A large ethnic group in southern Africa, numbering about 7 million (1987) and living mainly in Botswana, Lesotho, and South Africa. The Sotho are predominantly farmers, living in small village groups. They speak a variety of closely related languages belonging to the Bantu branch of the Niger-Congo family. With English, Sotho is the official language of Lesotho.
Red recalls the banner of Manas who united the Kyrgyz tribes. The emblem shows a bird's-eye view of a yurt, secured by a lattice of ropes. Effective date: 3 March 1992.