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76-460: 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 , was home to 2,225,911 inhabitants as of

152-458: A West African ethnic group primarily native to Liberia. The Bassa people are a subgroup of the larger Kru people of Liberia and Ivory Coast. They form a majority or a significant minority in Liberia's Grand Bassa , Rivercess , Margibi and Montserrado counties. In Liberia's capital of Monrovia , they are the largest ethnic group. With an overall population of about 1.05 million, they are

228-677: A classical European understanding of the known world : Europe , North Africa , and Southwest Asia . The phrase is related to the enduring power of the city first as the capital of the Republic and the Empire , and later as the centre of the Catholic Church . In several English-speaking states , the terms county town and county seat are also used in lower administrative divisions . In some unitary states , subnational capitals may be known as 'administrative centres'. The capital

304-476: A country , state , province , department , or other subnational division , usually as its seat of the government . A capital is typically a city that physically encompasses the government's offices and meeting places; the status as capital is often designated by its law or constitution . In some jurisdictions , including several countries, different branches of government are in different settlements, sometimes meaning multiple official capitals. In some cases,

380-497: A monarch held his or her court, the selection, relocation, founding, or capture of a modern capital city is a highly symbolic event. For example: The capital city is usually but not always a primary target in a war, as capturing it usually guarantees capture of much of the enemy government, victory for the attacking forces, or at the very least demoralization for the defeated forces. In ancient China , where governments were massive centralized bureaucracies with little flexibility on

456-445: A compromise between two or more cities or other political divisions, historical reasons, or enough land was needed to deliberately build a new planned city for the capital. The majority of national capitals are also the largest city in their respective countries. Modern examples are Beijing , Berlin , Cairo , London , Madrid , Mexico City , Moscow , Paris , Rome , Jakarta , Metro Manila , Seoul , and Tokyo . Counties in

532-541: 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

608-405: A distinction is made between the official ( constitutional ) capital and the seat of government, which is in another place . English-language news media often use the name of the capital city as an alternative name for the government of the country of which it is the capital, as a form of metonymy . For example, the "relations between London and Washington " refers to the " relations between

684-428: 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 the former sector. Because of American settlers' influence

760-410: A lineage-linked independent clans who live in villages, each with a chief. The Bassa people, before colonial occupation, had populations with occupational categories of farmers, barterers / traders, and lagoon fishermen. As well as a set of categories that had hierarchies based on practitioner skill, consisting of blacksmiths, carvers, weavers, potters, and other craftsmen. The Bassa people acquired

836-470: A matter of convention, and because all or almost all the country's central political institutions, such as government departments, supreme court, legislature, embassies, etc., are located in or near them. Many modern capital cities are located near the centre of the country, so that they are more accessible to its population and have better protection from possible invasions. (See also § Capitals in military strategy ) The location may also be based on

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912-476: A society official during special ceremonies, represent the idealized beauty of a female primordial ancestor spirit, believed to reside in bodies of water. Christianity arrived among the Bassa people during the colonial era, and the first Bible was translated into Bassa language in 1922. The adoption process fused the idea of Christian God with their traditional idea of a Supreme Being and powerful first ancestor who

988-399: A style that gives the masks angular faces. With the mask, the wearer would also wear a braided bonnet, fastened at an angle to the forehead. Other Bassa Masks have perorated eyes but are not worn directly on the face of the performer, but rather fastened to the forehead area of a weaved basket that is worn by the performer. Bassa Masks have a hierarchy based on the purpose that each mask

1064-496: 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

1140-554: A territory: Plymouth in Montserrat . There are several countries where, for various reasons, the official capital and seat of government are separated: Some historical examples of similar arrangements, where the recognized capital was not the official seat of government: With the rise of the modern nation-state , the capital city has become a symbol for the state and its government , and imbued with political meaning. Unlike medieval capitals, which were declared wherever

1216-593: 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)

1292-465: 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

1368-551: 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

1444-451: 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

1520-429: Is determined by simple factors, access to fresh water, good farmland, and the presence of certain reeds for use as roofing material. The layout of the village appears to be disorganized clusters of huts placed seemingly at random but is actually very intentional. The village layout is arranged in such a way, looking in any direction one's line of sight is interrupted by huts, this inability to get bearings as an outsider

