Lesotho History
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In other languages: History
Kingdom of Lesotho is an enclaved country within the border of South Africa. Lesotho was previously the British Crown Colony of Basutoland, but it declared independence from the United Kingdom on 4 October 1966. It is now a fully sovereign state. The name Lesotho roughly translates to the land of the people who speak Sesotho.
Basutoland first received the protection of Britain in 1868. In 1871, the territory was annexed to the Cape Colony, but in 1884 it was restored to direct control of the British government. In 1966, Basutoland became an independent and sovereign member of the British Commonwealth under the name of the Kingdom of Lesotho.
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Timeline
1795 - Subsequent evolution of the state hinged on conflicts between British and Dutch colonists leaving the Cape Colony following its seizure from the French-allied Dutch by the British
1822 - The present Lesotho, then called Basutoland, emerged as a single polity
1868 - It was agreed to make Basutoland a British protectorate
1966 - Basutoland gained its independence from Britain and became the Kingdom of Lesotho