Monrovia (/mənˈroʊviə/ⓘ)[4][5] is the administrativecapital and largest city ofLiberia. Founded in 1822, it is located onCape Mesurado on theAtlantic coast and as of the 2022 census had 1,761,032 residents, home to 33.5% of Liberia’s total population.[6] Its largely urbanized metro area, includingMontserrado andMargibicounties, was home to 2,225,911 inhabitants as of the 2022 census.
As the nation'sprimary city, Monrovia is the country's economic, financial and cultural center. Its economy is primarily centered on its harbor and its role as the seat of Liberian government. Monrovia's economy is largely based on its position as chiefAtlantic port of Liberia, with theFreeport of Monrovia based in the city being the largest and main port in Liberia.
Monrovia is named in honor ofU.S. PresidentJames Monroe, a prominent supporter of the colonization of Liberia and the ACS. Along withWashington, D.C., it is one of two worldcapitals to be named after an American president. The original name of Monrovia wasChristopolis until 1824, only two years after the city's founding. The "-via" suffix comes from either theWest AfricanEdoidi-Beninese deityOvia who presided over peace and prosperity, or the mythological figure Ovia of the Uhen tribe, famed for her great beauty, unwavering principles, and marrying the King of theOyo Empire.[citation needed]
Before 1816, the area aroundCape Mesurado and the mouth of theMesurado River was called Ducor. It had long been established as a crossroads and a place of trade inhabited by fishing, trading and farming communities of various ethnicities, including theDey,Kru,Bassa,Gola, andVai. The French cartographer and slave traderChevalier des Marchais visited Ducor and the Cape in 1723, conducted business there and later published a map of the area.
In 1821, with the aim of establishing a self-sufficient colony for free people of color from the United States, something that had already been accomplished with BritishBlack Loyalists inFreetown, the first group ofAfrican American settlers arrived in West Africa from the United States under the auspices of theAmerican Colonization Society and with the support of the U.S. government.[7] They landed onSherbro Island, part of modern-daySierra Leone.
On January 7, 1822, a ship took these settlers to Dazoe Island (now called Providence Island) at the mouth of the Mesurado River. They subsequently went ashore atCape Mesurado, and established a settlement they calledChristopolis.[8][9]In 1824, the city was renamedMonrovia afterJames Monroe, president of the United States at the time. Monroe was a prominent supporter of plans to create a colony of some sort as a place to relocate African Americans from theUnited States of America and combat theAtlantic Slave Trade. He likewise signed into law the Anti-Slave Trading Act of 1819, which funded the ACS's mission to create such a colony in West Africa.
In 1845 there was a constitutional convention in Monrovia. At this convention a document was drafted that would be adopted two years later as the constitution of the newly independent and sovereignRepublic of Liberia.[10] DuringWorld War I the city was affected by theGerman bombing of Monrovia.[11]
At the beginning of the 20th century 2,500 of Monrovia’s 4,000 residents wereAmerico-Liberian. At that time Monrovia consisted of two sectors: Monrovia proper and Krutown. The city's Americo-Liberian population resided in the former sector. Because of American settlers' influence the architectural style of its buildings was reminiscent of that of thesouthern United States. Krutown was inhabited mainly by ethnicKrus, but also byBassas,Grebos and members of other ethnic groups.[12] By 1926 ethnic groups from Liberia's interior began to migrate outwards toward Monrovia in search of jobs.[12] By 1937 Monrovia’s population had grown to 10,000. At this time the town had 30 police officers.[13]
In 1979, theOrganisation of African Unity, chaired by the then president of Liberia,William Tolbert, held its conference near Monrovia. During his term, Tolbert improvedpublic housing in Monrovia and slashedtuition fees at theUniversity of Liberia in half. In 1980 a military coup led bySamuel Doe overthrew the Tolbert government and executed many of its members. Tolbert, and others who were killed in the coup, were buried in a mass grave in Palm Grove Cemetery.
TheFirst Liberian Civil War (1989 to 1997) andSecond Liberian Civil War (1999 to 2003) severely damaged the infrastructure of the city. Much of the damage occurred during thesiege of Monrovia. Major battles included clashes between Samuel Doe's government forces andPrince Johnson's forces in 1990 and theNational Patriotic Front of Liberia's assault on the city in 1992. During these wars young children and youth, deprived of resources and schooling, were forced to involve themselves in the fighting. Afterwards, many of them were left homeless.
Monrovia lies along the Cape Mesurado peninsula, between the Atlantic Ocean and theMesurado River, whose mouth forms a large natural harbor. TheSaint Paul River lies directly north of the city and forms the northern boundary ofBushrod Island, which is reached by crossing the "New Bridge" from downtown Monrovia. Monrovia is located inMontserrado County and is Liberia's largest city as its administrative, commercial and financial center.[17]
Monrovia's climate is classified as atropical monsoon climate (Am) within theKöppen climate classification.[18] It is the wettest capital city in the world, with annual rainfall averaging 182 inches (4,600 mm).[19] It has awet season and adry season but gets precipitation even during the dry season. Temperatures are fairly constant throughout the year, averaging around 79.5 °F (26.4 °C). The only slight variations are in the high temperatures, which are around 81 °F (27 °C) in the winter and near 90 °F (32 °C) in the summer. Lows are usually between 72 and 75 °F (22 and 24 °C) year-round.
A map of central Monrovia in 1996.Monrovia's population density and low elevation coastal zones. Monrovia is especially vulnerable tosea level rise.
