Lesotho - Information, Geography and History

INFORMATION

•  Full name: Kingdom of Lesotho

•  Capital City: Maseru

•  Language: Sotho, Southern, English, Zulu, Xhosa

•  Currency: Maloti

•  Religion: Christianity and some indigenous beliefs

•  National Anthem: “Fatse La Bontat'a Rona” that can be interpreted as “Lesotho, Land Of Our Fathers”.

•  Newspaper: Public Eye

•  Places to Visit :

Teyateyaneng, Maseru, Malealea, Sehlabathebe National Park and much more.

•  Transport: Airways: South African Airways, Roadways.

•  Shopping: Handicraft, Curio, varnished Pottery, Tapestry, Basotho hat

INTRODUCTION:

People of Lesotho are known by their name Sotho . Centuries ago they used to live in South Africa and gradually moved to the land of Lesotho where they intermingled with the Khoisan people. The county was formerly known as Basutoland. The total population of the country is about 2,022,331 and is surrounded by South Africa.

LOCATION OF LESOTHO : Lesotho is situated in the southern part of the African continent. It is landlocked and entirely surrounded by South Africa. It is surrounded by the Natal near the South African province, by Cape Province in southern part, and by the Orange Free State in the north and west region.

PHYSICAL MAP OF LESOTHO : The country comprises of distinct diverse landscape regions. There are high plateaus, low hills and mountains. Among the mountains the tallest in altitude in Lesotho is the Thabana Ntlenyana . It rises to an altitude of almost 3,482 m above the sea-level. In the low-lying regions, the lowest point is found in the confluence of the Orange River and the Makhaleng River ; which is almost low lying nearly about 1,400 m. Lesotho is surrounded by major two states namely San Marino and Vatican City, in Italy.

CLIMATE OF LESOTHO : In the region of Lesotho winter is usually dry while the summers are hot and wet . The best time to visit this country is between October to March . At this time the weather remains very pleasant. The warmth of the climate attracts the tourists. In these months there is least amount of rainfall. You will get plenty of sunlight during the summer months. Most of the African countries are known for their hot and sultry climatic condition. But Lesotho differs in this matter. In summer the weather is warm but not terribly hot. In winter the temperature remains cool and often drops to below zero degree Celsius.

FLORA AND FAUNA OF LESOTHO :

Flora : The natural habitat of Lesotho is rich enough. In other words the nature's bounty reign the land of Lesotho. Among the various types of plans, the alpine flora is the most exciting ones. When talking about flora, Spiral Aloe or Aloe Polyphylla must be mentioned. The varieties include both the left and right handed spirals. In the slants of Maluti the Spiral Aloes are mostly found. Cape Alpine flowers are also found in those areas. In this context mention should be made of Drakensberg -Maluti Alpine Park that protects the rare species of plants.

Fauna : In a country like Lesotho, which is highly mountainous, specialized species of fauna are found. Since these are rare, these become more interesting to the visitors. The entire mountain ranges are ruled by Rhebok and Mountain Reedbuck . Eland can be sighted at Drakensberg that give you a breath taking experience. Among the other exciting animals there are mongooses, meerkats, and rock hyraxes. Baboons and jackals are also found in Lesotho.

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