Lesotho

Lesotho is the only country in the world where every square meter of land sits above 1,000 meters elevation. This tiny mountain kingdom is completely surrounded by South Africa - one of only three countries on Earth entirely enveloped by another. But Lesotho is no mere geographic curiosity. Its highest peak, Thabana Ntlenyana at 3,482 meters, makes it the highest country in Africa by lowest point, and the Drakensberg escarpment along its eastern border provides some of the most dramatic mountain scenery on the continent.

The Basotho people have maintained their identity and independence against remarkable odds. King Moshoeshoe I united the nation in the 19th century by retreating to the flat-topped mountain fortress of Thaba Bosiu, which proved unassailable to both Zulu and Boer attackers. Today, Lesotho is famous for its blanket-wearing horsemen on sturdy Basotho ponies, navigating mountain passes that no vehicle can reach. The highlands get snow in winter, making Afriski the only ski resort in southern Africa. Water is the country's most valuable export - the massive Lesotho Highlands Water Project pipes water to thirsty South Africa through tunnels blasted through mountains.