Lesotho, officially the Kingdom of Lesotho (), is an enclaved, landlocked country in southern Africa completely surrounded by South Africa. It is just over in size and has a population of around /1e6 round 0 million. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. 

Previously known as Basutoland, Lesotho declared independence from the United Kingdom on 4 October 1966. It is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The name "Lesotho" translates roughly into "the land of the people who speak Sesotho". About 40% of the population lives below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day. 

The original inhabitants of the area now known as Lesotho were the San people. Examples of their rock art can be found in the mountains throughout the area. 

The present Lesotho, then called Basutoland, emerged as a single polity under King Moshoeshoe I in 1822. Moshoeshoe, a son of Mokhachane, a minor chief of the Bakoteli lineage, formed his own clan and became a chief around 1804. Between 1821 and 1823, he and his followers settled at the Butha-Buthe Mountain, joining with former adversaries in resistance against the Lifaqane associated with the reign of Shaka Zulu from 1818 to 1828.
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Mokhachane, a minor chief of the Bakoteli lineage