How big is Lesotho really?
Lesotho covers 30,594 km² (11,812 mi²).
- Area
- 30,594 km² (11,812 mi²)
- Rank by area
- 139 of 219 countries and territories
- Closest in size
- Belgium (30,567 km²)
- Population
- 2,175,000
- People per km²
- 71
- Size on a Mercator map
- 1.3 times the real size
Open in TrueSizeAll countries by area
Lesotho vs United States (Contiguous 48)
The larger of the two covers 259 times the area of the smaller one, so the smaller one would fit into it 259 times.
| Lesotho | United States (Contiguous 48) | |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 30,594 km² | 7,930,605 km² |
| Population | 2,175,000 | 330,211,806 |
| People per km² | 71 | 42 |
| Difference in area | 7,900,011 km² | |
Lesotho vs United Kingdom
The larger of the two covers 7.9 times the area of the smaller one, so the smaller one would fit into it 7.9 times.
| Lesotho | United Kingdom | |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 30,594 km² | 242,602 km² |
| Population | 2,175,000 | 67,736,802 |
| People per km² | 71 | 279 |
| Difference in area | 212,008 km² | |
Lesotho on a Mercator map
Most online maps and many printed world maps use the Mercator projection, which enlarges areas more and more towards the poles. On these maps this outline is drawn 1.3 times larger than its true size.
The outline reaches from 30.7° S to 28.6° S; at these latitudes Mercator enlarges areas between 1.3 and 1.4 times.
- Area as drawn on a Mercator map
- 40,597 km²
- A country that really is about that size
- Switzerland
Countries closest in size
| Rank | Country | Area | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 138 | Moldova | 33,767 km² | +10% |
| 139 | Lesotho | 30,594 km² | – |
| 140 | Belgium | 30,567 km² | -0.1% |
| 141 | Armenia | 29,684 km² | -3% |
| 142 | Albania | 28,745 km² | -6% |
| 143 | Solomon Islands | 27,541 km² | -10% |
Lesotho: largest regions
| Region | Area | Share of the country |
|---|---|---|
| Thaba-Tseka District | 4,846 km² | 16% |
| Mokhotlong District | 4,183 km² | 14% |
| Maseru District | 3,989 km² | 13% |
| Mohale's Hoek District | 3,483 km² | 11% |
| Quthing District | 2,978 km² | 9.7% |
- First-level regions in TrueSize
- 10
Lesotho in history
- First entry on the timeline
- 1822: Basotho settlement at Butha-Buthe under Moshoeshoe I
- Border changes on the timeline
- 6
- Largest extent on the timeline
- 50,132 km² (1858–1865)
| Names on the timeline | Years |
|---|---|
| Kingdom of Lesotho with elected local councils | 2005 |
| Kingdom of Lesotho after the 2007 parliamentary election | 2007–2009 |
| Kingdom of Lesotho Constitutional Reform Acts | 2011 |
| Kingdom of Lesotho under the first coalition government | 2012–2013 |
| Kingdom of Lesotho during the 2014 Political Crisis | 2014 |
| Kingdom of Lesotho under a new coalition government | 2015–2016 |
| Kingdom of Lesotho under the post-election coalition | 2017 |
| Kingdom of Lesotho after the dual-citizenship amendment | 2018–2019 |
| Kingdom of Lesotho under the fourth coalition government | 2020–2021 |
| Kingdom of Lesotho under the RFP-led coalition government | 2022–2023 |
| Kingdom of Lesotho after the Ninth Amendment ruling | 2024 |
| Kingdom of Lesotho after the Tenth Constitutional Amendment | 2025–Today |
More comparisons
Areas are calculated from the outlines TrueSize draws on the map, so they can differ slightly from official figures. Population figures are estimates.