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Kingdom of Lesotho

History

Government Observers

Country Facts

In the early nineteenth century, Chief Moshoeshoe succeeded in consolidating various Basotho peoples and assumed formal leadership over them in 1818. During his reign, which lasted until 1870, he spearheaded the Basotho's campaign against Boer invasions, and during the latter part of his rule, he led a series of wars against South African incursions into Basotho-owned land. Despite the fact that extensive lands, known as the "Lost Territory", fell into the hands of South Africa, Basutoland successfully resisted incorporation into the Union of South Africa. In an effort to ensure that after his reign Basutoland would remain independent from South Africa, Moshoeshoe requested that his kingdom be placed under British protection and in 1868, it became a territory of the British High Commission. Nonetheless, Basutoland's local rulers continued to play an active role in the territory's internal affairs. Just short of a century later Basutoland regained its independence in 1965 and officially changed its name to Lesotho in 1966.

Lesotho's early post-colonial political history was dominated by conflicts over the appropriate roles of the monarchy and the parliament in the country's affairs and tension between the two main political parties, the more radical Basutoland Congress Party (BCP) and the more conservative Basutoland National Party (BNP). The orientation of the main political parties and the monarchy towards the South African state and the question of apartheid also determined the trajectory of politics in Lesotho, prior to 1994. In the post-apartheid era Lesotho's political climate continues to be effected by inter and intra-party conflicts. Lesotho's economic hardships, spawned by the sharp decline of South Africa's gold mining industry, have exacerbated political tensions, as unemployed workers have increasingly become more militant.

Chairman's Statement:

Although diamond mining in Lesotho is relatively young, the diamonds are alluvial and of decent quality. The "Lesotho Promise" is the 20th largest rough diamond ever found and the stone weighed in at 478 carats. More than 90% of this rough diamond was gem-quality and very good color/clarity.

Head of state: His Majesty King LETSIE III (David Mohato Bereng Seeiso)

Minister of Natural Resources: Monyane MOLELEKI

Department of Mines and Geology

P.O. Box 772

Maseru, Lesotho

Telephone: +266 223 23 163

Fax: +266 223 10 527

Population: 1,919,552

Capital: Maseru

Major languages: English (official language), Sesotho, Zulu, Xhosa

Major religion: Christianity, Indigenous Belief Systems

Life expectancy: 58 years (men), 63 years (women)

Monetary unit: 1 loti (L) = 100 lisente

Main exports: Clothing, wool, mohair, food, livestock

Average annual income: US $540

Internet domain: .ls

International dialing code: +266