Introducing Lesotho

The Kingdom of Lesotho in Southern Africa is a landlocked country which is entirely surrounded by South Africa.  Lesotho is over 30,000 km2 in size and is home to about 2,100,000 people.  Lesotho's capital and largest city is Maseru.  The Kingdom of Lesotho is the southernmost landlocked country in the world. It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name "Lesotho" can be translated to "the land of the people who speak Sesotho".  

Lesotho is the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above 1,400 metres in elevation.  Over 80% of Lesotho lies above 1,800 metres. For administrative purposes, Lesotho is divided into ten districts, each of which is headed by a district administrator. Each district in Lesotho has a capital known as a camptown:

• Berea
• Butha-Buthe
• Leribe
• Mafeteng
• Maseru
• Mohale's Hoek
• Mokhotlong
• Qacha's Nek
• Quthing
• Thaba-Tseka.

The districts of Lesotho are further subdivided into 80 constituencies, which consist of 129 local community councils.  The population distribution of Lesotho is 25 percent urban and 75 percent rural. The population density in Lesotho is lower in the highlands than in the western lowlands. Although the majority of the population is between 15 and 64 years of age, Lesotho has a substantial youth population numbering around 34.8 percent with the annual population growth rate being around 0.116%.

The population of Lesotho is estimated to be around 90 percent Christian.  Roman Catholics, which is the largest religious group in Lesotho , make up around 45 percent of the population.  Evangelicals comprise 26 percent of the population, and Anglican, Latter Day Saint (LDS) and other Christian groups an additional 19 percent.  Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Baha'i, and members of traditional indigenous religions make up the remaining 10 percent of Lesotho's population.