What to know about Lesotho, the country Trump said ‘nobody has ever heard of’

JOHANNESBURG — In his Tuesday night address to Congress, President Trump defended his administration’s humanitarian aid cuts to countries around the globe, including one nation he joked “nobody has ever heard of.”

It is the southern African nation of Lesotho.

The country’s foreign minister, Lejone Mpotjoane, told NPR it was “quite shocking for the head of state to make such a remark.”

“The government of the United States has an embassy in Maseru [Lesotho’s capital],” Mpotjoane said on Wednesday, adding that the two countries have had “a long cooperation.”

He invited Trump to visit the country.

At least one person attending the address on Capitol Hill could likely place the tiny country on a map: Elon Musk, Trump’s South African-born adviser, who has been instrumental in dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development. Just last fall, Lesotho’s prime minister met with Musk and said they discussed internet access solutions in Lesotho.

Here are some facts about the mountainous kingdom surrounded by South Africa.

The U.S. was helping Lesotho prevent AIDS

First, to address Trump’s comments. Trump said in his speech that the U.S. had sent “$8 million to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of.” Much of the money USAID has sent to Lesotho goes toward HIV prevention. Lesotho is one of the countries in the world hardest-hit by the AIDS epidemic. The United Nations says almost a quarter of the population is living with the virus.

Slashing USAID has sparked fears there could be a resurgence of the disease and people could die unnecessarily. One USAID-funded organization in Lesotho told South African media that the money had been supporting antiretroviral treatment for hundreds of people from the LTBTQ community living with HIV. Another group said thousands of HIV-positive children and pregnant women would be left in the lurch.

Lesotho’s health minister, Selibe Mochoboroane, said the government is working to save the jobs of about 1,500 health workers affected by the funding cuts.

Lesotho is a poor country — but rich in diamonds and H2O

Lesotho was a British protectorate until 1966, when it gained independence. The country has a population of about 2.3 million people and is a constitutional monarchy, where King Letsie III is the head of state and Prime Minister Sam Matekane is the head of government. Matekane won the last elections in 2022, campaigning to root out corruption.

Matekane is a former diamond magnate in a country rich in the gems, some of the biggest ever found have been mined there. Despite its diamond wealth, Lesotho is a poor country — and its economy relies heavily on South Africa. It sells its other major natural resource, water, to its larger neighbor.

Lesotho has a unique style of traditional dress, colorful and intricately patterned woolen blankets, known as Basotho blankets, are worn by some people as shawls. There is also a particular style of straw conical hat worn by some in Lesotho called a “mokorotlo.” It appears on the country’s flag.

Lesotho grows medical marijuana, makes jeans — and has Chinese investments

While the U.S. government may not value its relations with Lesotho, Washington’s main rival for influence in Africa, China, does. China has built much of the country’s infrastructure, including the parliament, and at a large meeting with African heads of state in Beijing last year, the two countries promised to cooperate in an array of other areas, including green energy, education and agriculture.

Chinese — and Taiwanese — businesses have also long been present in the country, with factories specializing in textile and clothing manufacturing. The textile industry is a major employer and Lesotho is the largest sub-Saharan African exporter of garments to the U.S. But labor rights advocates have reported worker abuses in denim factories.

But there’s another industry Lesotho is hoping to cash in on. The country began issuing licenses to grow marijuana for medical purposes in 2017, and there are now a number of companies growing it for export.

It’s a British prince’s second home

One person who certainly knows where Lesotho is: Britain’s Prince Harry. He is a huge fan of the country after spending part of his gap year there after high school. The Duke of Sussex even has a nickname in the Sesotho language: Mohale, which means “warrior.”

He is close to Lesotho’s king and queen and set up a children’s HIV/AIDS charity, Sentebale, with Lesotho’s Prince Seeiso in 2006. He returned to the country last year to mark its bicentenary and said he “rekindled cherished connections from his childhood.” He has previously spoken about how when he first went to Lesotho at 19, still reeling from the death of his mother Princess Diana, he met other young people who were also coping with loss, some of whom were AIDS orphans.

Lesotho has scenic beauty, skiing and golf

Dubbed “the Kingdom in the Sky,” Lesotho is known for its majestic natural beauty, with high, snow-tipped mountains, crystal-clear rivers and lush green valleys. The country’s eastern border with South Africa is formed by the Drakensberg Mountain range, and the highest peak is more than 11,000 feet above sea level. One of only a few ski resorts in Africa can be found in Lesotho. And it boasts the highest pub on the continent, where visitors can get a beer more than 9,000 feet above sea level. In the rural areas, many people in Lesotho ride ponies, and horse trails are another popular tourist offering.

Speaking to NPR, Foreign Minister Mpotjoane mentioned there is a golf course in the capital, near the U.S. Embassy, which he also invited Trump to visit.