Monrovia () is the administrative capital and largest city of

Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...

. 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 A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

, was home to 2,225,911 inhabitants as of the 2022 census. As the nation's primary 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 city was traditionally the land of the Vai People, a

West African West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Ma ...

ethnic group. It was founded on April 5, 1822, by members of the American Colonization Society (ACS), an organization which aimed for the return of former slaves born in the United States to Africa.

Etymology

Monrovia is named in honor of

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American Founding Father of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. He was the last Founding Father to serve as presiden ...

, a prominent supporter of the colonization of Liberia and the ACS. Along with

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, it is one of two world capitals to be named after an American president. The original name of Monrovia was ''Christopolis'' until 1824, only two years after the city's founding. The "-via" suffix comes from either the

Edoidi- Beninese deity Ovia 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 the Oyo Empire.

History

Before 1816, the area around Cape Mesurado and the mouth of the

Mesurado River Mesurado River is a river of Liberia. It flows through the capital of Monrovia and is crossed by the Gabriel Tucker Bridge, People's Bridge, built in the 1970s.Dey, Kru, Bassa, Gola, and Vai. The French cartographer and slave trader 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 Freetown () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, e ...

, the first group of

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

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 Sherbro Island is in the Atlantic Ocean, and is included within Bonthe District, Southern Province, Sierra Leone. The island is separated from the African mainland by the Sherbro River in the north and Sherbro Strait in the east. It is long ...

, part of modern-day

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...

. 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, the city was renamed ''Monrovia'' after

, 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 The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...

and

Caribbean islands Most of the Caribbean countries are islands in the Caribbean Sea, with only a few in inland lakes. The largest islands include Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Some of the smaller islands are referred to as a ''rock'' or ''reef.'' ''I ...

, 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 a document was drafted that would be adopted two years later as the constitution of the newly independent and sovereign Republic of Liberia. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

the city was affected by the German bombing of Monrovia. 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 the architectural style of its buildings was reminiscent of that of the

southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Cens ...

. 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. Carter and Tolbert

In 1979 the

Organisation of African Unity The Organisation of African Unity (OAU; , OUA) was an African intergovernmental organization established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with 33 signatory governments. Some of the key aims of the OAU were to encourage political and ec ...

, chaired by the then president of Liberia, William Tolbert, held its conference near Monrovia. During his term, Tolbert improved

public housing Public housing, also known as social housing, refers to Subsidized housing, subsidized or affordable housing provided in buildings that are usually owned and managed by local government, central government, nonprofit organizations or a ...

in Monrovia and slashed

tuition fees Tuition payments, usually known as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English, are fees charged by education institutions for instruction or other services. Besides public spen ...

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 the coup, were buried in a mass grave in Palm Grove Cemetery. The

First Liberian Civil War The First Liberian Civil War was the first of Second Liberian Civil War, two civil wars within the West African nation of Liberia which lasted between 1989 and 1997. President Samuel Doe's regime of totalitarianism and widespread Political cor ...

(1989 to 1997) and

Second Liberian Civil War The Second Liberian Civil War was a civil war in the West African nation of Liberia that lasted from 1999 to 2003. The war was mainly caused by transition failures after the First Civil War, especially the peace-building process which would res ...

(1999 to 2003) severely damaged the infrastructure of the city. Much of the damage occurred during the

siege of Monrovia The siege of Monrovia or Fourth Battle of Monrovia, which occurred in Monrovia, Liberia between July 18 and August 14, 2003, was a major military confrontation between the Armed Forces of Liberia and Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democ ...

. Major battles included clashes between Samuel Doe's government forces and Prince Johnson's forces in 1990 and the

National Patriotic Front of Liberia The National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) was a Liberian rebel group that initiated and participated in the First Liberian Civil War from 24 December 1989 – 2 August 1997. The NPFL emerged out of rising ethnic tensions and civil unrest du ...

'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. 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 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 2013–2016 epidemic of Ebola virus disease, centered in West Africa, was the most widespread outbreak of the disease in history. It caused major loss of life and socioeconomic disruption in the region, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and S ...

. The Ebola virus epidemic in Liberia was declared to be over on 3 September 2015.

