Which African country is completely surrounded by South Africa?

Lesotho is one of only a handful of countries on Earth enclosed entirely by a single neighbour, and its survival as a separate state comes down to terrain and timing. In the nineteenth century the Basotho under Moshoeshoe I consolidated in the Maloti mountains, using the high ground as a defensive stronghold against raids and then against Boer expansion from the surrounding plains. Facing continued pressure, Moshoeshoe sought British protection, and the territory became the protectorate of Basutoland, administered separately from the colonies that later formed South Africa. Because it was never incorporated into the Union of South Africa, it emerged from decolonisation as an independent kingdom rather than a province. The mountains that made that possible also define daily life: the country is entirely highland, with snowfall in winter and rivers rising in its peaks that are dammed and sold as water to the industrial heartland of the country encircling it.

Water from Lesotho's highland dams is piped north to supply the Johannesburg region, making it a significant export.