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56-491: The city is connected by the paved highway from Monrovia, Liberia via Paynesville, Liberia , and to Firestone Natural Rubber Company 's Harbel, Liberia in the south by a dirt dusty road 26th Gate road, and by the paved 15th Gate plantation road in Careysburg, Liberia . It is also connected to Bong Town, Liberia to the north by a partially paved road, by the dusty Borlala road, to Gibi mountain and Gibi District in

112-516: A class of people called deya , who underwent long and specialized training and apprenticeship to take up their office. They addressed problems both medical and spiritual using pharmaceutical and spiritual remedies. Wilhelm Bleek classified the Kru language with the Mandingo family, and in this he was followed by R. G. Latham ; S. W. Koelle , who published a Kru grammar (1854), disagreed. Now Kru

168-635: A crossroads and a place of trade inhabited by fishing, trading and farming communities of various ethnicities, including the Dey , Kru , Bassa, Gola, and Vai. The French cartographer and enslaver Chevalier des Marchais visited Ducor and the Cape in 1723, conducted business there and later published a map of the area. In 1816, with the aim of establishing a self-sufficient colony for emancipated American slaves, something that had already been accomplished in Freetown ,

224-544: A day. It reaches an estimated 2 ⁄ 3 of the population. The state-owned Liberia Broadcasting System broadcasts nationwide from its headquarters in Monrovia. STAR radio broadcasts at 104 FM. Monrovia is home to the University of Liberia , along with African Methodist Episcopal University , United Methodist University , Stella Maris Polytechnic , and many other public and private schools. Medical education

280-607: A settlement they called Christopolis . In 1824, the city was renamed Monrovia after James Monroe , president of the United States at the time. Monroe was a prominent supporter of developing the city as a place to relocate formerly enslaved Black people from the United States of America and Caribbean islands , an idea put forth as an alternative to abolishing the institution of slavery in America . In 1845 there

336-498: A temple in Monrovia. [1] The city also has Muslim mosques. Pollution is a significant challenge in Monrovia. Piles of household and industrial rubbish tend to build up. The World Bank pays sanitation companies to collect it, but collections are irregular. In 2013, the problem of uncollected rubbish in the Paynesville area of Monrovia became so acute that traders and residents burnt "the huge garbage piles that seemed on

392-649: Is 37 miles (60 km) away in Harbel . 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 under Flag of Convenience arrangements. Both private taxis and minibuses run in the city, and are supplemented by larger buses run by the Monrovia Transit Authority . In recent years (2005–present)

448-466: Is a compilation of news and Bible quotations written daily on a roadside blackboard in the Sinkor section of Monrovia. Monrovia also has radio and TV stations. Radio is the dominant source of news, because problems with the electric grid make watching television more difficult. UNMIL Radio has been broadcasting since October 1, 2003, and is the only radio station in Liberia that is on the air 24 hours

504-551: Is also home to the city's secondary airport, Spriggs Payne , and 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 as Chugbor and Gaye Town . At the southeastern base of the peninsula is the independent township of Congo Town, and to its east

560-453: Is classified as a tropical monsoon climate ( Am ). It is the wettest capital city in the world, with annual rainfall averaging 182 in (4,600 mm). It has a wet season and a dry 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 differences are the high temperatures, as they are around 81 °F (27 °C) in

616-545: Is considered a primary branch of the Niger-Congo family. The Kru are one of the many ethnic groups in Liberia, comprising 7% of the population. Theirs is also one of the main languages spoken. The Kru are one of the main indigenous group players in Liberia's socio-political activities. Notable ethnic Krus include the 25th President of Liberia George Weah , who is of mixed Kru, Gbee, Mano, and Bassa heritage, as well as his predecessor, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , who

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672-555: Is dominated by its harbor - the Freeport of Monrovia - and as the location of Liberia's government offices. Monrovia's harbor was significantly expanded by U.S. forces during the Second World War and the main exports include latex and iron ore . Materials are also manufactured on-site, such as cement , refined petroleum , food products, brick and tile , furniture, and chemicals . Located on Bushrod Island between

728-830: Is located in Congo Town . The places of worship in Monrovia are predominantly Christian churches and temples. These include the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Monrovia ( Catholic Church ), the United Methodist Church in Liberia ( World Methodist Council ), the Liberia Baptist Missionary and Educational convention ( Baptist World Alliance ) and the Assemblies of God . In October 2021, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints announced plans to construct

784-439: Is of mixed Kru, Gola , and German ancestry. Dr. George Toe Washington, former Armed Forces Chief of Staff of Liberia and ambassador to the United States, Canada, and Mexic, is of Kru and Grebo ancestry. Football star William Jebor is exclusively of Kru background. Mary Broh , the former mayor of Monrovia , is of mixed Kru and Bassa ancestry. And Didwho Twe, a judge and politician who ran for President of Liberia in 1951 ,

