Lesotho from F to J
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F
- famine (tlala--famine)
- In late 2002 and early 2003 famine hit Lesotho. The UN's Food and
Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) sent
a crop and food supply assessment team to the country. The government
of Lesotho had itself just declared a state of famine. In May 2003,
at the time of writing, there is still an alarming shortage of food
in the country. Children suffering from malnutrition and older people
are the ones most susceptible to death by famine. For more information,
here is a fuller report: Food shortages in Lesotho
- flag (folakha)
- The Lesotho flag is a tri-colour (from top-left to bottom right) of
white (half the surface area of the flag), blue and green (each with
half the remaining surface area). The white has a light brown emblem,
an assegai (Lerumo) and a knobkerrie (Koto) mounted on
a traditional Basotho shield (Thebe) with a plumed spine.
The government website says: "The Lesotho Flag is based on the tradition
[sic] motto of the Lesotho Nation, Khotso (Peace); Pula (Rain); Nala
(Prosperity). It was promulated through the National Flag Order No.
1 of 1987, and hoisted for the first time on January 20, 1987. COLOURS:
White symbolises PEACE, blue symbolises RAIN, green symbolises PROSPERITY.
PROPORTIONS: WHITE--occupies the top triangular half with diagonal traversing
from left bottom corner adjoining the hoist. BLUE AND GREEN--Each occupies
half the surface area of the lower triangule, in that order. The light
brown shield is situated on the white half of the flag, with its centre
line one fifth (1/5) of the distance from the hoist. Supported by an
assegai (left), a bludgeon (right), and a plumed spine (centre), it
symbolises the Lesotho Nation's traditional safeguards for peace."
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G
- government ('muso)
- Since May 1998, the head of government has been Prime Minister Pakalitha
Mosisili. The government is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
Parliament is comprised of the National Assembly, whose 80 members are
elected by plurality vote from single-seat constituencies, and the Senate,
whose 33 senators are 22 Principal Chiefs and 11 members chosen by the
majority party.
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H
- hlotse (motse oa hlotse)
- Hlotse is in the Leribe district. It was founded in 1876 by an Anglican
missionary, the Reverend John Widdicombe, and suffered heavily during
the 1880 Gun War. Today it is quite a small town with little to offer
but a few shops and department stores. There are, however, the remains
of a small army tower (Major Bell's Tower) built by the British and
now in ruin. King Moshoeshoe I, the founder of
the nation, was born in the nearby village of Menkhoaneng.
- highlands water project
- The Lesotho Highlands Water Project is a massive, multi-dam scheme
built to divert water from Lesotho’s Maluti Mountains to South Africa’s
industrial Gauteng Province. The Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP)
is between the Kingdom of Lesotho and the Republic of South Africa.
One of the biggest and most complex engineering projects of its nature
in the world, it's aimed at harnessing Lesotho's rich water resources
and using them to the mutual advantage of South Africans and Basotho.
But in order to be truly successful, the Lesotho Highlands Water Project
must achieve a credible equilibrium between this general success and
local gains. Basotho must soon begin to feel a positive change in their
daily lives, and this change must be attributable to the project. If
not, then The Lesotho Highlands Water Project will have failed.
For more information, visit the project's site.
- holidays (matsatsi a phomolo)
- 1 January --> New Year's Day
11 March --> Moshoeshoe's Day
4 April --> Hero's Day
Varies --> Good Friday
Varies --> Easter Monday
1 May --> Workers' Day
17 July --> King's Birthday
Varies --> Ascension
4 October --> INDEPENDENCE DAY
25 December --> Christmas Day
26 December --> Boxing Day
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I
- independence (boipuso)
- On 4 October 1966, Basutoland became independent as Lesotho when the
British granted full independence; in elections leading up to independence,
the Basotho National Party (BNP), led by Chief Leabua Jonathan, had
won the majority of the votes, having been allegedly supported by the
South African government and the Catholic Church of Lesotho.
- iso code
- The iso code for Lesotho is 'LS'.
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J
- joala (beer or alcohol) (joala)
- Beer and other homemade alcoholic drinks are known
as joala, bojoala or leting. That's what you need to ask for when you
get to Lesotho.
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- jonathan
- Joseph
Leabua Jonathan was born in 1914 and died of a heart attack in 1987. He
was prime minister of Lesotho from 1965 to 1986. In 1959, Mr Jonathan
founded and led the Basutoland National party. He became prime minister
in 1966 (independence
from Britain). Having apparently lost the national election in 1970,
Leabua Jonathan suspended the constitution, ruled by decree and jailed
or exiled the opposition. Several prominent opposition leaders were
attacked or killed, up to the late 80s. South Africa blockaded Lesotho
when Jonathan provided sanctuary to ANC guerrillas. In 1986, Mr Jonathan was overthrown in a bloodless coup, and died while under house arrest a year later.
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