Geography

Monrovia lies along the Cape Mesurado peninsula, between the Atlantic Ocean and the

Mesurado River Mesurado River is a river of Liberia. It flows through the capital of Monrovia and is crossed by the Gabriel Tucker Bridge, People's Bridge, built in the 1970s.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.

Climate

According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, Monrovia's climate is classified as a

tropical monsoon climate An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate subtype that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ' ...

(''Am''). It is the wettest capital city in the world, with annual rainfall averaging . It has a

wet season The wet season (sometimes called the rainy season or monsoon season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Generally, the season lasts at least one month. The term ''green season'' is also sometimes used a ...

and a

dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The t ...

but gets precipitation even during the dry season. Temperatures are fairly constant throughout the year, averaging around . The only slight variations are in the high temperatures, which are around in the winter and near in the summer. Lows are usually between year-round.

Neighborhoods

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-income

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

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 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 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 is the large suburb of Paynesville. Other suburbs, such as Chocolate City, Gardnersville, Barnesville, Kaba Town, Dandawailo, and

New Georgia New Georgia, with an area of , is the largest of the islands in Western Province (Solomon Islands), Western Province, Solomon Islands, and the List of islands by area, 203rd-largest island in the world. Since July 1978, the island has been par ...

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 Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, and Cassava Hill. ; Other neighborhoods and suburbs of Monrovia include: * Bakoi * Banjoa * Barekling * Bassa Community * Buzzi Quarters * Clara Town * Crown Hill * Dixville * Doin Town * Dwahn Town * Duala * Fanti Town * Jatuja * Jacob Town * Jallah Town * Logan Town * Matadi * New Kru Town * Old Road * Point Four * Red Light * Slipway * Snapper Hill * South Beach * Toe Town * Tomo * Topoe Village * Vai Town *

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

Notable people

* Henry Clifford Boles (1910–1979), American architect, active in Monrovia through the Point Four Program * Prince Johnson, Liberian politician * Clarence Kparghai, Swiss ice hockey player * Sio Moore, American football player * Darlington Nagbe, American football player * Aloysius Wleh Penie, Liberian footballer * Massimo Pigliucci (born 1964), ecological and evolutionary geneticist * Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former president of Liberia * Takun J, Liberian musician * Charles Taylor, former president of Liberia * Benoni Urey, Liberian businessman *

George Weah George Manneh Oppong Weah (born 1 October 1966) is a Liberian politician and former professional Association football, footballer who served as the 25th president of Liberia from 2018 to 2024. Before his election for the presidency, Weah served ...

, Liberian president and former footballer * Ashton Youboty, American football player * Gus Edwards, American football player

Economy

Monrovia's economy 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 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and the main exports include

latex Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latices are found in nature, but synthetic latices are common as well. In nature, latex is found as a wikt:milky, milky fluid, which is present in 10% of all floweri ...

and

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...

. Materials are also manufactured on-site, such as

cement A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mi ...

, refined

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring un ...

, food products,

brick A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building un ...

and

tile Tiles are usually thin, square or rectangular coverings manufactured from hard-wearing material such as ceramic, Rock (geology), stone, metal, baked clay, or even glass. They are generally fixed in place in an array to cover roofs, floors, wal ...

, furniture, and

chemicals A chemical substance is a unique form of matter with constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Chemical substances may take the form of a single element or chemical compounds. If two or more chemical substances can be combin ...

. Located on Bushrod Island between the mouths of the Mesurado and Saint Paul rivers, the harbor also has facilities for storing and repairing vessels.

Transport

Boats link the city's Freeport of Monrovia, the country's busiest port, with Greenville and Harper. The nearest airport is

Spriggs Payne Airport James Spriggs Payne Airport is an airport located from downtown Monrovia, the capital of the Republic of Liberia in West Africa. The airfield is located within the busy and thickly settled Sinkor section of the city, and is therefore convenie ...

, located less than four miles () from the city center.

Roberts International Airport Roberts International Airport , informally also known as ''Robertsfield'', is an international airport in the West African nation of Liberia. Located near the town of Harbel in Margibi County, the single runway airport is about outside of the ...

, the largest international airport in Liberia, is 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 Flag of convenience (FOC) refers to a business practice whereby a ship's owners Ship registration, register a Merchant vessel, merchant ship in a ship register of a country other than that of the ship's owners, and the ship flies the civil ens ...

