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Liberia

December 30, 2022

This article is about the country in Africa. For other uses, see Liberia (disambiguation).

Coordinates: 6°30′N 9°30′W / 6.500°N 9.500°W / 6.500; -9.500

Liberia (/laɪˈbɪəriə/ (listen)), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. It has a population of around 5 million and covers an area of 43,000 square miles (111,369 km2). English is the official language, but over 20 indigenous languages are spoken, reflecting the country's ethnic and cultural diversity. The country's capital and largest city is Monrovia.

Republic of Liberia
Motto: "The Love of Liberty Brought Us Here"
Anthem: "All Hail, Liberia, Hail!"
Location of Liberia (dark green)
Capital
and largest city
Monrovia
6°19′N 10°48′W / 6.317°N 10.800°W / 6.317; -10.800
Official languagesEnglish
Ethnic groups
(2008[1])
Religion
(2020)[2]
Demonym(s)Liberian
GovernmentUnitary presidential constitutional republic
• President
George Weah
Jewel Taylor
Bhofal Chambers
Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh
LegislatureLegislature of Liberia
• Upper house
Senate
• Lower house
House of Representatives
Formation and Independence from American Colonization Society
January 7, 1822
July 26, 1847
• Republic of Maryland annexed
March 18, 1857
• Recognition by the United States
February 5, 1862
• United Nations membership
November 2, 1945
January 6, 1986
Area
• Total
43,000[1] sq mi (111,370 km2) (102nd)
• Water (%)
13.514
Population
• 2022 estimate
5,358,483[3] (121st)
• Density
92.0/sq mi (35.5/km2) (180th)
GDP (PPP)2022 estimate
• Total
$8.84 billion[4] (167th)
• Per capita
$1,667[4] (184th)
GDP (nominal)2022 estimate
• Total
$3.90 billion[4] (171st)
• Per capita
$735[4] (180th)
Gini (2016)35.3[5]
medium
HDI (2022) 0.481[6]
low · 178th
CurrencyLiberian dollar (LRD)
Time zoneUTC (GMT)
Date formatmm/dd/yyyy
Driving sideright
Calling code+231
ISO 3166 codeLR
Internet TLD.lr
Website
www.emansion.gov.lr Executive mansion

Liberia began in the early 19th century as a project of the American Colonization Society (ACS), which believed black people would face better chances for freedom and prosperity in Africa than in the United States.[7] Between 1822 and the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, more than 15,000 freed and free-born black people who faced social and legal oppression in the U.S., along with 3,198 Afro-Caribbeans, relocated to Liberia.[8] Gradually developing an Americo-Liberian identity,[9][10] the settlers carried their culture and tradition with them; the Liberian constitution and flag were modeled after those of the U.S., while its capital was named after ACS supporter and U.S. President James Monroe. Liberia declared independence on July 26, 1847, which the U.S. did not recognize until February 5, 1862. On January 3, 1848, Joseph Jenkins Roberts, a wealthy, free-born African American from the U.S. state of Virginia who settled in Liberia, was elected Liberia's first president after the people proclaimed independence.[8]

Liberia was the first African republic to proclaim its independence and is Africa's first and oldest modern republic. It was among the few African countries to maintain its sovereignty during the Scramble for Africa. During World War II, Liberia supported the United States war effort against Germany, and in turn received considerable American investment in infrastructure, which aided the country's wealth and development. President William Tubman encouraged economic and political changes that heightened the country's prosperity and international profile; Liberia was a founding member of the League of Nations, United Nations, and the Organisation of African Unity.

The Americo-Liberian settlers did not relate well to the indigenous peoples they encountered, especially those living in the more isolated interior. Colonial settlements were raided by the Kru and Grebo from their inland chiefdoms. Americo-Liberians promoted religious organizations to set up missions and schools to educate the native populace.[11] Americo-Liberians formed into a small elite that held disproportionate political power; indigenous Africans were excluded from birthright citizenship in their own land until 1904.[11][12]

In 1980, political tensions from the rule of William R. Tolbert resulted in a military coup during which Tolbert was killed, marking the end of Americo-Liberian rule in the country and beginning over two decades of political instability. Five years of military rule by the People's Redemption Council and five years of civilian rule by the National Democratic Party of Liberia were followed by the First and Second Liberian Civil Wars. These resulted in the deaths of 250,000 people (about 8% of the population) and the displacement of many more, with Liberia's economy shrinking by 90%.[13] A peace agreement in 2003 led to democratic elections in 2005, in which Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected president, making history as the first female president on the continent. National infrastructure and basic social services were severely affected by the conflicts as well as by the 2013–2016 outbreak of Ebola virus, with 83% of the population living below the international poverty line as of 2015.[14]

History

Main article: History of Liberia

Indigenous people

The presence of Oldowan Earlier Stone Age (earliest ESA) artifacts in West Africa has been confirmed by Michael Omolewa, attesting to the presence of ancient humans.[15]

Undated Acheulean (ESA) artifacts are well documented across West Africa. The emerging chronometric record of the Middle Stone Age (MSA) indicates that core and flake technologies have been present in West Africa since at least the Middle Pleistocene (~780–126 thousand years ago or ka) in northern, open Sahelian zones, and that they persisted until the Terminal Pleistocene/Holocene boundary (~12ka) in both northern and southern zones of West Africa. This makes them the youngest examples of such MSA technology anywhere in Africa. The presence of MSA populations in forests remains an open question; however technological differences may correlate with various ecological zones. Later Stone Age (LSA) populations evidence significant technological diversification, including both microlithic and macrolithic traditions.[16]

The record shows that aceramic and ceramic Later Stone Age (LSA) assemblages in West Africa overlap chronologically, and that changing densities of microlithic industries from the coast to the north are geographically structured. These features may represent social networks or some form of cultural diffusion allied to changing ecological conditions.[16]

Microlithic industries with ceramics became common by the Mid-Holocene, coupled with an apparent intensification of wild food exploitation. Between ~4–3.5ka, these societies gradually transformed into food producers, possibly through contact with northern pastoralists and agriculturalists, as the environment became more arid. However, hunter-gatherers have survived in the more forested parts of West Africa until much later, attesting to the strength of ecological boundaries in this region.[16]

 
A European map of West Africa and the Grain Coast, 1736. It has the archaic mapping designation of Negroland.

Mande expansion

The Pepper Coast, also known as the Grain Coast, has been inhabited by indigenous peoples of Africa at least as far back as the 12th century. Mande-speaking people expanded westward from the Sudan, forcing many smaller ethnic groups southward toward the Atlantic Ocean. The Dei, Bassa, Kru, Gola, and Kissi were some of the earliest documented peoples in the area.[17]

This influx of these groups was compounded by the decline of the Western Sudanic Mali Empire in 1375 and the Songhai Empire in 1591. As inland regions underwent desertification, inhabitants moved to the wetter coast. These new inhabitants brought skills such as cotton spinning, cloth weaving, iron smelting, rice and sorghum cultivation, and social and political institutions from the Mali and Songhai empires.[17] Shortly after the Mane conquered the region, the Vai people of the former Mali Empire immigrated into the Grand Cape Mount County region. The ethnic Kru opposed the influx of Vai, forming an alliance with the Mane to stop further influx of Vai.[18]

People along the coast built canoes and traded with other West Africans from Cap-Vert to the Gold Coast.

Early colonization

Between 1461 and the late 17th century, Portuguese, Dutch, and British traders had contacts and trading posts in the region. The Portuguese named the area Costa da Pimenta ("Pepper Coast") but it later came to be known as the Grain Coast, due to the abundance of melegueta pepper grains. European traders would barter commodities and goods with local people.[citation needed]

In the United States, there was a movement to settle free people of color, both free-born and formerly enslaved, in Africa. This was because they faced racial discrimination in the form of political disenfranchisement and the denial of civil, religious, and social rights.[19] Formed in 1816, the American Colonization Society (ACS) was made up mostly of Quakers and slaveholders. Quakers believed black people would face better chances for freedom in Africa than in the U.S.[7][20] While slaveholders opposed freedom for enslaved people, they viewed "repatriation" of free people of color as a way to avoid slave rebellions.[7]

In 1822, the American Colonization Society began sending free people of color to the Pepper Coast voluntarily to establish a colony. Mortality from tropical diseases was high — of the 4,571 emigrants who arrived in Liberia between 1820 and 1843, only 1,819 survived.[21][22] By 1867, the ACS (and state-related chapters) had assisted in the migration of more than 13,000 people of color from the United States and the Caribbean to Liberia.[23] These free African Americans and their descendants married within their community and came to identify as Americo-Liberians. Many were of mixed race and educated in American culture; they did not identify with the indigenous natives of the tribes they encountered. They intermarried largely within the colonial community, developing an ethnic group that had a cultural tradition infused with American notions of political republicanism and Protestant Christianity.[24]

 
Map of Liberia Colony in the 1830s, created by the ACS, and also showing Mississippi Colony and other state-sponsored colonies.

The ACS, supported by prominent American politicians such as Abraham Lincoln, Henry Clay, and James Monroe, believed "repatriation" was preferable to having emancipated slaves remain in the United States.[20] Similar state-based organizations established colonies in Mississippi-in-Africa, Kentucky in Africa, and the Republic of Maryland, which Liberia later annexed. However, Lincoln in 1862 described Liberia as only "in a certain sense...a success", and proposed instead that free people of color be assisted to emigrate to Chiriquí, today part of Panama.[25]

The Americo-Liberian settlers did not relate well to the indigenous peoples they encountered, especially those in communities of the more isolated "bush". The colonial settlements were raided by the Kru and Grebo, from their inland chiefdoms. Encounters with tribal Africans in the bush often became violent. Believing themselves different from and culturally and educationally superior to the indigenous peoples, the Americo-Liberians developed as an elite minority that created and held on to political power. In a conscious effort to emulate the American South, the Americo-Liberian settlers adopted clothing such as hoop skirts and tailcoats, and excluded natives from economic opportunities, including creating plantations on which natives were forced to work as slaves.[26] Indigenous tribesmen did not enjoy birthright citizenship in their own land until 1904.[12] Americo-Liberians encouraged religious organizations to set up missions and schools to educate the indigenous peoples.[26]

Political formation

 
Residence of Joseph Jenkins Roberts, first President of Liberia, between 1848 and 1852.

On July 26, 1847, the settlers issued a Declaration of Independence and promulgated a constitution. Based on the political principles of the United States Constitution, it established the independent Republic of Liberia.[27][28] On August 24, Liberia adopted its 11-striped national flag.[29] The United Kingdom was the first country to recognize Liberia's independence.[30] The United States did not recognize Liberia until 1862, after the Southern states, which had strong political power in the American government, declared their secession and the formation of the Confederacy.[31][32][33]

The leadership of the new nation consisted largely of the Americo-Liberians, who initially established political and economic dominance in the coastal areas that the ACS had purchased; they maintained relations with U.S. contacts in developing these areas and the resulting trade. Their passage of the 1865 Ports of Entry Act prohibited foreign commerce with the inland tribes, ostensibly to "encourage the growth of civilized values" before such trade was allowed in the region.[27]

 
African Americans depart for Liberia, 1896. The ACS sent its last emigrants to Liberia in 1904.

By 1877, the True Whig Party was the country's most powerful political entity.[34] It was made up primarily of Americo-Liberians, who maintained social, economic and political dominance well into the 20th century, repeating patterns of European colonists in other nations in Africa. Competition for office was usually contained within the party; a party nomination virtually ensured election.[34]

Pressure from the United Kingdom, which controlled Sierra Leone to the northwest, and France, with its interests in the north and east, led to a loss of Liberia's claims to extensive territories. Both Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast annexed territories.[35] Liberia struggled to attract investment to develop infrastructure and a larger, industrial economy.

There was a decline in production of Liberian goods in the late 19th century, and the government struggled financially, resulting in indebtedness on a series of international loans.[36] On July 16, 1892, Martha Ann Erskine Ricks met Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle and presented her a handmade quilt, Liberia's first diplomatic gift. Born into slavery in Tennessee, Ricks said, "I had heard it often, from the time I was a child, how good the Queen had been to my people—to slaves—and how she wanted us to be free."[30]

Early 20th century

 
Charles D. B. King, 17th President of Liberia (1920–1930), with his entourage on the steps of the Peace Palace, The Hague (the Netherlands), 1927.

American and other international interests emphasized resource extraction, with rubber production a major industry in the early 20th century.[37] In 1914, Imperial Germany accounted for three quarters of the trade of Liberia. This was a cause for concern among the British colonial authorities of Sierra Leone and the French colonial authorities of French Guinea and the Ivory Coast as tensions with Germany increased.[38]

World Wars and interwar period

Main article: Liberia in World War I

Liberia remained neutral during World War I until August 4, 1917, upon declaring war on Germany. Subsequently, it was one of 32 nations to take part in the Versailles Peace Conference in 1919, which ended the war and established the League of Nations; Liberia was among the few African and non-Western nations to participate in both the conference and the founding of the League.[39]

In 1927, the country's elections again showed the power of the True Whig Party, with electoral proceedings that have been called some of the most rigged ever; the winning candidate was declared to have received votes amounting to more than 15 times the number of eligible voters. (The loser actually received around 60% of the eligible vote.)[citation needed]

Soon after, allegations of modern slavery in Liberia led the League of Nations to establish the Christy commission. Findings included government involvement in widespread "Forced or compulsory labour". Minority ethnic groups especially were exploited in a system that enriched well-connected elites.[40] As a result of the report, President Charles D. B. King and Vice President Allen N. Yancy resigned.[41]

In the mid-20th century, Liberia gradually began to modernize with American assistance. During World War II, the United States made major infrastructure improvements to support its military efforts in Africa and Europe against Germany. It built the Freeport of Monrovia and Roberts International Airport under the Lend-Lease program before its entry into the Second World War.[42]

After the war, President William Tubman encouraged foreign investment, with Liberia achieving the second-highest rate of economic growth in the world during the 1950s.[42] In international affairs, it was a founding member of the United Nations, a vocal critic of South African apartheid,[43] a proponent of African independence from European colonial powers, and a supporter of Pan-Africanism. Liberia also helped to fund the Organisation of African Unity.[44]

 
A technical in Monrovia during the Second Liberian Civil War.

