Lesotho is a small enclave nation in southern Africa surrounded by South Africa. It was settled by the Basotho people and became a British protectorate. It gained independence in 1966 and has had a tumultuous political history. Despite this, it has beautiful national parks and is known for its handicrafts. The easiest way to get there is by flying to Moshoeshoe from Johannesburg.
Lesotho is a small nation in southern Africa. It covers 11,700 square miles (30,300 square km), making it just a little smaller than the state of Maryland. Lesotho is completely surrounded by the nation of South Africa, making it an enclave state. Lesotho has the distinction of being one of only three sovereign enclaves in the world, the other two being San Marino and Vatican City.
The area that is now Lesotho was settled a long time ago by people who spoke the Bantu language and called themselves the Basotho. The Basotho were decentralized until the early 19th century when a king began consolidating their various lands. After a war with the neighboring Boer people began to escalate, the Basotho king Moshoeshoe asked for help from the British, who placed the Basotho lands under their protection.
The area that is now Lesotho was made part of the Cape Colony by the British and administered with that territory. In the early 20th century, when the Union of South Africa was formed, Lesotho was initially set on course to become part of that union. However, the adoption of apartheid policies in the Union of South Africa halted this, and Lesotho remained a direct protectorate of Great Britain.
The move towards independence began in the mid-1950s and the first legislative elections were held in 1965. Independence was formally declared in 1966. Four years later, in 1970, following an election in which the ruling party was widely believed to have lost power, the Prime Minister declared the election void, suspending the constitution and dissolving Parliament. Over the next few years Lesotho’s relationship with South Africa soured, largely due to the work of the African National Congress from within Lesotho.
By 1986, the situation had reached such a point that the king was granted all the powers of the state. This transfer of power was orchestrated by a military council, which positioned itself as advisers to the monarchy. In 1990, the head of the military government stripped the king of his powers, returning the country to democracy. In 1993, a new constitution was adopted which left the king without royal powers; in 1994 a coup suspended Parliament again, but it only lasted a month.
Despite alleged voting irregularities and another brief period of upheaval in the late 1990s that led to military intervention by Botswanan and South African troops, Lesotho continues to democratize. The country is currently relatively stable and the security situation has stabilised.
Lesotho is home to some beautiful national parks, most notably Sehlabathebe National Park, with horse riding, fishing and beautiful hiking. Lesotho is also a great country for handicrafts, with Teyateyaneng being the undisputed center of traditional arts. This is where you can find beautiful Basotho tapestries and clothing.
Getting to Lesotho is easiest from South Africa, where there are daily flights from Johannesburg to Moshoeshoe. While you might expect to find buses for overland routes, you’ll need to take a taxi for the last leg of the journey, as there are no direct buses from any major South African city to Lesotho.
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