Lesotho

Lesotho, officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a land-locked country, entirely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. Formerly Basutoland, it is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name Lesotho roughly translates into "the land of the people who speak Sesotho."

The present Lesotho emerged as a single polity in 1822. It was recognized as Basutoland by the United Kingdom in 1843, and in 1868 became one of the High Commission Territories. It was annexed to the Cape Colony in 1871. In 1883 control was transferred directly to the British Crown. On 30 April 1965 it was granted autonomy. It changed its name to Lesotho when it gained full independence within the Commonwealth of Nations on October 4, 1966.

Stamps of the Cape of Good Hope were used from 1871 to 1910 and those of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1933.