [[head of state]]<ref name=Cabinet> </ref> and serves a "largely ceremonial function"; he no longer possesses any executive authority and is prohibited from actively participating in political initiatives.

The Revolution for Prosperity leads a [[coalition government]] in the [[National Assembly of Lesotho|National Assembly]], the lower house of parliament. The upper house of parliament, the [[Senate of Lesotho|Senate]], is composed of 22 principal chiefs whose membership is hereditary, and 11 appointees of the king, acting on the advice of the prime minister.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nwafor |first1=Anthony O. |title=The Lesotho Constitution and Doctrine of Separation of Powers: Reflections on the Judicial Attitude |journal=African Journal of Legal Studies |date=2013 |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=58–59 |doi=10.1163/17087384-12342020 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The constitution provides for an independent judicial system, made up of the High Court, the Court of Appeal, Magistrate's Courts, and traditional courts that exist predominantly in rural areas. All but one of the Justices on the Court of Appeal are South African jurists. There is no trial by jury; rather, judges make rulings alone or, in the case of criminal trials, with two other judges as observers. The constitution protects some [[civil liberties]], including [[freedom of speech]], [[freedom of association]], [[freedom of the press]], [[freedom of assembly|freedom of peaceful assembly]], and [[freedom of religion]]. Lesotho was ranked 12th out of 48 sub-Saharan African countries in the 2008 [[Ibrahim Index of African Governance]].<ref>[http://moibrahimfoundation.org "Home | Mo Ibrahim Foundation"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160321114046/http://www.moibrahimfoundation.org/ |date=21 March 2016 }}. moibrahimfoundation.org.</ref>

In 2010, the [[People's Charter Movement]] called for the practical annexation of the country by South Africa due to the [[Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS|HIV epidemic]]. Nearly a quarter of the population tests positive for [[HIV]].<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.helplesotho.org/lesotho/hivaids-in-lesotho/ | title= HIV/AIDS in Lesotho | website= HelpLesotho.org | quote= Lesotho has the second-highest HIV prevalence rate in the world – more than 23 percent of people, or just under one in four people in the country are living with HIV. | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141105165537/http://www.helplesotho.org/lesotho/hivaids-in-lesotho/ | archive-date= 5 November 2014 | df= dmy-all }}</ref> The country has faced economic collapse, a weaker currency, and travel documents restricting movement. An [[African Union]] report called for economic integration of Lesotho with South Africa and stopped short of suggesting annexation. In May 2010, the Charter Movement delivered a petition to the South African [[High Commissioner (Commonwealth)|High Commission]] requesting integration. South Africa's home affairs spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa rejected the idea that Lesotho should be treated as a special case.<ref>{{cite news |first= Alex Duval|last= Smith |location= Maseru, Lesotho |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jun/06/lesotho-independence-south-africa |title= Lesotho's people plead with South Africa to annex their troubled country |work= The Observer |date= 6 June 2010 |access-date= 4 July 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130915013456/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jun/06/lesotho-independence-south-africa |archive-date= 15 September 2013 |url-status= live |df= dmy-all }}</ref>

At the peak of the AIDS epidemic, over 30,000 Lesotho residents signed a petition for the country to be annexed to prevent life expectancy from falling to 34 years old.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Alex Duval |date=2010-06-05 |title=Lesotho's people plead with South Africa to annex their troubled country |language=en-GB |work=The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jun/06/lesotho-independence-south-africa |access-date=2023-03-03 |issn=0029-7712 |archive-date=15 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130915013456/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jun/06/lesotho-independence-south-africa |url-status=live }}</ref> Scholars of comparative politics, like in [[Jeffrey Herbst]]'s "War and the State of Africa", argue that the lack of border disputes for countries like Lesotho and [[Eswatini]] has kept the countries weak politically.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Herbst |first=Jeffrey |date=1990 |title=War and the State in Africa |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2538753 |journal=International Security |volume=14 |issue=4 |pages=117–139 |doi=10.2307/2538753 |jstor=2538753 |s2cid=153804691 |issn=0162-2889 |access-date=3 March 2023 |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922192451/https://www.jstor.org/stable/2538753 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref> This weakness stems from the remnants of colonialism in the government, influenced by English and [[Roman-Dutch law|Roman-Dutch common law]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lesotho government structure and political parties. {{!}} - CountryReports |url=https://www.countryreports.org/country/Lesotho/government.htm |access-date=2023-03-03 |website=www.countryreports.org |archive-date=3 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230303215505/https://www.countryreports.org/country/Lesotho/government.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> As a result, the government was not made to serve the Basotho people but rather to be exploitative.

After prime minister [[Tom Thabane]] resigned due to impeachment threats and a warrant of arrest for the murder of his wife in 2020, the South African finance minister suggested a confederation between Lesotho, Eswatini, and South Africa as a solution.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ISSAfrica.org |date=2020-01-21 |title=Lesotho's future no clearer as Tom Thabane resigns |url=https://issafrica.org/iss-today/lesothos-future-no-clearer-as-tom-thabane-resigns |access-date=2023-03-03 |website=ISS Africa |language=en |archive-date=3 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230303215505/https://issafrica.org/iss-today/lesothos-future-no-clearer-as-tom-thabane-resigns |url-status=live }}</ref> His successor, [[Moeketsi Majoro]], held office from 2020 to 2022 until he similarly resigned<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-10-14 |title=Lesotho Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro resigns |url=https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/lesotho-prime-minister-moeketsi-majoro-resigns/ |access-date=2023-03-03 |website=SABC News - Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa's news leader. |language=en-US |archive-date=2 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202120334/https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/lesotho-prime-minister-moeketsi-majoro-resigns/ |url-status=live }}</ref> after a vote of "no-confidence" in Parliament for misconduct with the military and improperly handling [[COVID-19]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-23 |title=Moeketsi Majoro (1961- ) • |url=https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/people-global-african-history/moeketsi-majoro-1961/ |access-date=2023-03-03 |language=en-US |archive-date=2 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402085801/https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/people-global-african-history/moeketsi-majoro-1961/ |url-status=live }}</ref> While prime minister [[Sam Matekane]] is working with the [[Southern African Development Community|South African Development Community]] (SADC) towards legal reform, his administration still shows signs of corruption, as 40,000 garment workers protested for better conditions and faced excessive force that killed two protestors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lesotho: Freedom in the World 2022 Country Report |url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/lesotho/freedom-world/2022 |access-date=2023-03-03 |website=Freedom House |language=en |archive-date=31 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531001933/https://freedomhouse.org/country/lesotho/freedom-world/2022 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Foreign relations===
{{Main|Foreign relations of Lesotho}}
Lesotho is a member of some regional economic organisations, including the [[Southern African Development Community]] (SADC)<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070812215034/http://www.sadc.int/member_states/index.php?country=Lesotho Lesotho Country profile]. Southern African Development Community</ref> and the [[Southern African Customs Union]] (SACU).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sacu.int/ |title=Southern African Customs Union website |publisher=Sacu.int |access-date=4 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100903211938/http://www.sacu.int/ |archive-date=3 September 2010 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> It is active in the United Nations (UN), the [[African Union]] (AU), the [[Non-Aligned Movement]] (NAM), the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]], and other international organisations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/lesotho/|title=The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency|website=www.cia.gov|language=en|access-date=2017-09-20|df=dmy-all|archive-date=2 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702003726/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/lesotho/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Lesotho has maintained ties with the United Kingdom (Wales in particular), Germany, the United States, and other [[Western world|Western states]]. It broke relations with [[China–Lesotho relations|China]] and re-established relations with [[Taiwan]] in 1990, and later restored ties with China. It recognises the [[State of Palestine]].<ref name=State>{{cite web |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2831.htm |title=Lesotho US State department |publisher=state.gov |access-date=4 July 2010 |df=dmy-all |archive-date=2 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002121746/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2831.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> From 2014 up until 2018, it recognised the [[Republic of Kosovo]].<ref>{{cite web| publisher= Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Kosovo| url= http://www.mfa-ks.net/?page=1,4,2242| title= Pas njohjes nga Lesoto, Hoxhaj vazhdon lobimin në Afrikë (After recognition of Lesotho, Hoxhaj continues lobbying in Africa)| access-date= 12 December 2014| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141229124007/http://www.mfa-ks.net/?page=1,4,2242| archive-date= 29 December 2014| url-status= live| df= dmy-all}}</ref>