840-726: Is offered at the A.M. Dogliotti College of Medicine, and there is a nursing and paramedical school at the Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts. Kindergarten through twelfth grade education is provided by the Monrovia 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. The American International School of Monrovia

896-429: Is the large suburb of Paynesville . Other suburbs, such as Chocolate City , Gardnersville , Barnesville , Kaba Town , Dandawailo , and New Georgia lie to the north, across the river. On Bushrod Island , north of Monrovia, are the neighborhoods of Clara Town , Logan Town and New Kru Town . To the far east are the suburbs of Stockton Creek Bridge , Caldwell , Louisiana , and Cassava Hill . Monrovia's economy

952-676: Is the nearest referral health care facility. Radio is one of the main source of news and community engagement. The prominent stations broadcasting in Kakata are: Monrovia, Liberia Monrovia ( / m ə n ˈ r oʊ v i ə / ) is the administrative capital and largest city of Liberia . Founded in 1822, it is located on Cape Mesurado on the Atlantic coast and as of the 2022 census had 1,761,032 residents, home to 33.5% of Liberia’s total population. Its largely urbanized metro area, including Montserrado and Margibi counties ,

1008-468: The Atlantic slave trade , Kru people were considered more valuable as traders and sailors on slave ships than as slave labor, and Kru oral traditions strongly hold that they were never enslaved. To ensure their status as “freemen,” they initiated the practice of tattooing their foreheads and the bridge of their nose with indigo dye to distinguish them from slave labor. Many were called Krumen by Europeans, and hired as free sailors on European ships in both

1064-509: The Grebo of nearby Cape Palmas who were linguistically and culturally related. The central elements of the spiritual universe of this region included a figure identified by missionaries as a high, creator God, named Nyesoa, spirits or deities associated with territories, familial spiritual guardians or the souls of the departed who remained near by and could influence events. In some areas of Liberia, these spiritual entities were contacted through

1120-904: The Liberian National Museum , the Masonic Temple , the Waterside Market, and several beaches. The city also houses Antoinette Tubman Stadium and the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex , with seats for 22,000. The newspaper industry in Monrovia dates back to the 1820s, with the founding of the Liberia Herald , one of the first newspapers to be published in Africa. Today, numerous tabloid -style newspapers are printed daily or bi-weekly, most are 20 pages or less. The Daily Talk

1176-626: The Mesurado River , whose mouth forms a large natural harbor. The Saint Paul River lies directly north of the city and forms the northern boundary of Bushrod Island , which is reached by crossing the "New Bridge" from downtown Monrovia. Monrovia is located in Montserrado County and is Liberia's largest city as its administrative, commercial and financial center. According to the Köppen climate classification , Monrovia's climate

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1232-478: The Kru town in Liverpool. In the late nineteenth century, reports described the Kru as divided into small commonwealths, each with a hereditary chief whose duty was simply to represent the people in their dealings with strangers. This remains the case in many enclaves today. Power was vested in the elders, who wore as insignia iron rings on their legs. Their president, who held religious authority as well, guarded

1288-765: The Montserrado County Superintendent. Municipally, Greater Monrovia District is subdivided into two city corporations and ten other local authorities (nine townships and one borough). Established by law in 1973 and operational since 1976, the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) is responsible for the city's administration. The MCC also provides services to the townships and borough through a revenue-sharing arrangement, but has no zoning or enforcement jurisdiction in them. City corporations Townships Borough Former mayors include: Cultural attractions in Monrovia include

1344-662: The Poor River they "learned the value of salt" and founded the town of Bassa. They subsequently moved again to Little Kroo, and then were subsequently joined by more Kru-speaking communities from the interior. These events likely occurred in the 18th century and are believed to be connected to more intensive European interest in trade in the region at this time. The original settlers from the interior eventually established five towns: Little Kroo, Setra Kroo, Kroo-Bar, Nana Kroo and King Will's Town, that came to be regarded as their home district, though soon other offshoots developed along

1400-494: The Salala Rubber Company and Firestone Liberia are not far from Kakata, the nearby rubber plantations are mostly privately owned. Morris American Rubber Company (MARCO) and Bright Farm are the two largest plantations by area around Kakata. Small and medium rubber plantations also dot most of the landscape. Kakata has a large daily market in the center of town. Kakata has many primary and secondary schools. One of

1456-788: The Seaforth Old Burial Ground in Simon's Town , South Africa, where their graves can still be seen, and Kroomen is the name used to describe them on their gravestones. They were active in the Royal Navy from 1820 to as late as 1924; for example, HMS  Thistle landed a camp party with 12 Krumen in Elephant Bay in June of that year. Many Kroomen joined the dockyard staff, while others remained on board RN ships as seamen. They were given Westernized or diminutive names by

