Lesotho Images
Lesotho is popularly called the "Mountain Kingdom" or "Kingdom in the Sky" (more than 80% of the country is 5900 feet above sea level ~ the peak of Ben Nevis is just 4409 feet above sea level by comparison) and is a land locked country of some 18,861 square miles that shares a 565 mile border with its surrounding country of South Africa.
Lesotho's mountains are the source of two of the main rivers of South Africa, the Orange (or Senqu) and the Tugela and these mountains are home to one of the highest single drop waterfalls in Africa, the Maletsunyane Waterfalls at Semongkong ~ Semongkong meaning 'The Place of Smoke' after the haze that the 610 footwater drop creates as it plummets into a spectacular gorge.
This mountainous topography has led to a fragile ecology within Lesotho as the soil level is very thin, and, although most families grow some of their own vegetables, overuse of limited natural resources has resulted in soil erosion and to some extent desertification as much of what soil there is is no longer arable.
Lesotho is divided into four main geographical areas, with 59% of the country being mountainous, the foothills of the Maluti mountains accounting for 15% of the landmass, the lowland region covering 17% and the Senqu Valley from the Senqu or Orange River to deep into the mountains accounting for the remaining 9%.
This video shows some of the breath taking images of Lesotho and goes some way to explain why the country is becoming a popular tourist destination despite its many challenges elsewhere.


TAGS: Lesotho Images, Images of Lesotho, Lesotho Images Video, Lesotho Picture Images, Kingdom in the Sky Images, Lesotho Country Images