It was a public opponent of [[apartheid]] in South Africa and granted a number of South African refugees political asylum during the apartheid era.<ref name=State/> In 2019, it signed the [[treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons|UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXVI-9&chapter=26&clang=_en |title=Chapter XXVI: Disarmament – No. 9 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons |publisher=United Nations Treaty Collection |date=7 July 2017 |access-date=17 November 2019 |archive-date=6 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806220546/https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXVI-9&chapter=26&clang=_en |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Defence and law enforcement===
The [[Lesotho Defence Force]] (LDF) is charged with the maintenance of internal security and the defence of Lesotho. Its chief officer is designated ''Commander''.<ref>Articles 146 (1) and (2) of the [http://library2.parliament.go.th/giventake/content_cons/lesotho.pdf Constitution of Lesotho] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303182858/http://library2.parliament.go.th/giventake/content_cons/lesotho.pdf |date= 3 March 2016 }}.</ref>

The [[Lesotho Mounted Police Service]] (LMPS) is charged with the maintenance of law and order.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dijcolorg.free.fr/LMPS.htm |title=Lesotho Mounted Police Service |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date= |website=dijcolorg.free.fr |publisher= |access-date=23 March 2025}}</ref> Its chief officer is designated ''Commissioner''. LMPS provides uniformed policing, criminal detection, and traffic policing. There are specialist units dealing with high-tech crime, immigration, wildlife, and terrorism. The force has existed, with changes of name, continuously since 1872.

The [[Lesotho National Security Service]] (LNSS) is charged with the protection of national security. Established in modern form by the National Security Services Act of 1998, its chief officer is designated ''Director General'', and appointed and dismissed by the Prime Minister.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vertic.org/media/National%20Legislation/Lesotho/LS_National_Security_Services_Act.pdf|title=Lesotho Government Gazette Extraordinary — 15th May, 1998}}</ref> LNSS is an intelligence service, part of the Ministry of Defence and National Security, and reporting directly to the Government.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.ls/defence-national-security/|website=Government Of Lesotho|title=Defence and National Security|access-date=27 November 2023|archive-date=2 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102004427/https://www.gov.ls/defence-national-security/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Law===
[[File:Chinese Lesotho project Lesotho Parliament II.jpg|thumb|The Parliament building in Maseru]]
The [[Constitution of Lesotho]] came into force after the publication of the Commencement Order.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC129835/#:~:text=The%20Constitution%20was%20adopted%20by,Parliament%20may%20alter%20the%20Constitution. |title=FAOLEX Database |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date= |website=fao.org |publisher= |access-date=23 March 2025}}</ref> Constitutionally, legislation refers to laws that have been passed by both houses of parliament and have been assented to by the king (Section 78(1)). Subordinate legislation refers to laws passed by other bodies to which parliament has, by virtue of Section 70(2) of the Constitution, validly delegated such legislative powers. These include government publications, ministerial orders, ministerial regulations, and municipal [[by-laws]].

While Lesotho shares with [[South Africa]], [[Botswana]], [[Eswatini]], [[Namibia]], and [[Zimbabwe]] a mixed general legal system which resulted from the interaction between the Roman-Dutch [[Civil law (legal system)|civil law]] and the [[English law|English common law]]. Its general law operates independently. Lesotho applies the [[common law]], which refers to unwritten law or law from non-statutory sources, and excludes [[customary law]]. Decisions from South African courts are only persuasive, and courts refer to them in formulating their decisions. Decisions from some jurisdictions can be cited for their persuasive value. Magistrates' court decisions do not become precedent since these are lower courts. They are bound by the decisions of the High Court and the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal, the final appellate forum on all matters, has supervisory and review jurisdiction over all the courts of Lesotho.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://lesotholii.org/akn/ls/judgment/lsca/2024/31/eng@2024-11-01/source.pdf |title= IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF LESOTHO |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date= |website=lesotholii.org |publisher= |access-date=23 March 2025}}</ref>

Lesotho has a dual legal system consisting of customary and general laws operating side by side.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA00104051_673 |title=The internal conflict of laws in Lesotho |access-date=2025-04-02  }}</ref> Customary law is made up of the customs of the Basotho, written and codified in the Laws of Lerotholi. The general law consists of [[Roman-Dutch law|Roman Dutch law]] imported from the Cape and the Lesotho statutes. The codification of customary law came about after a council was appointed in 1903 to advise the British Resident Commissioner on which laws would be best for governing the [[Basotho]]. Until this time, the Basotho customs and laws were passed down from generation to generation through [[oral tradition]]. The council was given the task of codifying them, and they came up with the Laws of Lerotholi which are then applied by customary courts (local courts). The written works of certain authors have persuasive value in the courts of Lesotho. These include the writings of the "old authorities as well as contemporary writers from similar jurisdictions".

