Why Hasn’t South Africa Conquered or Annexed Lesotho?
Surrounded on all sides yet independent
If you happen to glance at a map of South Africa, you will notice something odd. Within the boundaries of the nation resides an entirely separate and independent nation. This enclave is known as Lesotho. Lesotho stands out because enclave nations are incredibly rare. In fact, there are only three left in existence. Historically, enclaves were prime targets for larger nations to absorb them. Whether it was the indigenous tribes of North America, which the United States slowly subsumed, or the fragmented German kingdoms that used to exist in Central Europe, being an enclave was often a surefire way to annexation.
Politically and geographically, annexation often makes sense in these situations. An enclave will undoubtedly have to have close economic, cultural, and travel relationships with the surrounding nation. Why not join as an autonomous state within a larger conglomerate? Such relationships have been common throughout history, and many nations, such as Spain, China, and Great Britain, have used autonomous regions as a way to integrate unruly territories.
This raises an obvious and interesting question. Why hasn’t Lesotho been annexed or conquered by South Africa? South Africa completely surrounds it, and it is much larger and…