Late 20th-century political instability

On April 12, 1980, a military coup led by Master Sergeant Samuel Doe of the Krahn ethnic group overthrew and killed President William R. Tolbert Jr. Doe and the other plotters later executed a majority of Tolbert's cabinet and other Americo-Liberian government officials and True Whig Party members.[45] The coup leaders formed the People's Redemption Council (PRC) to govern the country.[45] A strategic Cold War ally of the West, Doe received significant financial backing from the United States while critics condemned the PRC for corruption and political repression.[45]

After Liberia adopted a new constitution in 1985, Doe was elected president in subsequent elections that were internationally condemned as fraudulent.[45] On November 12, 1985, a failed counter-coup was launched by Thomas Quiwonkpa, whose soldiers briefly occupied the national radio station.[46] Government repression intensified in response, as Doe's troops retaliated by executing members of the Gio and Mano ethnic groups in Nimba County.[46]

The National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), a rebel group led by Charles Taylor, launched an insurrection in December 1989 against Doe's government with the backing of neighboring countries such as Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. This triggered the First Liberian Civil War.[47] By September 1990, Doe's forces controlled only a small area just outside the capital, and Doe was captured and executed in that month by rebel forces.[48]

The rebels soon split into various factions fighting one another. The Economic Community Monitoring Group under the Economic Community of West African States organized a military task force to intervene in the crisis.[49] From 1989 to 1997 around 60,000 to 80,000 Liberians died, and, by 1996, around 700,000 others had been displaced into refugee camps in neighboring countries.[50] A peace deal between warring parties was reached in 1995, leading to Taylor's election as president in 1997.[48]

Under Taylor's leadership, Liberia became internationally known as a pariah state due to its use of blood diamonds and illegal timber exports to fund the Revolutionary United Front in the Sierra Leone Civil War.[51] The Second Liberian Civil War began in 1999 when Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, a rebel group based in the northwest of the country, launched an armed insurrection against Taylor.[52]

21st century

In March 2003, a second rebel group, Movement for Democracy in Liberia, began launching attacks against Taylor from the southeast.[52] Peace talks between the factions began in Accra in June of that year, and Taylor was indicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone for crimes against humanity the same month.[51] By July 2003, the rebels had launched an assault on Monrovia.[53] Under heavy pressure from the international community and the domestic Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace movement,[54] Taylor resigned in August 2003 and went into exile in Nigeria.[55] A peace deal was signed later that month.[56]

The United Nations Mission in Liberia began arriving in September 2003 to provide security and monitor the peace accord,[57] and an interim government took power the following October.[58] The subsequent 2005 elections were internationally regarded as the freest and fairest in Liberian history.[59] Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a US-educated economist, former Minister of Finance and future Nobel Prize for Peace winner, was elected as the first female president in Africa.[59] Upon her inauguration, Sirleaf requested the extradition of Taylor from Nigeria and transferred him to the SCSL for trial in The Hague.[60][61]

In 2006, the government established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address the causes and crimes of the civil war.[62] In 2011, July 26 was proclaimed by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to be observed as National Independence Day.[63] In October 2011, peace activist Leymah Gbowee received the Nobel Peace Prize in her work of leading a women's peace movement that brought to an end to the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003.[64] In November 2011, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was re-elected for a second six-year term.[65]

Following the 2017 Liberian general election, former professional football striker George Weah, one of the greatest African players of all time,[66][67] was sworn in as president on January 22, 2018, becoming the fourth youngest serving president in Africa.[68] The inauguration marked Liberia's first fully democratic transition in 74 years.[69] Weah cited fighting corruption, reforming the economy, combating illiteracy, and improving life conditions as the main targets of his presidency.[69]

Geography

Main article: Geography of Liberia
 
A map of Liberia

Liberia is situated in West Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean to the country's southwest. It lies between latitudes 4° and 9°N, and longitudes 7° and 12°W.

The landscape is characterized by mostly flat to rolling coastal plains that contain mangroves and swamps, which rise to a rolling plateau and low mountains in the northeast.[70]

Tropical rainforests cover the hills, while elephant grass and semi-deciduous forests make up the dominant vegetation in the northern sections.[70]

Liberia's watershed tends to move in a southwestern pattern towards the sea as new rains move down the forested plateau off the inland mountain range of Guinée Forestière, in Guinea. Cape Mount near the border with Sierra Leone receives the most precipitation in the nation.[70]

Liberia's main northwestern boundary is traversed by the Mano River while its southeast limits are bounded by the Cavalla River.[70] Liberia's three largest rivers are St. Paul exiting near Monrovia, the river St. John at Buchanan, and the Cestos River, all of which flow into the Atlantic. The Cavalla is the longest river in the nation at 320 miles (510 km).[70]

The highest point wholly within Liberia is Mount Wuteve at 4,724 feet (1,440 m) above sea level in the northwestern Liberia range of the West Africa Mountains and the Guinea Highlands.[70] However, Mount Nimba near Yekepa, is higher at 4,724 feet (1,440 m) above sea level but is not wholly within Liberia as Nimba shares a border with Guinea and Ivory Coast and is their tallest mountain as well.[71]

Climate

See also: Climate change in Liberia
 
Liberia map of Köppen climate classification.

The equatorial climate, in the south of the country, is hot year-round with heavy rainfall from May to October with a short interlude in mid-July to August.[70] During the winter months of November to March, dry dust-laden harmattan winds blow inland, causing many problems for residents.[70] Climate change in Liberia causes many problems as Liberia is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Like many other countries in Africa, Liberia both faces existing environmental issues, as well as sustainable development challenges.[72] Because of its location in Africa, it is vulnerable to extreme weather, the coastal effects of sea level rise, and changing water systems and water availability.[73] Climate change is expected to severely impact the economy of Liberia, especially agriculture, fisheries, and forestry. Liberia has been an active participant in international and local policy changes related to climate change.[74]

Biodiversity and conservation

Main article: Wildlife of Liberia
Further information: Environmental issues in Liberia
 
A Liberian tropical forest

Forests on the coastline are composed mostly of salt-tolerant mangrove trees, while the more sparsely populated inland has forests opening onto a plateau of drier grasslands. The climate is equatorial, with significant rainfall during the May–October rainy season and harsh harmattan winds the remainder of the year. Liberia possesses about forty percent of the remaining Upper Guinean rainforest. It was an important producer of rubber in the early 20th century.[75] Four terrestrial ecoregions lie within Liberia's borders: Guinean montane forests, Western Guinean lowland forests, Guinean forest–savanna mosaic, and Guinean mangroves.[76] It had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 4.79/10, ranking it 116th globally out of 172 countries.[77]

 
Loggers and logging truck, early 1960s

Liberia is a global biodiversity hotspot—a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans.[78]

 
Pygmy hippos are among the species illegally hunted for food in Liberia.[79] The World Conservation Union estimates that there are fewer than 3,000 pygmy hippos remaining in the wild.[80]

Endangered species are hunted for human consumption as bushmeat in Liberia.[79] Species hunted for food in Liberia include elephants, pygmy hippopotamus, chimpanzees, leopards, duikers, and other monkeys.[79] Bushmeat is often exported to neighboring Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast, despite a ban on the cross-border sale of wild animals.[79]

Bushmeat is widely eaten in Liberia, and is considered a delicacy.[81] A 2004 public opinion survey found that bushmeat ranked second behind fish amongst residents of the capital Monrovia as a preferred source of protein.[81] Of households where bushmeat was served, 80% of residents said they cooked it "once in a while," while 13% cooked it once a week and 7% cooked bushmeat daily.[81] The survey was conducted during the last civil war, and bushmeat consumption is now believed to be far higher.[81]

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense is endemic in some animal hosts here including both domestic and wild.[82] This causes the disease nagana.[82] In pigs here and in Ivory Coast, that includes Tbg group 1. Tbg and its vector Glossina palpalis gambiense are a constant presence in the rainforests here.[82] Much research into Tbg was performed in the 1970s by Mehlitz and by Gibson, both working in Bong Mine with samples from around the country.[82] The West African pariah dog is also a host for Tbg.[82]

The Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is a constant presence here.[83]

The Hairy Slit-Faced Bat (Nycteris hispida) suffers from malaria here.[84]

Slash-and-burn agriculture is one of the human activities eroding Liberia's natural forests.[85] A 2004 UN report estimated that 99% of Liberians burned charcoal and fuel wood for cooking and heating, resulting in deforestation.[85]

Illegal logging has increased in Liberia since the end of the Second Civil War in 2003.[78] In 2012, President Sirleaf granted licenses to companies to cut down 58% of all the primary rainforest left in Liberia.[78] After international protests, many of those logging permits were canceled.[78] In September 2014, Liberia and Norway struck an agreement whereby Liberia ceased all logging in exchange for $150 million in development aid.[78]

Pollution is a significant issue in Monrovia.[86] Since 2006, the international community has paid for all garbage collection and disposal in Monrovia via the World Bank.[87]

Administrative divisions

Main article: Administrative divisions of Liberia
Bomi CountyBong CountyGbarpolu CountyGrand Bassa CountyGrand Cape Mount CountyGrand Gedeh CountyGrand Kru CountyLofa CountyMargibi CountyMaryland CountyMontserrado CountyNimba CountyRivercess CountyRiver Gee CountySinoe County 
 
A view of a lake in Bomi County

Liberia is divided into fifteen counties, which, in turn, are subdivided into a total of 90 districts and further subdivided into clans. The oldest counties are Grand Bassa and Montserrado, both founded in 1839 prior to Liberian independence. Gbarpolu is the newest county, created in 2001. Nimba is the largest of the counties in size at 11,551 km2 (4,460 sq mi), while Montserrado is the smallest at 737.069 sq mi (1,909.00 km2).[88] Montserrado is also the most populous county with 1,144,806 residents as of the 2008 census.[88]

The fifteen counties are administered by superintendents appointed by the president. The Constitution calls for the election of various chiefs at the county and local level, but these elections have not taken place since 1985 due to war and financial constraints.[89]

Parallel to the administrative divisions of the country are the local and municipal divisions. Liberia currently does not have any constitutional framework or uniform statutes which deal with the creation or revocation of local governments.[90] All existing local governments – cities, townships, and a borough – were created by specific acts of the Liberian government, and thus the structure and duties/responsibilities of each local government varies greatly from one to the other.[citation needed]

Map no. County Capital Population
(2008 Census)[88]		 Area
(mi2)[88]		 Number of
districts 		Year
created
1   Bomi Tubmanburg 82,036 749 sq mi (1,940 km2) 4 1984
2   Bong Gbarnga 328,919 3,386 sq mi (8,770 km2) 12 1964
3   Gbarpolu Bopolu 83,758 3,740 sq mi (9,700 km2) 6 2001
4   Grand Bassa Buchanan 224,839 3,064 sq mi (7,940 km2) 8 1839
5   Grand Cape Mount Robertsport 129,055 1,993 sq mi (5,160 km2) 5 1844
6   Grand Gedeh Zwedru 126,146 4,047 sq mi (10,480 km2) 3 1964
7   Grand Kru Barclayville 57,106 1,503 sq mi (3,890 km2) 18 1984
8   Lofa Voinjama 270,114 3,854 sq mi (9,980 km2) 6 1964
9   Margibi Kakata 199,689 1,010 sq mi (2,600 km2) 4 1985
10   Maryland Harper 136,404 886 sq mi (2,290 km2) 2 1857
11   Montserrado Bensonville 1,144,806 737 sq mi (1,910 km2) 4 1839
12   Nimba Sanniquellie 468,088 4,459 sq mi (11,550 km2) 6 1964
13   Rivercess Rivercess 65,862 2,159 sq mi (5,590 km2) 6 1985
14   River Gee Fish Town 67,318 1,974 sq mi (5,110 km2) 6 2000
15   Sinoe Greenville 104,932 3,913 sq mi (10,130 km2) 17 1843

Government and politics

Main article: Politics of Liberia
 
Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

The government of Liberia, modeled on the government of the United States, is a unitary constitutional republic and representative democracy as established by the Constitution. The government has three co-equal branches of government: the executive, headed by the president; the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Legislature of Liberia; and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and several lower courts.[citation needed]

The president serves as head of government, head of state, and the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia.[1] Among the president's other duties are to sign or veto legislative bills, grant pardons, and appoint Cabinet members, judges, and other public officials. Together with the vice president, the president is elected to a six-year term by majority vote in a two-round system and can serve up to two terms in office.[1]

The Legislature is composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The House, led by a speaker, has 73 members apportioned among the 15 counties on the basis of the national census, with each county receiving a minimum of two members.[1] Each House member represents an electoral district within a county as drawn by the National Elections Commission and is elected by a plurality of the popular vote of their district into a six-year term. The Senate is made up of two senators from each county for a total of 30 senators.[1] Senators serve nine-year terms and are elected at-large by a plurality of the popular vote.[1] The vice president serves as the President of the Senate, with a President pro tempore serving in their absence.[91]

Liberia's highest judicial authority is the Supreme Court, made up of five members and headed by the Chief Justice of Liberia. Members are nominated to the court by the president and are confirmed by the Senate, serving until the age of 70. The judiciary is further divided into circuit and speciality courts, magistrate courts and justices of the peace.[92] The judicial system is a blend of common law, based on Anglo-American law, and customary law.[1] An informal system of traditional courts still exists within the rural areas of the country, with trial by ordeal remaining common despite being officially outlawed.[92]

From 1877 to 1980, the government was dominated by the True Whig Party.[34] Today, over 20 political parties are registered in the country, based largely around personalities and ethnic groups.[59] Most parties suffer from poor organizational capacity.[59] The 2005 elections marked the first time that the president's party did not gain a majority of seats in the Legislature.[59]

Military

Main article: Armed Forces of Liberia

The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) are the country's armed forces. Founded as the Liberian Frontier Force in 1908, the military was renamed in 1956. For virtually all of its history, the AFL has received considerable material and training assistance from the United States. For most of the 1941–89 period, training was largely provided by U.S. advisors, with combat experience in the Second World War also playing a role in training. After UN Security Council Resolution 1509 in September 2003, the United Nations Mission in Liberia arrived to referee the ceasefire with units from Ghana, Nigeria, Pakistan, and China with the view to assist the National Transitional Government of Liberia in forming the new Liberian military.[93]

Foreign relations

 
President Sirleaf with US Secretary of State John Kerry, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, and British PM David Cameron in September 2015
Further information: Foreign relations of Liberia