===Districts===
{{Main|Districts of Lesotho}}
[[File:Map of lesotho.png|thumb|Districts and cities]]
For administrative purposes, Lesotho is divided into [[Districts of Lesotho|10 districts]], each headed by a district administrator.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.statoids.com/uls.html| title=Lesotho Districts| work=Statoids| access-date=16 March 2025}}</ref> Each district has a capital known as a ''[[Camptown (Lesotho)|camptown]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.africancleancities.org/sites/default/files/2022/07/lesotho_en.pdf| title=Lesotho| website=africancleancities.com| access-date=28 March 2025}}</ref>
{{Columns-list|
* [[Berea District|Berea]]
* [[Butha-Buthe District|Butha-Buthe]]
* [[Leribe District|Leribe]]
* [[Mafeteng District|Mafeteng]]
* [[Maseru District|Maseru]]
* [[Mohale's Hoek District|Mohale's Hoek]]
* [[Mokhotlong District|Mokhotlong]]
* [[Qacha's Nek District|Qacha's Nek]]
* [[Quthing District|Quthing]]
* [[Thaba-Tseka District|Thaba-Tseka]]
}}
The districts are subdivided into 80 [[Constituencies of Lesotho|constituencies]], which consist of 129 local [[Community councils of Lesotho|community councils]].<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep18292.24 | title=Chapter 22: Lesotho | website=jstor.org| access-date=28 March 2025}}</ref>

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of Lesotho}}
[[File:Lesotho Topography.png|thumb|Topographic map]]
[[File:AfriSki.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Afriski|Afriski resort]] in the [[Maloti Mountains]]]]
Lesotho covers {{convert|30355|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}. It is the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above {{convert|1000|m|ft|0}} in elevation. Its lowest point of {{convert|1400|m|ft|0}} is thus the [[List of countries by lowest point|highest lowest point of any country in the world]]. Over 80% of the country lies above {{convert|1800|m|ft|0}}. Lesotho is the southernmost landlocked country in the world. It is the largest of the world's [[List of countries that border only one other country#Landlocked|three independent states completely surrounded by the territory of another country]], with [[Vatican City]] and [[San Marino]] being the other two. It is the only such state outside the Italian peninsula and [[Europe]], as well as the only one that is not a [[microstate]].

Lesotho lies between latitudes [[28th parallel south|28°]] and [[31st parallel south|31°S]], and longitudes [[27th meridian east|27°]] and [[30th meridian east|30°E]]. About 12% of Lesotho is arable land which is vulnerable to [[soil erosion]]; it is estimated that 40 million tons of soil are lost each year due to erosion.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.lesmet.org.ls/|title=Lesotho Meteorological Services|website=www.lesmet.org.ls|access-date=2019-12-16|archive-date=17 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717083358/http://www.lesmet.org.ls/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Climate===
{{Main|Climate of Lesotho}}
[[File:Koppen-Geiger_Map_v2_LSO_1991–2020.svg|thumb|right|Koppen climate (1991-2020 averages)]]
Because of its elevation, Lesotho remains cooler throughout the year than other regions at the same latitude. Most of the rain falls as summer [[thunderstorm]]s. [[Maseru]] and surrounding lowlands may reach {{convert|30|°C|°F|abbr=on}} in summer. The temperature in the lowlands can get down to {{convert|-7|°C|°F|abbr=on}} and the highlands to {{convert|-18|°C|°F|abbr=on}} at times. Snow is more common in the highlands between May and September; the higher peaks may experience snowfalls year-round. Rainfall in Lesotho is variable regarding both when and where precipitation occurs. Annual precipitation can vary from 500 mm annually in one area to 1200 mm in another because of elevation.<ref name=":1" /> The summer season that stretches from October to April sees the most rainfall, and from December to February, the majority of the country receives over 100 mm of rain a month.<ref name=":1" /> The least monthly rainfall in Lesotho occurs in June when most regions receive less than 15 mm a month.<ref name=":1" />

===Drought===
[[File:Early Morning view from Sehlabathebe House - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Hills]]

Periodic [[drought]]s have an effect on Lesotho's majority rural population as some people living outside of urban areas rely on [[Subsistence agriculture|subsistence farming]] or small scale agriculture as their primary source of income.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|author1=Elgoni, A. G.|author2=Ntsike, M.|author3=Matji, M.|date=1997|title=Quality of Life under Drought Conditions. A Case Study of Children in Lesotho|journal=Quality of Life Research|volume=6|issue=5|pages=456}}</ref> Droughts in Lesotho are exacerbated by some agricultural practices.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|date=2007|title=LESOTHO: Severe Drought|journal=Africa Research Bulletin: Economic, Financial and Technical Series|volume=44|issue=6}}</ref> [[The World Factbook]] lists periodic droughts under the 'Natural Hazard' section of Lesotho's section of the publication.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/lesotho/|title=Africa :: Lesotho — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency|website=www.cia.gov|access-date=2019-12-16|archive-date=2 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702003726/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/lesotho/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2007, Lesotho experienced a drought and was advised by the [[United Nations]] to declare a state of emergency to get aid from international organizations.<ref name=":2" /> The [[Famine Early Warning Systems Network]] reported that the rainy season of 2018/2019 not only started a month later than normal but also recorded below-average amounts of rain.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/lesotho/lesotho-drought-situation-update-01-2-may-2019|title=Lesotho: Drought Situation Update 01 (as of 2 May 2019) - Lesotho|website=ReliefWeb|date=3 May 2019|language=en|access-date=2019-12-16|archive-date=16 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316031528/https://reliefweb.int/report/lesotho/lesotho-drought-situation-update-01-2-may-2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Data from the Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation Station (CHIRP) shows rainfall in Lesotho between October 2018 and February 2019 ranged from 55% to 80% below normal rates.<ref name=":4" />

In March 2019, the Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis Committee conducted a report that initially predicted that 487,857 people in the country need humanitarian assistance because of the effects of drought.<ref name=":4" />

There are a variety of different ways drought in Lesotho has led to the need for humanitarian assistance. Some hygiene practices that result from "a lack of clean water" can cause cases of [[Typhoid fever|typhoid]] and [[diarrhea]]. Lack of available water indirectly leads to an "increased risk" for women and girls who collect water for household consumption as they must spend more time and travel longer distances while running the risk of being physically or sexually assaulted.<ref name=":4" /> Drought in Lesotho leads to both migration to more urban areas and immigration to South Africa for new opportunities and to escape food insecurity.<ref name=":3" /> The report found that between July 2019 and June 2020 640,000 people in Lesotho are expected to be affected by food insecurity as a result of "unproductive harvests as well as the corresponding rise in food prices because of the drought".<ref name=":4" />

===Wildlife===
{{Main|Wildlife of Lesotho}}
{{Category see also|Environment of Lesotho}}
[[File:Aloe polyphylla 3.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Aloe polyphylla]]'']]
There are known to be [[List of birds of Lesotho|339 bird species]] in Lesotho, including 10 globally threatened species and two introduced species, [[List of reptiles of Lesotho|17 reptile species]], including geckos, snakes and lizards, and [[List of mammals of Lesotho|60 mammal species]] endemic to Lesotho, including the endangered [[white-tailed rat]].