1596-555: 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

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1672-828: 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

1748-465: Is meant to fulfill, whether it be private or for a ritual. One type of Bassa masks are made with the intent of projecting reverence and fear with monstrous face with protruding eyes, swollen lips and contorted human and animal features. These masks depict the likeness of spirits from the darkest parts of the forest. The next type of mask are the portrait masks created exclusively by skilled carvers following tribal sculptural laws passed down by masters of

1824-586: Is merciful and revengeful, rewarding the good and punishing the bad. The traditional religion has included secret rites of passage for men and women, such as the Sande society. The introduction of Christianity created a division between the inland Forest Bassa that maintained Bassa traditional practices and rituals, and the Coastal Bassa, that converted to Christianity. Numerous missionaries from different denominations of Christianity have been active among

1900-726: 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

1976-500: Is often the largest city of its constituent, though not always . Historically, the major economic centre of a state or region has often become the focal point of political power, and became a capital through conquest or federation . Historical examples are ancient Babylon , ancient Athens , ancient Rome , Abbasid Baghdad , Constantinople , Chang'an , and ancient Cusco . The modern capital city has not always existed: in medieval Western Europe, an itinerant (wandering) government

2052-525: 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 a crossroads and a place of trade inhabited by fishing, trading and farming communities of various ethnicities, including

2128-464: Is specifically for spies and attackers, as they would get lost easily, giving the Bassa, familiar with their own village an advantage. A Bassa village with this layout lacks any sort of main road and do include several empty 'lots' making traveling through the village intentionally difficult and confusing for outsiders. During the late 1930s, the brass jewelry the Dan wore was banned, the surplus brass from

2204-582: Is the case with Nanjing by Shanghai , Quebec City by Montreal , and several US state capitals . The decline of a dynasty or culture could also mean the extinction of its capital city, as occurred at Babylon and Cahokia . "Political nomadism" was practiced in ancient Near East to increase ties between the ruler and the subjects. Although many capitals are defined by constitution or legislation, many long-time capitals have no such legal designation, including Bern , Edinburgh , Lisbon , London , Paris , and Wellington . They are recognized as capitals as

2280-429: 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

2356-541: Is usually not a separate national capital, but rather the capital city of one constituent nation will also be the capital of the state overall, such as London , which is the capital of England and of the United Kingdom. Similarly, each of the autonomous communities of Spain and regions of Italy has a capital city, such as Seville and Naples , while Madrid is the capital of the Community of Madrid and of

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2432-523: The Byzantine capital, Constantinople , Byzantine forces were able to regroup in several provinces; provincial noblemen managed to reconquer the capital after 60 years and preserve the empire for another 200 years after that. The British forces sacked various American capitals repeatedly during the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 , but American forces could still carry on fighting from

2508-648: 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 , the first group of African American settlers arrived in West Africa from

2584-695: The Kingdom of Spain as a whole and Rome is the capital of Italy and of the region of Lazio . In the Federal Republic of Germany , each of its constituent states (or Länder , plural of Land ) has its own capital city, such as Dresden , Wiesbaden , Mainz , Düsseldorf , Stuttgart , and Munich , as do all of the republics of the Russian Federation . The national capitals of Germany and Russia (the Stadtstaat of Berlin and

2660-903: 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

2736-562: 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

2812-527: 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

2888-672: The Port Society and "Gree-Gree" bush traditions of education and initiation of children, from their neighboring Dei and Kpelle tribes. The Bassa people are among those that practice the woman initiation society called Sande . (Also referred to as Bondo). The Sande / Bondo sub-culture is believed to be originated from the Mende people . The practice Sande (or Bondo), which consist of rituals involving special helmet / masks that some practicing cultures called Sowei / sowo. The masks themselves are not named, and Sowei / sowo refers to

2964-537: The United Kingdom have historic county towns, which are often not the largest settlement within the county and often are no longer administrative centres, as many historical counties are now only ceremonial, and administrative boundaries are different. The number of new capitals in the world increased substantially since the Renaissance period, especially with the founding of independent nation-states since

