• Basotho woman and children in village of Malealea, south western Lesotho

    Basotho woman and children in village of Malealea, south western Lesotho

    © Di Jones

  • Trek guide in Ribaneng Pass, with 'Red Hot Poker' plants in foreground

    Trek guide in Ribaneng Pass, with 'Red Hot Poker' plants in foreground

    © Di Jones

  • Band from Malealea Lodge, a popular base for tourist hikers

    Band from Malealea Lodge, a popular base for tourist hikers

    © Di Jones

Lesotho: Overview

Although shunted to and from British and Boer control for almost 200 years, Lesotho's path to self-rule was comparatively smooth. Landlocked by South Africa, but distanced from it by huge mountain ranges, Lesotho is an often-surprising combination of rapidly-developing modernity and ancient culture.

FAST FACTS

Full name

Kingdom of Lesotho

Currency

Loti, LSL (L)

Population

2100000

Languages

  • English (official)
  • Sotho, Southern (official)

Time zone(s)

  • GMT/UTC: +2

Voltage

220V

Hertz

50Hz

Plugs

  • South African/Indian-style plug with two circular metal pins above a large circular grounding pin

    South African/Indian-style plug with two circular metal pins above a large circular grounding pin

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