Snow covered highlands from the Kingdom of Lesotho

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The Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, completely surrounded by its only neighbouring country, the Republic of South Africa.

Does it ever snow in Africa? One of the few places in Africa where there's regular snowfall and even a chance to ski. Lesotho is one of the coldest countries in Africa. During the coldest month, July, the temperatures range from -3 to 17 °C.

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(right) A Red Crossbill (1999 issue), a finch species.

A Postcard from Lesotho: The Big Five of South Africa

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The Lion, the African elephant, the cape buffalo, the leopard and the rhinoceros. What do these animals have in common?

Are they the most dangerous animals of Africa? No, the hippo kills more people in Africa than any other. Are they the largest animals of Africa? No, the lion and the leopard are much smaller than the hippo or a giraffe.

The origin of the Big Five is at the beginning of the twentieth century. The white settlers went on hunting safaris. The Big Five refers to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot! The members of the Big Five were chosen for the difficulty in hunting them and the degree of danger involved.  

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Aloe broomii is a short-stemmed, robust aloe reaching a height of 1.5 m.  Lekhala means aloe in Lesotho.

A Postcard from the Kingdom in the Sky: Lesotho

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High in the mountains of Southern Africa, unique in that it is an independent nation completely surrounded by South Africa, is the Kingdom of Lesotho — the Kingdom in the Sky. It is the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above 1,000 meters (3,281 ft) in elevation. Its capital and largest city is Maseru.

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Aloe broomii is a short-stemmed, robust aloe reaching a height of 1.5 m.  Lekhala means aloe in Lesotho.