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Maseru

Capital of LesothoRight on the border with South Africa, Maseru lies in the northwest of Lesotho on the Mohokare (Caledon) River. It sits in a shallow valley below hills that lead up to the Maloti Mountains, about 1,600 m above sea level.

Why it's the capital

The British founded Maseru as a small police camp in 1869, after the Free State–Basotho Wars, when Basutoland became a British protectorate, and made it the capital. When Basutoland became independent as the Kingdom of Lesotho in 1966, Maseru remained the capital.

Fun facts

  1. The name Maseru is a Sesotho word meaning "red sandstones".
  2. Kingsway, the road between the old airport and the Royal Palace, was the first paved road in Lesotho, and it stayed the only one until independence.
  3. Thaba Bosiu, the stronghold of King Moshoeshoe I and the earlier centre of power, lies 24 km east of the city.

Finding it on the globe

Lesotho is the small country completely surrounded by South Africa. Maseru is on its western edge, right on the border river, a little north of the middle.

Sources: Wikipedia: Maseru, Wikipedia: Lesotho