After the turmoil following the First and Second Liberian Civil Wars, Liberia's internal stabilization in the 21st century brought a return to cordial relations with neighboring countries and much of the Western world. As in other African countries, China is an important part of the post-conflict reconstruction.[94]

In the past, both of Liberia's neighbors, Guinea and Sierra Leone, have accused Liberia of backing rebels in their countries.[95]

Law enforcement and crime

Further information: Crime in Liberia

The Liberian National Police is the country's national police force. As of October 2007 it has 844 officers in 33 stations in Montserrado County, which contains Monrovia.[96] The National Police Training Academy is in Paynesville City.[97] A history of corruption among police officers diminishes public trust and operational effectiveness. The internal security is characterized by a general lawlessness coupled with the danger that former combatants in the late civil war might reestablish militias to challenge the civil authorities.[98]

Rape and sexual assault are frequent in the post-conflict era in Liberia. Liberia has one of the highest incidences of sexual violence against women in the world. Rape is the most frequently reported crime, accounting for more than one-third of sexual violence cases. Adolescent girls are the most frequently assaulted, and almost 40% of perpetrators are adult men known to victims.[99]

Both male and female homosexuality are illegal in Liberia.[100][101] On July 20, 2012, the Liberian senate voted unanimously to enact legislation to prohibit and criminalize same-sex marriages.[102]

Corruption

Further information: Corruption in Liberia

Corruption is endemic at every level of the Liberian government.[103] When President Sirleaf took office in 2006, she announced that corruption was "the major public enemy."[95] In 2014, the US ambassador to Liberia said that corruption there was harming people through "unnecessary costs to products and services that are already difficult for many Liberians to afford".[104]

Liberia scored a 3.3 on a scale from 10 (highly clean) to 0 (highly corrupt) on the 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index. This gave it a ranking 87th of 178 countries worldwide and 11th of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa.[105] This score represented a significant improvement since 2007, when the country scored 2.1 and ranked 150th of 180 countries.[106] When dealing with public-facing government functionaries, 89% of Liberians say they have had to pay a bribe, the highest national percentage in the world according to the organization's 2010 Global Corruption Barometer.[107]

Economy

Main article: Economy of Liberia
 
A proportional representation of Liberian exports. The shipping related categories reflect Liberia's status as an international flag of convenience – there are 3,500 vessels registered under Liberia's flag accounting for 11% of ships worldwide.[108][109]
 
Liberia, trends in the Human Development Index 1970–2010.
 
Real GDP per capita development, since 1950

The Central Bank of Liberia is responsible for printing and maintaining the Liberian dollar, Liberia's primary currency. Liberia is one of the world's poorest countries, with a formal employment rate of 15%.[92] GDP per capita peaked in 1980 at US$496, when it was comparable to Egypt's (at the time).[110] In 2011, the country's nominal GDP was US$1.154 billion, while nominal GDP per capita stood at US$297, the third-lowest in the world.[111] Historically the Liberian economy has depended heavily on foreign aid, foreign direct investment and exports of natural resources such as iron ore, rubber, and timber.[70]

Economic history

Following a peak in growth in 1979, the Liberian economy began a steady decline due to economic mismanagement after the 1980 coup.[112] This decline was accelerated by the outbreak of civil war in 1989; GDP was reduced by an estimated 90% between 1989 and 1995, one of the fastest declines in modern history.[112] Upon the end of the war in 2003, GDP growth began to accelerate, reaching 9.4% in 2007.[113] The global financial crisis slowed GDP growth to 4.6% in 2009,[113] though a strengthening agricultural sector led by rubber and timber exports increased growth to 5.1% in 2010 and an expected 7.3% in 2011, making the economy one of the 20 fastest-growing in the world.[114][115]

Current impediments to growth include a small domestic market, lack of adequate infrastructure, high transportation costs, poor trade links with neighboring countries and the high dollarization of the economy.[114] Liberia used the United States dollar as its currency from 1943 until 1982 and continues to use the U.S. dollar alongside the Liberian dollar.[116]

Following a decrease in inflation beginning in 2003, inflation spiked in 2008 as a result of worldwide food and energy crises,[117] reaching 17.5% before declining to 7.4% in 2009.[113] Liberia's external debt was estimated in 2006 at approximately $4.5 billion, 800% of GDP.[112] As a result of bilateral, multilateral and commercial debt relief from 2007 to 2010, the country's external debt fell to $222.9 million by 2011.[118]

While official commodity exports declined during the 1990s as many investors fled the civil war, Liberia's wartime economy featured the exploitation of the region's diamond wealth.[119] The country acted as a major trader in Sierra Leonian blood diamonds, exporting over US$300 million in diamonds in 1999.[120] This led to a United Nations ban on Liberian diamond exports in 2001, which was lifted in 2007 following Liberia's accession to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.[121]

In 2003, additional UN sanctions were placed on Liberian timber exports, which had risen from US$5 million in 1997 to over US$100 million in 2002 and were believed to be funding rebels in Sierra Leone.[122][123] These sanctions were lifted in 2006.[124] Due in large part to foreign aid and investment inflow following the end of the war, Liberia maintains a large account deficit, which peaked at nearly 60% in 2008.[114] Liberia gained observer status with the World Trade Organization in 2010 and became an official member in 2016.[125]

Liberia has the highest ratio of foreign direct investment to GDP in the world, with US$16 billion in investment since 2006.[115] Following Sirleaf's inauguration in 2006, Liberia signed several multi-billion-dollar concession agreements in the iron ore and palm oil industries with numerous multinational corporations, including ArcelorMittal, BHP and Sime Darby.[126] Palm oil companies like Sime Darby (Malaysia) and Golden Veroleum (USA) have been accused of destroying livelihoods and displacing local communities, enabled by government concessions.[127] Since 1926 Firestone has operated the world's largest rubber plantation in Harbel, Margibi County. As of 2015, it had more than 8,000 mostly Liberian employees, making it the country's largest private employer.[128][129]

Shipping flag of convenience

Due to its status as a flag of convenience, Liberia has the second-largest maritime registry in the world behind Panama. It has 3,500 vessels registered under its flag, accounting for 11% of ships worldwide.[108][109]

Major industries

Agriculture

This section is an excerpt from Agriculture in Liberia.[edit]
 
Young boy grinding sugar cane near Flumpa, Nimba County, 1968.

Agriculture in Liberia is a major sector of the country's economy worth 38.8% of GDP, employing more than 70% of the population and providing a valuable export for one of the world's least developed countries (as defined by the UN).[130][131][132][133] Liberia has a climate favourable to farming, vast forests, and an abundance of water, yet low yields mean that over half of foodstuffs are imported, with net agricultural trade at -$73.12 million in 2010.[134] This was dismissed as a "misconception" by Liberia's Minister of Agriculture.[135]

The major crops are natural rubber, rice, cassava,[136][137] bananas and palm oil.[137] Timber is also a major export at $100 million annually, although much of this is the product of unsustainable habitat destruction, with Asian corporations criticised for their role.[132] Although agricultural activity occurs in most rural locations, it is particularly concentrated in coastal plains (subsistence crops) and tropical forest (cash crops). The sector is very important for women as they are widely employed in it in comparison to the economy as a whole.[138]

Mining

This section is an excerpt from Mining industry of Liberia.[edit]
 
Iron ore mining

The mining industry of Liberia has witnessed a revival after the civil war which ended in 2003.[139] Gold, diamonds, and iron ore form the core minerals of the mining sector with a new Mineral Development Policy and Mining Code being put in place to attract foreign investments.[140] In 2013, the mineral sector accounted for 11% of GDP in the country and the World Bank projected a further increase in the sector by 2017.[141]

Mining sector is considered the prime mover for the economic growth of the country and its exploitation has to be appropriately balanced with sustainable environmental preservation of its rich biodiversity.[142] Apart from iron ore extractions, cement, diamond, gold, and petroleum resources have also been given due importance to enrich the economy of the country.

Telecommunications

Main article: Communications in Liberia

There are six major newspapers in Liberia, and 65%of the population has a mobile phone service. Much of Liberia's communications infrastructure was destroyed or plundered during the two civil wars (1989–1996 and 1999–2003).[143] With low rates of adult literacy and high poverty rates, television and newspaper use is limited, leaving radio as the predominant means of communicating with the public.[144]

Transportation

Main article: Transport in Liberia
 
The streets of downtown Monrovia, March 2009
This section is an excerpt from Transport in Liberia.[edit]
Transport in Liberia consist of 266 mi of railways, 6,580 mi of highways (408 mi paved), seaports, 29 airports (2 paved) and 2 mi of pipeline for oil transportation. [145] Busses and taxis are the main forms of ground transportation in and around Monrovia. Charter boats are also available. [146]

Energy

Further information: Energy in Liberia

Public electricity services are provided solely by the state-owned Liberia Electricity Corporation, which operates a small grid almost exclusively in the Greater Monrovia District.[147] The vast majority of electric energy services is provided by small, privately owned generators. At $0.54 per kWh, the cost of electricity in Liberia is among the highest in the world. Total capacity in 2013 was 20 MW, a sharp decline from a peak of 191 MW in 1989 before the wars.[147]

The repair and expansion of the Mount Coffee Hydropower Project, with a maximum capacity of 80 MW, was completed in 2018.[148] Construction of three new heavy fuel oil power plants is expected to boost electrical capacity by 38 MW.[149] In 2013, Liberia began importing power from neighboring Ivory Coast and Guinea through the West African Power Pool.[150]

Liberia has begun exploration for offshore oil; unproven oil reserves may be in excess of one billion barrels.[151] The government divided its offshore waters into 17 blocks and began auctioning off exploration licenses for the blocks in 2004, with further auctions in 2007 and 2009.[152][153][154] An additional 13 ultra-deep offshore blocks were demarcated in 2011 and planned for auction.[155] Among the companies to have won licenses are Repsol YPF, Chevron Corporation, and Woodside Petroleum.[156]

Demographics

 
Liberia's population from 1961 to 2013, in millions.[157] Liberia's population tripled in 40 years.[157]
 
Liberia's population pyramid, 2005. 43.5% of Liberians were below the age of 15 in 2010.[158]
Main article: Demographics of Liberia
See also: Liberian nationality law

As of the 2017 national census, Liberia was home to 4,694,608 people.[159] Of those, 1,118,241 lived in Montserrado County, the most populous county in the country and home to the capital of Monrovia. The Greater Monrovia District has 970,824 residents.[160] Nimba County is the next most populous county, with 462,026 residents.[160] As revealed in the 2008 census, Monrovia is more than four times more populous than all the county capitals combined.[88]

Prior to the 2008 census, the last census had been taken in 1984 and listed the country's population as 2,101,628.[160] The population of Liberia was 1,016,443 in 1962 and increased to 1,503,368 in 1974.[88] As of 2006, Liberia had the highest population growth rate in the world (4.50% per annum).[161] In 2010 some 43.5% of Liberians were below the age of 15.[158]

Ethnic groups

Ethnic Groups in Liberia
Ethnic Groups percent
Kpelle
 
 20.3%
Bassa
 
 13.4%
Grebo
 
 10%
Gio
 
 8%
Mano
 
 7.9%
Kru
 
 6%
Lorma
 
 5.1%
Kissi
 
 4.8%
Gola
 
 4.4%
Krahn
 
 4%
Vai
 
 4%
Mandinka
 
 3.2%
Gbandi
 
 3%
Mende
 
 1.3%
Sapo
 
 1.2%
Belle
 
 0.8%
Dey
 
 0.3%
Other Liberian
 
 0.6%
Other African
 
 1.4%
Non African
 
 0.1%

The population includes 16 indigenous ethnic groups and various foreign minorities. Indigenous peoples comprise about 95 percent of the population. The 16 officially recognized ethnic groups include the Kpelle, Bassa, Mano, Gio or Dan, Kru, Grebo, Krahn, Vai, Gola, Mandingo or Mandinka, Mende, Kissi, Gbandi, Loma, Dei or Dewoin, Belleh, and Americo-Liberians or Congo people (so named because many immigrants including those freed from slave ships arrived from ports at the mouth of the Congo River).

The Kpelle comprise more than 20% of the population and are the largest ethnic group in Liberia, residing mostly in Bong County and adjacent areas in central Liberia.[162] Americo-Liberians, who are descendants of African American and West Indian, mostly Barbadian (Bajan) settlers, make up 2.5%. Congo people, descendants of repatriated Congo and Afro-Caribbean slaves who arrived in 1825, make up an estimated 2.5%.[1][163][better source needed] These latter two groups established political control in the 19th century which they kept well into the 20th century.

The Liberian constitution exercises jus sanguinis, which means it usually restricts its citizenship to "Negroes or persons of Negro descent."[164] That being said, numerous immigrants have come as merchants and become a major part of the business community, including Lebanese, Indians, and other West African nationals. There is a high percentage of interracial marriage between ethnic Liberians and the Lebanese, resulting in a significant mixed-race population especially in and around Monrovia. A small minority of Liberians who are White Africans of European descent reside in the country.[better source needed][1]

Languages

Further information: Languages of Liberia

English is the official language and serves as the lingua franca of Liberia.[165] As of 2022, 27 indigenous languages are spoken in Liberia, but each is a first language for only a small percentage of the population.[166] Liberians also speak a variety of creolized dialects collectively known as Liberian English.[165]

Largest cities

 
Largest cities or towns in Liberia
According to the 2008 Census[1]
Rank Name County Pop.
 
