17 interesting facts about Lesotho

17 interesting facts about Lesotho

We share the most interesting facts about Lesotho, which we collected on our short but breathtaking visit to the "Kingdom of Heaven".

We only had 36 hours in the tiny kingdom of Lesotho, but it turned out to be a jewel from a trip that had many surprises on the way. We reached Lesotho via the winding Sani Pass with a local expert from Roof of Africa.

Lesotho is tiny and one of the least known countries in the world, but still a country full of fascinating facts. Only 36 hours were far from enough and we promised to return one day.

For now we share the most interesting facts about Lesotho that we learned during our trip.

Interesting facts about Lesotho

1. Lesotho used to be known as Basutoland. The full name of the country today is "The Kingdom of Lesotho" and in 1966 after 100 years of colonial rule gained independence from Great Britain. (Source: BBC)

2. The Sani Pass in Lesotho was described as one of the most dangerous mountain passes in the world. The winding pass connects Underberg in South Africa with Mokhotlong in Lesotho. (Source: Smithsonian)

Alt = "Interesting facts about Lesotho Sani Pass"Vaiz ha; CC BY 2.0The winding Sani Pass that falls towards South Africa

1. Lesotho is an inland state: a country surrounded by land and has no access to the sea. There are currently 45 such countries and five partially recognized states. The vast majority of these countries suffer economically from the disadvantages caused by the lack of access to the sea. (Source: The Economist)

2. Since Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa, it is not only an inland, but also one of only three enclave countries. The other two are San Marino and the Vatican City (completely surrounded by Italy). (Source: Britannica)

Alt = "Interesting facts about the Lesotho card"Mandavi; CC-BY 3.0Lesotho is that it is one of only three enclave countries in the world

1. Lesotho roughly means "Land of Sesotho spokesman". (Source: Cia World Factbook)

2. An individual in Lesotho is known as Mosotho, the people (as a collective) are called Basho and the official language is Sesotho. (Source: Oxford University Press)

3. Lesotho is the "highest country in the world" ... somehow. It has the "highest lowest point" of all other countries: 1,400 m (4,593 feet). (Source: The Commonwealth)

4. Lesotho is also the only independent state that exists completely over 1,000 m (3,281 feet), hence his nickname "Kingdom of Heaven". In addition, Lesotho is one of only two countries that are on average over 2,000 m (6,561 feet), the other is Kyrgyzstan. (Source: The Telegraph)

Alt = "Interesting facts about Lesotho Highets Land"Atlas & BootsOne of the most interesting facts about Lesotho is that it is the "highest country in the world".

1. Lesotho is one of a few places in Africa where you can ski. Afriedki is located in the Maluti mountains with a maximum height of 3,222 m (10,571 ft). (Source: The Atlantic)

2. Lesotho is home to one of the creepiest starting and landingways in the world. The Matekane Air Strip is a high runway with a runway that extends to the edge of a 600 m high cliff. (Source: CNN)

Alt = "Interesting facts about the runway in Lesotho"Tom Claytor; CC BY 2.0The Matekane Air Strip on the edge of a 600 m high cliff

1. Lesotho has a dinosaurs named after him. The Lesothosaurus developed a little more than 200 million years ago in the early Jura period. Early fossils were discovered in Lesotho. (Source: National Geographic)

2. In 2017, one of the largest dinosaur footprints ever found was discovered in Lesotho. The footprint measures 57 cm and comes from a dinosaurs called Kayentapus Ambrokholohali. He is a relative of the Tyrannosaurus Rex and is estimated at a height of 2.7 m and 9 m, which makes him one of the greatest dinosaurs who ever roamed Africa. (Source: Africa Geographic)

Alt = "The dinosaurs found in Lesotho"University of Cape TownThe dinosaurs found in Lesotho

1. In 2018, one of the largest diamonds ever discovered was found in Lesotho. With a weight of 910 carat - more than a baseball - it is the fifth largest raw diamond that has ever been found, and the largest in the history of Lesothos. (Source: New York Times)

2. A quarter of the Lesotho population is HIV-positive. According to Swasiland, the country has the second highest HIV prevalence rate in the world. (Source: The Guardian)

3. The highest pub in Africa is located in Lesotho. The Sani Mountain Lodge is located at 2,874 m (9,429 ft) above sea level just behind the border between South Africa and Lesotho. (Source: BBC)

old = "The highest pub in the world"Atlas & BootsThe highest pub in Africa is located in Lesotho

1. Lesotho has 70.1 % in men and 88.3 % in women one of the highest literacy rates in adults in Africa. (Source: Cia World Factbook)

2. There are still cave dwellers in Lesotho. The HA KOME CAVE Houses form a group of clay apartments in the Bernea district. The caves are still inhabited by the descendants of the original Basia clan who live in the region. (Source: Lonely Planet)

Lonely Planet South Africa, Lesotho & Swasiland contains a comprehensive travel guide for Lesotho, which covers a number of activities and travel destinations as well as many other interesting facts about Lesotho.

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