Lesotho is the only sovereign state whose entire territory lies above 1,000 metres above sea level.
The mountainous kingdom is completely surrounded by South Africa, making it an enclave. Its lowest point, where the Makhaleng and Senqunyane rivers meet, is about 1,400 metres above sea level, well above the 1,000-metre threshold.
Lesotho is often called the Kingdom in the Sky because of its high elevation and rugged terrain. The Drakensberg and Maloti mountain systems cover much of the country, while the western lowlands contain the largest concentration of settlements and farmland.
Rwanda, Bhutan and Eswatini are also elevated countries, but each has land below 1,000 metres. Lesotho is not usually grouped with the world’s smallest countries by area, yet its roughly 30,000-square-kilometre territory is small compared with many African states and its geographic superlative is distinctive.