CHAPTER TWO 2. Country background and context 46. The Basotho nation was established by King Moshoeshoe I about 200 years ago. He did this through bringing together disparate groups of refugees from various parts of Southern Africa who had been dislocated in the 18th and 19th Centuries by war, famine and natural migration. The nation thus began as an amalgamation of individuals from various ethnicities and political, cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Although a significant majority of the non-Sotho elements within this polity (mainly the Nguni in the north and south) retained their traditions, language and practices, they increasingly intermarried and were assimilated into the general culture and social life of the Basotho, and into what is now the Kingdom of Lesotho. Consequently, Lesotho stands unique in Africa as one of a few countries with an almost homogeneous ethnic composition, language and culture. The major religion is Christianity. 47. Lesotho is one of the few constitutional monarchies in the world and is unique in Africa in this regard. The king is the head of state, and appoints the prime minister, who is the head of government. His Majesty King Letsie III, the first son of the late King Moshoeshoe II and Queen Mother Mamohato Bereng Seeiso, is the reigning monarch. He succeeded his father, King Moshoeshoe II, when the latter was forced into exile in 1990. King Letsie III abdicated on 25 January 1995, the day on which His Majesty King Moshoeshoe II was reinstated on return from exile. Following the tragic death of King Moshoeshoe II on 15 January 1996, King Letsie III was reinstalled as king on 7 February 1996. His coronation took place on 31 October 1997 in Maseru. 2.1 Social development context 48. Lesotho is a small country totally landlocked by South Africa. The country covers a total area of 11,718 square miles (30,355 square kilometres). Lesotho is the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above 1,400 metres (4,593 feet) in elevation; the lowest point is 1,400 metres (4,593 feet), and over 80 per cent of the country lies above 1,800 metres (5,900 feet). It is for this reason that Lesotho is sometimes referred to as the ‘Mountain Kingdom’ or the ‘Kingdom in the Sky’. Three-quarters of the country is mountainous and not easily accessible. The remaining quarter of the country comprises lowlands, where 80 per cent of the people live, and is the most intensively cultivated zone. Only 9 per cent of land is under cultivation. The population distribution in Lesotho is 23.8 per cent urban and 76.2 per cent rural. 49. Compared with many other African countries, Lesotho is relatively small in terms of population size (only The Gambia, Swaziland, Botswana and Namibia have comparable or smaller populations). The Population Census of 1996 established the country’s total population at 1.96 million. The latest census of 2006 estimates the population at 1.88 million, 76.2 per cent of which is said to be 31