Find South Africa on a map. Now look closely at the eastern part. You will see a small, round country completely enclosed inside South Africa's borders. That country is Lesotho. Lesotho is called an enclave because it sits entirely within another nation. It is one of only three countries in the world that are completely surrounded by a single neighbor. Lesotho's geography is dramatic. The entire country sits above 1,000 meters in elevation, making it the country with the highest lowest point on Earth. The Maloti Mountains cover most of the land. Rivers cut deep valleys through the rock. Snow covers the peaks in winter. On October 4, 1966, Lesotho became independent from Britain. The country had been a British protectorate called Basutoland. Unlike other African colonies, Basutoland was never settled by large numbers of Europeans. The Basotho people had asked for British protection in the 1800s to defend against neighboring groups. Water is Lesotho's most valuable resource. The Lesotho Highlands Water Project sends water through tunnels under the mountains to South Africa. In return, South Africa pays Lesotho millions of dollars each year. For a small, landlocked mountain nation, water is more precious than gold.