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Basutoland
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Basutoland

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Basutoland was a British Crown colony that existed from 1884 to 1966 in present-day Lesotho, bordered with the Cape Colony, Natal Colony and Orange River Colony until 1910 and completely surrounded by South Africa from 1910. Though the Basotho (then known as Basuto) and their territory had been under British control starting in 1868 (and ruled by Cape Colony from 1871), the rule by Cape Colony was unpopular and unable to control the territory. As a result, Basutoland was brought under direct authority of Queen Victoria, via the High Commissioner, and run by an Executive Council presided over b

Key facts

Country.conventional_long_name
Colony of Basutoland
Country.common_name
Basutoland
Country.empire
British Empire
Country.status
Crown Colony under partial local rule
Country.year_start
18 March 1884
Country.year_end
4 October 1966
Country.p1
Cape Colony
Country.flag_p1
Flag of the Cape Colony (1876–1910).svg
Country.s1
Lesotho
Country.flag_s1
Flag of Lesotho (1966–1987).svg
Country.image_flag
Flag of the United Kingdom (1-2).svg
Country.flag_type
Flag
Country.image_coat
Coat of arms of Basutoland.svg
Country.symbol_type_article
Coat of arms of Lesotho
Country.royal_anthem
God Save the Queen (1884–1901; 1952–1966) God Save the King (1901–1952)
Country.image_map
LocationLesotho.svg
Country.capital
Maseru
Country.languages_type
Languages

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Show 2 more facts
inception
1884-01-01
dissolved, abolished or demolished date
1966-01-01
Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~16 min read

Article

17 sections
Contents
  • History
  • Background
  • As a crown colony
  • Interwar period
  • Self government
  • Independence
  • Government
  • Executive branch
  • Legislative branch
  • Paramount Chief
  • Demographics
  • Economy
  • Districts
  • British Resident Commissioners
  • Chief Justices
  • References
  • External links

Basutoland was a British Crown colony that existed from 1884 to 1966 in present-day Lesotho, bordered with the Cape Colony, Natal Colony and Orange River Colony until 1910 and completely surrounded by South Africa from 1910. Though the Basotho (then known as Basuto) and their territory had been under British control starting in 1868 (and ruled by Cape Colony from 1871), the rule by Cape Colony was unpopular and unable to control the territory. As a result, Basutoland was brought under direct authority of Queen Victoria, via the High Commissioner, and run by an Executive Council presided over by a series of British Resident Commissioners.

It was divided into seven administrative districts: Berea, Leribe, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mafeteng, Qacha's Nek and Quthing.

Gallery (8)

On the map

3 mapped locations

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