Lesotho's flora is [[Alpine plants|alpine]], due to mountainous terrain. The [[Katse Botanical Gardens]] houses a collection of [[medicinal plants]] and has a seed bank of plants from the [[Malibamat'so River]] area.<ref name=golesotho>{{cite web|title=Katse Botanical Garden|url=http://www.golesotho.co.za/Other%20Pages/Botanical%20Garden.html|publisher=St Ives Communications|access-date=9 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227101048/http://www.golesotho.co.za/Other%20Pages/Botanical%20Garden.html|archive-date=27 December 2016|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Flora - Semonkong Lodge|url=http://www.semonkonglodge.com/about-maletsunyane-falls/flora-of-lesotho/|website=Semonkong|access-date=9 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220082110/http://www.semonkonglodge.com/about-maletsunyane-falls/flora-of-lesotho/|archive-date=20 December 2016|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Three terrestrial ecoregions lie within Lesotho's boundaries: [[Drakensberg alti-montane grasslands and woodlands]], [[Drakensberg montane grasslands]], and [[Highveld grasslands]].<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">{{cite journal|last1=Dinerstein|first1=Eric|last2=Olson|first2=David|last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly|last5=Burgess|first5=Neil D.|last6=Wikramanayake|first6=Eric|last7=Hahn|first7=Nathan|last8=Palminteri|first8=Suzanne|last9=Hedao|first9=Prashant|last10=Noss|first10=Reed|last11=Hansen|first11=Matt|last12=Locke|first12=Harvey|last13=Ellis|first13=Erle C|last14=Jones|first14=Benjamin|last15=Barber|first15=Charles Victor|last16=Hayes|first16=Randy|last17=Kormos|first17=Cyril|last18=Martin|first18=Vance|last19=Crist|first19=Eileen|last20=Sechrest|first20=Wes|last21=Price|first21=Lori|last22=Baillie|first22=Jonathan E. M.|last23=Weeden|first23=Don|last24=Suckling|first24=Kierán|last25=Davis|first25=Crystal|last26=Sizer|first26=Nigel|last27=Moore|first27=Rebecca|last28=Thau|first28=David|last29=Birch|first29=Tanya|last30=Potapov|first30=Peter|last31=Turubanova|first31=Svetlana|last32=Tyukavina|first32=Alexandra|last33=de Souza|first33=Nadia|last34=Pintea|first34=Lilian|last35=Brito|first35=José C.|last36=Llewellyn|first36=Othman A.|last37=Miller|first37=Anthony G.|last38=Patzelt|first38=Annette|last39=Ghazanfar|first39=Shahina A.|last40=Timberlake|first40=Jonathan|last41=Klöser|first41=Heinz|last42=Shennan-Farpón|first42=Yara|last43=Kindt|first43=Roeland|last44=Lillesø|first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow|last45=van Breugel|first45=Paulo|last46=Graudal|first46=Lars|last47=Voge|first47=Maianna|last48=Al-Shammari|first48=Khalaf F.|last49=Saleem|first49=Muhammad|display-authors=1|title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm|journal=BioScience|volume=67|issue=6|year=2017|pages=534–545|issn=0006-3568|doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014|pmid=28608869|pmc=5451287|doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Lesotho}}
[[File:A vehicle on Sani Pass.jpg|thumb|[[Sani Pass]] on the border is a tourist attraction.]]
The economy of Lesotho is based on agriculture, livestock, manufacturing and mining, and depends on inflows of workers' [[remittance]]s and receipts from the [[Southern African Customs Union]] (SACU).<ref name="worldbank">{{cite web|url=http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/LESOTHOEXTN/0,,menuPK:356039~pagePK:141132~piPK:141107~theSitePK:356029,00.html |title=World bank Lesotho: Country Brief |access-date=3 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331100012/http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/LESOTHOEXTN/0%2C%2CmenuPK%3A356039~pagePK%3A141132~piPK%3A141107~theSitePK%3A356029%2C00.html |archive-date=31 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theodora.com/wfbcurrent/lesotho/lesotho_economy.html|title=CIA Lesotho Economy 2011|access-date=3 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224071854/http://www.theodora.com/wfbcurrent/lesotho/lesotho_economy.html|archive-date=24 February 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The majority of households subsist on farming. The formal sector employment consists mainly of female workers in the apparel sector, male migrant labour, primarily miners in South Africa for 3 to 9 months, and employment by the Government of Lesotho (GOL). The western lowlands form the main agricultural zone. Almost 50% of the population earn income through informal crop cultivation or [[animal husbandry]] with nearly two-thirds of the country's income coming from the agricultural sector. The percentage of the population living below USD [[Purchasing Power Parity]] (PPP) US$1.25/day fell from 48% to 44% between 1995 and 2003.<ref name="worldbank"/>

Lesotho has taken advantage of the [[African Growth and Opportunity Act]] (AGOA) to become the largest exporter of garments to the US from sub-Saharan Africa.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.centralbank.org.ls/publications/Econo%20Review%20June%202011.pdf|title=Central Bank of Lesotho – Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA): Economic Impact and Future Prospects|access-date=4 February 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120715041226/http://www.centralbank.org.ls/publications/Econo%20Review%20June%202011.pdf|archive-date=15 July 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

US brands and retailers sourcing from Lesotho include Foot Locker, Gap, Gloria Vanderbilt, JCPenney, Levi Strauss, Lululemon Athletica, Saks, Sears, Timberland and Wal-Mart.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://insightnews.com/business/5126-purchase-for-africa-an-appeal-for-american-apparel-buys|title=Purchase for Africa: An appeal for American apparel buys|access-date=28 October 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091101064849/http://insightnews.com/business/5126-purchase-for-africa-an-appeal-for-american-apparel-buys|archive-date=1 November 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In mid-2004, its employment reached over 50,000, mostly female, marking the first time that manufacturing sector workers outnumbered government employees. In 2008, it exported goods worth 487 million dollars mainly to the US.
Since 2004, employment in the sector has dwindled to about 45,000 in mid-2011 due to international competition in the garment sector. It was the largest formal sector employer in Lesotho in 2011.<ref name="smartlessons.ifc.org">{{cite web|url=https://rafiben.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/20110715t110627_smartlesson_lesotho_fdi.pdf|title=World Bank – IFC – Africa Can Compete! The Miracle of Tiny Lesotho—Sub-Saharan Africa's Largest Garment Exporter|access-date=4 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731130428/https://rafiben.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/20110715t110627_smartlesson_lesotho_fdi.pdf|archive-date=31 July 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> 

In 2007, the average earnings of an employee in the textile sector were US$103 per month, and the official minimum wage for a general textile worker was US$93 per month. The average gross national income per capita in 2008 was US$83 per month.<ref name="smartlessons.ifc.org"/> The sector initiated a program to fight HIV/AIDS called [[Apparel Lesotho Alliance to fight AIDS|Apparel Lesotho Alliance to Fight AIDS]] (ALAFA). It is an industry-wide program providing disease prevention and treatment for workers.<ref name="alafa">{{cite web|url=http://www.alafa.info/Pages/Default.asp |title=Apparel Lesotho Alliance to Fight AIDS (ALAFA) |access-date=4 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110225072316/http://www.alafa.info/Pages/Default.asp |archive-date=25 February 2011 }}</ref>

