Lesotho 
 

12 Mar 1868 - 4 Oct 1966     20 Mar 1951 - 4 Oct 1966 Resident Commissioner's flag                   20 Mar 1951 - 4 Oct 1966 (Unofficial)                4 Oct 1966 - 20 Jan 1987             20 Jan 1987 - 4 Oct 2006                 Adopted 4 Oct 2006  Map of Lesotho  Hear National Anthem “Lesotho fatse la bo ntat'a rona” (Lesotho, Land of Our Fathers)   Text of National Anthem Adopted 4 Oct 1966  Constitution (2 Apr 1993) Capital: Maseru (Thaba Bosiu Jul 1824-11 Mar 1869; Butha-Buthe 1822- 1824) Currencies: Loti (LSL); South African Rand (ZAR)  National Holiday: 4 Oct (1966) Independence Day Population: 2,128,180 (2008) GDP: $3.37 billion (2008) Exports: $1.06 billion (2008) Imports: $1.33 billion (2008) Ethnic groups: Sotho 80.3%, Zulu 14.4%, white,  Asian, and other 5.3% (2000) Total Active Armed Forces: 2,000 (2006) Merchant marine: None (2008) Religions: Christian 91% (of which Roman Catholic 37.5%,  unaffiliated Christian 23.9%, Protestant [mostly Reformed  and Anglican] 17.7%, independent Christian 11.9%), traditional beliefs 7.7%, other 1.3%  (2000) International Organizations/Treaties: ACP, AfDB, APM, AU, BTWC, C, CMA, CTBT, FAO, G-77, IAEA (applicant), IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, KP, MIGA, NAM, NPT, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCLOS, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Lesotho Chronology 1822                       Lesotho emerges as a polity. 13 Dec 1843                Recognized by Britain. 12 Mar 1868                British Protectorate (Basutoland). 11 Aug 1871 - 18 Mar 1884  Annexed to Cape Colony (Basutoland territory). 18 Mar 1884                Basutoland a separate colony, as one of                               the High Commission Territories (see Botswana). 30 Apr 1965                Autonomy  4 Oct 1966                Independence from Britain (Kingdom of Lesotho). 22 Sep 1998 - 15 May 1999  Occupied by Southern African Development Community                              (SADC) peacekeeping force led by Botswana and                              Africa.

Paramount chiefs
1822 - 18 Jan 1870         Moshoeshoe I                       (b. c.1786 - d. 1870)
18 Jan 1870 - 20 Nov 1891  Letsie I Moshoeshoe                (b. c.1811 - d. 1891)
20 Nov 1891 - 19 Aug 1905  Lerotholi Letsie                   (b. c.1836 - d. 1905)
21 Aug 1905 - 28 Jan 1913  Letsie II Lerotholi                (b. c.1869 - d. 1913)
11 Apr 1913 - Jul 1939     Nathaniel Griffith Lerotholi       (b. c.1871 - d. 1939)
 3 Aug 1939 - 26 Dec 1940  Simon Seeiso Griffith              (b. 1905 - d. 1940)
26 Dec 1940 - 28 Jan 1941  Gabasane Masopha (acting)          (d. 1949)
28 Jan 1941 - 12 Mar 1960  'Masntsebo Amelia 'Matsaba         (b. 1902 - d. 1964)
                             Sempe (f) (acting)
12 Mar 1960 - 30 Apr 1965  Moshoeshoe II                      (b. 1938 - d. 1996)
Kings¹
30 Apr 1965 - 10 Feb 1970  Moshoeshoe II (1st time)           (s.a.)
                             (in Netherlands exile Feb 1970 - Dec 1970)
10 Feb 1970 -  5 Jun 1970  Joseph Leabua Jonathan (Tona-Kholo)(b. 1914 - d. 1987)
 5 Jun 1970 -  5 Dec 1970  Queen 'MaMohato (1st time) -Regent (b. 1941 - d. 2003)
 5 Dec 1970 - 12 Nov 1990  Moshoeshoe II (2nd time)           (s.a.)
                             (exiled from 10 Mar 1990)
10 Mar 1990 - 12 Nov 1990  Queen 'MaMohato (2nd time) -Regent (s.a.)
                             (regent for exiled Moshoeshoe)
12 Nov 1990 - 25 Jan 1995  Letsie III (1st time)              (b. 1963)
25 Jan 1995 - 15 Jan 1996  Moshoeshoe II (3rd time)           (s.a.)
15 Jan 1996 -  7 Feb 1996  Queen 'MaMohato (3rd time) -Regent (s.a.)
 7 Feb 1996 -              Letsie III (2nd time)              (s.a.)
 

