Lesotho
Geography - People - Economy - Government - Communications - Transportation - Military - Transnational IssuesCountry name - conventional long form : Kingdom of Lesotho
Country name - conventional short form : Lesotho
Country name - local long form : Kingdom of Lesotho
Country name - local short form : Lesotho
Country name - former : Basutoland
Government type : parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Capital - name : Maseru
Capital - time difference : UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
National holiday : Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
Nationality - noun : Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
Nationality - adjective : Basotho
Languages : Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
Currency (code) : loti (LSL); South African rand (ZAR)
Currency code : LSL; ZAR
Lesotho is located Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa. The climate is temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers. The terrain is mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains.
Background
This entry usually highlights major historic events and current issues and may include a statement about one or two key future trends.Background : Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled for the first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Botswanan military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections of February 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties continue to periodically demonstrate their distrust of the results.
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