What Is The Capital Of Liberia?

Where Is Liberia?

Liberia is a West African nation occupying an area of 111,369 square km. The country is bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, and the Ivory Coast to the west, north, and east, respectively. Liberia has a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean to its south. The population of the country is 4,700,000.

What Type of Government Does Liberia Have?

Currently, Liberia is transitioning from dictatorship to democracy. Today, the country is a presidential representative democratic republic where the President is both the head of government and the state. The country has a multi-party system. The government, comprising of the President and the other ministers, carry out the executive duties. The legislative power is vested in both the cabinet and the bicameral legislature of Liberia. The judiciary is a separate wing independent of the executive and legislative branches of the government.

What Is the Capital of Liberia?

Monrovia is Liberia’s capital city. The population of the city was 1,010,970 as of the 2008 census. It is the country’s largest city. It accounts for nearly 29% of the total population of Liberia. Monrovia encompasses an area of 194.25 square km.

Where Is Monrovia Located?

Monrovia is located in Montserrado County on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean at Cape Mesurado. It is part of the Cape Mesurado peninsula and is between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mesurado River. The river empties itself into the ocean at the northern end of the city. Monrovia experiences a tropical monsoon type of climate.

History of Monrovia

Monrovia began as a settlement for the freed American slaves. It was built upon the model of Freetown, Sierra Leone. On January 7, 1822, the first freed American slaves landed at Cape Mesurado. A settlement named Christopolis was established there which was later renamed to Monrovia after the then US President James Monroe who supported the movement. In 1845, the leaders of the American Colonization Society who were the main force behind the relocation of the slaves drafted a constitution for the settlement that would later become the constitution of the Republic of Liberia. By the beginning of the 20th century, Monrovia could be divided into two distinct parts. One part was dominated by the Americo-Liberians and the other by indigenous ethnic groups. In the decades to follow, Monrovia and other parts of the country was witness to devastating civil wars and dangerous epidemics that impeded the growth and development of the city to a great extent. Today, Monrovia is recovering slowly and still faces numerous barriers to its development.

Role of Monrovia as the Capital of Liberia

As the capital of Liberia, Monrovia is the seat of the national government of the nation. The Capitol Building located in the city is the meeting place of the parliament of the country. The Executive Mansion in Monrovia is the official residence of the President of Liberia. Other government offices and ministries are also located here. Monrovia’s harbor dominates the economy of the city. The harbor is an important industrial and commercial hub in the country. The city suffers from high rates of pollution and poor sanitation systems. The infrastructure of the city is also inadequate to cater to the needs of the population.