3040-523: The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Naypyidaw was founded in Burma 's interior as the former capital, Rangoon , was claimed to be overcrowded. A few nation-states have multiple capitals, and there are also several states that have no capital. Some have a city as the capital but with most government agencies elsewhere. There is also a ghost town which is currently the de jure capital of

3116-492: The federal city of Moscow ) are also constituent states of both countries in their own right. Each of the states of Austria and cantons of Switzerland also have their own capital cities. Vienna , the national capital of Austria , is also one of the states, while Bern is the ( de facto ) capital of both Switzerland and of the Canton of Bern . Governing entities sometimes plan, design and build new capital cities to house

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3192-422: 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 the largest and main port in the country. The land in which

3268-405: The Bassa people during the 20th century. These has led to many Bassa independent churches from Europe, North America, Africa and Evangelical movements. In contemporary times, the Bassa people predominantly practice Christianity , but they have retained elements of their traditional religion. Inland Forest Bassa took extra consideration to the location and layout of villages. The choice of location

3344-759: 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

3420-538: The United Kingdom and the United States ". The word capital derives from the Latin word caput (genitive capitis ), meaning ' head ', later borrowed from Medieval Latin capitālis ('of the head'). The Latin phrase Roma Caput Mundi meaning 'Rome capital of the world' ( lit.   ' head of the world ' ) was already used by the poet Ovid in 1st century BC . It originates out of

3496-583: 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 a settlement they called Christopolis . In 1824,

3572-623: The West Indies in 1890s, and reconstructed in early 1900 by Thomas Flo Darvin Lewis. The revived signs-based script is called Ehni Ka Se Fa . In local languages, the Bassa people are also known as Gboboh , Adbassa or Bambog-Mbog people. The linguistic evidence and oral traditions of these geographically diverse, small yet significant group suggests that their name Bassa may be related to Bassa Sooh Nyombe which means "Father Stone's people". Early European traders had trouble pronouncing

3648-425: 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 the town had 30 police officers. In 1979

3724-436: 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: Capital city A capital city or just capital is the municipality holding primary status in

3800-720: The capital has been changed for geopolitical reasons; Finland 's first city, Turku , which had served as the country's capital since the Middle Ages under the Swedish rule, lost its position during the Grand Duchy of Finland in 1812, when Helsinki was made the current capital of Finland by the Russian Empire. The convergence of political and economic or cultural power is by no means universal. Traditional capitals may be economically eclipsed by provincial rivals as

3876-456: 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

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3952-535: 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 the colonization of Liberia and the ACS. Along with Washington, D.C. , it

4028-556: 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 was a constitutional convention in Monrovia, at this convention

4104-470: 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

4180-461: The countryside, where they enjoyed support from local governments and the traditionally independent civilian frontiersmen. Exceptions to these generalizations include highly centralized states such as France , whose centralized bureaucracies could effectively coordinate far-flung resources, giving the state a powerful advantage over less coherent rivals, but risking utter ruin if the capital were taken. Bassa (Liberia) The Bassa people are

4256-579: 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

4332-411: The craft for generations. These masks are made to embody the defined concepts of beauty, within this category are ancestor masks, meant to give leniency, be at peace, and promise peace to heirs. these masks are deliberately made to not resemble specific individuals. An exception to the making of a mask that resembles a specific individual came when there was a need to accustom the people of a village to

4408-484: The eighteenth century. In Canada , there is a federal capital , while the ten provinces and three territories each have capital cities. The states of such countries as Mexico , Brazil (including the famous cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo , capitals of their respective states), and Australia also each have capital cities. For example, the six state capitals of Australia are Adelaide , Brisbane , Hobart , Melbourne , Perth , and Sydney . In Australia,

4484-496: The entire phrase, and the shorter form Bassa has been used in Western literature ever since. The Dan people, neighbors of the Bassa in Liberia, were especially attracted to brass jewelry. Dan women wore significant amounts of brass jewelry, as the amount of brass was directly correlated to their husband's wealth. Many Dan women would wear several pairs of anklets and bracelets that could weigh up to 8 pounds each. Until brass jewelry

