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

US President Donald Trump has mentioned 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 nearly fully 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 impartial state on this planet that lies fully above 1,000m (3,281ft) in elevation, in line 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 chicken is pushed out of the nest with a view to study 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 weak to meals shortages and counting on revenue from jobs in South Africa. Over the many years hundreds of employees have been pressured by the dearth of job alternatives at residence to search out work in South Africa.

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

Assets are scarce in Lesotho – a consequence of the cruel setting of the highland plateau and restricted agricultural area within the lowlands.

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

If you consider snowboarding and snowboarding, you could think about the snowy slopes of Europe and North America.

However Lesotho has been making itself identified on the snowsports scene. It has the very best ski resort in sub-Saharan Africa, one among 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.

Among the cultural objects related to the Basotho persons are their blankets and the Basotho conventional conical hats, often known as the mokorotlo. The hat is a nationwide image and seems in the course of the nation’s flag.

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

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

The US authorities has dedicated practically $1bn to assist the nation cope with HIV since 2006, together with for prevention, care and therapy companies, in line with the US State Division.

Prince Harry and his shut pal Lesotho’s Prince Seeiso have arrange a charity within the nation – Sentebale, which implies “overlook me not”. The charity works with native communities in Lesotho at grassroots degree, serving to younger folks 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 one among sub-Saharan Africa’s largest exporters of clothes to the US.

Final 12 months, it exported $237m (£184m) value of clothes, together with denims and textiles, to the US by means of the African Progress and Alternative Act (Agoa), which permits eligible African international locations to ship some 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 fee, with 87.5 folks per 100,000 of the inhabitants taking their very own life yearly, in line with the UN World Well being Group.

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

There isn’t a single purpose for this surprising statistic – specialists level to the abuse of medicine and alcohol, the scarcity of jobs and the dearth of psychological well being counselling.