History of Lesotho (1945 - Present)
- 1939-45 - World War II, with 20,000 Sotho serving in the British forces.
- 1966 - Independence as Kingdom of Lesotho, with Moshoeshoe II as king and Chief Leabua Jonathan (Basotho National Party) as prime minister.
- 1970 - Oppostion Basutoland Congress Party leads in polls but Chief Jonathan suspends constitution, sends king into temporary exile.
- 1986 - South Africa blocks borders, demanding expulsion of anti-apartheid activists. Major-General Justin Lekhanya replaces Chief Jonathan in coup.
- 1990 - King Moshoeshoe II goes into exile. His son is sworn in as Letsie III.
- 1991 - Lekhanya forced out by Colonel Elias Tutsoane Ramaema, who lifts ban on political activity.
- 1993 - Basutoland Congress Party comes to power in elections.
- 1994 - Fighting among rival army factions.
- 2015 February - Pakalitha Mosisili becomes prime minister at the head of a coalition formed after early elections.
Basic Information
Population - 2.1 Million
Type of Government - Unitary State
Major Religions - Majority of the inhabitants are Christian, however some follow the traditional African religions. Also some follow Islamic and Judaism faith.
Population - 2.1 Million
Type of Government - Unitary State
Major Religions - Majority of the inhabitants are Christian, however some follow the traditional African religions. Also some follow Islamic and Judaism faith.
Culture
- The Sotho ethnic group comprises almost 100 percent of Lesotho's population. The homogeneous makeup of the country has allowed Lesotho to avoid much of the civil unrest that has plagued other African nations with more ethnically diverse populations.
- Maletsunyane Falls - is a 192-meter-high (630 ft) waterfall in the Southern African country Lesotho. It is located near the town of Semonkong (Site of smoke), which also is named after the falls.The waterfall is on the Maletsunyane River and it falls from a ledge of Triassic-Jurassic basalt.
- Maluti Mountains - Found in the highlands of Lesotho, the Maluti Mountains, also spelled Maloti, form the border between Lesotho and South Africa. Here you can find snow or frost on the highest peaks almost all year round and you can usually enjoy skiing between the months of May and July when the snow is plentiful.