Editing Lesotho (section)

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of Lesotho}}
[[File:Lesotho Topography.png|thumb|Topographic map]]
[[File:AfriSki.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Afriski|Afriski resort]] in the [[Maloti Mountains]]]]
Lesotho covers {{convert|30355|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}. It is the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above {{convert|1000|m|ft|0}} in elevation. Its lowest point of {{convert|1400|m|ft|0}} is thus the [[List of countries by lowest point|highest lowest point of any country in the world]]. Over 80% of the country lies above {{convert|1800|m|ft|0}}. Lesotho is the southernmost landlocked country in the world. It is the largest of the world's [[List of countries that border only one other country#Landlocked|three independent states completely surrounded by the territory of another country]], with [[Vatican City]] and [[San Marino]] being the other two. It is the only such state outside the Italian peninsula and [[Europe]], as well as the only one that is not a [[microstate]].

Lesotho lies between latitudes [[28th parallel south|28°]] and [[31st parallel south|31°S]], and longitudes [[27th meridian east|27°]] and [[30th meridian east|30°E]]. About 12% of Lesotho is arable land which is vulnerable to [[soil erosion]]; it is estimated that 40 million tons of soil are lost each year due to erosion.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.lesmet.org.ls/|title=Lesotho Meteorological Services|website=www.lesmet.org.ls|access-date=2019-12-16|archive-date=17 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717083358/http://www.lesmet.org.ls/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Climate===
{{Main|Climate of Lesotho}}
Because of its elevation, Lesotho remains cooler throughout the year than other regions at the same latitude. Most of the rain falls as summer [[thunderstorm]]s. [[Maseru]] and surrounding lowlands may reach {{convert|30|°C|°F|abbr=on}} in summer. The temperature in the lowlands can get down to {{convert|-7|°C|°F|abbr=on}} and the highlands to {{convert|-18|°C|°F|abbr=on}} at times. Snow is more common in the highlands between May and September; the higher peaks may experience snowfalls year-round. Rainfall in Lesotho is variable regarding both when and where precipitation occurs. Annual precipitation can vary from 500 mm annually in one area to 1200 mm in another because of elevation.<ref name=":1" /> The summer season that stretches from October to April sees the most rainfall, and from December to February, the majority of the country receives over 100 mm of rain a month.<ref name=":1" /> The least monthly rainfall in Lesotho occurs in June when most regions receive less than 15 mm a month.<ref name=":1" />

===Drought===
[[File:Early Morning view from Sehlabathebe House - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Hills]]

Periodic [[drought]]s have an effect on Lesotho's majority rural population as some people living outside of urban areas rely on [[Subsistence agriculture|subsistence farming]] or small scale agriculture as their primary source of income.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|author1=Elgoni, A. G.|author2=Ntsike, M.|author3=Matji, M.|date=1997|title=Quality of Life under Drought Conditions. A Case Study of Children in Lesotho|journal=Quality of Life Research|volume=6|issue=5|pages=456}}</ref> Droughts in Lesotho are exacerbated by some agricultural practices.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|date=2007|title=LESOTHO: Severe Drought|journal=Africa Research Bulletin: Economic, Financial and Technical Series|volume=44|issue=6}}</ref> [[The World Factbook]] lists periodic droughts under the 'Natural Hazard' section of Lesotho's section of the publication.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/lesotho/|title=Africa :: Lesotho — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency|website=www.cia.gov|access-date=2019-12-16|archive-date=2 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702003726/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/lesotho/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2007, Lesotho experienced a drought and was advised by the [[United Nations]] to declare a state of emergency to get aid from international organizations.<ref name=":2" /> The [[Famine Early Warning Systems Network]] reported that the rainy season of 2018/2019 not only started a month later than normal but also recorded below-average amounts of rain.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/lesotho/lesotho-drought-situation-update-01-2-may-2019|title=Lesotho: Drought Situation Update 01 (as of 2 May 2019) - Lesotho|website=ReliefWeb|date=3 May 2019|language=en|access-date=2019-12-16|archive-date=16 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316031528/https://reliefweb.int/report/lesotho/lesotho-drought-situation-update-01-2-may-2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Data from the Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation Station (CHIRP) shows rainfall in Lesotho between October 2018 and February 2019 ranged from 55% to 80% below normal rates.<ref name=":4" />

In March 2019, the Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis Committee conducted a report that initially predicted that 487,857 people in the country need humanitarian assistance because of the effects of drought.<ref name=":4" />

