NewsTracker Answers for week of Mar. 10, 2025

Q: After President Donald Trump complained during his speech to Congress about U.S. aid to Lesotho “which nobody has ever heard of,” a top official of the small African nation called his remark “quite insulting.” Where is Lesotho, which is completely surrounded by South Africa?

Circle the area on this map


Q: Lesotho covers 11,720 square miles. That is slightly smaller than total area of which state?

A. Connecticut

B. Hawaii

C. Maryland

D. New Jersey


C. Maryland is the ninth largest state in the country with a total area of 12,406 square miles. But, its land area is 2,000 square miles smaller than Lesotho, which is known as the “Kingdom in the Sky” because it is the only nation that lies entirely above 3,281 feet (1,000 meters) in elevation.


Q: Lesotho has population of 2.2 million people, which is more than three-and-a-half-times the population than the least populous state in the U.S. ...

A. Alaska

B. Rhode Island

C. Vermont

D. Wyoming


D. Wyoming has an estimated population of 587,618 people, that’s about half the population of Rhode Island, the nation’s smallest state by area. Almost half of Lesotho’s people live beneath the poverty line, and much of its income is derived from people who travel to South Africa to work.


Q: Nearly a quarter of Lesotho’s population is infected with human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) which cause AIDS. That’s the world’s second-highest prevalence rate for HIV. Which nation has the most people infected with HIV?

A. China

B. India

C. South Africa

D. United States


C. South Africa has 9.2 million people infected with HIV, more than total infected in China, India and the United States, the world’s three most populous nations. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is centered in Southern Africa, and many nations worry that cuts in U.S. foreign aid could threaten millions of lives.


Q: Lesotho exports water, or “white gold,” to South Africa, its biggest trading partner. Which country buys most of Lesotho’s top export, garments?

A. China

B. India

C. South Africa

D. United States


D. Lesotho's garment factories have made jeans for American brands such as Levi's and Wrangler in recent years. Lesotho sold a total of $237 million clothes and textiles last year to the United States, its second-largest export partner. Also, Elon Musk is trying to get a license for his Starlink satellite service to operate in Lesotho.