Lesotho: Flag and Facts
Lesotho's flag has blue, white, and green horizontal stripes, with a black mokorotlo, the cone-shaped straw hat of the Basotho, at its center.
- Official name
- Kingdom of Lesotho
- Capital
- Maseru
- Region
- Southern Africa
- Population
- 2.2 million (2025)
- Languages
- English, Sotho
- Currency
- Lesotho loti, South African rand
- Area
- 30,355 km² (11,720 sq mi)
- People
- Mosotho
- Calling code
- +266
- Highest point
- Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m
- Independence
- 4 October 1966 (from the UK)
- National symbols
- mokorotio (Basotho hat)
- Borders
- South Africa
About Lesotho
Green means prosperity, white means peace, and blue means rain. This version was introduced in 2006 to mark 40 years of independence, and the woven hat on it is also the national symbol.
In the early 19th century, Moshoeshoe I pulled together the lands that became Basutoland and crowned himself king in 1822. Pressure from Dutch settlers in the Orange Free State led him to sign an 1868 deal with the UK, which made the area a British protectorate and later, after 1884, a crown colony. On 4 October 1966, the country gained independence and took the name Kingdom of Lesotho. Elections in 2012 produced the first coalition government in its history. Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa, and nearly all of it is highland, with plateaus, hills, and mountains.
Did you know?
- Thabana Ntlenyana is Lesotho's tallest peak at 3,482 m.
- The median age in Lesotho is just 24 years.
- Lesotho is slightly smaller than Maryland.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Lesotho
What currency does Lesotho use?
Lesotho uses its own loti, and the South African rand is accepted too.
What is the capital of Lesotho?
Maseru is the capital, with about 202,000 people as of 2018.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.