There are a variety of different ways drought in Lesotho has led to the need for humanitarian assistance. Some hygiene practices that result from "a lack of clean water" can cause cases of [[Typhoid fever|typhoid]] and [[diarrhea]]. Lack of available water indirectly leads to an "increased risk" for women and girls who collect water for household consumption as they must spend more time and travel longer distances while running the risk of being physically or sexually assaulted.<ref name=":4" /> Drought in Lesotho leads to both migration to more urban areas and immigration to South Africa for new opportunities and to escape food insecurity.<ref name=":3" /> The report found that between July 2019 and June 2020 640,000 people in Lesotho are expected to be affected by food insecurity as a result of "unproductive harvests as well as the corresponding rise in food prices because of the drought".<ref name=":4" />

===Wildlife===
{{Main|Wildlife of Lesotho}}
{{Category see also|Environment of Lesotho}}
[[File:Aloe polyphylla 3.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Aloe polyphylla]]'']]
There are known to be [[List of birds of Lesotho|339 bird species]] in Lesotho, including 10 globally threatened species and two introduced species, [[List of reptiles of Lesotho|17 reptile species]], including geckos, snakes and lizards, and [[List of mammals of Lesotho|60 mammal species]] endemic to Lesotho, including the endangered [[white-tailed rat]].

Lesotho's flora is [[Alpine plants|alpine]], due to mountainous terrain. The [[Katse Botanical Gardens]] houses a collection of [[medicinal plants]] and has a seed bank of plants from the [[Malibamat'so River]] area.<ref name=golesotho>{{cite web|title=Katse Botanical Garden|url=http://www.golesotho.co.za/Other%20Pages/Botanical%20Garden.html|publisher=St Ives Communications|access-date=9 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227101048/http://www.golesotho.co.za/Other%20Pages/Botanical%20Garden.html|archive-date=27 December 2016|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Flora - Semonkong Lodge|url=http://www.semonkonglodge.com/about-maletsunyane-falls/flora-of-lesotho/|website=Semonkong|access-date=9 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220082110/http://www.semonkonglodge.com/about-maletsunyane-falls/flora-of-lesotho/|archive-date=20 December 2016|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Three terrestrial ecoregions lie within Lesotho's boundaries: [[Drakensberg alti-montane grasslands and woodlands]], [[Drakensberg montane grasslands]], and [[Highveld grasslands]].<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">{{cite journal|last1=Dinerstein|first1=Eric|last2=Olson|first2=David|last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly|last5=Burgess|first5=Neil D.|last6=Wikramanayake|first6=Eric|last7=Hahn|first7=Nathan|last8=Palminteri|first8=Suzanne|last9=Hedao|first9=Prashant|last10=Noss|first10=Reed|last11=Hansen|first11=Matt|last12=Locke|first12=Harvey|last13=Ellis|first13=Erle C|last14=Jones|first14=Benjamin|last15=Barber|first15=Charles Victor|last16=Hayes|first16=Randy|last17=Kormos|first17=Cyril|last18=Martin|first18=Vance|last19=Crist|first19=Eileen|last20=Sechrest|first20=Wes|last21=Price|first21=Lori|last22=Baillie|first22=Jonathan E. M.|last23=Weeden|first23=Don|last24=Suckling|first24=Kierán|last25=Davis|first25=Crystal|last26=Sizer|first26=Nigel|last27=Moore|first27=Rebecca|last28=Thau|first28=David|last29=Birch|first29=Tanya|last30=Potapov|first30=Peter|last31=Turubanova|first31=Svetlana|last32=Tyukavina|first32=Alexandra|last33=de Souza|first33=Nadia|last34=Pintea|first34=Lilian|last35=Brito|first35=José C.|last36=Llewellyn|first36=Othman A.|last37=Miller|first37=Anthony G.|last38=Patzelt|first38=Annette|last39=Ghazanfar|first39=Shahina A.|last40=Timberlake|first40=Jonathan|last41=Klöser|first41=Heinz|last42=Shennan-Farpón|first42=Yara|last43=Kindt|first43=Roeland|last44=Lillesø|first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow|last45=van Breugel|first45=Paulo|last46=Graudal|first46=Lars|last47=Voge|first47=Maianna|last48=Al-Shammari|first48=Khalaf F.|last49=Saleem|first49=Muhammad|display-authors=1|title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm|journal=BioScience|volume=67|issue=6|year=2017|pages=534–545|issn=0006-3568|doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014|pmid=28608869|pmc=5451287|doi-access=free}}</ref>