One popular nickname for Maseru is “Kingdom of the Sky” reflecting its status as one of the world’s highest capital cities. Lesotho has the highest base altitude of any nation.
Research website numbeo lacks sufficient data to rank Lesotho’s capital on its comprehensive global quality of life rating which benchmarks 250 cities worldwide. Numbeo does evaluate Maseru on several individual factors. For instance, Maseru is the off-the-charts leader for the worst traffic time while the health care rating for Lesotho’s capital falls in the poorest 14%. Its city’s safety score ranks in the bottom 15% confirming Maseru’s reputation as a relatively dangerous place in which to live. On the positive side, Maseru’s climate score places in the top 21%.
Popular tourist attractions in Maseru include the Royal Palace, Parliament building and State House. Notable examples of colonial-era architecture in Maseru are the Anglican St. John’s Church and the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Victories.
From an international trade perspective, Lesotho exported an estimated US$1.1 billion worth of goods around the globe. Its most valuable exports include unmounted diamonds (39.6% of Lesotho’s global total), women’s suits, jackets and skirts (13.7%), men’s suits, jackets and trousers (12.3%), electrical apparatus for switching or protecting circuits (3%), and uncombed wool (2.9%) according to the International Trade Centre.
Capital Facts for Maseru, Lesotho: Quick Reference
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Maseru, Lesotho:
- Prince Lerotholi Seeiso, heir to throne (born Apr. 18, 2007)
- Tom Thabane, former prime minister (born May 28, 1939)
- Princess Senate Seeiso, royalty (born Oct. 7, 2001)
- Mosito Lehata, Olympic sprinter (born Apr. 8, 1989)
- Liteboho Mokhesi, soccer/football goalkeeper (born May 17, 1985)
- Mosolesa Tsie, Olympic boxer (born Jan. 20, 1980)
- Steve Barker, soccer/football player & coach (born Dec. 23, 1967)
- Mots’eoa Senyane, former high commissioner to Canada (born Mar. 19, 1968)
- Masempe Theko, Olympic swimmer (born Jul. 4, 1987)
- Peter Hobson, cricket player (born Jun. 7, 1949)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches mostly targeting published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for a resident of Lesotho: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
Population: 118,355 (Maseru) at August 9, 2020
Density: 2,233 people per square mile (858 per square kilometer)
Population: 2,144,145 (Lesotho) at August 9, 2020
Density: 183 people per square mile (71 per square kilometer)
Median age for all Lesotho: 24 years old
Financial
GDP: US$7.403 billion in 2019 (Lesotho)
GDP per person: $3,615
Note: The above country-level GDP metrics are on a Purchasing Power Parity basis and are in U.S. dollars. Credible city GDP statistics for Maseru were unavailable.
Official currency used in Maseru: Lesotho loti
Geography
Capital landmarks: Thaba-Bosiu National Monument, Royal Palace, Our Lady of Victory Cathedral, Maseru United Church, Lesotho Sun Casino and the National Museum
Research
Research Sources:
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data).
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Africa: Lesotho.
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Comparison: GDP (Purchasing Power Parity).
Demographia, World Urban Area, 12th Annual Edition.
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Databases.
International Trade Centre, Trade Map.
Numbeo, Quality of Life Index by City.
Official Government Website, Lesotho Government Website.
The Telegraph, Cities in the sky: The world’s highest 15 capitals.
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags.
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Maseru.
Wikipedia, Lesotho.
WorldOMeter, Lesotho Population.
Lesotho won its independence from the United Kingdom on October 4, 1966. Fittingly named Lesotho’s Independence Day, each October 4 is celebrated as a national holiday.
Maseru’s land area measures 53 square miles (138 square kilometers) with an estimated population of 118,355 residents at August 9, 2020.
At the country level, Lesotho’s population count was 2.1 million people living over a land area extending over 11,722 square miles (30,360 square kilometers).
Population density is more concentrated within Lesotho’s capital city of Maseru, averaging 2,233 people per square mile (858 per square kilometer).
Zooming out to Lesotho’s overall land boundaries, population density dilutes to an average 183 inhabitants per square mile (71 per square kilometer).
