Maseru (also Masero) is the capital of Lesotho. Located on the Caledon River, it is Lesotho's only sizable city, with a population of approximately 180,000 (2004). It is the capital of the Maseru District. The city's manufactures include candles and carpets. Masero was a small trading town when it was made the capital of the Basuto people by Paramount Chief Moshoeshoe I in 1869. It was the capital of the BritishBasutoland protectorate from 1869 to 1871 and from 1884 to 1966, when Basutoland gained its independence and was renamed Lesotho.
