Liberia

1
Liberia
This article is about the country in Africa. For the city, see Liberia, Costa Rica.
Republic of Liberia
Flag Coat of Arms
Motto:"The love of liberty brought us here"
Anthem:All Hail, Liberia, Hail!
Location of Liberia(dark blue)
in Africa(light blue &dark grey)
in the African Union(light blue)
Capital
and largest city
Monrovia
619N 1048W
[1]
Liberia
2
Official languages English
Spoken languages Liberian Kreyol
Ethnicgroups (2008) 20.3% Kpelle
13.4% Bassa
10.0% Grebo
8.0% Gio
7.9% Mano
6.0% Kru
5.1% Lorma
4.8% Kissi
4.4% Gola
20.1% others
Demonym Liberian
Government Unitary presidential
constitutional republic
- President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
- Vice President Joseph Boakai
- Speaker of the House Alex J. Tyler
- Chief Justice Johnnie Lewis
Legislature Legislature of Liberia
- Upper house Senate
- Lower house House of Representatives
Formation
- Established by the American Colonization Society 1822
- Independence 26 July 1847
- Current constitution 6 January 1986
Area
- Total
111,369km
2
(103rd)
43,000sqmi
- Water(%) 13.514
Population
- 2014estimate 4,092,310 (128)
- 2008census 3,476,608 (130th)
- Density
35.5/km
2
(180th)
92.0/sqmi
GDP(PPP) 2012estimate
- Total $2.675 billion
- Per capita $672
GDP(nominal) 2012estimate
- Total $1.735 billion
- Per capita $436
HDI (2013) 0.412
low 175th
Liberia
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Currency
Liberian dollar
a
(LRD)
Time zone GMT
- Summer(DST) not observed(UTC)
Drives on the right
Calling code +231
ISO 3166 code LR
Internet TLD .lr
a.
The United States dollar is also legal tender.
Liberia
i
/labri/, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa bordered by Sierra Leone to
its west, Guinea to its north and Ivory Coast to its east. It covers an area of 111,369 square kilometres (43,000sqmi)
and is home to about 4 million people. English is the official language and over thirty indigenous languages are also
spoken within the country. Its coastline is composed mostly of mangroves, while its more sparsely populated inland
consists of forests opening onto a plateau of drier grasslands. The climate is hot and equatorial, with significant
rainfall during the MayOctober rainy season and harsh harmattan winds the remainder of the year. The country
possesses about forty percent of the remaining Upper Guinean rainforest.
Liberia is the only country in Africa founded by United States colonization while occupied by native Africans.
Beginning in 1820, the region was colonized by African Americans, most of whom were freed slaves. The colonizers
(who later become known as Americo-Liberians) established a new country with the help of the American
Colonization Society, a private organization whose leaders thought former slaves would have greater opportunity in
Africa. African captives freed from slave ships by the British and Americans were sent there instead of being
repatriated to their countries of origin.
In 1847, this new country became the Republic of Liberia, establishing a government modeled on that of the United
States and naming its capital city Monrovia after James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States and a
prominent supporter of the colonization. The colonists and their descendants, known as Americo-Liberians, led the
political, social, cultural and economic sectors of the country and ruled the nation for over 130 years as a dominant
minority.
The country began to modernize in the 1940s following investment by the United States during World War II and
economic liberalization under President William Tubman. Liberia was a founding member of the United Nations and
the Organisation of African Unity. In 1980 a military coup overthrew the Americo-Liberian leadership, marking the
beginning of political and economic instability and two successive civil wars. These resulted in the deaths of
between 250,000 and 520,000 people and devastated the country's economy. A peace agreement in 2003 led to
democratic elections in 2005. Today, Liberia is recovering from the lingering effects of the civil wars and their
consequent economic upheaval, but about 85% of the population continue to live below the international poverty
line.
Liberia
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History
Main article: History of Liberia
A European map of West Africa and the Pepper Coast, 1736. Included is the archaic
mapping designation of Negroland.
The Pepper Coast has been inhabited at
least as far back as the 12th century
and perhaps earlier. Mende-speaking
people expanded westward from the
Sudan, forcing many smaller ethnic
groups southward towards the Atlantic
ocean. The Dei, Bassa, Kru, Gola and
Kissi were some of the earliest
recorded arrivals.