1512-596: The West African coast, notably Freetown, Sierra Leone, but also the Ivorian and Nigerian coasts. The Kru-speaking people are a large ethnic group that is made up of several sub-ethnic groups in Liberia and Ivory Coast. In Liberia, there are 48 sub-sections of Kru tribes, including the Jlao Kru. These tribes include Bété , Bassa , Krumen , Guéré , Grebo , Klao/Krao, Dida, Krahn people and Jabo people . During

1568-635: The beach, or into plastic bags that they dump onto nearby piles of rubbish or into the sea. 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". Monrovia is twinned with: General: Kru people The Kru , Krao , Kroo , or Krou are a West African ethnic group who are indigenous to western Ivory Coast and eastern Liberia . European and American writers often called Kru men who enlisted as sailors or mariners Krumen . They migrated and settled along various points of

1624-457: 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. In 2002 Leymah Gbowee organized the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace , a group consisting of local Monrovian women, who gathered in a fish market to pray and sing. This movement helped to end the war

1680-470: The city's large natural harbor. Northwest of Waterside is the large, low-income West 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

1736-572: The coast, and particularly in Freetown, Sierra Leone. However, these accounts are often biased because of Europeans' lack of understanding the Kru language; for example, the term "Bar" or "bah" would signify a river mouth, rather than the proper name of a town. The towns listed by European and American authors are often Anglicized; Settra Kru's name in the Klao language is actually Welteh. Many debates over Kru origins and settlement persist today, including

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1792-464: The colonization of Liberia and the ACS. Along with Washington, D.C. , it is one of two world capitals to be named after a U.S. President. The original name of Monrovia was Christopolis before being changed to its current name in 1824, only two years after the city's founding. Before 1816, the area around Cape Mesurado and the mouth of the Mesurado River was called Ducor. It had long been established as

1848-579: The coup, were buried in a mass grave in Palm Grove Cemetery. The First Liberian Civil War (1989 to 1997) and Second Liberian Civil War (1999 to 2003) severely damaged the infrastructure of the city. Much of the damage occurred during the siege of Monrovia . Major battles included clashes between Samuel Doe's government forces and Prince Johnson 's forces in 1990 and the National Patriotic Front of Liberia 's assault on

1904-419: The east. Finally the paved Monrovia highway continues northeast to Salala, Liberia and Gbarnga . As of the 2008 census, Kakata has a population of 33,945. Of this, 16,501 were male and 17,444 female. It is the fifth most populous urban area in Liberia. It is estimated that the city is surrounded by more than one hundred thousand acres of rubber plantations, most of which are now past latex production. Though

1960-669: The first group of African American settlers arrived in West Africa from the United States under the auspices of the American Colonization Society and with the support of the U.S. government. They landed on Sherbro Island , part of modern-day Sierra 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 at Cape Mesurado , and established

2016-539: The following year and to bring about the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as president of Liberia, which made it the first African nation to have a female president . In 2014 the city was affected by the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak . The Ebola virus epidemic in Liberia was declared to be over on 3 September 2015. Monrovia lies along the Cape Mesurado peninsula, between the Atlantic Ocean and

2072-443: The former sector. Because of American settlers' influence the architectural style of its buildings was reminiscent of that of the southern United States . Krutown was inhabited mainly by ethnic Krus , but also by Bassas , Grebos and members of other ethnic groups. By 1926 ethnic groups from Liberia's interior began to migrate outwards toward Monrovia in search of jobs. By 1937 Monrovia’s population had grown to 10,000. At this time

2128-473: The largest and main port in the country. The land in which the city resides was traditionally the land of the Vai People , a West African ethnic group. It was founded on April 5, 1822, by members of the American Colonization Society (ACS) as an organization to return former slaves born in the United States to Africa. Monrovia is named in honor of U.S. President James Monroe , a prominent supporter of

2184-797: The many trading factories that grew up all along the African coast from Sierra Leone to the mouth of the Congo River. They were also recruited as soldiers and common laborers, some traveling as far as India and the Malayan peninsula to the east. Krumen workers served French employers in the French attempt to dig the Panama Canal, others were employed in Jamaica. Others formed communities in the UK, like

2240-481: The men on the ships, Tom Ropeman, Bottle of Beer, and Will Cockroach amongst them. They were clearly commonly employed, and the names bestowed were not original, since the cemetery contains for example the remains of Tom Smith Number 1, to distinguish him from another Tom Smith. Kru sailors were organized as small companies under a headman. They would paddle in small canoes as far as a dozen miles out to see to meet ships as they arrived and negotiated their employment on

