Lesotho country profile

The Kingdom of Lesotho is made up mostly of highlands, where many of the villages can be reached only on horseback, by foot or light aircraft.

Resources are scarce - a consequence of the harsh environment of the highland plateau and limited agricultural space in the lowlands. The former British protectorate has been heavily dependent on the country which completely surrounds it - South Africa.

Over the decades thousands of workers have been forced by the lack of job opportunities to find work at South African mines. The Lesotho Highlands Water Project was completed in the 1990s to export water to South Africa.

Lesotho has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world, with one in five adults living with HIV, and more infections per 100,000 people than most other countries, including neighbouring Namibia, Botswana and Eswatini.

• Read more country profiles - Profiles by BBC Monitoring

KINGDOM OF LESOTHO: FACTS

• Capital: Maseru

• Area: 30,355 sq km

• Population: 2.2 million

• Languages: Sesotho, English

• Life expectancy: 51 years (men) 57 years (women)

LEADERS

Head of state: King Letsie III

King Letsie III succeeded his father, King Moshoeshoe II, who was dethroned in 1990.

Five years later, after the return to civilian government and amid political instability, he abdicated and his father was reinstated as monarch.

Letsie III was restored as king in 1996 after his father died in a car accident. The monarch has no legislative or executive powers.

Prime minister: Sam Matekane

Diamond magnate-turned-politician Sam Matekane became prime minster after winning October 2022 elections, just seven months after founding his Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) party.

He self-funded a political campaign which had a heavy social media presence. His party won 56 out of the 120 seats in the National Assembly.

He campaigned on a platform of halting Lesotho's recent political instability. He says his priority will be dealing with corruption - "rooting it out completely" - turning around the country's economy as well as "de-politicising" the country's security forces.

The outgoing prime minster, Moeketsi Majoro, had taken over as prime minister in May 2020, after the resignation of veteran leader Thomas Thabane, who had been named as a suspect in the murder of his ex-wife.

MEDIA

Radio is the most-popular medium. As well as domestic outlets, South African radio and TV stations can be received.

• Read full media profile

TIMELINE

About two-thirds of the Lesotho's income comes from its agricultural sector

Some key dates in Lesotho's history:

1822 - Basutoland founded by Moshoeshoe I, who unites various groups to repel challenges from Zulus under Shaka Zulu.

1834 - Territorial encroachment by Boer trekkers starts decades of conflict.

1858-68 - Free State-Basuto Wars: a series of wars fought between Basuto's ruler, Moshoeshoe I, and white settlers, in what is now known as the Free State - Senekal's War of 1858, the Seqiti War of 1865−1866 and the Third Basotho War of 1867−68.

1868 - Moshoeshoe appeals to Queen Victoria to make Basutoland a British protectorate.

1869 - Treaty of Aliwal North between Britain and the Boers which defines the boundaries of Basutoland. It reduces Moshoeshoe's kingdom to half its previous size by ceding its western territories.

1870 - Moshoeshoe dies, marking the beginning of the colonial era of Basutoland

1871 - Annexed to the Cape Colony.

1880-81 - The Basuto Gun War or Basutoland Rebellion: British attempts to disarm the Basuto people fail and spark a successful military revolt against the overstretched colonial authorities. Basutoland becomes a British High Commission Territory, and is not later incorporated into the Union of South Africa.

1884 - Becomes a British colony. Paramount chiefs retain large degree of autonomy.

1939-45 - World War Two, with 20,000 Sotho serving in British forces.

1950s - Political parties emerge, press for independence.

1966 - Independence as Kingdom of Lesotho, with Moshoeshoe II as king and Chief Leabua Jonathan (Basotho National Party) as prime minister.

1990 - King Moshoeshoe II goes into exile. His son is sworn in as Letsie III.

1995-1996 - Moshoeshoe II restored to throne, but dies in a car crash. Letsie III restored as king.

1998 - Troops from the region restore order following disputed elections.

2004 - Official opening of first phase of Lesotho Highlands Water Project.

2007 - State of emergency declared as Lesotho experiences its most severe drought in 30 years.

2014 - An alleged coup attempt sees Prime Minister Thomas Thabane flee to South Africa for three days.

2020 - Thomas Thabane formally steps down as prime minister of Lesotho following months of pressure after being named as a suspect in the murder of his ex-wife. The charges are dropped in 2022.

The Lesotho Highlands Water Project provides water for South Africa's industrial heartland