Maseru Travel Guide, Lesotho

Maseru Travel-Guide – The Enclave State

This Maseru travel-guide will give you an insight into the lifestyle, culture, economy and touristical attractions of Lesotho’s capital city. Lesotho is an enclave African state, which means that its whole territory is bordered by the larger South Africa. It gained its independence in 1966 and Maseru has been capital ever since, but prior to this it was a relatively small and underdeveloped city that started off as a British military camp. In 1998 the South African army invaded the territory due to suspicion of fraud in the elections and the devastations can still be seen today within the city limits, although massive funds were invested in its reconstruction. Half of the entire urban population of Lesotho is now concentrated in Maseru, with a total of 230.000 inhabitants. It is by far the largest city in the country and the centre of all economical and government activities. After the independence the city grew very fast, having 110.000 inhabitants in 1986 after it started with just 28.000 in 1966.

Maseru Travel-Guide – Geography and Climate

Maseru is located in the northwestern part of the country, on the South African border and it is crossed by the Mohokare River. This river is the main source of water for the city and in order to prevent draughts huge reservoirs have been created that assure the basic water needs for the population. The land along the river is also of high interest, as it is very fertile and much of the city’s agriculture sector relies on it. The river is also a natural border between Lesotho and South Africa, the border post between the two countries lying on a bridge that crosses the river. Geographically the city has an elevation of 1.600 meters above sea level and a temperate climate with hot summers and cold, dry winters. The average temperature in July is 9 degrees Celsius, while in January it raises up to 22 degrees.

Maseru Travel-Guide – Business and Architecture

Maseru has lots of roads, an international airport and just 2.6 kilometers of railway tracks. Therefore, in order to reach Durban or Pietermaritzburg in South Africa the only choices you have are to go by car or plane. Business in Maseru is centered around the business districts, the largest employers in the city and the place where all the large and small businesses are gathered, along with banks and multinational corporations. The economy of the city is growing very fast due to the efforts of the population and tourism also became prosperous during the last few years. The city has also evolved architecturally and, as most Maseru travel-guides will tell you, it has almost entirely replaced older buildings with new, modern ones, reaching the present stage where it has six hotels and two casinos.