Which African capital is named after an American president?

Monrovia is the African capital named after American president James Monroe.

Monrovia is Liberia’s capital and largest city, located on the Atlantic coast at Cape Mesurado. The settlement was founded in 1822 by the American Colonization Society for formerly enslaved and freeborn African Americans who migrated from the United States to West Africa. Its original name was Christopolis.

In 1824, the settlement was renamed Monrovia in honor of James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States. Monroe supported the American Colonization Society and signed legislation that helped fund efforts connected with establishing the Liberia colony. Liberia later declared independence in 1847, with Monrovia serving as the new republic’s capital.

The question can cause confusion because Monrovia is not simply named after an American place or a generic “monroe” root: the namesake is specifically James Monroe. Monrovia and Washington, D.C., are commonly cited as national capitals named after U.S. presidents. Liberia’s history also explains why the city has strong historical ties to the United States while remaining firmly rooted in West Africa.