Next in my travel series of throwback trips from last year is Lesotho. I’m writing about Lesotho – a Kingdom within the borders of South Africa – because it meant so much to me when I was there. The history of people living in the area now known as Lesotho goes back as many as 40,000 years.

Facts About Lesotho, South Africa

1. A high-altitude, landlocked kingdom completely encircled by South Africa.
2. Crisscrossed by rivers and mountain ranges, including the 3,482m Thabana Ntlenyana.
3. Thaba Bosiu, near Maseru, holds 19th-century ruins from the reign of King Moshoeshoe I.
4. Thaba Bosiu overlooks Mount Qiloane, a national symbol for the Basotho people.
5. Forms an enclave within South Africa, bordering KwaZulu-Natal, Free State and Eastern Cape.
6. One of only three independent states fully surrounded by another country.
7. About two-thirds of Lesotho is mountainous terrain.
8. Highest peak, Thabana Ntlenyana, stands at 11,424 ft (3,482 m).
9. Landscape is mostly grasses, with Cape willows, cheche bush and wild olives.
10. Rivers host yellowfish, the rare Maloti minnow, plus introduced trout and North African catfish.