LesothoGeography
|
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% (2001)
| |
Irrigated land: |
10 sq km (1998 est.)
| |
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
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
|
More about Lesotho:
Introduction
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues
|
