Despite its landlocked status within South Africa, the country of Lesotho has very distinctive traditions of its own, notable among them being the Basotho blanket – made from thick wool as a protection against the cold in a high-altitude mountain country. The blanket is frequently supplemented with a conical hat, the mokorotlo, which has become the country’s most common icon, appearing on everything down to the numberplates and currently on the national flag adopted in 2006 (although the flag changes frequently with a change of government). The hat is made from straw and sports a complicated knot at its apex. Its shape is said to have been inspired by one of the mountains to be seen from Thaba Tseka, the mountain fortress from which Lesotho was founded. The third common item of traditional attire is the lekolulu, a small flute, generally used by herding boys - a sweet sound on the chilly mountain air. But don’t worry about the herdboy’s education. Lesotho’s adult literacy rate is 85%, one of the highest on the continent. So he is learning to read while he counts and whistles!