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History of Lesotho

A kingdom formed in 1824 by King Moshoeshoe I and surrounded by South Africa. 2 eras, 1884 to today.

Basutoland, 1884–1966 Draft, not yet reviewed

Basutoland was a British Crown colony that existed from 1884 to 1966 in present-day Lesotho. Basutoland was brought under direct authority of Queen Victoria, via the High Commissioner, and run by an Executive Council presided over by a series of British Resident Commissioners. On 12 March 1868, a proclamation declared the Basotho to be British subjects and Basutoland to be British territory. Basutoland gained its independence from the United Kingdom on 4 October 1966 and was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Seat of power: Maseru

Lesotho, 1966 to today Draft, not yet reviewed

Lesotho is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, surrounded by South Africa. It achieved independence in 1966, and was subsequently ruled by the Basotho National Party (BNP) for two decades. Its constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. Moshoeshoe II died and his son Letsie III took the throne, which he still holds.

Seat of power: Maseru

Rulers

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.