[2]
This influx was compounded by the
decline of the Western Sudanic Mali
Empire in 1375 and later in 1591 with
the Songhai Empire. Additionally,
inland regions underwent
desertification, and inhabitants were
pressured to move 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.
[3]
Shortly after the Manes conquered the region, the Vai people of the former Mali Empire immigrated into
the Grand Cape Mount region. The ethnic Kru opposed the influx of Vai, forming an alliance with the Manes to stop
further influx of Vai.
[4]
People along the coast built canoes and traded with other West Africans from Cap-Vert to the Gold Coast. Between
1461 and 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 grains of melegueta pepper. European traders would barter various commodities and goods with
local people. When the Kru began trading with Europeans, they initially traded in commodities, but later they
actively participated in the African slave trade.Wikipedia:Citation needed
In 1820, the American Colonization Society (ACS) began sending African American volunteers to the Pepper Coast
to establish a colony for freed African Americans. By 1867, the ACS had assisted in the movement of more than
13,000 Americans to Liberia.Wikipedia:Citation needed These free African Americans came to identify themselves
as Americo-Liberian, developing a cultural tradition infused with American notions of racial supremacy, and
political republicanism.
The ACS, a private organization supported by prominent American politicians such as Abraham Lincoln, Henry
Clay, and James Monroe, believed repatriation was preferable to emancipation of slaves.
[5]
Similar organizations
established colonies in Mississippi-in-Africa and the Republic of Maryland, which were later annexed by Liberia. On
July 26, 1847, the settlers issued a Declaration of Independence and promulgated a constitution, which, based on the
political principles denoted in the United States Constitution, created the independent Republic of Liberia.
[6]
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Presidents Edwin Barclay (right) and Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1943
The leadership of the new nation consisted largely of
the Americo-Liberians. The 1865 Ports of Entry Act
prohibited foreign commerce with the inland tribes. In
1877, the Americo-Liberian True Whig Party was the
most powerful political power in the country.
Competition for office was usually contained within the
party, whose nomination virtually ensured election.
Pressure from the United Kingdom and France led to a
loss of Liberia's claims to extensive territories, which
were annexed by adjoining countries. Economic
development was hindered by the decline of markets
for Liberian goods in the late 19th century and by
indebtedness on a series of international loans. In
Liberia's early years, the Americo-Liberian settlers
periodically encountered stiff and sometimes violent opposition from indigenous Africans who were excluded from
citizenship until 1904.
[7]
20th century
In the mid-20th century, Liberia gradually began to modernize with American assistance. Both the Freeport of
Monrovia and Roberts International Airport were built by U.S. personnel through the Lend-Lease program during
World War II. President William Tubman encouraged foreign investment in the country, resulting in the
second-highest rate of economic growth in the world during the 1950s.
Liberia also began to take a more active role in international affairs. It was a founding member of the United Nations
in 1945 and became a vocal critic of the South African apartheid regime. Liberia also served as a proponent both of
African independence from the European colonial powers and of Pan-Africanism, helping to found the Organisation
of African Unity.
Samuel Doe with Caspar Weinberger during a visit to the United
States, 1982
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.
The coup leaders formed the People's Redemption
Council (PRC) to govern the country. 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.
After Liberia adopted a new constitution in 1985, Doe
was elected president in subsequent elections that were internationally condemned as fraudulent. On November 12,
1985, a failed counter-coup was launched by Thomas Quiwonkpa, whose soldiers briefly occupied the national radio
station. Government repression intensified in response, as Doe's troops executed members of the Gio and Mano
ethnic groups in Nimba County.
The National Patriotic Front of Liberia, 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 Cte d'Ivoire,
Liberia
6
triggering the First Liberian Civil War. By September 1990, Doe's forces controlled only a small area just outside the
capital, and Doe was captured and executed that month by rebel forces. The rebels soon split into various factions
fighting one another, and the Economic Community Monitoring Group under the Economic Community of West
African States organized a military task force to intervene in the crisis. From 1989 to 1996 one of Africa's bloodiest
civil wars ensued, claiming the lives of more than 200,000 Liberians and displacing a million others into refugee
camps in neighboring countries. A peace deal between warring parties was reached in 1995 leading to Taylor's
election as president in 1997.
