Editing Geography of Lesotho (section)

==Physical geography==
{{further|Lesotho Highlands}}
[[File:Lesotho Malealea.jpg|thumb|left|Malealea village in the highlands of Lesotho]]
Lesotho can be roughly divided into three geographic regions: the lowlands, following the southern banks of the [[Caledon River]], and in the [[Senqu River|Senqu river]] valley; the highlands formed by the [[Drakensberg]] and [[Maloti Mountains|Maloti]] mountain ranges in the east and central parts of the country; and the foothills that form a divide between the lowlands and the highlands.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.africaguide.com/country/lesotho/| title=Lesotho travel guide| work=The Africa Guide| access-date=2008-04-19| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509143934/http://www.africaguide.com/country/lesotho/| archive-date=2008-05-09| url-status=dead}}</ref> The lowest elevation in the country is at the junction of the [[Makhaleng River|Makhaleng]] and [[Orange River|Orange]] (Senqu) rivers (at the South African border), which at {{convert|1400|m|ft|0}} is the highest lowest point of any country.<ref name=":0">{{cite book| title=Southern Africa| author=Alan Murphy| publisher=Lonely Planet| year=2007| isbn=978-1-74059-745-6| pages=140}}</ref> Lesotho is the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above {{convert|1000|m|ft|0}} in elevation.<ref name="esa">{{cite web| url=http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEMYMSWUP4F_index_0.html| title=Earth from Space: Winter in southern Africa| author=European Space Agency| access-date=2008-04-19| archive-date=2012-10-20| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020001113/http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEMYMSWUP4F_index_0.html| url-status=live}}</ref> The highest point is the peak of the [[Thabana Ntlenyana]] mountain, which reaches an elevation of {{convert|3482|m|ft|0}}.<ref name="factbook" /> Over 80% of Lesotho lies above {{convert|1800|m|ft|0}}.<ref name="factbook" />

Even though very little of Lesotho is covered in water, the rivers that run across the country are an important part of Lesotho's economy. Much of the country's export income comes from water, and much of its power comes from [[hydroelectricity]].<ref name="lhwp" /> The [[Orange River]] rises in the [[Drakensberg]] mountains in northeastern Lesotho and flows across the entire length of the country before exiting to South Africa at the [[Mohale's Hoek District]] in the southwest. The [[Caledon River]] marks the northwestern part of the border with South Africa. Other rivers include the [[Malibamat'so River|Malibamatso]], [[Matsoku River|Matsoku]] and [[Senqunyane River|Senqunyane]].

The bedrock of Lesotho belongs to the [[Karoo Supergroup]], consisting mostly of [[shale]] and [[sandstone]].<ref>{{cite book| title=The Physical Geography of Africa|author1=W. M. Adams |author2=A. S. Goudie |author3=A. R. Orme|author-link2=Andrew Goudie (geographer) | publisher= Oxford University Press| year= 1999| pages=152| isbn=0-19-823406-6}}</ref> [[Peat]]lands can be found in the highlands of Lesotho, most extensively in the mountainous [[escarpment]] near the country's eastern border. The summit of Thabana Ntlenyana is partially encircled by bogs.<ref>Adams, Goudie, Orme, p. 245</ref>

[[Solifluction|Solifluction deposits]], [[blockfield]]s, [[blockstream (geology)|blockstream]]s and [[stone garland]]s can be found across the higher portions of the Lesotho Highlands. These features were formed in connection to the [[periglaciation|periglacial]] conditions that prevailed during the [[last glacial period]] in the area.<ref name=Sumner2004>{{cite journal|author-last=Sumner |author-first=P.D. |date=2004 |title=Geomorphic and climatic implications of relict openwork block accumulations near Thabana-Ntlenyana, Lesotho|journal=[[Geografiska Annaler|Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography]] |volume=86|issue=3 |pages=289–302|doi=10.1111/j.0435-3676.2004.00232.x |s2cid=128774864 }}</ref><ref name=Millsetal2017>{{cite journal|author-last=Mills |author-first=S.C. |author-last2=Barrows |author-first2=T.T. |author-last3=Telfer|author-first3=M.W.|author-last4=Fifield |author-first4=L.K. |date=2017|title=The cold climate geomorphology of the Eastern Cape Drakensberg: A reevaluation of past climatic conditions during the last glacial cycle in Southern Africa |journal=[[Geomorphology (journal)|Geomorphology]] |volume=278 |number=278|pages=184–194|doi=10.1016/j.geomorph.2016.11.011 |bibcode=2017Geomo.278..184M |hdl=10026.1/8086 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

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