4560-537: 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

4636-545: The great crisis of Japanese invasion . National capitals were arguably less important as military objectives in other parts of the world, including the West, because of socioeconomic trends toward localized authority, a strategic modus operandi especially popular after the development of feudalism and reaffirmed by the development of democratic and capitalistic philosophies. In 1204, after the Latin Crusaders captured

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4712-478: The jewelry was melted down and recast for other things. One of those things were created by the Bassa for the Dan. Those were ma go, "small head", miniature masks that featured protruding open lips, flared nostrils, and pierced slit eyes, as well as a tattoo pattern from forehead to chin. Another brass work of the Bassa people is the Brass Finial. the Brass Finial is an iron rod that had brass cast over it.

4788-472: 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,

4864-576: 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

4940-466: The provincial level, a dynasty could easily be toppled with the fall of its capital. In the Three Kingdoms period, both Shu and Wu fell when their respective capitals of Chengdu and Jianye fell. The Ming dynasty relocated its capital from Nanjing to Beijing , where they could more effectively control the generals and troops guarding the borders from Mongols and Manchus . The Ming

5016-752: 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

5092-424: The seat of government of a polity or of a subdivision. Deliberately planned and designed capitals include: These cities satisfy one or both of the following criteria: Some examples of the second situation (compromise locations) are: Changes in a nation's political regime sometimes result in the designation of a new capital. Akmola (renamed Astana in 1998) became the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997, following

5168-629: The second largest ethnic group in Liberia (18%), after the Kpelle people (26%). Small Bassa communities are also found in Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast. The Bassa speak the Bassa language , a Kru language that belongs to the Niger-Congo family of languages. They had their own pictographic writing system but it went out of use in the 19th century, was rediscovered among the slaves of Brazil and

5244-677: The term "capital cities" is regularly used to refer to those six state capitals plus the federal capital Canberra , and Darwin , the capital of the Northern Territory . Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and also of the United Arab Emirates overall. In unitary states which consist of multiple constituent nations, such as the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Denmark , each will usually have its own capital city. Unlike in federations , there

5320-512: The title of the association official that wears the helmet mask. These type of masks are made by numerous cultures leading to some distinction in style, but the purpose of the helmet mask is always a representation os a primordial ancestor spirit that originates from a body of water during a sacred journey by a member official. The traditional religion of the Bassa people has a moral and ethical foundation, one that reveres ancestors and supernatural spirits. The Sande / Bondo helmet masks, worn by

5396-427: The top of the staff features a woman's head, with five rows of hair that run from front to back, as well as an encircling herringbone pattern. According to Bassa legend, the staff was the walking stick of a mythical ancestor by the name of Sma Vlen. Who was believed to have migrated towards the coast during the 16th century. Bassa Masks were wood carved and are distinguished from neighboring peoples own masks through

5472-437: 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

5548-473: 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

5624-536: Was banned in the late 1930s by Liberia's minister of health, Rudolf Fuszek, that claimed the brass jewelry was the cause of chafing infections and orthopedic problems. The sudden surplus of brass would be melted down and recast for other purposes. The Bassa people are likely responsible for producing some of these new uses for brass among the Dan. they were miniature brass cast masks called ma go, or "small head". The Bassa people are traditionally settled farmers who grow yam , cassava , eddoes and plantain . They are

5700-820: Was common. The capital city attracts politically motivated people and those whose skills are needed for efficient administration of national or imperial governments, such as lawyers , political scientists , bankers , journalists , and public policy makers . Some of these cities are or were also religious centres , e.g. Constantinople (more than one religion), Rome / Vatican City (the Roman Catholic Church ), Jerusalem (more than one religion), Babylon, Moscow (the Russian Orthodox Church ), Belgrade (the Serbian Orthodox Church ), Paris, and Beijing. In some countries,

5776-632: Was destroyed when Li Zicheng took their seat of power, and this pattern repeats itself in Chinese history, until the fall of the traditional Confucian monarchy in the 20th century. After the Qing dynasty 's collapse, decentralization of authority and improved transportation and communication technologies allowed both the Chinese Nationalists and Chinese Communists to rapidly relocate capitals and keep their leadership structures intact during

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