Lesotho OVERVIEW
Blink and you'll miss it flying over South Africa for Lesotho is a tiny speck of land. Its 30,000 or so square kilometers are squeezed and entirely contained in the Republic of South Africa. Tiny as it is, it ranks high on a number of lists, though. Take the height. Not undeservedly is Lesotho dubbed "The Roof of the World" or "The Kingdom in the Sky". The moniker is definitely well-suited as this round-shaped country is nestled on a lofty plateau of over 1,400 meters and lapped by towering peaks cutting the sky at more than 3,000 meters. The majestic Drakensberg and Maluti ranges naturally border it off its much bigger neighbor and make reaching Lesotho a long way up winding mountain roads.
Lesotho is surely worth the effort of a strenuous walk uphill, for what will spread in front of your bewildered eyes is a spectacular craggy scenery. Here the untamed landscapes of lush valleys and alpine meadow-carpeted fields saturated with crisp mountain air mix with a serene quality of life and a genuinely warm welcome of the Besotho people. All of this best savored on the back of a pony. Alternatively, you can opt for a 4x4 escapade up and down Lesotho sharp curves and excellent new roads. Whichever way you'll choose, expect to experience loads of pristine settings unspoiled by mass tourism.
The highlands are Lesotho's treasure not only because of the stunning vistas. It is also here where the country's wealth, diamonds and water are to be found. The 1986 Lesotho Highlands Water Project made the country self-sufficient in electricity production and fuelled with money from the sale of water. Enough to enjoy a stable economy you might think. Yet an estimated 40 per cent of the population barely makes ends meet with $ 1.25 per day. Poverty and gender inequality also account for HIV/AIDS crisis which haunts the nation with a scary prevalence of more than 20 per cent. Hopefully, with the undertaken proactive programs and prevention projects Lesotho will work out a brighter future for its people and the scenic land.
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