Prime ministers
 6 May 1965 -  7 Jul 1965  Chief Sekhonyana Nehemia           (b. 1918 - d. 1986)  BNP
                             Maseribane 
 7 Jul 1965 - 20 Jan 1986  Chief Joseph Leabua Jonathan       (s.a.)               BNP
Chairmen of the Military Council
24 Jan 1986 -  2 May 1991  Justin Metsing Lekhanya            (b. 1938)            Mil
 2 May 1991 -  2 Apr 1993  Elias Phisoana Ramaema             (b. 1933)            Mil
Prime ministers 
 2 Apr 1993 - 17 Aug 1994  Ntsu Mokhehle (1st time)           (b. 1918 - d. 1999)  BCP
17 Aug 1994 - 14 Sep 1994  Hae Phoofolo (interim)                                  Mil
14 Sep 1994 - 29 May 1998  Ntsu Mokhehle (2nd time)           (s.a.)              BCP;1997 LCD
29 May 1998 -              Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili         (b. 1945)            LCD

Commander of SADC Forces
22 Sep 1998 - 15 May 1999  Robbie Hartslief (South Africa)    (b. 1957 - d. 2006)

High Commissioners Agents
12 Mar 1868 - Apr 1868     Sir Walter Currie                  (b. 1819 - d. 1872)
Apr 1868 - May 1870        James Henry Bowker (acting to 1869)(b. 1822 - d. 1900)
May 1870 - Aug 1871        William Henry Surmon               (b. 1835 - d. 1900)
Cape Government Agents
Aug 1871 - 1877            Charles Duncan Griffith (1st time) (b. 1830 - d. 1906)
1877 -  9 Dec 1877         Emile Rolland (1st time)(acting)
 9 Dec 1877 - 1878         Charles Duncan Griffith (2nd time) (s.a.)
1878 - 10 Oct 1878         Emile Rolland (2nd time)(acting)
10 Oct 1878 - 25 Aug 1881  Charles Duncan Griffith (3rd time) (s.a.)
25 Aug 1881 - 16 Mar 1883  Joseph Millerd Orpen (acting)      (b. 1828 - d. 1923)
17 Mar 1883 - 18 Mar 1884  Matthew Smith Beyth (acting)
British Resident Commissioners
(subordinated to the High Commissioner for Southern Africa to 31 Jul 1964)
18 Mar 1884 - 18 Sep 1894  Marshal James Clarke               (b. 1841 - d. 1909)
18 Sep 1894 - 1895         Godfrey Yeatsman Lagden (1st time) (b. 1851 - d. 1934)
1895                       Sir Herbert Cecil Sloley (1st time)(b. 1855 - d. 1937)
                             (acting)
1895 - 1901                Godfrey Yeatsman Lagden (2nd time) (s.a.) 
1902 - 1913                Sir Herbert Cecil Sloley (2nd time)(s.a.)
1913                       James MacGregor (acting)
1913 - 1916                Sir Herbert Cecil Sloley (3rd time)(s.a.)
1916 - 1917                Robert Thorne Coryndon             (b. 1870 - d. 1925)
1917 - Apr 1926            Edward Charles Frederick Garraway  (b. 1865 - d. 1932)
Apr 1926 - Mar 1935        John Christian Ramsay Sturrock     (b. 1875 - d. 1937)
Mar 1935 - Aug 1942        Sir Edmund Charles Smith Richards  (b. 1889 - d. 1955)
Aug 1942 - Nov 1946        Charles Nobel Arden-Clarke         (b. 1898 - d. 1962)
Nov 1946 - 24 Oct 1951     Aubrey Denzil Forsyth-Thompson     (b. 1897 - d. 1982)
24 Oct 1951 - Sep 1956     Edwin Porter Arrowsmith            (b. 1909 - d. 1992)
Sep 1956 - 1961            Alan Geoffrey Tunstal Chaplin      (b. 1908 - d. 1967)
1961 - 30 Apr 1965         Alexander Falconer Giles           (b. 1915 - d. 1989)
British Government Representative
30 Apr 1965 -  4 Oct 1966  Alexander Falconer Giles           (s.a.)

 ¹Full style of the ruler: Morêna o Moholo oa Lesotho ("King of Lesotho").

Party abbreviations: BCP = Basotho Congress Party; BNP = Basotho National Party (conservative); LCD = Lesotho Congress for Democracy (social-democratic); Mil = Military