Kingdom in the Sky (Lesotho)

Photographs taken by Sara in March 2025 from a trip up Sani Pass through the Drakensburg mountains in South Africa.

Lesotho, known as ‘The Kingdom in the Sky’,  is one of the world’s highest countries, with a lowest point of 1,400 meters above sea level. It is a high-altitude, landlocked kingdom entirely encircled by South Africa, and crisscrossed by a network of rivers and mountain ranges. Its greatest resource is water – known locally as white gold – which is exported to South Africa. Diamonds are another major export. 

The country, however, faces significant socioeconomic challenges, including high poverty rates, unemployment, and the world’s second-highest HIV prevalence, along with high population density in some areas and a lack of arable land. Poor soil quality and the threat of climate change contribute to food insecurity, and a dependence on jobs in South Africa. Limited road networks due to the mountainous terrain, also present ongoing infrastructure challenge.

The mountain kingdom has the world’s highest suicide rate, with 87.5 people per 100,000 of the population taking their own life every year, according to the UN World Health Organization.