Monrovia 		1 Monrovia Montserrado 1,021,762  
Ganta
2 Gbarnga Bong 56,986
3 Buchanan Grand Bassa 50,245
4 Ganta Nimba 42,077
5 Kakata Margibi 34,608
6 Zwedru Grand Gedeh 25,349
7 Harbel Margibi 25,309
8 Harper Maryland 23,517
9 Pleebo Maryland 23,464
10 Foya Lofa 20,569

Religion

Main article: Religion in Liberia
Religion in Liberia (2010)[167]
Religion percent
Protestantism
 
 76.3%
Islam
 
 12.2%
Roman Catholicism
 
 7.2%
Other Christian
 
 1.6%
Unaffiliated
 
 1.4%
Other faith
 
 1.3%

According to the 2008 National Census, 85.6% of the population practiced Christianity, while Muslims represented a minority of 12.2%.[168] A multitude of diverse Protestant confessions such as Lutheran, Baptist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, United Methodist, African Methodist Episcopal (AME) and African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AME Zion) denominations form the bulk of the Christian population, followed by adherents of the Catholic Church and other non-Protestant Christians. Most of these Christian denominations were brought by African-American settlers moving from the United States into Liberia via the American Colonization Society, while some are indigenous—especially Pentecostal and evangelical Protestant ones. Protestantism was originally associated with Black American settlers and their Americo-Liberian descendants, while native peoples initially held to their own animist forms of African traditional religion before largely adopting Christianity. While Christian, many Liberians also participate in traditional, gender-based indigenous religious secret societies, such as Poro for men and Sande for women. The all-female Sande society practices female circumcision.[169]

Muslims comprised 12.2% of the population in 2008, largely represented by the Mandingo and Vai ethnic groups. Liberian Muslims are divided between Sunnis, Shias, Ahmadiyyas, Sufis, and non-denominational Muslims.[170]

In 2008, 0.5% identified adherence to traditional indigenous religions, while 1.5% claimed no religion. A small number of people were Baháʼí, Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist.

The Liberian constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right.[169] While separation of church and state is mandated by the Constitution, Liberia is considered a Christian state in practice.[59] Public schools offer biblical studies, though parents may opt their children out. Commerce is prohibited by law on Sunday and major Christian holidays. The government does not require businesses or schools to excuse Muslims for Friday prayers.[169]

Education

Main article: Education in Liberia
 
Students studying by candlelight in Bong County

In 2010, the literacy rate of Liberia was estimated at 60.8% (64.8% for males and 56.8% for females).[171] In some areas primary and secondary education is free and compulsory from the ages of 6 to 16, though enforcement of attendance is lax.[172] In other areas children are required to pay a tuition fee to attend school. On average, children attain 10 years of education (11 for boys and 8 for girls).[1] The country's education sector is hampered by inadequate schools and supplies, as well as a lack of qualified teachers.[173]

Higher education is provided by a number of public and private universities. The University of Liberia is the country's largest and oldest university. Located in Monrovia, the university opened in 1862. Today it has six colleges, including a medical school and the nation's only law school, Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law.[174]

In 2009, Tubman University in Harper, Maryland County was established as the second public university in Liberia.[175] Since 2006, the government has also opened community colleges in Buchanan, Sanniquellie, and Voinjama.[176][177][178]

Due to student protests late in October 2018, newly elected president George M. Weah abolished tuition fees for undergraduate students in the public universities in Liberia.[179]

Private universities

  • Cuttington University was established by the Episcopal Church of the USA in 1889 in Suakoko, Bong County, as part of its missionary education work among indigenous peoples. It is the nation's oldest private university.
  • Stella Maris Polytechnic, a post-secondary, private institution of higher learning. Founded in 1988, the school is owned and operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Monrovia. Located on Capitol Hill, the school has approximately 2,000 students.[180]
  • Adventist University of West Africa, a post-secondary learning environment that is situated in Margibi County, on the Roberts International Airport.[181]
  • United Methodist University, a private Christian university located in Liberia, West Africa, it is commonly known amongst locals as UMU. As of 2016, it had approximately 9,118 students. This institution was founded in 1998.[182]
  • African Methodist Episcopal University, a private higher education institution that was founded in 1995.[183]
  • Starz University, is a private higher education institution that was established in the United States in 2007, and became incorporated in Monrovia, 2009; with the objective of addressing the Information Technology(IT) need of Liberia.[184]
  • St. Clements University College (Liberia), a private higher education institution that was founded in 2008.[185]

Health

Further information: Health in Liberia
 
Development of life expectancy

Hospitals in Liberia include the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia and several others. Life expectancy in Liberia is estimated to be 64.4 years in 2020.[186] With a fertility rate of 5.9 births per woman, the maternal mortality rate stood at 990 per 100,000 births in 2010, and 1,072 per 100,000 births in 2017.[187][188] A number of highly communicable diseases are widespread, including tuberculosis, diarrheal diseases and malaria. In 2007, the HIV infection rates stood at 2% of the population aged 15–49[189] whereas the incidence of tuberculosis was 420 per 100,000 people in 2008.[190] Approximately 58.2%[191] – 66%[192] of women are estimated to have undergone female genital mutilation.

Liberia imports 90% of its rice, a staple food, and is extremely vulnerable to food shortages.[193] In 2007, 20.4% of children under the age of five were malnourished.[194] In 2008, only 17% of the population had access to adequate sanitation facilities.[195]

Approximately 95% of the country's healthcare facilities had been destroyed by the time civil war ended in 2003.[196] In 2009, government expenditure on health care per capita was US$22,[197] accounting for 10.6% of total GDP.[198] In 2008, Liberia had only one doctor and 27 nurses per 100,000 people.[190]

In 2014, an outbreak of Ebola virus in Guinea spread to Liberia.[199] As of November 17, 2014, there were 2,812 confirmed deaths from the ongoing outbreak.[200] In early August 2014 Guinea closed its borders to Liberia to help contain the spread of the virus, as more new cases were being reported in Liberia than in Guinea. On May 9, 2015, Liberia was declared Ebola free after six weeks with no new cases.[201]

According to an Overseas Development Institute report, private health expenditure accounts for 64.1% of total spending on health.[202]

Culture

Main article: Culture of Liberia
 
Bassa culture. Helmet Mask for Sande Society (Ndoli Jowei), Liberia. 20th century. Brooklyn Museum.

The religious practices, social customs and cultural standards of the Americo-Liberians had their roots in the antebellum American South. The settlers wore top hat and tails and modeled their homes on those of Southern slaveowners.[203] Most Americo-Liberian men were members of the Masonic Order of Liberia, which became heavily involved in the nation's politics.[204]

Liberia has a rich history in textile arts and quilting, as the settlers brought with them their sewing and quilting skills. Liberia hosted National Fairs in 1857 and 1858 in which prizes were awarded for various needle arts. One of the most well-known Liberian quilters was Martha Ann Ricks,[205] who presented a quilt featuring the famed Liberian coffee tree to Queen Victoria in 1892. When President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf moved into the Executive Mansion, she reportedly had a Liberian-made quilt installed in her presidential office.[206]

A rich literary tradition has existed in Liberia for over a century. Edward Wilmot Blyden, Bai T. Moore, Roland T. Dempster and Wilton G. S. Sankawulo are among Liberia's more prominent authors.[207] Moore's novella Murder in the Cassava Patch is considered Liberia's most celebrated novel.[208]

Polygamy

Further information: Polygamy in Liberia

One-third of married Liberian women between the ages of 15–49 are in polygamous marriages.[209] Customary law allows men to have up to four wives.[210]

Cuisine

Main article: Liberian cuisine
 
A beachside barbecue at Sinkor, Monrovia, Liberia

Liberian cuisine heavily incorporates rice, the country's staple food. Other ingredients include cassava, fish, bananas, citrus fruit, plantains, coconut, okra and sweet potatoes.[211] Heavy stews spiced with habanero and scotch bonnet chilies are popular and eaten with fufu.[212] Liberia also has a tradition of baking imported from the United States that is unique in West Africa.[213]

Sport

The most popular sport in Liberia is association football, with President George Weah — the only African to be named FIFA World Player of the Year — being the nation's most famous athlete.[214][215] The Liberia national football team has reached the Africa Cup of Nations finals twice, in 1996 and 2002.

The second most popular sport in Liberia is basketball. The Liberian national basketball team has reached the AfroBasket twice, in 1983 and 2007.

In Liberia, the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex serves as a multi-purpose stadium. It hosts FIFA World Cup qualifying matches in addition to international concerts and national political events.[216]

Measurement system

Liberia has not yet completely adopted the International System of Units (abbreviated as the SI, also called the metric system). The 1988 Omnibus Foreign Trade and Competitiveness Act designated the metric system as "the preferred system of weights and measures for United States trade and commerce," but in practice the system is in mixed usage, with the population generally preferring customary units and industries either fully metric or mixed.[217]

The Liberian government has begun transitioning away from use of United States customary units to the metric system.[218] However, this change has been gradual, with government reports concurrently using both United States Customary and metric units.[219][220] In 2018, the Liberian Commerce and Industry Minister announced that the Liberian government is committed to adopting the metric system.[221]

See also

Notes

References

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Further reading

  • Cooper, Helene, House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood (Simon & Schuster, 2008, ISBN 0-7432-6624-2)
  • Gilbert, Erik; Reynolds, Jonathan T (October 2003). Africa in World History, From Prehistory to the Present (Paperback ed.). Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-092907-5.
  • Greene, Barbara (March 5, 1991). Too Late to Turn Back. Penguin. ISBN 0-14-009594-2.
  • Greene, Graham (1936). Journey Without Maps. Vintage. ISBN 978-0-09-928223-5.
  • Hetherington, Tim (2009). Long Story Bit By Bit: Liberia Retold. New York: Umbrage. ISBN 978-1-884167-73-7.
  • Huffman, Alan (2004). Mississippi in Africa: The Saga of the Slaves of Prospect Hill Plantation and Their Legacy in Liberia Today. Gotham Books. ISBN 978-1-59240-044-7. - Read online
  • Kraaij, Fred; van der (2015). Liberia : From the Love of Liberty to Paradise Lost. African Studies Centre, Leiden. ISBN 978-90-54481447.
  • Lang, Victoria, To Liberia: Destiny's Timing (Publish America, Baltimore, 2004, ISBN 1-4137-1829-9). A fast-paced gripping novel of the journey of a young Black couple fleeing America to settle in the African motherland of Liberia.
  • Maksik, Alexander, A Marker to Measure Drift (John Murray 2013; Paperback 2014; ISBN 978-1-84854-807-7). A beautifully written, powerful & moving novel about a young woman's experience of and escape from the Liberian civil war.
  • Merriam Webster's Geographical Dictionary: third Edition (Paperback ed.). Merriam Webster Inc., Springfield. 1997. ISBN 0-87779-546-0.
  • Mwakikagile, Godfrey, Military Coups in West Africa Since The Sixties, Chapter Eight: Liberia: 'The Love of Liberty Brought Us Here,' pp. 85–110, Nova Science Publishers, Inc., Huntington, New York, 2001; Godfrey Mwakikagile, The Modern African State: Quest for Transformation, Chapter One: The Collapse of A Modern African State: Death and Rebirth of Liberia, pp. 1–18, Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2001.
  • Pham, John-Peter (April 4, 2001). Liberia: Portrait of a Failed State. Reed Press. ISBN 1-59429-012-1.
  • Sankawulo, Wilton, Great Tales of Liberia. Dr. Sankawulo is the compiler of these tales from Liberia and about Liberian culture. Editura Universității "Lucian Blaga", Sibiu, Romania, 2004. ISBN 9789736518386.
  • Sankawulo, Wilton, Sundown at Dawn: A Liberian Odyssey. Recommended by the Cultural Resource Center, Center for Applied Linguistics for its content concerning Liberian culture. ISBN 0-9763565-0-3
  • Shaw, Elma, Redemption Road: The Quest for Peace and Justice in Liberia (a novel), with a foreword by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Cotton Tree Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-9800774-0-7)
  • Williams, Gabriel I. H. (July 6, 2006). Liberia: The Heart of Darkness. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 1-55369-294-2.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Liberia.
 
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Liberia.

