I know I've talked a lot about Lesotho's mountains, but they truly are one of my favorite parts of living here, as well as a big part of what makes Lesotho unique from the rest of southern Africa! Over 90 percent of the country is covered in mountains--that's more than anywhere else in Africa. The mountains can be divided into three ranges: the Maloti Mountains in the north, the Drakensberg in the south and the Central Range in the middle of the country. I live on the edge of the Drakensberg range, which goes all the way into South Africa! As you will read, the mountains are beautiful and have some valuable natural resources, but they also make it difficult to develop more rural areas.
Lesotho is nicknamed "the Kingdom in the Sky" because of its high altitude all around the country. Although some parts of Lesotho are not super mountainous (known here as the "lowlands"), the whole country still sits above 1,400 meters (4,593 feet) in elevation. That is the highest lowest point of any country in the world! Lesotho is also the only country in the world located entirely above 1,000 meters (3,281 feet)! My village sits at around 6,000 feet above sea level, which is about the same as Colorado Springs. For comparison, you all in Mississippi live at about 360 feet above sea level.
