Editing Basutoland (section)

{{Short description|British colony from 1884 to 1966}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Use South African English|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Colony of Basutoland
| common_name            = Basutoland
| empire                 = [[British Empire]]
| status                 = [[Crown colony|Crown Colony under partial local rule]]
| year_start             = 18 March 1884
| year_end               = 4 October 1966
| p1                     = Cape Colony
| flag_p1                = Flag of the Cape Colony (1876–1910).svg
| s1                     = Lesotho
| flag_s1                = Flag of Lesotho (1966–1987).svg
| image_flag             = Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
| flag_type              = [[Flag of Lesotho#Historical flags|Flag]]
| flag_size              = 
| image_flag2            = 
| alt_flag2              = 
| image_coat             = Coat of arms of Basutoland.svg
| coa_size               = 
| symbol_type_article    = Coat of arms of Lesotho
| royal_anthem           = [[God Save the Queen]] (1884–1901; 1952–1966) <br> [[God Save the King]] (1901–1952) <br />{{center|[[File:United States Navy Band - God Save the Queen.ogg]]}}
| image_map              = LocationLesotho.svg
| capital                = [[Maseru]]
| languages_type         = Languages
| languages              = {{ubl|[[English Language|English]] (official)|[[Sotho language|Sesotho]]}}
| government_type        = {{nowrap|[[Constitutional monarchy]]}}
| title_representative   = [[#British Resident Commissioner|Resident Commissioner]]
| representative1        = {{nowrap|[[Marshal Clarke]]}}
| year_representative1   = 1884–1894
| representative2        = {{nowrap|[[Alexander Giles]]}}
| year_representative2   = 1961–1966
| title_deputy           = [[List of Kings of Lesotho|Paramount Chief]]
| deputy1                = [[Letsie I Moshoeshoe of Lesotho|Letsie I]]
| year_deputy1           = 1884–1891
| deputy6                = [[Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho|Moshoeshoe II]]
| year_deputy6           = 1960–1966
| area_km2               = 30355
| area_sq_mi             = 11720
| stat_year1             = 1875
| stat_pop1              = 128,206
| stat_year2             = 1904
| stat_pop2              = 348,848<ref name=britcensus>{{cite book|title=Census of the British empire. 1901|url=https://archive.org/stream/cu31924030396067#page/n227/mode/2up|publisher=[[HMSO]]|location=London|page=160|year=1906}}</ref>
| currency               = {{ubl|{{nowrap|[[pound sterling]]}}|{{nowrap|[[South African rand|rand]] (from 1961)}}}}
| today                  = [[Lesotho]]
| demonym                = 
| area_rank              = 
| GDP_PPP                = 
| GDP_PPP_year           = 
| HDI                    = 
| HDI_year               = 
| life_span              = 1884–1966
| symbol_type            = 
}}

'''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 Commissioner]]s.

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

Basutoland gained its independence from the [[United Kingdom]] on 4 October 1966 and was renamed the [[Kingdom of Lesotho]].