6°20N 10°46W, pop (2000e) 741 000. Seaport capital of Liberia, W Africa; 362 km/225 mi SSE of Freetown (Sierra Leone); on an area divided by lagoons into islands and peninsulas; main port and industrial sector on Bushrod Island; founded by the American Colonization Society, 1822; original name Christopolis, changed to Monrovia after the US president; airport; railway terminus; university (1862); Firestone rubber plantation and processing centre nearby; oil, cement.
Monrovia, population 572,000 (2003 census), is the capital city of Liberia. The city's economy is dominated by its harbor, which was significantly expanded by U.S. forces during the second World War.
History
The area was already inhabited when it was named Cape Mesurado by Portuguese sailors in the 1560s. It is the only non-American capital city named after a U.S. President.
In 1845, Monrovia was the site of the constitutional convention held by the American Colonization Society which drafted the constitution that would two years later be the constitution of an independent and sovereign Republic of Liberia .
In 1979, the Organisation of African Unity held their conference in Monrovia, with then president William R.
The city was severely damaged in the Liberian Civil War, notably during the siege of Monrovia, with many buildings damaged and nearly all the infrastructure destroyed. Major battles occurred between Samuel Doe's government and Prince Johnson's forces in 1990 and with the NPFL's assault on the city in 1992.
Government
The city is home to the Monrovia City Corporation, which runs many services inside the city.
Geography
Monrovia lies on a peninsula, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mesurado River and is a major port. Monrovia is Liberia's largest city and its administrative, commercial, and financial center.
Culture and media
Attractions in Monrovia include the Liberian National Museum, the now ruined Masonic Temple, the Waterside Market, (currently closed) cultural centre on Providence Island and several beaches.
As of 2006, the most widely used news medium of Monrovia is reported to be the Daily Talk, a compilation of news written up on a blackboard in the center of town every day.
Education
Monrovia is home to the University of Liberia, along with Cuttington College and Divinity School and many public and private schools.
Infrastructure
Boats link the city with Greenville and Harper, but the nearest airport is Roberts International Airport, 60 km (40 mi) away at Robertsfield. Both private taxis and minibuses run in the city, and are supplemented by larger buses run by the Monrovia Transit Authority.
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