Lesotho is an enclave country in South Africa, considered the smallest country in Africa.
October 2006 is the date of the official adoption of the modern flag of Lesotho. The flag was changed to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the proclamation of state independence.
This is what the modern flag of Lesotho looks like:
According to the law of Lesotho, only government agencies may use the banner on land. On the water – by the vessels of the country.
History of the flag
The modern flag of Lesotho had several predecessors. In 1884 the British crown colony of Basutoland appeared.
First adopted in the year of independence of the state – in October 1966 Basutoland declared independence. The base was blue, with two lines – green and red – crossed near the staff. It also depicted the national headdress.
The basis for the original banner was the shades of the Basuto National Party, which achieved independence for the state.
The second banner of the kingdom appeared in 1987 after a change in the political structure. The banner was crossed by two diagonal lines. The left triangle was filled with the image of a spear and sword on a white background. The right one was green and separated from the left one by a blue stripe.
The next flag change was made in 2006 to the modern flag.
Description
The modern banner is rectangular in shape, the cloth is divided into 3 horizontal lines. The lower and upper one are the same size. The middle line is slightly larger.
Flag colors
The banner consists of blue, white and green stripes. The white part shows a black basuto headdress – mokorotlo.
Meaning of colors and flag symbol
The colors and symbols were not chosen at random:
- white signifies peace;
- green means prosperity;
- blue – water;
- The mokorotlo image is a tribute to the national party that led Lesotho to victory. It symbolizes the patriotism of the people of Lesotho.
The color scheme consists of the colors of the basuto party.
The mokorotlo image on the flag must occupy 92% of the height of the white stripe.
Interesting facts about the flag
After the military coup and the change of power in 1987, the first flag of Lesotho was no longer used because it was too associated with the Basuto National Party. The new authorities did not want that, so they decided to change the state symbol.
Despite the change of power and the military coup, the Lesotho flag was and still is a symbol of patriotism and the willingness of citizens to fight for the state, if circumstances require it.
General information about Lesotho
| Official language | English and Sesotho |
| Capital | Maseru |
| Territory | 30 355 km2 |
| Population | 2 031 000 people |
| Currency | rand, lothi |
| Phone Code | +266 |