Under Taylor's leadership, Liberia became internationally known as a pariah state due to the use of blood diamonds
and illegal timber exports to fund the Revolutionary United Front in the Sierra Leone Civil War. 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. In March 2003, a second rebel group,
Movement for Democracy in Liberia, began launching attacks against Taylor from the southeast.
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 that same month. By July 2003, the rebels had launched an assault on
Monrovia. Under heavy pressure from the international community and the domestic Women of Liberia Mass Action
for Peace movement, Taylor resigned in August 2003 and went into exile in Nigeria, and a peace deal was signed
later that month. The United Nations Mission in Liberia began arriving in September 2003 to provide security and
monitor the peace accord, and an interim government took power the following October.
The subsequent 2005 elections were internationally regarded as the most free and fair in Liberian history. Ellen
Johnson Sirleaf, a Harvard-trained economist and former Minister of Finance, was elected as the first female
president in Africa. Upon her inauguration, Sirleaf requested the extradition of Taylor from Nigeria and immediately
handed him over to the SCSL for trial in The Hague. In 2006, the government established a Truth and Reconciliation
Commission to address the causes and crimes of the civil war.
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 9N, and longitudes 7
and 12W.
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.
Tropical rainforests cover the hills,
while elephant grass and
semi-deciduous forests make up the
dominant vegetation in the northern
sections. The equatorial climate is hot
year-round with heavy rainfall from
May to October with a short interlude
in mid-July to August. During the winter months of November to March, dry dust-laden harmattan winds blow
inland, causing many problems for residents.
Liberia
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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 Guine Forestire, in Guinea. Cape Mount near the border with Sierra
Leone receives the most precipitation in the nation.
Liberia's main northwestern boundary is traversed by the Mano River while its southeast limits are bounded by the
Cavalla River. 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 515 kilometres
(320mi).
The highest point wholly within Liberia is Mount Wuteve at 1,440 metres (4,724ft) above sea level in the
northwestern Liberia range of the West Africa Mountains and the Guinea Highlands. However, Mount Nimba near
Yekepa, is higher at 1,752 metres (5,748ft) above sea level but is not wholly within Liberia as Nimba shares a
border with Guinea and Cte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and is their tallest mountain as well.
[8]
Counties and districts
Main article: Administrative divisions of Liberia
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
11,551km
2
(4,460sqmi), while Montserrado is
the smallest at 1,909km
2
(737sqmi).
Montserrado is also the most populous county
with 1,144,806 residents as of the 2008 census.
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.
Liberia
8
A view of a lake in Bomi County
map# County Capital Population (2008) Area Number of districts Created
1 Bomi Tubmanburg 82,036
1,942km
2
(750sqmi)
4 1984
2 Bong Gbarnga 328,919
8,772km
2
(3,387sqmi)
12 1964
3 Gbarpolu Bopulu 83,758
9,689km
2
(3,741sqmi)
6 2001
4 Grand Bassa Buchanan 224,839
7,936km
2
(3,064sqmi)
8 1839
5 Grand Cape Mount Robertsport 129,055
5,162km
2
(1,993sqmi)
5 1844
6 Grand Gedeh Zwedru 126,146
10,484km
2
(4,048sqmi)
3 1964
7 Grand Kru Barclayville 57,106
3,895km
2
(1,504sqmi)
18 1984
8 Lofa Voinjama 270,114
9,982km
2
(3,854sqmi)
6 1964
9 Margibi Kakata 199,689
2,616km
2
(1,010sqmi)
4 1985
10 Maryland Harper 136,404
2,297km
2
(887sqmi)
2 1857
11 Montserrado Bensonville 1,144,806
1,909km
2
(737sqmi)
4 1839
12 Nimba Sanniquellie 468,088
11,551km
2
(4,460sqmi)
6 1964
13 Rivercess Rivercess 65,862
5,594km
2
(2,160sqmi)
6 1985
14 River Gee Fish Town 67,318
5,113km
2
(1,974sqmi)
6 2000
15 Sinoe Greenville 104,932
10,137km
2
(3,914sqmi)
17 1843
Liberia
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Politics
Main article: Politics of Liberia
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.
The president serves as head of government, head of state and the
commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia. Among the other
duties of the president 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.
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. 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. Senators serve nine-year terms
and are elected at-large by a plurality of the popular vote. The vice president serves as the President of the Senate,
with a President pro tempore serving in his absence.
