Geography of Lesotho
Location: | Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa |
Geographic coordinates: | 29 30 S, 28 30 E |
Map references: | Africa |
Area: | total: 30,355 sq km land: 30,355 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Maryland |
Land boundaries: | total: 909 km border countries: South Africa 909 km |
Coastline: | 0 km (landlocked) |
Maritime claims: | none (landlocked) |
Climate: | temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers |
Terrain: | mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains |
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m |
Natural resources: | water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone |
Land use: | arable land: 10.87% permanent crops: 0.13% other: 89% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 30 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards: | periodic droughts |
Environment - current issues: | population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa |
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
Geography - note: | landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea level |