These are but glimpses of a small and remarkable country whose survival as an enclave is testimony to an enduring national spirit; a country created by the wisdom and diplomacy of Moshoeshoe the Great; and a country which, in , after 98 years under the British flag, again took its place among the family of nations.
In Lesotho today, all are equal under the law, and all those who come in this spirit are welcome. Lesotho prizes its friendship with foreign countries and gratefully acknowledges their interest in its national development.
Although Lesotho may seem small on the map of Africa, it is possible to travel for many days and not exhaust its scenic delights. Map makers have as yet recorded few of its 10, villages; few persons have climbed more than a score of its thousand mountain peaks; and archaeologists have as yet probed only a handful of its hundreds of rock shelters. Those coming to Maseru will find an interesting people and a very rewarding tour.
Slightly larger than Maryland and slightly smaller than Belgium, Lesotho covers an area of 11, square miles. It is roughly in the form of a circle, miles across. The rest of the country is composed of highlands that rise to 11, feet in the Drakensburg Range, which forms the eastern boundary with KwaZulu Natal. It is located 5, feet above sea level on the Caledon River, which forms the western boundary between Lesotho and the Free State in South Africa.
Surrounded by scenic bluffs and mesas, Maseru has a small central business district and several neighborhoods with good housing. The surrounding countryside is severely affected by soil erosion, and despite sufficient water, the lowlands have little natural vegetation for much of the year. The landscape, mountainous, bare, dotted with picturesque villages, is starkly beautiful.