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. The judicial system is a blend of common law, based on Anglo-American law, and customary law. 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.
Between 1877 and 1980, the government was dominated by the True Whig Party. Today, over 20 political parties are
registered in the country, based largely around personalities and ethnic groups. Most parties suffer from poor
organizational capacity. The 2005 elections marked the first time that the president's party did not gain a majority of
seats in the Legislature.
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. This score
represented a significant improvement since 2007, when the country scored 2.1 and ranked 150th of 180 countries.
When seeking attention of a selection of service providers, 89% of Liberians had to pay a bribe, the highest national
percentage in the world according to the organization's 2010 Global Corruption Barometer.
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Military
Main article: Armed Forces of Liberia
The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) are the armed forces of the Republic of Liberia. Founded as the Liberian
Frontier Force in 1908, the military was retitled in 1956. For virtually all of its history, the AFL has received
considerable materiel and training assistance from the United States. For most of the 194189 period, training was
largely provided by U.S. advisers, though this assistance has not prevented the same generally low levels of
effectiveness common to most of the armed forces in the developing world.
Foreign relations with United Kingdom
The foreign relations of Liberia are handled by various governmental ministries. The UK was amongst the first to
recognise the new republic. After the visit to the UK in 1848 of President Roberts, Queen Victoria put the Royal
Navy ship HMS Amazon at the disposal of him and his family, for his return journey to Liberia.
[9]
In 1961, Queen Elizabeth II made a state visit to Liberia, arriving at Monrovia on the HMY Britannia.
[10]
President
Tubman made a gift of two Pygmy hippopotamus, which arrived by cargo ship in 1962 and were sent to Whipsnade
Zoo.
[11]
In 1962, President Tubman and his wife visited the UK.
[12]
Economy and infrastructure
Main article: Economy of Liberia
A boy grinding sugar cane
The Central Bank of Liberia is responsible for printing
and maintaining the Liberian dollar, which is the
primary form of currency in Liberia. Liberia is one of
the world's poorest countries, with a formal
employment rate of only 15%. GDP per capita peaked
in 1980 at US$496, when it was comparable to Egypt's
(at the time). 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. 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. In
September 2014, Norway agreed to pay the Liberian government $150 million to stop deforestation in the country by
2020.
Following a peak in growth in 1979, the Liberian economy began a steady decline due to economic mismanagement
following the 1980 coup. 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 history. Upon the end of the war in 2003, GDP
growth began to accelerate, reaching 9.4% in 2007. The global financial crisis slowed GDP growth to 4.6% in 2009,
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.
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. 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.
Following a decrease in inflation beginning in 2003, inflation spiked in 2008 as a result of worldwide food and
energy crises, reaching 17.5% before declining to 7.4% in 2009. Liberia's external debt was estimated in 2006 at
approximately $4.5 billion, 800% of GDP. As a result of bilateral, multilateral and commercial debt relief from 2007
Liberia
11
to 2010, the country's external debt fell to $222.9 million by 2011.
Liberia, trends in the Human Development Index 19702010
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. The country acted as a major
trader in Sierra Leonian blood
diamonds, exporting over US$300
million in diamonds in 1999. 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. 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. These sanctions were lifted in 2006.
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. Liberia gained observer status with the World Trade
Organization in 2010 and is in the process of acquiring full member status.
Liberia has the highest ratio of foreign direct investment to GDP in the world, with US$16 billion in investment
since 2006. Following the inauguration of the Sirleaf administration in 2006, the country signed several multi-billion
dollar concession agreements in the iron ore and palm oil industries with numerous multinational corporations,
including BHP Billiton, ArcelorMittal, and Sime Darby. Especially palm oil companies like Sime Darby (Malaysia)
and Golden Veroleum (USA) are being accused by critics of the destruction of livelihoods and the displacement of
local communities, enabled through government concessions. The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company has operated
the world's largest rubber plantation in Liberia since 1926.
Due to its status as a flag of convenience, the country has the second-largest maritime registry in the world behind
Panama, with 3,500 vessels registered under its flag accounting for 11% of ships worldwide.
Telecommunications
Main article: Communications in Liberia
There are six major newspapers in Liberia, and 45% of the population has a mobile phone service. Much of Liberia's
communications infrastructure was destroyed or plundered during the two civil wars (19891996 and 19992003).