{{multiple image|caption_align=center
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|image1= Katse Dam-001.jpg
|caption1=[[Katse Dam]]
|image2=Mohale Dam 2008.jpg
|caption2= [[Mohale Dam]]
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Water and [[diamonds]] are some of Lesotho's natural resources.<ref name="worldbank"/> Water is used through the 21-year, multibillion-dollar [[Lesotho Highlands Water Project]] (LHWP), under the authority of the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority. The project commenced in 1986.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lhwp.org.ls/overview/treaty.htm |title=Lesotho Highlands Water Project: The Treaty |publisher=Lhwp.org.ls |date=24 October 1986 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219001053/http://www.lhwp.org.ls/overview/treaty.htm |archive-date=19 December 2013 }}</ref> LHWP is designed to capture, store, and transfer water from the [[Orange River]] system to [[Free State (province)|South Africa's Free State]] and greater [[Johannesburg]] area. Completion of the first phase of the project has made Lesotho "almost completely self-sufficient" in the production of electricity and generated approximately US$70 million in 2010 from the sale of electricity and water to South Africa.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lhwp.org.ls/Reports/PDF/Water%20Sales.pdf |title=LHWP Water Sales |access-date=8 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510100115/http://www.lhwp.org.ls/Reports/PDF/Water%20Sales.pdf |archive-date=10 May 2011 }}</ref>

Diamonds are produced at the Letšeng, Mothae, Liqhobong, and Kao mines, which combined are estimated to produce 240,000 carats of diamonds in 2014, worth US$300 million. The Letšeng mine is estimated to produce diamonds with an average value of US$2172 per carat, making it the world's richest mine on an average price per carat basis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.letsengdiamonds.co.ls/about-us/corporate-profile/|title=Corporate Profile|date=29 September 2016|access-date=12 January 2018|archive-date=8 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200308031828/https://www.letsengdiamonds.co.ls/about-us/corporate-profile/|url-status=live}}</ref> The sector underwent a setback in 2008 as the result of the world recession and rebounded in 2010 and 2011. The export of diamonds reached US$230 million in 2010–2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.centralbank.org.ls/publications/Quart%20Review%20Jun%202011.pdf|title=Central Bank of Lesotho – QUARTERLY REVIEW – June 2011|access-date=6 March 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209055906/http://www.centralbank.org.ls/publications/Quart%20Review%20Jun%202011.pdf|archive-date=9 February 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> 

The Letšeng-la-Terae Kimberlite Pipes – the Main Pipe and the Satellite Pipe – were discovered on 14 December 1957 by graduate geologist Peter H. Nixon while working in the area as part of colonel Jack Scott’s early prospecting expeditions. Nixon went on to become an academic, publishing two very influential books on mantle petrology. Peter Nixon (1935–2025)<ref>Biography at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00710-025-00923-3 Retrieved 29 July 2025.</ref> was a visionary who brought the scientific community’s attention to the growing evidence of orogenically-emplaced mantle rocks from the diamond stability field, co-authoring numerous key publications that provided the first strong evidence for this process. He retired as Professor Emeritus of Mantle Geology from Leeds University, UK. His academic career is honoured in the naming of the mineral ‘[[Nixonite]]’ after him.
Keith Whitelock was engaged on a different exploration team when Letšeng was discovered by Nixon in 1957, but he did go on to become Letšeng’s general manager before De Beers closed it in 1982. He subsequently obtained the lease for Letšeng-la-Terae and developed the mine. He is therefore rightly recognised as a key player in establishing Lesotho’s diamond mining industry. Nixon and Whitelock were great friends and collaborators over many years.

In 1967, a {{convert|601|carat|g|adj=on}} diamond ([[Brown diamonds|Lesotho Brown]]) was discovered in the mountains by a Mosotho woman. In August 2006, a {{convert|603|carat|g|adj=on}} white diamond, the [[Lesotho Promise]], was discovered at the Letšeng-la-Terae mine. Another {{convert|478|carat|g|adj=on}} diamond was discovered at the same location in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |first=Dan |last=Oancea |title=Letseng-la-Terae: The 603 Carat Lesotho Promise Diamond |url=http://technology.infomine.com/articles/1/47/letseng.diamond.lesotho/letseng-la-terae.the.603.aspx |publisher=Technology.infomine.com |access-date=20 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213025641/http://technology.infomine.com/articles/1/47/letseng.diamond.lesotho/letseng-la-terae.the.603.aspx |archive-date=13 February 2010 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Lesotho has progressed in moving from a predominantly subsistence-oriented economy to a lower middle-income economy through exporting natural resources and manufacturing goods. The exporting sectors have brought "higher and more secure" incomes to a portion of the population.<ref name="worldbank"/> The global economic crisis caused Lesotho to suffer a loss of textile exports and jobs due to the economic slowdown in the United States, one of their export destinations. Reduced diamond mining and exports, including a drop in the price of diamonds and a drop in SACU revenues due to the economic slowdown in the South African economy contributed to the crisis. A reduction in worker remittances due to the "weakening" of the South African economy, contraction of the mining sector, and related job losses in South Africa contributed to Lesotho's GDP growth slowing to 0.9% in 2009.<ref name="worldbank"/>

Lesotho was ranked 132nd in the [[Global Innovation Index]] in 2025<ref>{{Cite web |title=GII Innovation Ecosystems & Data Explorer 2025 |url=https://www.wipo.int/gii-ranking/en/lesotho |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=WIPO}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Dutta |first1=Soumitra |url=https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2025/en/index.html |title=Global Innovation Index 2025: Innovation at a Crossroads |last2=Lanvin |first2=Bruno |publisher=[[World Intellectual Property Organization]] |year=2025 |isbn=978-92-805-3797-0 |page=19 |language=en |doi=10.34667/tind.58864 |access-date=2025-10-17}}</ref>.


The official currency is the [[Lesotho loti|loti]] (plural: maloti) which can be used interchangeably with the [[South African rand]]. The loti is at par with the rand. Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, and South Africa form a common currency and exchange control area known as the [[Common Monetary Area]] (CMA).

