Liberia Becomes Africa's Oldest Republic

The first African republic to declare independence was Liberia, which remains Africa's oldest continuously independent country. The American Colonization Society established its first settlement there in 1822 to create a self-sufficient colony for free-born and formerly enslaved Black Americans, and Liberia declared independence in 1847. Its capital, Monrovia, was named after U.S. President James Monroe, a prominent supporter of the colonization project.

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