December 30, 2022
liberia, this, article, about, country, africa, other, uses, disambiguation, coordinates, ɪər, listen, officially, republic, country, west, african, coast, bordered, sierra, leone, northwest, guinea, north, ivory, coast, east, atlantic, ocean, south, southwest. This article is about the country in Africa For other uses see Liberia disambiguation Coordinates 6 30 N 9 30 W 6 500 N 9 500 W 6 500 9 500 Liberia l aɪ ˈ b ɪer i e listen officially the Republic of Liberia is a country on the West African coast It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest Guinea to its north Ivory Coast to its east and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest It has a population of around 5 million and covers an area of 43 000 square miles 111 369 km2 English is the official language but over 20 indigenous languages are spoken reflecting the country s ethnic and cultural diversity The country s capital and largest city is Monrovia Republic of LiberiaFlag Coat of armsMotto The Love of Liberty Brought Us Here Anthem All Hail Liberia Hail source source track Location of Liberia dark green Capitaland largest cityMonrovia6 19 N 10 48 W 6 317 N 10 800 W 6 317 10 800Official languagesEnglishEthnic groups 2008 1 20 3 Kpelle13 4 Bassa10 Grebo8 Gio7 9 Mano6 Kru5 1 Lorma4 8 Kissi4 4 Gola4 Krahn4 Vai3 2 Mandinka3 Gbandi1 3 Mende1 2 Sapo0 8 Belle0 3 Dey0 6 other Liberian1 4 other African0 1 non AfricanReligion 2020 2 86 2 Christianity11 7 Islam1 4 No religion0 7 OtherDemonym s LiberianGovernmentUnitary presidential constitutional republic PresidentGeorge Weah Vice PresidentJewel Taylor House SpeakerBhofal Chambers Chief JusticeSie A Nyene YuohLegislatureLegislature of Liberia Upper houseSenate Lower houseHouse of RepresentativesFormation and Independence from American Colonization Society American Colonization Society settlementJanuary 7 1822 Independence declaredJuly 26 1847 Republic of Maryland annexedMarch 18 1857 Recognition by the United StatesFebruary 5 1862 United Nations membershipNovember 2 1945 Current constitutionJanuary 6 1986Area Total43 000 1 sq mi 111 370 km2 102nd Water 13 514Population 2022 estimate5 358 483 3 121st Density92 0 sq mi 35 5 km2 180th GDP PPP 2022 estimate Total 8 84 billion 4 167th Per capita 1 667 4 184th GDP nominal 2022 estimate Total 3 90 billion 4 171st Per capita 735 4 180th Gini 2016 35 3 5 mediumHDI 2022 0 481 6 low 178thCurrencyLiberian dollar LRD Time zoneUTC GMT Date formatmm dd yyyyDriving siderightCalling code 231ISO 3166 codeLRInternet TLD lrWebsitewww wbr emansion wbr gov wbr lr Executive mansionLiberia began in the early 19th century as a project of the American Colonization Society ACS which believed black people would face better chances for freedom and prosperity in Africa than in the United States 7 Between 1822 and the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861 more than 15 000 freed and free born black people who faced social and legal oppression in the U S along with 3 198 Afro Caribbeans relocated to Liberia 8 Gradually developing an Americo Liberian identity 9 10 the settlers carried their culture and tradition with them the Liberian constitution and flag were modeled after those of the U S while its capital was named after ACS supporter and U S President James Monroe Liberia declared independence on July 26 1847 which the U S did not recognize until February 5 1862 On January 3 1848 Joseph Jenkins Roberts a wealthy free born African American from the U S state of Virginia who settled in Liberia was elected Liberia s first president after the people proclaimed independence 8 Liberia was the first African republic to proclaim its independence and is Africa s first and oldest modern republic It was among the few African countries to maintain its sovereignty during the Scramble for Africa During World War II Liberia supported the United States war effort against Germany and in turn received considerable American investment in infrastructure which aided the country s wealth and development President William Tubman encouraged economic and political changes that heightened the country s prosperity and international profile Liberia was a founding member of the League of Nations United Nations and the Organisation of African Unity The Americo Liberian settlers did not relate well to the indigenous peoples they encountered especially those living in the more isolated interior Colonial settlements were raided by the Kru and Grebo from their inland chiefdoms Americo Liberians promoted religious organizations to set up missions and schools to educate the native populace 11 Americo Liberians formed into a small elite that held disproportionate political power indigenous Africans were excluded from birthright citizenship in their own land until 1904 11 12 In 1980 political tensions from the rule of William R Tolbert resulted in a military coup during which Tolbert was killed marking the end of Americo Liberian rule in the country and beginning over two decades of political instability Five years of military rule by the People s Redemption Council and five years of civilian rule by the National Democratic Party of Liberia were followed by the First and Second Liberian Civil Wars These resulted in the deaths of 250 000 people about 8 of the population and the displacement of many more with Liberia s economy shrinking by 90 13 A peace agreement in 2003 led to democratic elections in 2005 in which Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected president making history as the first female president on the continent National infrastructure and basic social services were severely affected by the conflicts as well as by the 2013 2016 outbreak of Ebola virus with 83 of the population living below the international poverty line as of 2015 14 Contents 1 History 1 1 Indigenous people 1 2 Mande expansion 1 3 Early colonization 1 4 Political formation 1 5 Early 20th century 1 5 1 World Wars and interwar period 1 6 Late 20th century political instability 1 7 21st century 2 Geography 2 1 Climate 2 2 Biodiversity and conservation 2 3 Administrative divisions 3 Government and politics 3 1 Military 3 2 Foreign relations 3 3 Law enforcement and crime 3 4 Corruption 4 Economy 4 1 Economic history 4 2 Shipping flag of convenience 4 3 Major industries 4 3 1 Agriculture 4 3 2 Mining 4 3 3 Telecommunications 4 3 4 Transportation 4 3 5 Energy 5 Demographics 5 1 Ethnic groups 5 2 Languages 5 3 Largest cities 5 4 Religion 5 5 Education 5 5 1 Private universities 5 6 Health 6 Culture 6 1 Polygamy 6 2 Cuisine 6 3 Sport 6 4 Measurement system 7 See also 8 Notes 9 References 10 Further reading 11 External linksHistory EditMain article History of Liberia Indigenous people Edit The presence of Oldowan Earlier Stone Age earliest ESA artifacts in West Africa has been confirmed by Michael Omolewa attesting to the presence of ancient humans 15 Undated Acheulean ESA artifacts are well documented across West Africa The emerging chronometric record of the Middle Stone Age MSA indicates that core and flake technologies have been present in West Africa since at least the Middle Pleistocene 780 126 thousand years ago or ka in northern open Sahelian zones and that they persisted until the Terminal Pleistocene Holocene boundary 12ka in both northern and southern zones of West Africa This makes them the youngest examples of such MSA technology anywhere in Africa The presence of MSA populations in forests remains an open question however technological differences may correlate with various ecological zones Later Stone Age LSA populations evidence significant technological diversification including both microlithic and macrolithic traditions 16 The record shows that aceramic and ceramic Later Stone Age LSA assemblages in West Africa overlap chronologically and that changing densities of microlithic industries from the coast to the north are geographically structured These features may represent social networks or some form of cultural diffusion allied to changing ecological conditions 16 Microlithic industries with ceramics became common by the Mid Holocene coupled with an apparent intensification of wild food exploitation Between 4 3 5ka these societies gradually transformed into food producers possibly through contact with northern pastoralists and agriculturalists as the environment became more arid However hunter gatherers have survived in the more forested parts of West Africa until much later attesting to the strength of ecological boundaries in this region 16 A European map of West Africa and the Grain Coast 1736 It has the archaic mapping designation of Negroland Mande expansion Edit The Pepper Coast also known as the Grain Coast has been inhabited by indigenous peoples of Africa at least as far back as the 12th century Mande speaking people expanded westward from the Sudan forcing many smaller ethnic groups southward toward the Atlantic Ocean The Dei Bassa Kru Gola and Kissi were some of the earliest documented peoples in the area 17 This influx of these groups was compounded by the decline of the Western Sudanic Mali Empire in 1375 and the Songhai Empire in 1591 As inland regions underwent desertification inhabitants moved to the wetter coast These new inhabitants brought skills such as cotton spinning cloth weaving iron smelting rice and sorghum cultivation and social and political institutions from the Mali and Songhai empires 17 Shortly after the Mane conquered the region the Vai people of the former Mali Empire immigrated into the Grand Cape Mount County region The ethnic Kru opposed the influx of Vai forming an alliance with the Mane to stop further influx of Vai 18 People along the coast built canoes and traded with other West Africans from Cap Vert to the Gold Coast Early colonization Edit Between 1461 and the late 17th century Portuguese Dutch and British traders had contacts and trading posts in the region The Portuguese named the area Costa da Pimenta Pepper Coast but it later came to be known as the Grain Coast due to the abundance of melegueta pepper grains European traders would barter commodities and goods with local people citation needed In the United States there was a movement to settle free people of color both free born and formerly enslaved in Africa This was because they faced racial discrimination in the form of political disenfranchisement and the denial of civil religious and social rights 19 Formed in 1816 the American Colonization Society ACS was made up mostly of Quakers and slaveholders Quakers believed black people would face better chances for freedom in Africa than in the U S 7 20 While slaveholders opposed freedom for enslaved people they viewed repatriation of free people of color as a way to avoid slave rebellions 7 In 1822 the American Colonization Society began sending free people of color to the Pepper Coast voluntarily to establish a colony Mortality from tropical diseases was high of the 4 571 emigrants who arrived in Liberia between 1820 and 1843 only 1 819 survived 21 22 By 1867 the ACS and state related chapters had assisted in the migration of more than 13 000 people of color from the United States and the Caribbean to Liberia 23 These free African Americans and their descendants married within their community and came to identify as Americo Liberians Many were of mixed race and educated in American culture they did not identify with the indigenous natives of the tribes they encountered They intermarried largely within the colonial community developing an ethnic group that had a cultural tradition infused with American notions of political republicanism and Protestant Christianity 24 Map of Liberia Colony in the 1830s created by the ACS and also showing Mississippi Colony and other state sponsored colonies The ACS supported by prominent American politicians such as Abraham Lincoln Henry Clay and James Monroe believed repatriation was preferable to having emancipated slaves remain in the United States 20 Similar state based organizations established colonies in Mississippi in Africa Kentucky in Africa and the Republic of Maryland which Liberia later annexed However Lincoln in 1862 described Liberia as only in a certain sense a success and proposed instead that free people of color be assisted to emigrate to Chiriqui today part of Panama 25 The Americo Liberian settlers did not relate well to the indigenous peoples they encountered especially those in communities of the more isolated bush The colonial settlements were raided by the Kru and Grebo from their inland chiefdoms Encounters with tribal Africans in the bush often became violent Believing themselves different from and culturally and educationally superior to the indigenous peoples the Americo Liberians developed as an elite minority that created and held on to political power In a conscious effort to emulate the American South the Americo Liberian settlers adopted clothing such as hoop skirts and tailcoats and excluded natives from economic opportunities including creating plantations on which natives were forced to work as slaves 26 Indigenous tribesmen did not enjoy birthright citizenship in their own land until 1904 12 Americo Liberians encouraged religious organizations to set up missions and schools to educate the indigenous peoples 26 Political formation Edit Residence of Joseph Jenkins Roberts first President of Liberia between 1848 and 1852 On July 26 1847 the settlers issued a Declaration of Independence and promulgated a constitution Based on the political principles of the United States Constitution it established the independent Republic of Liberia 27 28 On August 24 Liberia adopted its 11 striped national flag 29 The United Kingdom was the first country to recognize Liberia s independence 30 The United States did not recognize Liberia until 1862 after the Southern states which had strong political power in the American government declared their secession and the formation of the Confederacy 31 32 33 The leadership of the new nation consisted largely of the Americo Liberians who initially established political and economic dominance in the coastal areas that the ACS had purchased they maintained relations with U S contacts in developing these areas and the resulting trade Their passage of the 1865 Ports of Entry Act prohibited foreign commerce with the inland tribes ostensibly to encourage the growth of civilized values before such trade was allowed in the region 27 African Americans depart for Liberia 1896 The ACS sent its last emigrants to Liberia in 1904 By 1877 the True Whig Party was the country s most powerful political entity 34 It was made up primarily of Americo Liberians who maintained social economic and political dominance well into the 20th century repeating patterns of European colonists in other nations in Africa Competition for office was usually contained within the party a party nomination virtually ensured election 34 Pressure from the United Kingdom which controlled Sierra Leone to the northwest and France with its interests in the north and east led to a loss of Liberia s claims to extensive territories Both Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast annexed territories 35 Liberia struggled to attract investment to develop infrastructure and a larger industrial economy There was a decline in production of Liberian goods in the late 19th century and the government struggled financially resulting in indebtedness on a series of international loans 36 On July 16 1892 Martha Ann Erskine Ricks met Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle and presented her a handmade quilt Liberia s first diplomatic gift Born into slavery in Tennessee Ricks said I had heard it often from the time I was a child how good the Queen had been to my people to slaves and how she wanted us to be free 30 Early 20th century Edit Charles D B King 17th President of Liberia 1920 1930 with his entourage on the steps of the Peace Palace The Hague the Netherlands 1927 American and other international interests emphasized resource extraction with rubber production a major industry in the early 20th century 37 In 1914 Imperial Germany accounted for three quarters of the trade of Liberia This was a cause for concern among the British colonial authorities of Sierra Leone and the French colonial authorities of French Guinea and the Ivory Coast as tensions with Germany increased 38 World Wars and interwar period Edit Main article Liberia in World War I Liberia remained neutral during World War I until August 4 1917 upon declaring war on Germany Subsequently it was one of 32 nations to take part in the Versailles Peace Conference in 1919 which ended the war and established the League of Nations Liberia was among the few African and non Western nations to participate in both the conference and the founding of the League 39 In 1927 the country s elections again showed the power of the True Whig Party with electoral proceedings that have been called some of the most rigged ever the winning candidate was declared to have received votes amounting to more than 15 times the number of eligible voters The loser actually received around 60 of the eligible vote citation needed Soon after allegations of modern slavery in Liberia led the League of Nations to establish the Christy commission Findings included government involvement in widespread Forced or compulsory labour Minority ethnic groups especially were exploited in a system that enriched well connected elites 40 As a result of the report President Charles D B King and Vice President Allen N Yancy resigned 41 In the mid 20th century Liberia gradually began to modernize with American assistance During World War II the United States made major infrastructure improvements to support its military efforts in Africa and Europe against Germany It built the Freeport of Monrovia and Roberts International Airport under the Lend Lease program before its entry into the Second