==Demographics==
{{See also|Demographics of Lesotho}}
{{Largest cities
| country = Lesotho
| stat_ref = Source:<ref name=LESOTHOCITIES>{{cite web|url=https://simplemaps.com/static/data/country-cities/ls/ls.xlsx|title=Lesotho Cities by Population 2022|access-date=24 June 2023|archive-date=24 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624032215/https://simplemaps.com/static/data/country-cities/ls/ls.xlsx|url-status=live}}</ref>
| list_by_pop =
| div_name =
| div_link = Districts of Lesotho{{!}}District
| city_1 = Maseru| div_1 = Maseru District{{!}}Maseru| pop_1 = 519,186| img_1 = Maseru City CBD.jpg
| city_2 = Teyateyaneng | div_2 =  Berea District{{!}}Berea| pop_2 = 75,115| img_2 =
| city_3 =Mafeteng| div_3 = Mafeteng District{{!}}Mafeteng| pop_3 = 57,059| img_3 =Likhoele.jpg
| city_4 =  Hlotse | div_4 = Leribe District{{!}}Leribe| pop_4 = 47,675	| img_4 = Hlotse_central_part.jpg
| city_5 = Maputsoe | div_5 = Leribe District{{!}}Leribe| pop_5 = 32,117
| city_6 = 	Mazenod, Lesotho{{!}}Mazenod| div_6 = Maseru District{{!}}Maseru| pop_6 = 27,553
| city_7 = Ratau| div_7 = Maseru District{{!}}Maseru | pop_7 = 26,582
| city_8 =Mohale's Hoek| div_8 = Mohale's Hoek District{{!}} Mohale's Hoek| pop_8 = 24,992
| city_9 = 	Qiloane| div_9 = Maseru District{{!}}Maseru  | pop_9 = 24,093
| city_10 = Mapoteng| div_10 = Berea District{{!}}Berea| pop_10 = 23,926
}}
[[File:Lesotho class.jpg|thumb|Primary school class]]
Lesotho has a population of approximately {{UN_Population|Lesotho}}.{{UN_Population|ref}} The population distribution of Lesotho is 25% urban and 75% rural. It is estimated that the annual increase in urban population is 3.5%.<ref name="factbook">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/lesotho/|title=Lesotho|work=The World Factbook|access-date=15 May 2007|df=dmy-all|archive-date=2 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702003726/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/lesotho/|url-status=live}}</ref> 60.2% of the population is between 15 and 64 years of age.<ref name="factbook"/>

===Ethnic groups and languages===
{{Main|Languages of Lesotho}}
Lesotho's ethno-linguistic structure consists mostly of the [[Basotho]], a [[Bantu languages|Bantu-speaking]] people: an estimated 99.7% of the people identify as Basotho. In this regard, Lesotho is part of a minority of African countries that are [[nation states]] with a single dominant cultural ethnic group and language; the majority of African nations' borders were drawn by [[colonisation of Africa|colonial powers]] and do not correspond to ethnic boundaries or pre-colonial polities.{{sfn|Boyd|1979|p=1}} Basotho subgroups include the Bafokeng, Batloung, Baphuthi, Bakuena, Bataung, Batšoeneng, and [[Matebele]]. About 1% of the population consists of Europeans, Asians, and [[Xhosa people|Xhosa]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://minorityrights.org/country/lesotho/ |title=Lesotho - World Directory of Minorities & Indigenous Peoples |access-date=22 September 2023 |archive-date=29 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529163348/https://minorityrights.org/country/lesotho/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Religion===
{{Main|Religion in Lesotho}}
[[File:St Michaels Cathedral, lesotho.jpg|thumb|St Michaels Cathedral]]
In December 2011, the population of Lesotho is estimated to be more than 95% [[Christianism|Christian]].<ref name="Pew Christians">{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/2011/12/19/table-christian-population-as-percentages-of-total-population-by-country/|title=Table: Christian Population as Percentages of Total Population by Country| date=19 December 2011 |publisher=Pew Research Center|access-date=21 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511124911/http://www.pewforum.org/2011/12/19/table-christian-population-as-percentages-of-total-population-by-country/|archive-date=11 May 2017|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Among these estimations, [[Catholic Church|Catholics]] represent 49.4% of the population,<ref name=ARDA/> served by the province of the Metropolitan [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Maseru|Archbishop of Maseru]] and his three suffragans (the bishops of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Leribe|Leribe]], [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Mohale's Hoek|Mohale's Hoek]] and [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Qacha's Nek|Qacha's Nek]]), who form the national [[episcopal conference]]. [[Protestantism|Protestants]] account for 18.2% of the population, [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostals]] 15.4%, [[Anglican Communion|Anglicans]] 5.3%, and other Christians an additional 1.8%.<ref name=ARDA>{{cite web|date=2015|title=Lesotho|access-date=18 May 2020|publisher=[[Association of Religion Data Archives]]|url=http://www.thearda.com/internationalData/countries/Country_130_1.asp|archive-date=11 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811214132/https://thearda.com/internationalData/Countries/Country_130_1.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref> Non-Christian religions represent 9.6% of the population, and those of [[irreligion|no religion]] 0.2%.<ref name=ARDA/>

===Education and literacy===
{{Main|Education in Lesotho}}
[[File:National University of Lesotho Administration Block.jpg|thumb|[[National University of Lesotho]]]]
According to estimates, 85% of women and 68% of men over the age of 15 are literate.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.unesco.org/countries/lesotho|title=Lesotho|date=2014-11-04|website=UNESCO|language=en|access-date=2019-05-18|archive-date=18 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518113538/https://en.unesco.org/countries/lesotho|url-status=live}}</ref> As such, Lesotho holds "one of the highest literacy rates in Africa",<ref name="factbook"/> in part because Lesotho invests over 12% of its GDP in education.<ref name="unesco">{{cite web| url=http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/tableviewer/document.aspx?ReportId=143| title=Unesco Institute for Statistics: Date Centre| date=14 September 2007| access-date=28 February 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110130085835/http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/tableviewer/document.aspx?ReportId=143| archive-date=30 January 2011| url-status=live| df=dmy-all}}</ref> Female literacy (84.93%) exceeds male literacy (67.75%) by 17.18%. According to a study by the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality in 2000, 37% of grade 6 pupils in Lesotho (average age 14 years) are at or above reading level 4, "Reading for Meaning."<ref name=sacmeq>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacmeq.org/education-lesotho.htm |title=The SACMEQ II Project in Lesotho: A Study of the Conditions of Schooling and the Quality of Education. Harare: SACMEQ |publisher=Sacmeq |date=2 October 2005 |access-date=4 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425052229/http://www.sacmeq.org/education-lesotho.htm |archive-date=25 April 2013 }}</ref> A pupil at this level of literacy can read ahead or backwards through parts of text to link and interpret information. While education is not compulsory, the Government of Lesotho is incrementally implementing a program for free primary education.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.education.gov.ls/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=30 |title=Lesotho Ministry of Education and Training – Basic Education |publisher=Education.gov.ls |date=5 October 2005 |access-date=4 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100720222113/http://www.education.gov.ls/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=30 |archive-date=20 July 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> In a 2009 report, adult literacy is as high as 82%.<ref name="undp">[http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2009_EN_Complete.pdf Human Development Report 2009] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091122115116/http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2009_EN_Complete.pdf|date=22 November 2009}}. The United Nations. Retrieved 7 March 2012.</ref>

According to the [[International Telecommunication Union]], 3.4% of the population use the internet. A service from [[Telecom Lesotho|Econet Telecom Lesotho]] expanded the country's access to email through entry-level, low-end mobile phones and consequently improved access to educational information. The [[African Library Project]] works to establish school and village libraries in partnership with [[Peace Corps|US Peace Corps Lesotho]]<ref name="peacecorps">{{cite web|url=http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=learn.wherepc.africa.lesotho |title=Peace Corps: Lesotho |date=14 July 2010 |access-date=28 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110205042351/http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=learn.Wherepc.africa.lesotho |archive-date= 5 February 2011 }}</ref> and the [[Butha-Buthe District]] of Education.

