Lesotho

The Kingdom of Lesotho, a landlocked country in the Maloti Mountains of South Africa. It is home to the highest mountain peak in South Africa. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. The country's 99.7% of the population is of the Soto ethnic group, after which it is named, so the country is one of the most ethnically homogeneous in the world. Their mother tongue is Sesotho, the official language alongside English. Lesotho has 339 known bird species, among them 10 globally threatened species and two introduced species, 17 reptile species such as geckos, snakes and lizards, as well as 60 mammal species endemic to Lesotho, including the endangered White-Tailed Rat. In the mid-19th century, zebras, wildebeests, ostriches and lions lived in the country. But hunting and deforestation have largely wiped-out large mammal populations, with the last lion killed in the 1870s. Smaller antelopes and rabbits are still present, and hyrax or dassies are common. The Sehlabathebe National Park, located in the southeastern highlands close to Qacha's Nek, protects birds such as birds of prey, and mammals such as Mountain Reedbuck and leopards. Lesotho is the last haven of the magnificent Bearded Vulture, the Lammergeier in South Africa. Lesotho is mostly covered with grasses, but some trees can be found in the landscape. Native trees include Cape willows, cheche bush and wild olive trees. There are several native aloe species, usually found in cooler, wetter areas. The grasslands, reeds and woody shrubs on the slopes have been drastically depleted and altered by overgrazing, overuse and soil erosion.