2296-424: The most important key to the origin of the Kru. Traditions recorded in the mid nineteenth century by James Connelly relate that the Kru communities that lived along the shore of what is today southern Liberia and the reputed core settlement of the Kru came down to the coast from the interior "some three generations back — say one hundred to one hundred fifty years..." from an original place he called Claho. Coming down

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2352-611: The most notable is Booker Washington Institute (BWI), Liberia's premier vocational high school and technical institution. It also hosts Kakata Rural Teacher Training Institute, which trains Liberian elementary, lower-grade and secondary teachers. C. H. Rennie Hospital in Kakata is the only government referral hospital in the County and it is the headquarters for the Margibi County health team. The Firestone Duside Hospital in Harbel

2408-473: The mouths of the Mesurado and Saint 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, with Greenville and Harper . The nearest airport is Spriggs Payne Airport , located less than four miles (6.4 km) from the city center. Roberts International Airport , the largest international airport in Liberia,

2464-576: The national government, including the Temple of Justice and the Executive Mansion, are located. Further east along the peninsula is the Sinkor 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

2520-422: The national symbols, and his house was sanctuary for offenders until their guilt is proved. Personal property was held in common by each family. Land also was communal, but the rights of the actual cultivator ceased when he failed to farm it. The first descriptions of core group of Kru religion were done by missionaries, notably James Connolley, But these accounts can also be augmented by more detailed accounts of

2576-413: The oft-cited origin of the Kru name as originating in a ship's "crew." In actuality, the title "Kru" comes from an Anglicized version of the Kru term for their own tribe: Klao. From the late eighteenth century onward, Kru men (from whence the term Krumen derives) began working on European ships. By the 1790s the inhabitants of their original region were being hired as free sailors on European ships. As

2632-754: 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 the district of Greater Monrovia in Montserrado County . Instead of being divided into clans like other districts of Liberia, Greater Monrovia is divided into 16 "zones". Like clans, these zones are subdivided into 161 communities . Greater Monrovia does not have an organized district administration like other districts, with all lower-level local authorities being directly supervised by

2688-524: The slave trade and trade in goods. The Kru sailors were famous for their skills in navigating and sailing the Atlantic. Their maritime expertise evolved along the west coast of Africa where they made a living as fishermen and traders. Knowing the in-shore waters of the western coast of Africa, and having nautical experience, they were employed as sailors, navigators and interpreters aboard slave ships, trading ships, and American and British warships used against

2744-428: The slave trade. The Kru history is one marked by a strong sense of ethnicity and resistance to occupation. In 1856 when part of Liberia was still known as the independent Republic of Maryland , the Kru along with the Grebo resisted Maryland settlers' efforts to control their trade. They were also infamous amongst early European slave raiders as being especially resistant to the slave trade. Oral tradition remains

2800-408: The so-called "legitimate trade" replaced the slave trade in the nineteenth century and as trade along the West Africa coast increased, many Kru sailors signed on to the new vessels as seamen. In the process there developed Kru communities around all the major trading factories of the coast, from Sierra Leone around to the mouth of the Congo River. A number of Kroomen (between 20 and 30) are buried in

2856-611: The spot. Headmen often carried credentials from previous stints of employment in boxes or other containers, and negotiations were conducted rapidly. During the earlier part of the nineteenth century foreign observers often gave the Kru high praise for their honesty, courage, efficiency and willingness to do hard work. Later observers, however, had more disparaging comments to make, though either way, few ships plied African waters without many Kru sailors on board. Although initially Kru men were interested only in sailor's work, in time some took up land based employment doing all sorts of work in

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2912-571: The town had 30 police officers. In 1979 the Organisation of African Unity , chaired by the then president of Liberia, William Tolbert , held its conference near Monrovia. During his term, Tolbert improved public housing in Monrovia and slashed tuition fees at the University of Liberia in half. In 1980 a military coup led by Samuel Doe overthrew the Tolbert government and executed many of its members. Tolbert, and others who were killed in

2968-440: The verge of cutting off the main road" out of Monrovia to Kakata . 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. In 2009, only one-third of Monrovia's 1.5 million people had access to clean toilets. Those without their own toilets defecate in the narrow alleyways between their houses, or on

3024-473: The winter and near 90 °F (32 °C) in the summer, with lows being around 22–24 year-round. 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

3080-434: 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 sovereign Republic of Liberia . At the beginning of the 20th century 2,500 of Monrovia’s 4,000 residents were Americo-Liberian . At that time Monrovia consisted of two sectors: Monrovia proper and Krutown. The city's Americo-Liberian population resided in

3136-400: Was home to 2,225,911 inhabitants as of the 2022 census. As the nation's primate 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. The city's economy is largely based on its position as chief Atlantic port of Liberia, with the Freeport of Monrovia based in the city being

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