Lesotho: Political System
According to CANCERMATTERS.NET, Lesotho is a parliamentary monarchy in the Commonwealth. The king has predominantly representative functions; active participation in political events is prohibited by the constitution. The bicameral parliament consists of a senate (upper house) and a national assembly (lower house). There are 33 members in the Senate, 22 of whom are tribal chiefs (mostly descendants of Moshoeshoe I, whose seat in the Senate is inherited), and the King appoints a further eleven members on the proposal of the government. The National Assembly currently has 120 seats and is elected directly by the people every five years in a general, free, equal and secret ballot. 80 seats are determined by majority vote and 40 by proportional representation. See AbbreviationFinder for more information about Lesotho politics, and acronyms as well.
The official name of the country is:
| Kingdom of LesothoMmuso wa Lesotho
Kingdom of Lesotho |
National anthem
“Lesotho Fatse La Bo Ntat’a Rona” (Lesotho, Land of Our Fathers) has been the national anthem of Lesotho since 1967. The text was written by François Coillard, the music was composed by Ferdinand-Samuel Laur.
| In English | In English |
| Lesotho, land of our Fathers,You are the most beautiful country of all.
You give us birth, In you we are reared And you are dear to us.Lord, we ask you to protect Lesotho. Keep us free from conflict and tribulations. Oh, land of mine, Land of our Fathers, May you have peace. |
Lesotho, land of our fathers,you are the most beautiful country of all.
You give us life, in you we are safe and you are loving to us.Lord, we ask you to protect Lesotho. Save us from conflict and grief. Oh our land, land of our fathers, may you be in peace. |
National flag
The national flag of Lesotho was officially introduced on October 4, 1906. The flag is striped blue, white and green. In the white stripe there is a stylized mokorotlo – a traditional Basotho headgear – which was modeled on the shape of the Qiloane mountain. Based on flag descriptions by Countryaah.com, the colors of the flag are interpreted as follows:
– White stands for peace
– Blue symbolizes the sky and the rain
– Green symbolizes prosperity
- Check top-mba-universities for public holidays, sports events, UNESCO world heritage sites and major places to visit in Lesotho.
Lesotho: animals
Mammals
The approximately 60 mammal species in the country are mostly smaller animals. The following animals are an exception, including the rare bergfriedbuck:
Bear baboons
The bear baboon (Papio ursinus) belongs to the family of vervet monkeys (Cercopithecidae). They reach a size of up to 115 cm with an approx. 70 cm long tail. They are the largest baboons. On the back, their fur is dark brown or gray in color, while the underside is lighter. Their hands and feet are mostly black. The long and hairless snout is dark purple or black in color, as are the seat calluses
Saddleback hyenas
The Saddleback hyena (Parahyaena brunnea), also known as the brown hyena, has a head-trunk length between 110 and 136 cm, with a 20 to 25 cm long tail. The shoulder height of the males is around 70 cm and the females around 75 cm. Their weight varies between 35 and 45 kg. This type of hyena is not patterned or striped, its fur is predominantly a single color dark brown. Only the neck and shoulders are yellowish-beige in color, and some dark and light horizontal stripes run along the legs.
Cape foxes The Cape fox (Vulpes chama) belongs to the genus Vulpes in the tribe of real foxes (Vulpini) in the dog family (Canidae). Its fur is silver gray with a slight yellow tinge on the sides and belly. Therefore the animals are also known as silverback foxes. Its large ears and dark mouth region are striking. The shoulder height of the animals is about 30 cm, with a weight of 3 to 4 kg. The animals are as big as smaller dogs.
Klipspringer
Klippspringer are native to Africa of the genus Oreotragus in the subfamily of the antelopes (Antilopinae) in the family of the horned bearers (Bovidae).
The animals reach a shoulder height of almost 60 cm – with a weight of 10 to 15 kg, whereby the females are slightly larger and heavier than the males. In contrast, the males have short, straight and widely spaced spikes with a length of about 20 to 25 cm. It is interesting that in the northern regions, as in Ethiopia, the females also have horns. Their fur is yellow to brown and gray in color, dense and bristly and has a black mottling. The belly of the animals is whitish in color. The abdomen, chin, and lips are covered with white or cream-colored hair.
Kronenducker
The Kronenducker (Sylvicapra grimmia) is a kind in the genus Sylvicapra in the tribe of the duiker (Cephalophini) in the family of the horned bearers (Bovidae).
The back of the animals is gray-brown to reddish-yellow, while their belly is light to whitish. There is a dark brown to black markings between their front legs and on their face. Your shoulder height is about 50 cm – with a weight of 20 kg. You are as big as a slightly larger dog.
Oribis
The Oribis (Ourebia) are a genus in the tribe of the gazelle-like (Antilopini) in the family of the horned bearers (Bovidae). The animals reach a shoulder height of up to about 65 cm, with a weight of up to about 20 kg. Their horns reach a length of approx. 18 cm. They are reddish-brown on the back and whitish on the belly, with a light spot on the throat.
Rehantelopes
Rehantelopes (Pelea capreolus) belong to the genus Pelea in the family of the horned bearers (Bovidae). With a weight of 20 kg and a shoulder height of 75 cm, they belong to the small antelopes. On the back, the animals are gray, with a thick and woolly fur. Their ventral side is whitish. The ears are long and they have a large, black nose. Only the males have straight horns.
Nowadays the animals are only found in South Africa and Lesotho
Farm animals and pets
In addition to wild animals, there are also the following farm animals and pets in Lesotho:
cattle, horses, sheep, goats, donkeys, chickens, geese, dogs and cats.
Birds
The local storks, ibises, herons and vultures are striking – including the rare bearded vulture. Smaller local birds include weaver birds and the malachite nectar bird.
Poisonous animals
– Mole viper (Pseudaspis cana)
– Boomslang (Dispholidus typus)
– Mountain otter (Bitis atropos)
– Common puff adder (Bitis arietans)
– Cape cobra (Naja nivea)
– Black-banded spitting cobra (Naja nigrocincta)
You can also encounter poisonous spiders, millipedes and scorpions.
Lesotho: plants
Lesotho is a country with only a few trees. The land consists mainly of mountain pastures and grass steppes with their low shrubs, bushes and grasses.
The few tree species are mainly eucalyptus trees or acacias as well as willows on the river banks. Peach trees and other fruit trees were also planted here and there. The mountain cabbage tree, up to 3 m high, is interesting. The following two nature reserves are a certain exception:
Sehlabathebe National Park
The 65 km² Sehlabathebe National Park in the southeast of the country on the border with South Africa has existed since 1969 and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013. The park is particularly known for its water lilies.
Tšehlanyane National Park
The Tšehlanyane National Park in the Butha-Buthe district is a protected area in Lesotho which, despite its name, is not officially recognized as a national park. The only primeval forest in the country grows here with mountain bamboo plants, which gave the park and the river their names.
The two parks are home to most of Lesotho’s wildlife and flora.