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.
[13]
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Transportation
Main article: Transport in Liberia
Energy
Further information: Energy in Liberia
Formal electricity services are solely provided by the state-owned Liberia Electricity Corporation, which operates a
small grid almost exclusively in the Greater Monrovia District. The vast majority of electric energy services is
provided by small privately owned generators. At $0.54 per kWh, the electricity tariff in Liberia is among the highest
in the world. Total installed capacity in 2013 was 20 MW, a sharp decline from a peak of 191 MW in 1989.
Completion of the repair and expansion of the Mount Coffee Hydropower Plant, with a maximum capacity of 80
MW, is scheduled to be completed by 2018, while construction of three new heavy fuel oil power plants is expected
to boost electrical capacity by 38 MW. In 2013, Liberia began importing power from neighboring Cte d'Ivoire and
Guinea through the West African Power Pool.
Liberia has begun exploration for offshore oil; unproven oil reserves may be in excess of one billion barrels. 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. An additional 13 ultra-deep offshore blocks were demarcated in 2011
and planned for auction. Among the companies to have won licenses are Repsol, Chevron, Anadarko and Woodside
Petroleum.
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). In
some areas primary and secondary education is free and
compulsory from the ages of 6 to 16, though
enforcement of attendance is lax. 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). The country's
education sector is hampered by inadequate schools
and supplies, as well as a lack of qualified teachers.
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 and today has six colleges, including a medical school and the nation's only
law school, Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law.
[14]
In 2009, Tubman University in Harper, Maryland County
became the second public university in Liberia. Cuttington University, established by the Episcopal Church of the
USA in 1889 in Suakoko, Bong County, is the nation's oldest private university. Since 2006, the government has also
opened community colleges in Buchanan, Sanniquellie, and Voinjama.
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13
Health
Further information: Health in Liberia
The Hospitals in Liberia includes the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia and several others. Life
expectancy in Liberia is estimated to be 57.4 years in 2012. With a fertility rate of 5.9 births per woman, the
maternal mortality rate stood at 990 per 100,000 births in 2010. 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 1549 whereas the incidence of tuberculosis was 420 per 100,000 people in 2008. Liberia
imports 90% of its rice, a staple food, and is extremely vulnerable to food shortages. In 2007, 20.4% of children
under the age of 5 were malnourished. In 2008, only 17% of the population had access to adequate sanitation
facilities.
Civil war strife ended in 2003 after destroying approximately 95% of the country's healthcare facilities. In 2009,
government expenditure on health care per capita was US$22, accounting for 10.6% of total GDP. In 2008, Liberia
had only 1 doctor and 27 nurses per 100,000 people.
In 2014 an outbreak of Ebola virus in Guinea spread to Liberia. As of June 20, 2014, there were 18 confirmed deaths
and 24 suspected deaths in Liberia from the ongoing outbreak. Approximately two months later, the body count had
risen to 1,698. In early August 2014 Guinea closed its borders to Liberia to help contain the spread of the virus, as
more new cases were now being reported in Liberia than in Guinea. On 16 August 2014, a quarantine center in
Monrovia was attacked by protesters causing a number of patients being monitored for Ebola to flee, while
blood-soaked bedding and other infected items were removed. The incident was seen by officials as a disaster as it
had the potential to accelerate the spread of the disease.
Crime and law enforcement
The "Liberian National Police" are the national police force of the country.
The Liberian National Police have 844 officers spread across 33 stations in Montserrado County, which contains the
capital Monrovia, as of October 2007. Additionally, the National Police Training Academy is in Montserrado
County in Paynesville City.
Rape and sexual assault have persisted in the post-conflict era in Liberia; the country 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; targets are largely adolescent girls, and almost 40% of perpetrators
are adult men known to victims.
[15]
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14
Demographics
Main articles: Demographics of Liberia and Languages of Liberia
The streets of downtown Monrovia in March 2009
School children in Liberia
As of the 2008 national census, Liberia was home to
3,476,608 people. Of those, 1,118,241 lived in
Montserrado County, the most populous county in the
country and home to the capital of Monrovia, with the
Greater Monrovia District home to 970,824 people.
Nimba County is the next most populous county with
462,026 residents. As revealed in the 2008 census,
Monrovia is more than four times more populous than
all the county capitals combined.