===Health===
{{main|Health in Lesotho}}
The country is among the "Low Human Development" countries (rank 168 of 193 on the [[Human Development Index]] as classified by [[United Nations Development Programme|UNDP]]), with 50.3 years of life expectancy for men and 55.9 for women in 2022.<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://hdr.undp.org/content/human-development-report-2023-24 |title=Human Development Report 2023-24 |last=Nations |first=United |date=2024-03-13 |publisher=United Nations |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=UNDP Lesotho – Country Profile: Human Development Indicators |url=http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/LSO.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511193855/http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/LSO.html |archive-date=11 May 2013 |access-date=10 March 2012}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2019-07-22 |title=CDC Global Health - Lesotho |url=https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/countries/lesotho/default.htm |access-date=2019-11-22 |website=www.cdc.gov |language=en-us |archive-date=8 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200308071010/https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/countries/lesotho/default.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Infant mortality is about 8.3%.

As of 2018, Lesotho's adult [[List of countries by HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate|H.I.V./A.I.D.S. prevalence rate]] of 23.6% was the second-highest in the world, after [[Eswatini]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Prevalence of H.I.V., total (% of population ages 15-49) - Lesotho {{!}} Data|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.DYN.AIDS.ZS?locations=LS&most_recent_value_desc=true&view=chart|access-date=2020-07-14|website=data.worldbank.org|archive-date=14 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200714175356/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.DYN.AIDS.ZS?locations=LS&most_recent_value_desc=true&view=chart|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2021, Lesotho had a 22.8% [[H.I.V.]] prevalence rate among people between 15 and 49 years of age.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-07-21|title=HIV and AIDS in Lesotho|url=https://www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-around-world/sub-saharan-africa/lesotho|access-date=2022-01-19|website=Avert|language=en|archive-date=2 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002003817/https://www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-around-world/sub-saharan-africa/lesotho|url-status=live}}</ref> The country has the highest incidence of [[tuberculosis]] in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Incidence of tuberculosis (per 100,000 people) {{!}} Data|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.TBS.INCD?most_recent_value_desc=true&view=chart|access-date=2020-07-14|website=data.worldbank.org}}</ref>

According to the 2006 census of Lesotho, around 4% of the population is thought to have some sort of disability. There are concerns regarding the reliability of the methodologies used and the real figure is thought to be closer to the global estimate of 15%. According to a survey conducted by the Lesotho National Federation of Organisations of the Disabled in conjunction with SINTEF,<ref>Yusman Kamaleri and Arne H. Eide (eds.) (2011) [http://www.lnfod.org.ls/uploads/1/2/2/5/12251792/report_lesotho_3101111.pdf Living Conditions of People with Disability in Lesotho] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402154124/http://www.lnfod.org.ls/uploads/1/2/2/5/12251792/report_lesotho_3101111.pdf |date=2 April 2015 }}. SINTEF Technology and Society. lnfod.org.ls</ref> people with disability in Lesotho face social and cultural barriers which prevent them from accessing education, health-care and employment on an equal basis with others. On 2 December 2008, Lesotho became the 42nd country in the world to sign the U.N. [[Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities]].

According to [[World Health Organization]] data, Lesotho has had the world's highest age-standardized rate of suicide since 2018.<ref>{{cite web |year= |title=Suicide rates (per 100 000), age-standardized |url=https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/age-standardized-suicide-rates-(per-100-000-population) |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date= |publisher=[[World Health Organization]]}}</ref>

===Violence against women===
{{Main|Women in Lesotho}}
According to the U.N., in 2008 Lesotho had the highest rape rate of any country (91.6 reported rapes per 100,000 people).<ref>[http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_rap_rat-crime-rape-rate "Countries Compared by Crime > Rape rate. International Statistics at NationMaster.com"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111201093758/http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_rap_rat-crime-rape-rate |date=1 December 2011 }}. nationmaster.com.</ref> International data from [[UNODC]] found the incidence of rape recorded in 2008 by the police to be the highest in Lesotho out of any country in the study.<ref name="unodc1">[http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Crime-statistics/Sexual_violence_sv_against_children_and_rape.xls "Rape at the National Level, number of police recorded offenses".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029210321/http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Crime-statistics/Sexual_violence_sv_against_children_and_rape.xls |date=29 October 2013 }} [[United Nations]].</ref> A study in Lesotho found that 61% of women reported having experienced sexual violence at some point in their lives, of whom 22% reported being physically forced to have sexual intercourse.<ref>[https://apha.confex.com/apha/133am/techprogram/paper_114115.htm "Magnitude of sexual violence in Lesotho"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029201559/https://apha.confex.com/apha/133am/techprogram/paper_114115.htm |date=29 October 2013 }}. confex.com.</ref> In the 2009 [[Demographic and Health Surveys|D.H.S. survey]], 15.7% of men said that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife if she refuses to have sex with him, while 16% said a husband is justified in using force to have sex.<ref>[http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/FR241/FR241%5BNEW_completeHHQst_3March2012%5D.pdf Lesotho. Demographic and Health Survey 2009] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029205745/http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/FR241/FR241%5BNEW_completeHHQst_3March2012%5D.pdf |date=29 October 2013 }}. Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Maseru, Lesotho. November 2010</ref> In another study, researchers concluded that "Given the high prevalence of HIV in Lesotho, programs should address women's right to control their sexuality."<ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 17209284 | volume=37 | issue=4 | title=Sexual violence in Lesotho|year=2006 | journal=Stud Fam Plann | pages=269–80|first=L |last=Brown | doi=10.1111/j.1728-4465.2006.00105.x}}</ref> The ''Married Persons Equality Act 2006'' gives equal rights to wives regarding their husbands, abolishing the husband's [[marital power]].<ref>Buhle Angelo Dube. [http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/lesotho.htm The Law and Legal Research in Lesotho] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620014058/http://nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Lesotho.htm |date=20 June 2010 }}. nyulawglobal.org</ref> The [[World Economic Forum]]'s 2020 Gender Gap Report ranks Lesotho 88th worldwide for [[gender parity]], while neighboring South Africa ranks 17th.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2020.pdf|title=The Global Gender Gap Report 2020|publisher=World Economic Forum|pages=221, 315|access-date=19 July 2020|archive-date=17 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217140602/http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2020.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Culture==
{{See also|Music of Lesotho|List of African writers by country#Lesotho}}
[[File:Parade of Basotho women.jpg|thumb|Women wearing [[Basotho blanket]]s]]

