Back Hlotse Afrikaans Leribe (kapital sa distrito sa Lesotho) CEB Hlotse German Hlotse Spanish Hlotse Finnish Leribe French Hlotse FRR Hlotse ID Hlotse Italian フロツェ Japanese
Hlotse | |
|---|---|
 Downtown Hlotse | |
  Hlotse Location in Lesotho | |
| Coordinates: 28°52′24.1″S 28°02′29.7″E / 28.873361°S 28.041583°E | |
| Country |  Lesotho |
| District | Leribe District |
| Constituency | Hlotse |
| Population (2016) | |
| • Total | 38,558 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
Hlotse (also Leribe) is an important market town in Lesotho. It is situated on the Hlotse River, near the South African border. The town was founded in 1876 by a British missionary, Reverend John Widdicombe. It was a colonial centre until Lesotho gained its independence. The population in 2016 was 38,558.[1]
The alternate name, Leribe, comes from the adjacent French Protestant Leribe Mission, founded in 1859 by François Coillard. Hlotse is also called Leribe because it is the camptown in the district of Leribe.
The main Basotho Headquarters for Help Lesotho is in Hlotse.