Prior to the 2008 census, the last census had been held
in 1984 and listed the country's population as
2,101,628. The population of Liberia was 1,016,443 in
1962 and increased to 1,503,368 in 1974. As of 2006,
Liberia has the highest population growth rate in the
world (4.50% per annum). Similar to its neighbors, it
has a large youth population, with half of the
population under the age of 18.
The population includes sixteen indigenous ethnic
groups and various foreign minorities. Indigenous
peoples comprise about 95% 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, Fante, Dei or Dewoin, Belleh, and Americo-Liberians or Congo people. The largest of which are the Kpelle in
central and western Liberia. Americo-Liberians, who are descendants of African American and West Indian, mostly
Barbadian or Bajan settlers, make up 2.5%, and Congo people, descendants of repatriated Congo and
Afro-Caribbean slaves who arrived in 1825, make up an estimated 2.5%.
There are also a large number of Lebanese, Indians, and other West African nationals who make up a significant part
of Liberia's business community. There is a high percentage of interracial marriage between ethnic Liberians and the
Lebanese. Thus creating a large mulatto population especially in and around Monrovia. A small minority of
Liberians of European descent reside in the country. The Liberian constitution restricts citizenship to only people of
black African descent.
Thirty-one indigenous languages are spoken within Liberia, none of which are a first language to more than a small
percentage of the population. English is the official language and serves as the lingua franca of the country.
Liberians speak a variety of dialects collectively known as Liberian English.
Liberia
15
Religion
Main article: Religion in Liberia
Religion in Liberia
Religion percent
Christianity 85.5%
Islam 12.2%
Unaffiliated 1.5%
Indigenous 0.5%
Other 0.1%
According to the 2008 National Census, 85.5% of the population practices Christianity. Muslims comprise 12.2% of
the population, largely coming from the Mandingo and Vai ethnic groups. Traditional indigenous religions are
practiced by 0.5% of the population, while 1.5% subscribe to no religion. A small number of people are Bah',
Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist. Concurrent participation in indigenous religious secret societies such as Poro and Sande is
common, with some Sande societies practicing female genital mutilation. Liberian Muslims are divided into Sunnis,
Shias, Ahmadiyyas, Sufis, and non-denominational Muslims
[16]
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right. While separation
of church and state is also mandated by the Constitution, Liberia is considered a Christian state in practice. Public
schools offer biblical studies, though parents may opt out their children. Commerce is prohibited by law on Sundays
and major Christian holidays. The government does not require businesses or schools to excuse Muslims for Friday
prayers.
Culture
Main article: Culture of Liberia
The former Executive Mansion, an example of
American South architectural influence
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. Most Americo-Liberian men were members of
the Masonic Order of Liberia, which became heavily involved in the
nation's politics.
Liberia has a long, 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, 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.
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. Moore's novella Murder in the
Cassava Patch is considered Liberia's most celebrated novel.
Liberia
16
Cuisine
Main article see Liberian cuisine
A beachside barbeque 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. Heavy stews spiced with habanero
and scotch bonnet chillies are popular and eaten with fufu. Liberia also
has a tradition of baking imported from the United States that is unique
in West Africa.
Sports
Liberian footballer George Weah holding the
Ballon d'Or in 1995
The most popular sport in Liberia is association football, with George
Weah (the only African to be named FIFA World Player of the Year)
the nation's most famous athlete.
[17]
The Liberia national football team
has reached the Africa Cup of Nations twice, in 1996 and 2002.
In Liberia, the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex serves as a
multi-purpose stadium and hosts sporting events.
Measurement system
Liberia is one of only three countries that has not officially adopted the
International System of Units. The Liberian government has begun
transitioning away from use of imperial units to the metric system.
However, this change has been gradual, with government reports
concurrently using both imperial and metric units. A 2008 report from
the University of Tennessee stated that the changeover from imperial
to metric measures was confusing to coffee and cocoa farmers.
References
[1] http:/ / tools.wmflabs. org/ geohack/ geohack. php?pagename=Liberia& params=6_19_N_10_48_W_type:country
[2] [2] Runn-Marcos, K. T. Kolleholon, B. Ngovo, p. 5
[3] [3] Runn-Marcos, K. T. Kolleholon, B. Ngovo, p. 6
[4] [4] citation needed
[5] Maggie Montesinos Sale (1997). The slumbering volcano: American slave ship revolts and the production of rebellious masculinity, p.264.
