Often called the Kingdom in the Sky, Lesotho is the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above 4,500 feet. The majestic Maluti mountains rise to 11,000 feet. The small, surefooted Basotho pony is a regular means of transport in the mountainous country.
The majority of households subsist on farming or migrant labor - miners who work in South Africa. Recession in South Africa has eliminated many of these mining jobs. Severe drought, soil erosion and soil exhaustion has negatively impacted agriculture, including the traditional forms of wealth - cattle and sheep. Boys start herding cattle/sheep when they are five or six years old. Lesotho also has one of sub-Saharan Africa's largest textile industries, employing primarily female workers. The 2015 expiration of the African Growth and Opportunities Act creates concern about the future of this industry. CNN Reports: Lesotho Textiles.
Lesotho has long been known as a source of diamonds, and diamond mining is emerging as a significant source of income. In 2006, the Lesotho Promise, the world's 15th largest diamond, was unearthed at the Letseng Diamond Mine.
This nation of 1.8 million people has the 3rd highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the world, with about 25% of the population affected. Lesotho also suffers from one of the highest rates of tuberculosis infection in the world. Nearly 1,000 people contract drug-resistant TB each year. Lesotho has only one doctor for every 20,000 people (US has one docter per 390 people). In the mountainous country, clinics and patients face difficulties accessing life saving drugs. In addition to Mission Aviation Fellowship, Basuto horsemen serve a vital link in distributing medicing. CNN Reports: Lesotho Horsemen Distribute Hope.
There are an estimated 100,000 children who are orphans as a result of HIV/AIDS, with a total of approximately 180,000 orphans in the country.
