ACDA celebrates an African country annually because most Guyanese of African descent cannot trace their ancestral roots to a particular African nation. In choosing a particular African country to highlight every year, ACDA seeks to educate young and old about African countries and to remind them that Africa has 54 countries and is not a single country like China or India or the United States.
Traditionally, ACDA honours an African country every Emancipation festival by building an educational booth for that country. However, this year, 2026, the focus will be the Kingdom of Lesotho. A country with a very rich African influence, history and culture, it will proudly be showcased during the observance of this Emancipation, as we explore our glorious past.
Lesotho, officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Surrounded by South Africa, it is the largest of the only three sovereign enclaves. Lesotho is located in the Maloti Mountains, with the highest peak in Southern Africa. It has an area of over 30,000 km² (11,600 mi²), and is home to a population of about 2.3 million. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Known as the “Kingdom in the Sky,” its lowest point is 1,400 metres above sea level.
It operates as a constitutional monarchy. Lesotho was formed in 1824 by King Moshoeshoe I. King Moshoeshoe II was exiled in 1990 but returned in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995. One year later, Moshoeshoe II died and his son Letsie III took the throne, which he still holds.
The Sotho ethnic group (also known as Basotho), from which the country derives its name, comprises 99.7% of the country’s current population, making it one of the most ethnically homogeneous in the world. Their native language, Sesotho, is an official language along with English, isiXhosa, and SiPhuthi.