World War 42 After the war President William Tubman encouraged foreign investment with Liberia achieving the second highest rate of economic growth in the world during the 1950s 42 In international affairs it was a founding member of the United Nations a vocal critic of South African apartheid 43 a proponent of African independence from European colonial powers and a supporter of Pan Africanism Liberia also helped to fund the Organisation of African Unity 44 A technical in Monrovia during the Second Liberian Civil War Late 20th century political instability Edit On April 12 1980 a military coup led by Master Sergeant Samuel Doe of the Krahn ethnic group overthrew and killed President William R Tolbert Jr Doe and the other plotters later executed a majority of Tolbert s cabinet and other Americo Liberian government officials and True Whig Party members 45 The coup leaders formed the People s Redemption Council PRC to govern the country 45 A strategic Cold War ally of the West Doe received significant financial backing from the United States while critics condemned the PRC for corruption and political repression 45 After Liberia adopted a new constitution in 1985 Doe was elected president in subsequent elections that were internationally condemned as fraudulent 45 On November 12 1985 a failed counter coup was launched by Thomas Quiwonkpa whose soldiers briefly occupied the national radio station 46 Government repression intensified in response as Doe s troops retaliated by executing members of the Gio and Mano ethnic groups in Nimba County 46 The National Patriotic Front of Liberia NPFL a rebel group led by Charles Taylor launched an insurrection in December 1989 against Doe s government with the backing of neighboring countries such as Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast This triggered the First Liberian Civil War 47 By September 1990 Doe s forces controlled only a small area just outside the capital and Doe was captured and executed in that month by rebel forces 48 The rebels soon split into various factions fighting one another The Economic Community Monitoring Group under the Economic Community of West African States organized a military task force to intervene in the crisis 49 From 1989 to 1997 around 60 000 to 80 000 Liberians died and by 1996 around 700 000 others had been displaced into refugee camps in neighboring countries 50 A peace deal between warring parties was reached in 1995 leading to Taylor s election as president in 1997 48 Under Taylor s leadership Liberia became internationally known as a pariah state due to its use of blood diamonds and illegal timber exports to fund the Revolutionary United Front in the Sierra Leone Civil War 51 The Second Liberian Civil War began in 1999 when Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy a rebel group based in the northwest of the country launched an armed insurrection against Taylor 52 21st century Edit In March 2003 a second rebel group Movement for Democracy in Liberia began launching attacks against Taylor from the southeast 52 Peace talks between the factions began in Accra in June of that year and Taylor was indicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone for crimes against humanity the same month 51 By July 2003 the rebels had launched an assault on Monrovia 53 Under heavy pressure from the international community and the domestic Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace movement 54 Taylor resigned in August 2003 and went into exile in Nigeria 55 A peace deal was signed later that month 56 The United Nations Mission in Liberia began arriving in September 2003 to provide security and monitor the peace accord 57 and an interim government took power the following October 58 The subsequent 2005 elections were internationally regarded as the freest and fairest in Liberian history 59 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf a US educated economist former Minister of Finance and future Nobel Prize for Peace winner was elected as the first female president in Africa 59 Upon her inauguration Sirleaf requested the extradition of Taylor from Nigeria and transferred him to the SCSL for trial in The Hague 60 61 In 2006 the government established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address the causes and crimes of the civil war 62 In 2011 July 26 was proclaimed by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to be observed as National Independence Day 63 In October 2011 peace activist Leymah Gbowee received the Nobel Peace Prize in her work of leading a women s peace movement that brought to an end to the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003 64 In November 2011 President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was re elected for a second six year term 65 Following the 2017 Liberian general election former professional football striker George Weah one of the greatest African players of all time 66 67 was sworn in as president on January 22 2018 becoming the fourth youngest serving president in Africa 68 The inauguration marked Liberia s first fully democratic transition in 74 years 69 Weah cited fighting corruption reforming the economy combating illiteracy and improving life conditions as the main targets of his presidency 69 Geography EditMain article Geography of Liberia A map of Liberia Liberia is situated in West Africa bordering the North Atlantic Ocean to the country s southwest It lies between latitudes 4 and 9 N and longitudes 7 and 12 W The landscape is characterized by mostly flat to rolling coastal plains that contain mangroves and swamps which rise to a rolling plateau and low mountains in the northeast 70 Tropical rainforests cover the hills while elephant grass and semi deciduous forests make up the dominant vegetation in the northern sections 70 Liberia s watershed tends to move in a southwestern pattern towards the sea as new rains move down the forested plateau off the inland mountain range of Guinee Forestiere in Guinea Cape Mount near the border with Sierra Leone receives the most precipitation in the nation 70 Liberia s main northwestern boundary is traversed by the Mano River while its southeast limits are bounded by the Cavalla River 70 Liberia s three largest rivers are St Paul exiting near Monrovia the river St John at Buchanan and the Cestos River all of which flow into the Atlantic The Cavalla is the longest river in the nation at 320 miles 510 km 70 The highest point wholly within Liberia is Mount Wuteve at 4 724 feet 1 440 m above sea level in the northwestern Liberia range of the West Africa Mountains and the Guinea Highlands 70 However Mount Nimba near Yekepa is higher at 4 724 feet 1 440 m above sea level but is not wholly within Liberia as Nimba shares a border with Guinea and Ivory Coast and is their tallest mountain as well 71 Climate Edit See also Climate change in Liberia Liberia map of Koppen climate classification The equatorial climate in the south of the country is hot year round with heavy rainfall from May to October with a short interlude in mid July to August 70 During the winter months of November to March dry dust laden harmattan winds blow inland causing many problems for residents 70 Climate change in Liberia causes many problems as Liberia is particularly vulnerable to climate change Like many other countries in Africa Liberia both faces existing environmental issues as well as sustainable development challenges 72 Because of its location in Africa it is vulnerable to extreme weather the coastal effects of sea level rise and changing water systems and water availability 73 Climate change is expected to severely impact the economy of Liberia especially agriculture fisheries and forestry Liberia has been an active participant in international and local policy changes related to climate change 74 Biodiversity and conservation Edit Main article Wildlife of Liberia Further information Environmental issues in Liberia A Liberian tropical forest Forests on the coastline are composed mostly of salt tolerant mangrove trees while the more sparsely populated inland has forests opening onto a plateau of drier grasslands The climate is equatorial with significant rainfall during the May October rainy season and harsh harmattan winds the remainder of the year Liberia possesses about forty percent of the remaining Upper Guinean rainforest It was an important producer of rubber in the early 20th century 75 Four terrestrial ecoregions lie within Liberia s borders Guinean montane forests Western Guinean lowland forests Guinean forest savanna mosaic and Guinean mangroves 76 It had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 4 79 10 ranking it 116th globally out of 172 countries 77 Loggers and logging truck early 1960s Liberia is a global biodiversity hotspot a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans 78 Pygmy hippos are among the species illegally hunted for food in Liberia 79 The World Conservation Union estimates that there are fewer than 3 000 pygmy hippos remaining in the wild 80 Endangered species are hunted for human consumption as bushmeat in Liberia 79 Species hunted for food in Liberia include elephants pygmy hippopotamus chimpanzees leopards duikers and other monkeys 79 Bushmeat is often exported to neighboring Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast despite a ban on the cross border sale of wild animals 79 Bushmeat is widely eaten in Liberia and is considered a delicacy 81 A 2004 public opinion survey found that bushmeat ranked second behind fish amongst residents of the capital Monrovia as a preferred source of protein 81 Of households where bushmeat was served 80 of residents said they cooked it once in a while while 13 cooked it once a week and 7 cooked bushmeat daily 81 The survey was conducted during the last civil war and bushmeat consumption is now believed to be far higher 81 Trypanosoma brucei gambiense is endemic in some animal hosts here including both domestic and wild 82 This causes the disease nagana 82 In pigs here and in Ivory Coast that includes Tbg group 1 Tbg and its vector Glossina palpalis gambiense are a constant presence in the rainforests here 82 Much research into Tbg was performed in the 1970s by Mehlitz and by Gibson both working in Bong Mine with samples from around the country 82 The West African pariah dog is also a host for Tbg 82 The Desert Locust Schistocerca gregaria is a constant presence here 83 The Hairy Slit Faced Bat Nycteris hispida suffers from malaria here 84 Slash and burn agriculture is one of the human activities eroding Liberia s natural forests 85 A 2004 UN report estimated that 99 of Liberians burned charcoal and fuel wood for cooking and heating resulting in deforestation 85 Illegal logging has increased in Liberia since the end of the Second Civil War in 2003 78 In 2012 President Sirleaf granted licenses to companies to cut down 58 of all the primary rainforest left in Liberia 78 After international protests many of those logging permits were canceled 78 In September 2014 Liberia and Norway struck an agreement whereby Liberia ceased all logging in exchange for 150 million in development aid 78 Pollution is a significant issue in Monrovia 86 Since 2006 the international community has paid for all garbage collection and disposal in Monrovia via the World Bank 87 Administrative divisions Edit Main article Administrative divisions of Liberia A view of a lake in Bomi County Liberia is divided into fifteen counties which in turn are subdivided into a total of 90 districts and further subdivided into clans The oldest counties are Grand Bassa and Montserrado both founded in 1839 prior to Liberian independence Gbarpolu is the newest county created in 2001 Nimba is the largest of the counties in size at 11 551 km2 4 460 sq mi while Montserrado is the smallest at 737 069 sq mi 1 909 00 km2 88 Montserrado is also the most populous county with 1 144 806 residents as of the 2008 census 88 The fifteen counties are administered by superintendents appointed by the president The Constitution calls for the election of various chiefs at the county and local level but these elections have not taken place since 1985 due to war and financial constraints 89 Parallel to the administrative divisions of the country are the local and municipal divisions Liberia currently does not have any constitutional framework or uniform statutes which deal with the creation or revocation of local governments 90 All existing local governments cities townships and a borough were created by specific acts of the Liberian government and thus the structure and duties responsibilities of each local government varies greatly from one to the other citation needed Map no County Capital Population 2008 Census 88 Area mi2 88 Number ofdistricts Yearcreated1 Bomi Tubmanburg 82 036 749 sq mi 1 940 km2 4 19842 Bong Gbarnga 328 919 3 386 sq mi 8 770 km2 12 19643 Gbarpolu Bopolu 83 758 3 740 sq mi 9 700 km2 6 20014 Grand Bassa Buchanan 224 839 3 064 sq mi 7 940 km2 8 18395 Grand Cape Mount Robertsport 129 055 1 993 sq mi 5 160 km2 5 18446 Grand Gedeh Zwedru 126 146 4 047 sq mi 10 480 km2 3 19647 Grand Kru Barclayville 57 106 1 503 sq mi 3 890 km2 18 19848 Lofa Voinjama 270 114 3 854 sq mi 9 980 km2 6 19649 Margibi Kakata 199 689 1 010 sq mi 2 600 km2 4 198510 Maryland Harper 136 404 886 sq mi 2 290 km2 2 185711 Montserrado Bensonville 1 144 806 737 sq mi 1 910 km2 4 183912 Nimba Sanniquellie 468 088 4 459 sq mi 11 550 km2 6 196413 Rivercess Rivercess 65 862 2 159 sq mi 5 590 km2 6 198514 River Gee Fish Town 67 318 1 974 sq mi 5 110 km2 6 200015 Sinoe Greenville 104 932 3 913 sq mi 10 130 km2 17 1843Government and politics EditMain article Politics of Liberia Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf The government of Liberia modeled on the government of the United States is a unitary constitutional republic and representative democracy as established by the Constitution The government has three co equal branches of government the executive headed by the president the legislative consisting of the bicameral Legislature of Liberia and the judicial consisting of the Supreme Court and several lower courts citation needed The president serves as head of government head of state and the commander in chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia 1 Among the president s other duties are to sign or veto legislative bills grant pardons and appoint Cabinet members judges and other public officials Together with the vice president the president is elected to a six year term by majority vote in a two round system and can serve up to two terms in office 1 The Legislature is composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives The House led by a speaker has 73 members apportioned among the 15 counties on the basis of the national census with each county receiving a minimum of two members 1 Each House member represents an electoral district within a county as drawn by the National Elections Commission and is elected by a plurality of the popular vote of their district into a six year term The Senate is made up of two senators from each county for a total of 30 senators 1 Senators serve nine year terms and are elected at large by a plurality of the popular vote 1 The vice president serves as the President of the Senate with a President pro tempore serving in their absence 91 Liberia s highest judicial authority is the Supreme Court made up of five members and headed by the Chief Justice of Liberia Members are nominated to the court by the president and are confirmed by the Senate serving until the age of 70 The judiciary is further divided into circuit and speciality courts magistrate courts and justices of the peace 92 The judicial system is a blend of common law based on Anglo American law and customary law 1 An informal system of traditional courts still exists within the rural areas of the country with trial by ordeal remaining common despite being officially outlawed 92 From 1877 to 1980 the government was dominated by the True Whig Party 34 Today over 20 political parties are registered in the country based largely around personalities and ethnic groups 59 Most parties suffer from poor organizational capacity 59 The 2005 elections marked the first time that the president s party did not gain a majority of seats in the Legislature 59 Military Edit Main article Armed Forces of Liberia The Armed Forces of Liberia AFL are the country s armed forces Founded as the Liberian Frontier Force in 1908 the military was renamed in 1956 For virtually all of its history the AFL has received considerable material and training assistance from the United States For most of the 1941 89 period training was largely provided by U S advisors with combat experience in the Second World War also playing a role in training After UN Security Council Resolution 1509 in September 2003 the United Nations Mission in Liberia arrived to referee the ceasefire with units from Ghana Nigeria Pakistan and China with the view to assist the National Transitional Government of Liberia in forming the new Liberian military 93 Foreign relations Edit President Sirleaf with US Secretary of State John Kerry Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and British PM David Cameron in September 2015 Further information Foreign relations of Liberia After the turmoil following the First and Second Liberian Civil Wars Liberia s internal stabilization in the 21st century brought a return to cordial relations with neighboring countries and much of the Western world As in other African countries China is an important part of the post conflict reconstruction 94 In the past both of Liberia s neighbors Guinea and Sierra Leone have accused Liberia of backing rebels in their countries 95 Law enforcement and crime Edit Further information Crime in Liberia The Liberian National Police is the country s national police force As of October 2007 it has 