An intelligence courier commences transit within a sovereign enclave comprehensively landlocked by a solitary extraneous nation-state. They navigate due South for 4,000 km, subsequently due West for 4,000 km, thereafter due North for 4,000 km, and ultimately due East for 4,000 km. Accounting strictly for the oblate spheroidal geometry of the Earth and real-world national boundaries, which statement accurately reflects their final location?

Explanation

Key clues:

1. Sovereign enclave comprehensively landlocked by a solitary extraneous nation-state"  

   That describes only one country in the world: Lesotho → completely surrounded by South Africa.

2. The movements: 4000 km S, 4000 km W, 4000 km N, 4000 km E

   On a perfect sphere, if you started at the pole and did equal sides you’d return. But Earth is an oblate spheroid and we’re at mid-latitudes, not the pole.

   When you go 4000 km South, you’re on a larger circle of latitude.  

   Then 4000 km West covers fewer degrees of longitude than it would have further North.  

   Then 4000 km North brings you back to the same latitude you started at.  

   Then 4000 km East now covers more degrees of longitude than the West leg did, because you’re back at the original latitude.

   Net result: You end up East of where you started.

3. "Accounting strictly for real-world national boundaries"

   Starting inside Lesotho, going 4000 km in each direction puts you far outside Southern Africa. 4000 km S from Lesotho → into the Southern Ocean/Antarctic region. 4000 km W → into the Atlantic. 4000 km N → back near Central Africa. 4000 km E → into the Indian Ocean.

You cannot end in another country’s landmass with those distances from Lesotho, and you definitely don’t return to the start because of the spheroid geometry.

Answer: They terminate their journey East of their starting point, ending up in the Indian Ocean.

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