Monrovia comprises several districts spread across the Mesurado peninsula; the greater metropolitan area encircles the mouth of the marshy Mesurado River. The historic downtown area, centered on Broad Street, is at the very end of the peninsula; the major market district, Waterside, immediately to its north, faces the city's large natural harbor.
Northwest of Waterside is the large, low-incomeWest Point community. To the west and southwest of the downtown area is Mamba Point, traditionally the city's principal diplomatic quarter and home to the embassies of the United States and United Kingdom, as well as the European Union delegation. South of the city center is Capitol Hill, where the major institutions of the national government, including theTemple of Justice and the Executive Mansion, are located.
Further east along the peninsula is theSinkor section of Monrovia. Originally a suburban residential district, today Sinkor is the bustling midtown section of the city. It includes many diplomatic missions, major hotels, businesses, and residential neighborhoods, including informal communities such as Plumkor, Jorkpentown, Lakpazee and Fiamah.Sinkor is home to the city's secondary airport,Spriggs Payne. The area immediately next to the airport, called Airfield, is a major nightlife district for the whole city. East of the Airfield is the Old Road section of Sinkor, which is predominantly residential, and includes informal settlements such asChugbor andGaye Town.
Monrovia's economy is dominated by its harbor - theFreeport of Monrovia - and as the location of Liberia's government offices. Monrovia's harbor was significantly expanded by U.S. forces during theSecond World War and the main exports includelatex andiron ore.
Materials are also manufactured on-site, such ascement, refinedpetroleum, food products,brick andtile, furniture, andchemicals. Located onBushrod Island between the mouths of theMesurado andSaint Paul rivers, the harbor also has facilities for storing and repairing vessels.
Boats link the city's Freeport of Monrovia, the country's busiest port, withGreenville andHarper.[22] The nearest airport isSpriggs Payne Airport, located less than four miles (6.4 km) from the city center.Roberts International Airport, the largest international airport in Liberia, is 37 miles (60 km) away inHarbel.[22]
Monrovia is connected with the rest of the country via a network of roads and railways. Monrovia is listed as the home port by between ten and fifteen percent of the world's merchant shipping, registered in Liberia underFlag of Convenience arrangements. Both private taxis and minibuses run in the city, and are supplemented by larger buses run by theMonrovia Transit Authority.
In recent years (2005–present) the roads on many streets in Monrovia have been rebuilt by the World Bank and the Liberian Government. Private and public infrastructures are being built or renovated as reconstruction takes place.
Monrovia is situated in thedistrict ofGreater Monrovia inMontserrado County. Instead of being divided intoclans like other districts of Liberia, Greater Monrovia is divided into 16 "zones". Like clans, these zones aresubdivided into 161 communities.[23][24] Greater Monrovia does not have an organized district administration like other districts, with all lower-level local authorities being directly supervised by the Montserrado County Superintendent.[25]
Municipally, Greater Monrovia District is subdivided into two city corporations and ten other local authorities (nine townships and one borough).[24][26] Established in 1973[27] and operational since 1976,[28] the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) is responsible for the city's administration. The MCC provides services to the townships and borough through a revenue-sharing arrangement, but has no zoning or enforcement jurisdiction in them.[17]
The newspaper industry in Monrovia dates back to the 1820s, with the founding of theLiberia Herald, one of the first newspapers to be published in Africa. Today, numeroustabloid-style newspapers are printed daily or bi-weekly, most are 20 pages or less. TheDaily Talk is a compilation of news and Bible quotations written daily on a roadside blackboard in theSinkor section of Monrovia.[citation needed]
Monrovia also has radio and TV stations. Radio is the dominant source of news, because problems with theelectric grid make watching television more difficult.UNMIL Radio has been broadcasting since October 2003, and is the only 24 hour radio station in Liberia. It reaches an estimated2⁄3 of the population.[38] The state-ownedLiberia Broadcasting System broadcasts nationwide from its headquarters in Monrovia.[39]STAR radio broadcasts at 104 FM.[40]
Kindergarten through twelfth grade education is provided by theMonrovia Consolidated School System, which serves the greater Monrovia area. Schools include Monrovia Central High School, Bostwain High School, D. Twe High School, G. W. Gibson High School and William V. S. Tubman High School.
Dwellings along theMesurado River in Monrovia. Discarded plastics can be seen washed up on the bank opposite the buildings.
Pollution is a significant challenge in Monrovia.[43] Piles of household and industrial rubbish tend to build up. TheWorld Bank pays sanitation companies to collect it, but collections are irregular.[43]
In 2013, the problem of uncollected rubbish in thePaynesville area of Monrovia became so acute that traders and residents burnt "the huge garbage piles that seemed on the verge of cutting off the main road" out of Monrovia toKakata.[43]
Flooding brings additional environmental problems to residents: flood water picks up the waste that has been deposited in swamps at the edge of residential areas, and spreads it around.[43]
In 2009, only one-third of Monrovia's 1.5 million people had access to clean toilets.[44] Those without their own toilets defecate in the narrow alleyways between their houses, or on the beach, or into plastic bags that they dump onto nearby piles of rubbish or into the sea.[44]
Congested housing, a lack of any requirement that landlords provide working toilets, and virtually no urban planning "have combined to create lethal sanitation conditions in the capital".[45]
^"STATIONSNUMMER 65660"(PDF).Danish Meteorological Institute. Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on January 16, 2013. Retrieved15 June 2016.
^abTimberg, Craig (March 12, 2008). "Liberia's Streets, Spirits Brighten; Four Years After War's End, Battered W. African Nation Begins a Slow Reawakening".The Washington Post. pp. A8.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