844 officers in 33 stations in Montserrado County which contains Monrovia 96 The National Police Training Academy is in Paynesville City 97 A history of corruption among police officers diminishes public trust and operational effectiveness The internal security is characterized by a general lawlessness coupled with the danger that former combatants in the late civil war might reestablish militias to challenge the civil authorities 98 Rape and sexual assault are frequent in the post conflict era in Liberia Liberia has one of the highest incidences of sexual violence against women in the world Rape is the most frequently reported crime accounting for more than one third of sexual violence cases Adolescent girls are the most frequently assaulted and almost 40 of perpetrators are adult men known to victims 99 Both male and female homosexuality are illegal in Liberia 100 101 On July 20 2012 the Liberian senate voted unanimously to enact legislation to prohibit and criminalize same sex marriages 102 Corruption Edit Further information Corruption in Liberia Corruption is endemic at every level of the Liberian government 103 When President Sirleaf took office in 2006 she announced that corruption was the major public enemy 95 In 2014 the US ambassador to Liberia said that corruption there was harming people through unnecessary costs to products and services that are already difficult for many Liberians to afford 104 Liberia scored a 3 3 on a scale from 10 highly clean to 0 highly corrupt on the 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index This gave it a ranking 87th of 178 countries worldwide and 11th of 47 in Sub Saharan Africa 105 This score represented a significant improvement since 2007 when the country scored 2 1 and ranked 150th of 180 countries 106 When dealing with public facing government functionaries 89 of Liberians say they have had to pay a bribe the highest national percentage in the world according to the organization s 2010 Global Corruption Barometer 107 Economy EditMain article Economy of Liberia A proportional representation of Liberian exports The shipping related categories reflect Liberia s status as an international flag of convenience there are 3 500 vessels registered under Liberia s flag accounting for 11 of ships worldwide 108 109 Liberia trends in the Human Development Index 1970 2010 Real GDP per capita development since 1950 The Central Bank of Liberia is responsible for printing and maintaining the Liberian dollar Liberia s primary currency Liberia is one of the world s poorest countries with a formal employment rate of 15 92 GDP per capita peaked in 1980 at US 496 when it was comparable to Egypt s at the time 110 In 2011 the country s nominal GDP was US 1 154 billion while nominal GDP per capita stood at US 297 the third lowest in the world 111 Historically the Liberian economy has depended heavily on foreign aid foreign direct investment and exports of natural resources such as iron ore rubber and timber 70 Economic history Edit Following a peak in growth in 1979 the Liberian economy began a steady decline due to economic mismanagement after the 1980 coup 112 This decline was accelerated by the outbreak of civil war in 1989 GDP was reduced by an estimated 90 between 1989 and 1995 one of the fastest declines in modern history 112 Upon the end of the war in 2003 GDP growth began to accelerate reaching 9 4 in 2007 113 The global financial crisis slowed GDP growth to 4 6 in 2009 113 though a strengthening agricultural sector led by rubber and timber exports increased growth to 5 1 in 2010 and an expected 7 3 in 2011 making the economy one of the 20 fastest growing in the world 114 115 Current impediments to growth include a small domestic market lack of adequate infrastructure high transportation costs poor trade links with neighboring countries and the high dollarization of the economy 114 Liberia used the United States dollar as its currency from 1943 until 1982 and continues to use the U S dollar alongside the Liberian dollar 116 Following a decrease in inflation beginning in 2003 inflation spiked in 2008 as a result of worldwide food and energy crises 117 reaching 17 5 before declining to 7 4 in 2009 113 Liberia s external debt was estimated in 2006 at approximately 4 5 billion 800 of GDP 112 As a result of bilateral multilateral and commercial debt relief from 2007 to 2010 the country s external debt fell to 222 9 million by 2011 118 While official commodity exports declined during the 1990s as many investors fled the civil war Liberia s wartime economy featured the exploitation of the region s diamond wealth 119 The country acted as a major trader in Sierra Leonian blood diamonds exporting over US 300 million in diamonds in 1999 120 This led to a United Nations ban on Liberian diamond exports in 2001 which was lifted in 2007 following Liberia s accession to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme 121 In 2003 additional UN sanctions were placed on Liberian timber exports which had risen from US 5 million in 1997 to over US 100 million in 2002 and were believed to be funding rebels in Sierra Leone 122 123 These sanctions were lifted in 2006 124 Due in large part to foreign aid and investment inflow following the end of the war Liberia maintains a large account deficit which peaked at nearly 60 in 2008 114 Liberia gained observer status with the World Trade Organization in 2010 and became an official member in 2016 125 Liberia has the highest ratio of foreign direct investment to GDP in the world with US 16 billion in investment since 2006 115 Following Sirleaf s inauguration in 2006 Liberia signed several multi billion dollar concession agreements in the iron ore and palm oil industries with numerous multinational corporations including ArcelorMittal BHP and Sime Darby 126 Palm oil companies like Sime Darby Malaysia and Golden Veroleum USA have been accused of destroying livelihoods and displacing local communities enabled by government concessions 127 Since 1926 Firestone has operated the world s largest rubber plantation in Harbel Margibi County As of 2015 it had more than 8 000 mostly Liberian employees making it the country s largest private employer 128 129 Shipping flag of convenience Edit Due to its status as a flag of convenience Liberia has the second largest maritime registry in the world behind Panama It has 3 500 vessels registered under its flag accounting for 11 of ships worldwide 108 109 Major industries Edit Agriculture Edit This section is an excerpt from Agriculture in Liberia edit Young boy grinding sugar cane near Flumpa Nimba County 1968 Agriculture in Liberia is a major sector of the country s economy worth 38 8 of GDP employing more than 70 of the population and providing a valuable export for one of the world s least developed countries as defined by the UN 130 131 132 133 Liberia has a climate favourable to farming vast forests and an abundance of water yet low yields mean that over half of foodstuffs are imported with net agricultural trade at 73 12 million in 2010 134 This was dismissed as a misconception by Liberia s Minister of Agriculture 135 The major crops are natural rubber rice cassava 136 137 bananas and palm oil 137 Timber is also a major export at 100 million annually although much of this is the product of unsustainable habitat destruction with Asian corporations criticised for their role 132 Although agricultural activity occurs in most rural locations it is particularly concentrated in coastal plains subsistence crops and tropical forest cash crops The sector is very important for women as they are widely employed in it in comparison to the economy as a whole 138 Mining Edit This section is an excerpt from Mining industry of Liberia edit Iron ore mining The mining industry of Liberia has witnessed a revival after the civil war which ended in 2003 139 Gold diamonds and iron ore form the core minerals of the mining sector with a new Mineral Development Policy and Mining Code being put in place to attract foreign investments 140 In 2013 the mineral sector accounted for 11 of GDP in the country and the World Bank projected a further increase in the sector by 2017 141 Mining sector is considered the prime mover for the economic growth of the country and its exploitation has to be appropriately balanced with sustainable environmental preservation of its rich biodiversity 142 Apart from iron ore extractions cement diamond gold and petroleum resources have also been given due importance to enrich the economy of the country Telecommunications Edit Main article Communications in Liberia There are six major newspapers in Liberia and 65 of the population has a mobile phone service Much of Liberia s communications infrastructure was destroyed or plundered during the two civil wars 1989 1996 and 1999 2003 143 With low rates of adult literacy and high poverty rates television and newspaper use is limited leaving radio as the predominant means of communicating with the public 144 Transportation Edit Main article Transport in Liberia The streets of downtown Monrovia March 2009This section is an excerpt from Transport in Liberia edit Transport in Liberia consist of 266 mi of railways 6 580 mi of highways 408 mi paved seaports 29 airports 2 paved and 2 mi of pipeline for oil transportation 145 Busses and taxis are the main forms of ground transportation in and around Monrovia Charter boats are also available 146 Energy Edit Further information Energy in Liberia Public electricity services are provided solely by the state owned Liberia Electricity Corporation which operates a small grid almost exclusively in the Greater Monrovia District 147 The vast majority of electric energy services is provided by small privately owned generators At 0 54 per kWh the cost of electricity in Liberia is among the highest in the world Total capacity in 2013 was 20 MW a sharp decline from a peak of 191 MW in 1989 before the wars 147 The repair and expansion of the Mount Coffee Hydropower Project with a maximum capacity of 80 MW was completed in 2018 148 Construction of three new heavy fuel oil power plants is expected to boost electrical capacity by 38 MW 149 In 2013 Liberia began importing power from neighboring Ivory Coast and Guinea through the West African Power Pool 150 Liberia has begun exploration for offshore oil unproven oil reserves may be in excess of one billion barrels 151 The government divided its offshore waters into 17 blocks and began auctioning off exploration licenses for the blocks in 2004 with further auctions in 2007 and 2009 152 153 154 An additional 13 ultra deep offshore blocks were demarcated in 2011 and planned for auction 155 Among the companies to have won licenses are Repsol YPF Chevron Corporation and Woodside Petroleum 156 Demographics Edit Liberia s population from 1961 to 2013 in millions 157 Liberia s population tripled in 40 years 157 Liberia s population pyramid 2005 43 5 of Liberians were below the age of 15 in 2010 158 Main article Demographics of Liberia See also Liberian nationality law As of the 2017 national census Liberia was home to 4 694 608 people 159 Of those 1 118 241 lived in Montserrado County the most populous county in the country and home to the capital of Monrovia The Greater Monrovia District has 970 824 residents 160 Nimba County is the next most populous county with 462 026 residents 160 As revealed in the 2008 census Monrovia is more than four times more populous than all the county capitals combined 88 Prior to the 2008 census the last census had been taken in 1984 and listed the country s population as 2 101 628 160 The population of Liberia was 1 016 443 in 1962 and increased to 1 503 368 in 1974 88 As of 2006 update Liberia had the highest population growth rate in the world 4 50 per annum 161 In 2010 some 43 5 of Liberians were below the age of 15 158 Ethnic groups Edit Ethnic Groups in LiberiaEthnic Groups percentKpelle 20 3 Bassa 13 4 Grebo 10 Gio 8 Mano 7 9 Kru 6 Lorma 5 1 Kissi 4 8 Gola 4 4 Krahn 4 Vai 4 Mandinka 3 2 Gbandi 3 Mende 1 3 Sapo 1 2 Belle 0 8 Dey 0 3 Other Liberian 0 6 Other African 1 4 Non African 0 1 The population includes 16 indigenous ethnic groups and various foreign minorities Indigenous peoples comprise about 95 percent of the population The 16 officially recognized ethnic groups include the Kpelle Bassa Mano Gio or Dan Kru Grebo Krahn Vai Gola Mandingo or Mandinka Mende Kissi Gbandi Loma Dei or Dewoin Belleh and Americo Liberians or Congo people so named because many immigrants including those freed from slave ships arrived from ports at the mouth of the Congo River The Kpelle comprise more than 20 of the population and are the largest ethnic group in Liberia residing mostly in Bong County and adjacent areas in central Liberia 162 Americo Liberians who are descendants of African American and West Indian mostly Barbadian Bajan settlers make up 2 5 Congo people descendants of repatriated Congo and Afro Caribbean slaves who arrived in 1825 make up an estimated 2 5 1 163 better source needed These latter two groups established political control in the 19th century which they kept well into the 20th century The Liberian constitution exercises jus sanguinis which means it usually restricts its citizenship to Negroes or persons of Negro descent 164 That being said numerous immigrants have come as merchants and become a major part of the business community including Lebanese Indians and other West African nationals There is a high percentage of interracial marriage between ethnic Liberians and the Lebanese resulting in a significant mixed race population especially in and around Monrovia A small minority of Liberians who are White Africans of European descent reside in the country better source needed 1 Languages Edit Further information Languages of Liberia English is the official language and serves as the lingua franca of Liberia 165 As of 2022 27 indigenous languages are spoken in Liberia but each is a first language for only a small percentage of the population 166 Liberians also speak a variety of creolized dialects collectively known as Liberian English 165 Largest cities Edit vte Largest cities or towns in Liberia According to the 2008 Census 1 Rank Name County Pop Monrovia 1 Monrovia Montserrado 1 021 762 Ganta2 Gbarnga Bong 56 9863 Buchanan Grand Bassa 50 2454 Ganta Nimba 42 0775 Kakata Margibi 34 6086 Zwedru Grand Gedeh 25 3497 Harbel Margibi 25 3098 Harper Maryland 23 5179 Pleebo Maryland 23 46410 Foya Lofa 20 569 Religion Edit Main article Religion in Liberia Religion in Liberia 2010 167 Religion percentProtestantism 76 3 Islam 12 2 Roman Catholicism 7 2 Other Christian 1 6 Unaffiliated 1 4 Other faith 1 3 According to the 2008 National Census 85 6 of the population practiced Christianity while Muslims represented a minority of 12 2 168 A multitude of diverse Protestant confessions such as Lutheran Baptist Episcopal Presbyterian Pentecostal United Methodist African Methodist Episcopal AME and African Methodist Episcopal Zion AME Zion denominations form the bulk of the Christian population followed by adherents of the Catholic Church and other non Protestant Christians Most of these Christian denominations were brought by African American settlers moving from the United States into Liberia via the American Colonization Society while some are indigenous especially Pentecostal and evangelical Protestant ones Protestantism was originally associated with Black American settlers and their Americo Liberian descendants while native peoples initially held to their own animist forms of African traditional religion before largely adopting Christianity While Christian many Liberians also participate in traditional gender based indigenous religious secret societies such as Poro for men and Sande for women The all female Sande society practices female circumcision 169 Muslims comprised 12 2 of the population in 2008 largely represented by the Mandingo and Vai ethnic groups Liberian Muslims are divided between Sunnis Shias Ahmadiyyas Sufis and non denominational Muslims 170 In 2008 0 5 identified adherence to traditional indigenous religions while 1 5 claimed no religion A small number of people were Bahaʼi Hindu Sikh or Buddhist The Liberian constitution provides for freedom of religion and the government generally respects this right 169 While separation of church and state is mandated by the Constitution Liberia is considered a Christian state in practice 59 Public schools offer biblical studies though parents may opt their children out Commerce is prohibited by law on Sunday and major Christian holidays The government does not require businesses or schools to excuse Muslims for Friday prayers 169 Education Edit Main article Education in Liberia Students studying by candlelight in Bong County In 2010 the literacy rate of Liberia was estimated at 60 8 64 8 for males and 56 8 for females 171 In some areas primary and secondary education is free and compulsory from the ages of 6 to 16 though enforcement of attendance is lax 172 In other areas children are required to pay a tuition fee to attend school On average children attain 10 years of education 11 for boys and 8 for girls 1 The country s education sector is hampered by inadequate schools and supplies as well as a lack of qualified teachers 173 Higher education is provided by a number of public and private universities The University of Liberia is the country s largest and oldest university Located in Monrovia the university opened in 1862 Today it has six colleges including a medical school and the nation s only law school Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law 174 In 2009 Tubman University in Harper Maryland County was established as the second public university in Liberia 175 Since 2006 the government has also opened community colleges in Buchanan Sanniquellie and Voinjama 176 177 178 Due to student protests late in October 2018 newly elected president