The [[cuisine of Lesotho]] includes African traditions and British influences.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://foodspring.com/content/lesotho/ |title=Lesotho: British influence meets African tradition|work=foodspring |access-date=2014-04-01 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217042157/http://foodspring.com/content/lesotho/ |archive-date=17 February 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The national dish of Lesotho is Motoho, a fermented ''[[sorghum]]'' [[porridge]]. Some staple foods include [[Pap (food)|pap]], or 'mealies', a [[cornmeal]] porridge covered with a sauce consisting of vegetables. [[Tea]] and locally brewed [[beer]] are choices for beverages. Lesotho is famed for its fermented ginger beer. Sishenyama is regularly sold independently throughout Lesotho with side-dishes such as cabbage, pap and baked bean salad.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ethnic Food of Lesotho|url=http://traveltips.usatoday.com/ethnic-food-lesotho-36010.html|website=USA Today|access-date=1 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310081024/http://traveltips.usatoday.com/ethnic-food-lesotho-36010.html|archive-date=10 March 2018|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The national dress revolves around the [[Basotho blanket]], a covering made originally of wool. Most of the Basotho blanket is now made out of [[Acrylic fiber|acrylic fibres]]. The main manufacturer of the Basotho blanket is Aranda, which has a factory over the border in South Africa.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aarven.com/blogs/our-artisans/south-african-basotho-khotso-blankets-meet-aranda |title=South African Basotho Khotso Blankets; Meet Aranda |date=22 January 2022 |access-date=2025-04-02  }}</ref>

British influence in Lesotho is visible through the remnants of [[trading post]]s that were operated from the 18th century into the 20th century.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://theculturetrip.com/africa/lesotho/articles/explore-lesothos-bygone-trading-posts/ | title=Explore Lesotho's Bygone Trading Posts | date=27 April 2018 | access-date=9 October 2022 | archive-date=9 October 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221009175800/https://theculturetrip.com/africa/lesotho/articles/explore-lesothos-bygone-trading-posts/ | url-status=live }}</ref> These are in the villages of Roma, Ramabantana, Ha Matala, Malealea and Semonkong. In the past, these lodges were employed in the sale of fuel, grains, mealie meals and animals. Examples of [[San rock art]] can be found in the mountains throughout Basutoland. There are examples in the village of Ha Matela.<ref>{{Cite book
| title = The Mountain Bushmen of Basutoland
| last = Walsham How
| first = Marion
| publisher = J. L. Van Schaik Ltd.
| year = 1962
| location = Pretoria
}}</ref>

The [[Morija Arts & Cultural Festival]] is held annually in the town of [[Morija]] where missionaries arrived in 1833.

===Basotho pony===
The [[Basotho pony]] was historically ridden into battle and in the modern day used for transport and agriculture.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fao.org/4/y3970e/y3970e08.htm |title=The State of the Basotho Pony in Lesotho |access-date=2025-04-02  }}</ref>
===Sport===
{{main|Sport in Lesotho}}
The country's most popular sport is [[Football in Lesotho|football]].

===Film and media===
{{Main|Lesotho Television|List of radio stations in Lesotho}}

[[Ryan Coogler]], director of the 2018 film ''[[Black Panther (film)|Black Panther]]'', stated that his depiction of [[Wakanda]] was inspired by Lesotho.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/2018-02-17-black-panther-director-ryan-cooglers-a-fan-of-lesotho--isixhosa/|title=How 'Black Panther's' director fell in love with Lesotho & isiXhosa|website=TimesLIVE|access-date=4 January 2019|archive-date=4 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104175918/https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/2018-02-17-black-panther-director-ryan-cooglers-a-fan-of-lesotho--isixhosa/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/02/black-panthers-wakanda-explained.html|title=A Brief History of Wakanda, Black Panther's Fictional Utopia|first=Nate|last=Jones|date=15 February 2018|website=Vulture|access-date=4 January 2019|archive-date=4 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104175844/https://www.vulture.com/2018/02/black-panthers-wakanda-explained.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Basotho blankets "became more known" as a result of the film.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.co.za/black-panther-has-not-real-effect-on-the-south-african-sale-of-basotho-blankts-2018-3|title=Black Panther made Basotho blankets world famous – but you wouldn't be able to tell that from local sales|website=BusinessInsider|access-date=4 January 2019|archive-date=4 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004111305/https://www.businessinsider.co.za/black-panther-has-not-real-effect-on-the-south-african-sale-of-basotho-blankts-2018-3|url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2020, the film ''[[This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection]]'' became the first Lesotho film to be submitted for the [[Academy Award for Best International Feature Film]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/global/oscars-lesotho-lemohang-jeremiah-mosese-this-is-not-a-burial-its-a-resurrection-international-feature-film-1234826821/ |title=Oscar Debutant Lesotho Selects 'This Is Not a Burial' for International Feature Film Race |work=Variety |first=Christopher |last=Vourlias |date=10 November 2020 |access-date=10 November 2020 |archive-date=6 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006115903/https://variety.com/2020/film/global/oscars-lesotho-lemohang-jeremiah-mosese-this-is-not-a-burial-its-a-resurrection-international-feature-film-1234826821/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Africa}}
* [[Outline of Lesotho|Outline of lesotho]]
* [[International rankings of lesotho|International rankings of Lesotho]]
* [[Telephone numbers in Lesotho]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
* {{cite journal |last=Boyd |first=J. Barron |date=December 1979 |title=African Boundary Conflict: An Empirical Study |journal=African Studies Review |issn=0002-0206 |volume=22 |issue=3 | jstor = 523892| pages = 1–14|doi=10.2307/523892 |s2cid=145722128 }}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|voy=Lesotho|collapsible=collapsed}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180408225354/http://gov.ls/ Government of Lesotho]
* [http://www.lesotholii.org/ Published Judicial Opinions]
* [https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/lesotho/ Lesotho]. ''[[The World Factbook]]''. [[Central Intelligence Agency]].
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080607085124/http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/lesotho.htm Lesotho] from ''UCB Libraries GovPubs''
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13728324 Lesotho profile] from the [[BBC News]]
* {{wikiatlas|Lesotho}}
* {{osmrelation-inline|2093234}}
* [http://www.ifs.du.edu/ifs/frm_CountryProfile.aspx?Country=LS Key Development Forecasts for Lesotho] from [[International Futures]]
* [https://www.ilesotho.org Introduction of Lesotho]
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