The Kingdom of Lesotho is a tiny independent country, about the size of the State of Maryland, that gained independence from Great Britain in 1966. It is entirely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa and is economically integrated with it. Lesotho’s economy is substantially based on diamonds, which are exported all over the world, and water. The water is accumulated by Lesotho in the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, a large dam and water project financed by the World Bank and others. The dam makes the country self-sufficient in electricity, and the sale of electricity and water to South Africa makes the country virtually self-sufficient economically.