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) 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.

Administration and government

Monrovia is situated in the

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

of Greater Monrovia in Montserrado County. Instead of being divided into

clans A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...

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 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 *Monrovia City Corporation * Paynesville City Corporation Townships *Barnesville * Caldwell *Congo Town * Dixville * Gardnersville *Garworlon *Johnsonville *

Borough * New Kru Town Former mayors include: * W. F. Nelson, 1870s * C. T. O. King, 1880s and served three terms * H. A. Williams, 1890s * Arthur Barclay, 1892–1902 * Gabriel M. Johnson, 1912–1913; 1920–1921 * Thomas J.R. Faulkner, 1914–1918 * Nathan C. Ross, 1956–1969 * Ellen A. Sandimanie, 1970–1973 * Ophelia Hoff Saytumah, 2001–2009 * Mary Broh, February 2009 – February 2013 * Henry Reed Cooper, March 2013 – July 2013 * Clara Doe-Mvogo, March 2014 – January 2018 * Jefferson Tamba Koijee, January 2018 – January 2024

Culture and media

Cultural attractions in Monrovia include 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 A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but may also refer to concentrations of power in a wider sense (i.e " seat (legal entity)"). See disambiguation. Types of seat The ...

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'' 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 An electrical grid (or electricity network) is an interconnected network for electricity delivery from producers to consumers. Electrical grids consist of power stations, electrical substations to step voltage up or down, electric power tran ...

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 a day. It reaches an estimated of the population. The state-owned Liberia Broadcasting System broadcasts nationwide from its headquarters in Monrovia. STAR radio broadcasts at 104 FM.

Education

Monrovia is home to the University of Liberia, along with African Methodist Episcopal University,

United Methodist University The United Methodist University (UMU) is a private institution of higher learning located in Monrovia in the West African nation of Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordere ...

, Stella Maris Polytechnic, and many other public and private schools. Medical education 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 is located in

Congo Town Congo is a small village located in South Andros district, part of Andros Island in the Bahamas The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic and island country within the Lucayan Archipel ...

Places of worship

The places of worship in Monrovia are predominantly

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

churches and temples. These include the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Monrovia (

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

), the United Methodist Church in Liberia (

World Methodist Council The World Methodist Council (WMC), founded in 1881, is a consultative body that represents churches within Methodism and facilitates cooperation among its member denominations. It comprises 80 denominations in 138 countries which together repres ...

), the Liberia Baptist Missionary and Educational convention (

Baptist World Alliance The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is an international communion of Baptists, with an estimated 51 million people from 266 member bodies in 134 countries and territories as of 2024. A voluntary association of Baptist churches, the BWA accounts f ...

) and the

Assemblies of God The World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF), commonly known as the Assemblies of God (AG), is a global cooperative body or communion of over 170 Pentecostal denominations that was established on August 15, 1989. The WAGF was created to provi ...

.J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, ‘‘Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices’’, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2010, p. 1716 In October 2021, The

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian restorationist Christian denomination and the largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement. Founded dur ...

announced plans to construct a temple in Monrovi

The city also has Islam, Muslim mosques.

Pollution

Pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause harm. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the component ...

is a significant challenge in Monrovia."Monrovia’s ‘Never-Ending’ Pollution Issues In 2013"
Edwin M. Fayia III, The Liberian Observer, December 30, 2014. Piles of household and industrial rubbish tend to build up. The

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...

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 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 the beach, or into plastic bags that they dump onto nearby piles of rubbish or into the sea."LIBERIA: Disease rife as more people squeeze into fewer toilets"
IRIN News, 19 November 2009. 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"."LIBERIA: No relief as most Monrovians go without toilets"
IRIN News, 19 November 2008.

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Monrovia is twinned with: *

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

References

Bibliography

External links

City Map

Map of Greater Monrovia showing population densities
* {{Spoken Wikipedia, Monrovia.ogg, date=2019-6-19 Capitals in Africa James Monroe Mesurado River Montserrado County Populated places established by Americo-Liberians Populated places established in the 1820s Populated places in Liberia Port cities in Liberia Saint Paul River 1822 establishments in Africa