9 issues in regards to the nation Donald Trump says ‘no person has ever heard of’

US President Donald Trump has stated that “no person has ever heard of” the African nation of Lesotho – a remark that has “shocked” its authorities.

It’s a small nation in southern Africa that just about solely consists of mountains and is totally surrounded by South Africa.

Listed here are 9 issues to know in regards to the nation:

The Kingdom of Lesotho is made up principally of highlands, the place many villages can solely be reached on horseback, by foot or mild plane.

It is called the “Kingdom within the Sky” and is the one unbiased state on the earth that lies solely above 1,000m (3,281ft) in elevation, in accordance with Encyclopaedia Britannica. Its lowest level is at 1,400m.

It’s identified to have one of many world’s most intimidating airstrips to land on – the Matekane Airstrip has a brief runway and with lengthy drops at each ends.

The Enterprise Insider web site describes flying from the airport as “primarily the identical as when a hen is pushed out of the nest as a way to be taught to fly”.

Lesotho is totally encircled by South Africa, however separated by the forbidding mountain ranges.

Not a lot of its land is obtainable for farming, with its inhabitants susceptible to meals shortages and counting on revenue from jobs in South Africa. Over the many years 1000’s of employees have been pressured by the shortage of job alternatives at house to seek out work in South Africa.

The individuals of Lesotho, who quantity greater than two million, share some cultural and language similarities with South Africans. Their language, Sesotho, can be one in every of South Africa’s 11 official languages. The truth is, extra individuals converse it in South Africa – 4.6 million – than in Lesotho.

Sources are scarce in Lesotho – a consequence of the tough surroundings of the highland plateau and restricted agricultural area within the lowlands.

Its greatest useful resource is water – identified domestically as white gold – which is exported to South Africa. Diamonds are one other main export.

If you consider snowboarding and snowboarding, chances are you’ll think about the snowy slopes of Europe and North America.

However Lesotho has been making itself identified on the snowsports scene. It has the best ski resort in sub-Saharan Africa, one in every of only a handful on the continent.

Afriski is located 3,222m above sea degree, excessive up in Lesotho’s Maloti mountains and attracts guests from Africa and past.

Folks from Lesotho are known as Basotho.

A few of the cultural gadgets related to the Basotho individuals are their blankets and the Basotho conventional conical hats, referred to as the mokorotlo. The hat is a nationwide image and seems in the midst of the nation’s flag.

The blankets are constituted of thick wool, with their intricate and vibrant patterns every telling a distinct story of the Basotho individuals’s historical past. The Basotho put on them as shawls at particular occasions and provides them as presents.

Lesotho has one of many highest charges of HIV prevalence on the earth, with one in 5 adults dwelling with HIV, and extra infections per 100,000 individuals than most different international locations, together with neighbouring Namibia, Botswana and Eswatini.

The US authorities has dedicated almost $1bn to assist the nation cope with HIV since 2006, together with for prevention, care and remedy providers, in accordance with the US State Division.

Prince Harry and his shut good friend Lesotho’s Prince Seeiso have arrange a charity within the nation – Sentebale, which suggests “neglect me not”. The charity works with native communities in Lesotho at grassroots degree, serving to younger individuals affected by HIV/Aids.

Prince Harry first went to Lesotho as a 19-year-old and has returned to the nation many occasions since then.

Lesotho is without doubt one of the largest sub-Saharan African exporters of clothes to the US, in accordance with the US authorities’s Worldwide Commerce Administration (ITA) web site.

The exports, which embody denims and textiles, are performed by the US commerce programme, African Progress and Alternative Act (Agoa) which permits eligible African international locations to ship a few of items to the US with out paying taxes.

It’s ranked second by worth of products exported beneath the deal.

The mountain kingdom has the world’s highest suicide price, with 87.5 individuals per 100,000 of the inhabitants taking their very own life yearly, in accordance with the UN World Well being Group.

That is almost 10 occasions the worldwide common of 9 and greater than double the nation with the second highest price, Guyana, which has about 40.

There isn’t any single cause for this stunning statistic – consultants level to the abuse of medicine and alcohol, the scarcity of jobs and the shortage of psychological well being counselling.