AFRICA

Lesotho

A mountain kingdom entirely surrounded by South Africa, Lesotho is the only country in the world that sits wholly above 1,000 metres. Locals ride sure-footed ponies and wrap up in bright Basotho blankets.

WHAT THE FLAG MEANS ◢

Three horizontal bands of blue, white and green with a black mokorotlo, the Basotho hat, in the centre. The constitution provides only that the national flag shall be as prescribed by an Act of Parliament, and requires a supermajority to change it; it describes nothing and assigns nothing. The blue is conventionally read for rain, the white for peace and the green for prosperity, with the hat for the Basotho people themselves. The flag dates from the fortieth anniversary of independence in 2006.

Lesotho FACTS ◢

Capital	Maseru
Continent	Africa
Population	2,363,325 (2025)
Area	30,355 km²
Population density	78/km²
Currency	Lesotho loti (LSL)
Official languages	English, Sesotho
Calling code	+266
Internet TLD	.ls
Time zone	UTC+02:00
Drives on the	Left
ISO codes	LS / LSO

DID YOU KNOW? ◢

It's one of only three countries completely surrounded by a single other nation.
Its entire territory lies above 1,000 metres, the highest low point of any country on Earth.
It has the highest single-drop waterfall in southern Africa, Maletsunyane Falls.
The colourful Basotho blanket is a national symbol worn as everyday clothing.