n.
officially Kingdom of Lesotho formerly Basutoland
Country, southern Africa, an enclave lying within the Republic of South Africa.
Area: 11,720 sq mi (30,355 sq km). Population (2002 est.): 2,208,000. Capital: Maseru . Almost all of the population are Sotho , a Bantu-speaking people. Languages: Sotho, English (both official), Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, French. Religions: Christianity (official), including Roman Catholicism, Lesotho Evangelical Church, Anglicanism. Currency: loti. About two-thirds of Lesotho's total area is mountainous; its highest point is Mount Ntlenyana (11,424 ft [3,482 m]). The Maloti Mountains in the central northwest are the source of two of South Africa's largest rivers, the Tugela and the Orange . Mineral resources are scant. Agriculture employs two-thirds of the workforce; the chief farm products are corn, sorghum, and wheat. Livestock provides exports (cattle, wool, and mohair). Industries include food processing, textiles and apparel, and furniture. Lesotho is a republic with two legislative houses; its chief of state is the king, and the head of government is the prime minister. Bantu-speaking farmers began to settle the area in the 16th century, and a number of chiefdoms arose. The most powerful of them organized the Basotho in 1824 and obtained British protection in 1843 as tension between the Basotho and the South African Boers increased. It became a British territory in 1868 and was annexed to the Cape Colony in 1871. The colony's effort to disarm the Basotho resulted in revolt in 1880, and four years later it separated from the colony and became a British High Commission Territory. In 1964 it declared its independence as a constitutional monarchy. A new constitution, effective in 1993, ended seven years of military rule. At the beginning of the 21st century, Lesotho suffered from internal political problems and a deteriorating economy.