Geography of Lesotho
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Map_Lesotho_SRTM.png
Map of Lesotho
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Map of Lesotho
Location: Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
Geographic coordinates: Template:Coor dm
Map references: Africa
Area:
total:
30,355 km²
land:
30,355 km²
water:
0 km²
Area - comparative: one and a half times the size of Wales; 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 (the highest lowest-point of any country in the world)
highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m
Natural resources: water, agricultural and grazing land, some diamonds and other minerals
Land use:
arable land: 10.71%
permanent crops: 0%
Other: 89.29% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 10 km² (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, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified:
Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping
Geography - note: landlocked; surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea level; only country in the world that lies entirely above 1,000 meters. Lesotho is one of only three states surrounded entirely by another; the other two are San Marino and the Vatican, in Italy.