Learning about Lesotho

Every once in a while I like to pick an obscure topic and learn about it. I get that from my mother. She would have loved the internet! This time, after a nice chat with my friends Caly and Morgaine (waving hello!) about small countries that we don’t know much about, I remembered that I’ve been meaning to learn more about Lesotho for quite some time.

Lesotho fascinates me because it’s the only officially recognized country that is entirely surrounded by another country, in this case, South Africa. What must that be like? I’ve always meant to find out.

Also sharing this surrounded status is the republic of San Marino, within Vatican City, within the city of Rome, in Italy. But it’s not a “country” country, you know? And then there’s the disputed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh has declared itself independent, but no other government has recognized this status. So Lesotho is the one that catches my eye.

The first place I look is Wikipedia. Some interesting facts that it mentions are:

• About 40% of the population lives below the international poverty line of $1.25 a day.
• A third of the population is HIV positive.
• It is the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above 1000 meters above sea level.
• It is the southernmost landlocked country in the world.
• It’s hard to imagine this in Africa, but some of its highest peaks are covered in snow all year round.
• Most of its 2 million citizens subsist on farming.
• Despite the many strikes against them, their adult literacy rate is relatively high at 82 percent.

As you can imagine, when you are completely surrounded by another country, you tend to develop a sort of love/hate relationship with it. From Africa in Fact and the Daily Maverick, I have learned that these two countries are dependent upon each other.

• Much of Lesotho’s income comes from remittances from relatives who are working in South Africa.
• South Africa relies on Lesotho for a good source of wage laborers.
• South Africa, desperate for water, pays the mountainous Lesotho, desperate for money, for an ongoing project that is basically an elaborate system of dams that will divert its abundant water to the South African people.
• Lesotho’s government has long been unstable. There have been many coups and battles for power. So any sense of that instability which might threaten that 900 million dollar dam project makes the government in Pretoria extremely nervous.
• Border tensions are high because there is a great deal of cattle theft going on. Also, Lesotho’s passport is apparently quite easy to forge, which makes it a delicious target for criminals from other countries who wish to cross into South Africa. Therefore, there have been a great deal of travel restrictions imposed upon the people of Lesotho. Imagine what a problem that is if you are surrounded by an uncooperative country, and you are too poor to fly out. Basically you are trapped in your own country whether you like it or not.
• And then there was that embarrassing incident in 1998 in which South Africa invaded Lesotho. In less than a week, 2,000 ill-trained troops sent the South African Military scurrying home with their collective tail between their legs.

From what I can tell, Lesotho is a beautiful country that is fraught with hardship and challenges. I look forward to seeing what comes next for the people of this unique kingdom. May their future be more peaceful.

Part of the dam project with traditional houses in foreground.

[Image credit: africa.com]

I realize I’m the victim of my own warped sense of African stereotype, but still… snow in Africa! Wow!

[Image credit: bootsnall.com]

Author: The View from a Drawbridge

I have been a bridgetender since 2001, and gives me plenty of time to think and observe the world. View all posts by The View from a Drawbridge