LesothoBy virtue of its topographical isolation, Lesotho has managed largely to avoid many of the recent wars, racist policies and political instability that has plagued most of the African continent this century. Landlocked by South Africa, but geographically distanced from it by huge mountain ranges, Lesotho is an often-surprising combination of rapidly developing modernity, and ancient culture. Most travellers come to Lesotho as a side-trip following time spent in South Africa, and find it a real relief to escape post-apartheid tensions...More Information on Lesotho. Full country name: Kingdom of LesothoArea: 30,355 sq km (11,840 sq mi) Population: 2.1 million Capital City: Maseru (pop 170,000) People:Basotho (99.7%), European Language: South Sotho, English Government: Constitutional monarchy Head of State: King Letsie David Mohato III Head of Government: Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili History of LesothoThe Sotho people have lived in Southern Africa since at least the 10th century AD, moving throughout the region. In the 16th century Sotho people marryied and intermingled with the Khoisan people, and formed small chiefdoms. Extensive trade links were established between the groups, as well as with outside people. Grain and hides, for example, were traded for iron from the Transvaal area. Basotho, the inhabitants of Lesotho, were brought together from scattered ethnic groups in the 19th century by King Moshoeshoe-I and settled together in this mountainous region of southern Africa. King Moshoeshoe-I united the Basuto people during the 1820s and retreated to this area to prevent the annihilation of his people during wars that swept across South Africa. Eventually King Moshoeshoe I signed a treaty with Queen Victoria and his country, called Basutoland, was made a British protectorate...More on Lesotho's History. Overview of Lesotho's EconomyGDP: US$3.7 billion Also Read: A short note on Economy of Lesotho Political System of LesothoGovernment
of Lesotho Climate, Vegetation and FaunaTemperatures vary widely from one geographical zone to another, and frequently within zones, depending on the altitude. In the lowlands, temperatures reach 32C° (90°F) or more in the summer and rarely fall below -6.6°C (20°F) in the winter. The range in the highlands is greater; temperatures can fall below -18°C (0°F) and frost and hail are frequent hazards. Rainfall is mostly concentrated in the months from October to April and the hottest months are January and February. Snows occurs in the highlands between May and September. Lesotho experiences a great deal of sunshine Envoirnment: Lesotho (pronounced le-soo-too) is a mountainous kingdom completely...more. Languages: English is the official language, though Sesotho (southern Sotho)...more. Culture: The contradictions created by Lesotho’s political independence...more. People of Lesotho: More than 99% of Lesotho’s population is ethnically Basotho...more. Facts for the TravelerVisas:Citizens of most Western countries,
Japan, Israel, the USA and most Commonwealth countries are granted an
entry permit (free) at the border. The standard stay permitted is two
weeks, although if you ask for longer you might get it.
Health risks: Aside from the possibility of contaminated drinking water in remote areas, Lesotho shares with South Africa a pretty good record on health. Malaria is unknown due to the higher altitude, however precautions should still be taken, especially since nearby countries are succeptible. Also beware of storms, lightning strikes and freezing overnight temperatures. Time: GMT/UTC + 2 hours Electricity: 220-250V Weights & measures: Metric Also Read: Money & Costs | Transport And Getting Around | Public holidays in Lesotho | Travel Tips of Lesotho | Events of Lesotho When to GoWeather is probably the main consideration for travellers deciding the best time to go, and if you don’t mind getting a little wet, it doesn’t much matter. Nearly all of Lesotho’s rain falls in the summer, between October and April. It’s beautiful and warm when the sun comes out, but mountain areas can be foggy and freezing. Also Read: Getting Around in Lesotho | Getting There & Away What to See in LesothoOther Tourist Attractions in Lesotho more...What to do in LesothoOne of the most popular and exciting activities for travellers to Lesotho is pony trekking on the tough, sure-footed Basotho ponies. There are several trekking centres, though the one located on God Help Me Pass has a certain allure, if only for the chance of t-shirts. Along the same lines, but without the safety of the cliff-climbing ponies, is hiking. With landscapes reminiscent of the Tibetan plateau (apparently), the hikes are dangerous and the weather freezing and treacherous. Be well prepared, bring all equipment with you and don’t make Lesotho your first hiking experience. Enjoying the great Lesotho outdoors doesn’t have to mean being rescued from a ravine, however, with bird-watching and trout fishing among the more sedate pleasures. Nearly 300 bird species is pretty impressive for a landlocked country, with raptors being particularly prevalent. A fishing licence is required from the Ministry of Livestock for a nominal fee, and bag and size limits apply. The earliest inhabitants of the area were Khoisan hunter-gatherers. They were largely replaced by Bantu tribes during a series of migrations. The southern part of the country was named Matabeleland after the Ndebele tribe who occupied the area in the early 1800’s under a loose confederation of Ndebele-speaking tribes headed by the Khumalo tribe under [...]
Countries in Africa
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Religion in Africa
Africans profess a wide variety of religious beliefs, with Christianity and Islam being the most widespread. Approximately 40% of all Africans are Christians and another 40% Muslims. Roughly 20% of Africans primarily follow indigenous African religions. A small number of Africans also have beliefs from the Judaic tradition, such as the Beta Israel [...]
Culture of Africa
Africa has a number of overlapping cultures. The most conventional distinction is that between sub-Saharan Africa and the northern countries from Egypt to Morocco, who largely associate themselves with Arabic culture. In this comparison, the nations to the south of the Sahara are considered to consist of many cultural areas, in particular [...]
Demographics of Africa
Africans may be grouped according to whether they live north or south of the Sahara Desert; these groups are called North Africans and Sub-Saharan Africans, respectively. Afro-Asiatic speaking peoples predominate in North Africa, while Sub-Saharan Africa is dominated by a number of disparate populations grouped according to their diverse languages–Niger-Congo predominantly in West [...]
Economy of Africa
Africa is the world’s poorest inhabited continent: the United Nations’ Human Development Report 2003 (of 175 countries) found that positions 151 (Gambia) to 175 (Sierra Leone) were taken up entirely by African nations.
It has had (and in some ways is still having) a shaky and uncertain transition from colonialism, with increases in corruption [...]
Politics in Africa
Colonial Africa
Colonialism had a destabilizing effect on what had been a number of ethnic groups that is still being felt in African politics. Prior to European influence, national borders were not much of a concern, with Africans generally following the practice of other areas of the world, such as the Arabian peninsula, where [...]
History of Africa
Africa is home to the oldest inhabited territory on earth, with the human race originating from this continent. During the mid 20th century, anthropologists discovered many fossils and evidence of human occupation perhaps as early as 7 million years ago. The famous Leakey family, with ties to both Britain and Africa, discovered fossil [...]
Geography of Africa
Africa is the largest of the three great southward projections from the main mass of the Earth’s surface. It includes within its remarkably regular outline an area, of c. 30,360,288 km² (11,722,173 mi²), including the islands.
Separated from Europe by the Mediterranean Sea, it is joined to Asia at its northeast extremity by the [...]
Etymology of Africa
The name Africa came into Western use through the Romans, who used the name Africa terra - “land of the Afri” (plural, or “Afer” singular) - for the northern part of the continent, as the province of Africa with its capital Carthage, corresponding to modern-day Tunisia.
The Afri were a tribe - possibly Berber [...]
Travel Mantra: Africa Destination Guide
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