Lesotho: Land and People

Land and People

The Drakensberg Range occupies the eastern part of the country; elevations vary from more than 11,000 ft (3,353 m) along the eastern frontier to c.8,000 ft (2,440 m) farther west. The rest of the kingdom is a heavily populated, rocky tableland with a semiarid to semihumid climate. The population is comprised almost totally of the Sotho people. About 80% are Christian, and the balance adhere to indigenous religions. Most of Lesotho's small non-African population is engaged in administrative, commercial, or missionary work. English and Sesotho (a Bantu tongue) are the official languages of the kingdom; Zulu and Xhosa are also spoken.

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