George M Weah abolished tuition fees for undergraduate students in the public universities in Liberia 179 Private universities Edit Cuttington University was established by the Episcopal Church of the USA in 1889 in Suakoko Bong County as part of its missionary education work among indigenous peoples It is the nation s oldest private university Stella Maris Polytechnic a post secondary private institution of higher learning Founded in 1988 the school is owned and operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Monrovia Located on Capitol Hill the school has approximately 2 000 students 180 Adventist University of West Africa a post secondary learning environment that is situated in Margibi County on the Roberts International Airport 181 United Methodist University a private Christian university located in Liberia West Africa it is commonly known amongst locals as UMU As of 2016 it had approximately 9 118 students This institution was founded in 1998 182 African Methodist Episcopal University a private higher education institution that was founded in 1995 183 Starz University is a private higher education institution that was established in the United States in 2007 and became incorporated in Monrovia 2009 with the objective of addressing the Information Technology IT need of Liberia 184 St Clements University College Liberia a private higher education institution that was founded in 2008 185 Health Edit Further information Health in Liberia Development of life expectancy Hospitals in Liberia include the John F Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia and several others Life expectancy in Liberia is estimated to be 64 4 years in 2020 186 With a fertility rate of 5 9 births per woman the maternal mortality rate stood at 990 per 100 000 births in 2010 and 1 072 per 100 000 births in 2017 187 188 A number of highly communicable diseases are widespread including tuberculosis diarrheal diseases and malaria In 2007 the HIV infection rates stood at 2 of the population aged 15 49 189 whereas the incidence of tuberculosis was 420 per 100 000 people in 2008 190 Approximately 58 2 191 66 192 of women are estimated to have undergone female genital mutilation Liberia imports 90 of its rice a staple food and is extremely vulnerable to food shortages 193 In 2007 20 4 of children under the age of five were malnourished 194 In 2008 only 17 of the population had access to adequate sanitation facilities 195 Approximately 95 of the country s healthcare facilities had been destroyed by the time civil war ended in 2003 196 In 2009 government expenditure on health care per capita was US 22 197 accounting for 10 6 of total GDP 198 In 2008 Liberia had only one doctor and 27 nurses per 100 000 people 190 In 2014 an outbreak of Ebola virus in Guinea spread to Liberia 199 As of November 17 2014 update there were 2 812 confirmed deaths from the ongoing outbreak 200 In early August 2014 Guinea closed its borders to Liberia to help contain the spread of the virus as more new cases were being reported in Liberia than in Guinea On May 9 2015 Liberia was declared Ebola free after six weeks with no new cases 201 According to an Overseas Development Institute report private health expenditure accounts for 64 1 of total spending on health 202 Culture EditMain article Culture of Liberia Bassa culture Helmet Mask for Sande Society Ndoli Jowei Liberia 20th century Brooklyn Museum The religious practices social customs and cultural standards of the Americo Liberians had their roots in the antebellum American South The settlers wore top hat and tails and modeled their homes on those of Southern slaveowners 203 Most Americo Liberian men were members of the Masonic Order of Liberia which became heavily involved in the nation s politics 204 Liberia has a rich history in textile arts and quilting as the settlers brought with them their sewing and quilting skills Liberia hosted National Fairs in 1857 and 1858 in which prizes were awarded for various needle arts One of the most well known Liberian quilters was Martha Ann Ricks 205 who presented a quilt featuring the famed Liberian coffee tree to Queen Victoria in 1892 When President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf moved into the Executive Mansion she reportedly had a Liberian made quilt installed in her presidential office 206 A rich literary tradition has existed in Liberia for over a century Edward Wilmot Blyden Bai T Moore Roland T Dempster and Wilton G S Sankawulo are among Liberia s more prominent authors 207 Moore s novella Murder in the Cassava Patch is considered Liberia s most celebrated novel 208 Polygamy Edit Further information Polygamy in Liberia One third of married Liberian women between the ages of 15 49 are in polygamous marriages 209 Customary law allows men to have up to four wives 210 Cuisine Edit Main article Liberian cuisine A beachside barbecue at Sinkor Monrovia Liberia Liberian cuisine heavily incorporates rice the country s staple food Other ingredients include cassava fish bananas citrus fruit plantains coconut okra and sweet potatoes 211 Heavy stews spiced with habanero and scotch bonnet chilies are popular and eaten with fufu 212 Liberia also has a tradition of baking imported from the United States that is unique in West Africa 213 Sport Edit The most popular sport in Liberia is association football with President George Weah the only African to be named FIFA World Player of the Year being the nation s most famous athlete 214 215 The Liberia national football team has reached the Africa Cup of Nations finals twice in 1996 and 2002 The second most popular sport in Liberia is basketball The Liberian national basketball team has reached the AfroBasket twice in 1983 and 2007 In Liberia the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex serves as a multi purpose stadium It hosts FIFA World Cup qualifying matches in addition to international concerts and national political events 216 Measurement system Edit Liberia has not yet completely adopted the International System of Units abbreviated as the SI also called the metric system The 1988 Omnibus Foreign Trade and Competitiveness Act designated the metric system as the preferred system of weights and measures for United States trade and commerce but in practice the system is in mixed usage with the population generally preferring customary units and industries either fully metric or mixed 217 The Liberian government has begun transitioning away from use of United States customary units to the metric system 218 However this change has been gradual with government reports concurrently using both United States Customary and metric units 219 220 In 2018 the Liberian Commerce and Industry Minister announced that the Liberian government is committed to adopting the metric system 221 See also EditOutline of Liberia Gender inequality in LiberiaPortals Geography Africa LiberiaNotes EditReferences Edit a b c d e f g h i j k Liberia The Central Intelligence Agency side for Liberia Central Intelligence Agency 2021 Retrieved June 8 2021 Liberia Religious Demography Affiliation Liberia The World Factbook 2022 ed Central Intelligence Agency Retrieved September 24 2022 a b c d World Economic Outlook Database October 2022 IMF org International Monetary Fund October 2022 Retrieved October 11 2022 GINI index World Bank Human Development Report 2020 The Next Frontier Human Development and the Anthropocene PDF United Nations Development Programme December 15 2020 pp 343 346 ISBN 978 92 1 126442 5 Retrieved December 16 2020 a b c Background on conflict 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Agriculture Archived from the original on July 11 2015 Retrieved July 10 2015 Fauquet Claude Fargette Denis African Cassava Mosaic Virus Etiology Epidemiology and Control Plant Disease American Phytopathological Society doi 10 1094 PD 74 0404 S2CID 86728521 a b FAOSTAT faostat3 fao org Retrieved July 10 2015 Liberia Agriculture and Food Security liberia brac net 2013 Retrieved July 10 2015 Liberia Natural Resource Governance Institute Retrieved June 1 2015 Mining in Liberia Overview mbendi com Archived from the original on December 6 2000 Retrieved June 1 2015 Quick Action Helps Maintain Key Mining Industries during Ebola Outbreak USGS April 7 2015 Retrieved June 1 2015 Coordinating Mining Conservation Efforts in Liberia World Bank April 28 2015 Retrieved June 1 2015 PPIAF Supports Telecommunications Reform and Liberalization in Liberia PDF Public Private Infrastructure Facility PPIAF July 2011 Retrieved September 3 2011 Introduction to Communication and Development in Liberia Archived 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Blocks RigZone Third Liberian Offshore Petroleum Licensing Round 2009 Deloitte Petroleum Services Deloitte August 27 2009 Archived from the original on November 4 2013 Toweh Alphonso July 21 2011 Liberia marks out new oil blocks auction seen soon Reuters Archived from the original on January 19 2012 Retrieved August 22 2011 Konneh Ansu August 30 2010 Chevron Liberia Sign Deepwater Offshore Exploration Agreement Bloomberg News a b Data of FAO year 2005 a b World Population Prospects Population Division United Nations population un org Archived from the original on August 16 2015 Retrieved September 1 2019 Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo Information Services May 2009 2008 National Population and Housing Census Final Results Population by County PDF 2017 Population and Housing Census Republic of Liberia Retrieved June 10 2009 a b c Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo Information Services May 2009 2008 National Population and Housing Census Final Results Population by County 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the International Association of Law Schools Conference Learning From Each Other Enriching the Law School Curriculum in an Interrelated World Held at Soochow University Kenneth Wang School of Law Suzhou China October 17 19 2007 International Association of Law Schools Retrieved on September 1 2008 Ellen Describes Tubman University s Opening As PRS Success The New Dawn March 3 2010 Retrieved July 22 2010 Remarks by H E President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf At Official Launch and Fundraising Program Of the Grand Bassa Community College PDF The Executive Mansion October 21 2010 Retrieved July 22 2011 Fahn Peter A July 7 2011 Government Moves Ahead With Education Decentralization Plans Retrieved August 3 2011 July 26 Celebrations Kick Off in Lofa As President Sirleaf Arrives The Executive Mansion July 25 2011 Archived from the original on October 4 2011 Retrieved August 29 2013 Liberia s Weah announces free tuition for undergrads Mail amp Guardian Agence France Presse October 25 2018 Retrieved March 20 2018 Stella Maris Polytechnic smp gt edu 2013 Archived from the original on March 30 2019 Retrieved March 20 2019 Adventist University of West Africa auwa edu Archived from the original on March 27 2019 Retrieved March 20 2019 United Methodist University umu edu 2019 Archived from the original on March 20 2019 Retrieved March 20 2019 African Methodist Episcopal University ame edu Archived from the original on March 22 2019 Retrieved March 20 2019 Starz University Aim For Global Success Retrieved August 12 2022 St Clements University College Liberia stclements edu Retrieved November 7 2021 The WorldBank Life Expectancy ranks The State of the World s Midwifery 2011 Liberia PDF United Nations Population Fund Archived from the original PDF on December 6 2013 Retrieved August 2 2011 Maternal health gets a new boost in Liberia UN Women Headquarters Retrieved December 12 2022 Data Prevalence of HIV total of population ages 15 49 The World Bank Retrieved February 23 2011 a b Liberia 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health authorities confirm two cases of Ebola WHO Reuters Archived from the original on September 24 2015 Retrieved March 30 2014 Haglage Abby November 17 2014 How Liberia Might Have Beat Ebola The Daily Beast Retrieved November 17 2014 Wonderful News Liberia after plague The Economist Retrieved May 11 2015 Marc DuBois and Caitlin Wake with Scarlett Sturridge and Christina Bennett 2015 The Ebola response in West Africa Exposing the politics and culture of international aid London Overseas Development Institute Wiltz Teresa December 2 2010 Liberia War Weary With Echoes of Old Dixie The Root Archived from the original on September 1 2011 Retrieved July 23 2011 Monrovia Masonic Grand Lodge Global Security Retrieved July 23 2011 Martha Ricks National Portrait Gallery Retrieved December 12 2008 Liberia It s the Little Things A Reflection on Ellen Johnson Sirleaf s Journey to the Presidency allAfrica com March 24 2006 Retrieved May 16 2008 Kamara Varney July 20 2010 Liberia Literature Must Be Given Priority The Analyst allAfrica com Retrieved July 23 2011 Doe J Kpanneh October 31 2000 Baa Salaka Sacrificial Lamb A Book Review amp Commentary The Perspective Retrieved July 23 2011 OECD Atlas of Gender and Development How Social Norms Affect Gender Equality in non OECD Countries OECD Publishing 2010 p 236 Olukoju Ayodeji Gender Roles Marriage and Family Culture and Customs of Liberia Westport Greenwood Press 2006 p 97 Celtnet Liberian Recipes and Cookery Celtnet Recipes Archived from the original on September 3 2011 Retrieved July 23 2011 Liberia Food in Every Country Retrieved August 27 2013 The Baking Recipes of Liberia Africa Aid Retrieved July 23 2011 Iconic Weah a true great FIFA com Retrieved November 17 2013 George Weah Ex AC Milan Chelsea amp Man City striker elected Liberia president BBC June 22 2018 Liberia Chaos Mars Grand Bassa and Nimba Clash All Africa January 21 2012 Retrieved October 9 2016 CIA The World Factbook Appendix G Weights and Measures US Central Intelligence Agency 2010 Archived from the original on April 24 2010 Retrieved April 24 2010 Wilcox Michael D Jr Department of Agricultural Economics University of Tennessee 2008 Reforming Cocoa and Coffee Marketing in Liberia PDF Presentation and Policy Brief University of Tennessee Archived from the original PDF on June 24 2010 Retrieved April 25 2010 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Government of Liberia 2008 County Development Agendas Government of the Republic of Liberia Archived from the original on January 14 2010 Retrieved May 1 2010 Shannon Eugene H December 31 2009 Annual report PDF Liberian Ministry of Lands Mines and Energy Archived from the original PDF on April 10 2011 Retrieved May 1 2010 Dopoe Robin May 25 2018 Gov t Pledges Commitment to Adopt Metric System Archived from the original on November 9 2020 Retrieved September 1 2019 Further reading EditCooper Helene House at Sugar Beach In Search of a Lost African Childhood Simon amp Schuster 2008 ISBN 0 7432 6624 2 Gilbert Erik Reynolds Jonathan T October 2003 Africa in World History From Prehistory to the Present Paperback ed Prentice Hall ISBN 978 0 13 092907 5 Greene Barbara March 5 1991 Too Late to Turn Back Penguin ISBN 0 14 009594 2 Greene Graham 1936 Journey Without Maps Vintage ISBN 978 0 09 928223 5 Hetherington Tim 2009 Long Story Bit By Bit Liberia Retold New York Umbrage ISBN 978 1 884167 73 7 Huffman Alan 2004 Mississippi in Africa The Saga of the Slaves of Prospect Hill Plantation and Their Legacy in Liberia Today Gotham Books ISBN 978 1 59240 044 7 Read online Kraaij Fred van der 2015 Liberia From the Love of Liberty to Paradise Lost African Studies Centre Leiden ISBN 978 90 54481447 Lang Victoria To Liberia Destiny s Timing Publish America Baltimore 2004 ISBN 1 4137 1829 9 A fast paced gripping novel of the journey of a young Black couple fleeing America to settle in the African motherland of Liberia Maksik Alexander A Marker to Measure Drift John Murray 2013 Paperback 2014 ISBN 978 1 84854 807 7 A beautifully written powerful amp moving novel about a young woman s experience of and escape from the Liberian civil war Merriam Webster s Geographical Dictionary third Edition Paperback ed Merriam Webster Inc Springfield 1997 ISBN 0 87779 546 0 Mwakikagile Godfrey Military Coups in West Africa Since The Sixties Chapter Eight Liberia The Love of Liberty Brought Us Here pp 85 110 Nova Science Publishers Inc Huntington New York 2001 Godfrey Mwakikagile The Modern African State Quest for Transformation Chapter One The Collapse of A Modern African State Death and Rebirth of Liberia pp 1 18 Nova Science Publishers Inc 2001 Pham John Peter April 4 2001 Liberia Portrait of a Failed State Reed Press ISBN 1 59429 012 1 Sankawulo Wilton Great Tales of Liberia Dr Sankawulo is the compiler of these tales from Liberia and about Liberian culture Editura Universității Lucian Blaga Sibiu Romania 2004 ISBN 9789736518386 Sankawulo Wilton Sundown at Dawn A Liberian Odyssey Recommended by the Cultural Resource Center Center for Applied Linguistics for its content concerning Liberian culture ISBN 0 9763565 0 3 Shaw Elma Redemption Road The Quest for Peace and Justice in Liberia a novel with a foreword by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Cotton Tree Press 2008 ISBN 978 0 9800774 0 7 Williams Gabriel I H July 6 2006 Liberia The Heart of Darkness Trafford Publishing ISBN 1 55369 294 2 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Liberia Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Liberia Chief of State and Cabinet Members Archived October 17 2020 at the Wayback Machine Liberia The World Factbook Central Intelligence Agency Liberia from UCB Libraries GovPubs Liberia at Curlie Liberia profile from the BBC News Liberia profile from the African Studies Centre Leiden Country portal Liberia Maps Perry Castaneda Library University of Texas at Austin Wikimedia Atlas of Liberia Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Liberia amp oldid 1129676184, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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