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Countries
Lesotho

Lesotho

Capital: Maseru

About

Lesotho, officially the Kingdom of Lesotho and formerly known as Basutoland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Surrounded by South Africa, it is the largest of the only three sovereign enclaves. Lesotho is located in the Maloti Mountains, with the highest peak in southern Africa. It has an area of over 30,000 km2 (11,600 mi2), with a population of about 2.3 million. Its capital and largest city is Maseru.

When things are closed

Upcoming public holidays in Lesotho. On these dates, expect banks, post offices, and government services to close. Many shops and museums close or run shortened hours; transit typically still runs.

Independence Day
October 4, 2026
Sunday
Christmas Day
December 25, 2026
Friday
St. Stephen's Day · Boxing Day
December 26, 2026
Saturday
New Year's Day
January 1, 2027
Friday
Moshoeshoe Day
March 11, 2027
Thursday
Good Friday
March 26, 2027
Friday

Cities (0)

By the numbers

Population
2.2M
Area
30.4k km²
GDP (nominal)
$2.6B
GDP per capita
$1.1k
HDI
0.514
Life expectancy
54.2 yr

Wikidata · most recent values circa 2022.

Travel

Language
Sesotho, English
Currency
LSL L
Calling code
+266
Schengen
No
Voltage
220V/50Hz
Plugs
M
Drives on
Left
Tap water
Not safe
Emergency
112, 123, 121
Tipping
Appreciated in tourist service: about 5-10% where no service charge is included.
US visa
Visa-free
References4▾▴

These references support the changing or licensed material on this page. Personal notes and ordinary geographic facts are not footnoted individually. Entry rules can change, so verify them before booking.

  1. Travel practicalities. Entry, driving, electricity, water, and official application context. Related: Driving side, World Standards, CDC Yellow Book, WHO drinking-water guidance.
  2. Country background. Wikipedia summary may be clipped or paraphrased. Numeric baselines are cross-checked with Wikidata. Related: Wikidata, .
CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Country flag. Country flag image fallback from ISO code. Related: MIT license.
  • Planning lookups. Daily currency conversion and upcoming public-holiday dates. Related: Nager.Date.
  • Maps, image licenses, and the full dataset registry are listed in site credits.