Monrovia

The name Monrovia honors James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States, making it the only non-American capital named after a U.S. president. It reflects the city's 1822 founding by the American Colonization Society (ACS) as a settlement for freed enslaved people and free-born Black Americans. Originally named Christopolis, it was renamed in 1824 to recognize Monroe's instrumental political and financial support for the colonization movement.

The first settlers, known as Americo-Liberians, arrived at Cape Mesurado and established a society modeled explicitly on American institutions, including the English language and Protestant Christianity. They brought with them American-style architecture and political structures, declaring independence from the ACS in 1847 to form Africa's first modern republic. The broader name Liberia was derived from the Latin liber, meaning 'free.'

For over a century, the city served as the seat of power for an Americo-Liberian elite (roughly 5% of the population) that dominated the indigenous majority. This period left a lasting architectural and social legacy, though it also created deep-seated tensions that eventually led to a military coup in 1980 and subsequent civil wars. Landmarks like Providence Island remain as monuments to the first settlers' landing.

Today, Monrovia is a city defined by its resilience, having spent the last two decades rebuilding its infrastructure and economy following the end of the civil wars in 2003. It remains the undisputed political and commercial heart of Liberia, blending its unique American-influenced heritage with a vibrant, modern West African identity.