Duke University Press, 1997. ISBN 0-8223-1992-6
[6] Adekeye Adebajo (2002) Liberia's Civil War: Nigeria, ECOMOG, and Regional Security in West Africa, International Peace Academy, p. 21,
ISBN 1588260526.
[7] " Liberia (http:/ / www. state. gov/ r/ pa/ ei/ bgn/ 6618.htm)". U.S. State Department.
[8] [8] Financial Time's World Desk Reference (2004) Dorling Kindersley Publishing. p 368
[9] [9] The Times. Monday, Dec 25, 1848; pg. 8; Issue 20055
[10] [10] The Times Oct 06, 1961; pg. 14, Nov 21, 1961; pg. 8; Issue 55244. Nov 23, 1961; pg. 10; Issue 55246.
[11] [11] The Times. Jun 04, 1962; pg. 5; Issue 55408.
[12] [12] The Times. Mar 28, 1962; pg. 5; Issue 55351. Jul 10, 1962; pg. 11; Issue 55439
Liberia
17
[13] "Introduction to Communication and Development in Liberia" (http:/ / www. audiencescapes. org/
country-profiles-liberia-country-overview-quantitative-survey-qualitative-analysis-research), AudienceScapes. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
[14] Jallah, David A. B. Notes, Presented by Professor and Dean of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia, David A. B.
Jallah to 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 1719, 2007. (http:/ / www. ialsnet.
org/ meetings/ enriching/ JallahDavid.pdf) International Association of Law Schools. Retrieved on September 1, 2008.
[15] Nicola Jones, Janice Cooper, Elizabeth Presler-Marshall and David Walker, June 2014; The fallout of rape as a weapon of war; http:/ /
www.odi. org/ publications/ 8464-rape-weapon-war-liberia
[16] Pew Forum on Religious & Public life. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2013
[17] "Iconic Weah a true great" (http:/ / www.fifa.com/ classicfootball/ players/ player=2187/ . ). FIFA.com. Retrieved 17 November 2013
Bibliography
Dunn-Marcos, Robin; Kollehlon, Konia T.; Ngovo, Bernard; Russ, Emily (April 2005). "Liberians: An
Introduction to their History and Culture" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20080625062344/ http:/ / www. cal.
org/ co/ liberians/ liberian_050406_1. pdf) (PDF). In Ranar, Donald A. Culture Profile (Center for Applied
Linguistics) (19). Archived from the original (http:/ / www. cal. org/ co/ liberians/ liberian_050406_1. pdf) on
2008-06-25. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
Further reading
Gilbert, Erik & Reynolds, Jonathan T (October 2003). Africa in World History, From Prehistory to the Present
(Paperback ed.). Prentice Hall. ISBN978-0-13-092907-5.
Merriam Webster's Geographical Dictionary: 3rd Edition (Paperback ed.). Merriam Webster Inc., Springfield.
1997. ISBN0-87779-546-0.
Tim Hetherington (2009). Long Story Bit By Bit: Liberia Retold. New York: Umbrage. ISBN978-1-884167-73-7.
Graham Greene (1936). Journey Without Maps. Vintage. ISBN978-0-09-928223-5.
Gabriel I. H. Williams (July 6, 2006). Liberia: The Heart of Darkness. Trafford Publishing. ISBN1-55369-294-2.
Alan Huffman (2004). Mississippi in Africa: The Saga of the Slaves of Prospect Hill Plantation and Their Legacy
in Liberia Today. Gotham Books. ISBN978-1-59240-044-7.
John-Peter Pham (April 4, 2001). Liberia: Portrait of a Failed State. Reed Press. ISBN1-59429-012-1.
Barbara Greene (March 5, 1991). Too Late to Turn Back. Penguin. ISBN0-14-009594-2.
Great Tales of Liberia by Wilton Sankawulo. Dr. Sankawulo is the compiler of these tales from Liberia and about
Liberian culture. Published by Editura Universitatii "Lucian Blaga"; din Sibiu, Romania, 2004. ISBN
973-651-838-8.
Sundown at Dawn: A Liberian Odyssey by Wilton Sankawulo. Recommended by the Cultural Resource Center,
Center for Applied Linguistics for its content concerning Liberian culture. ISBN 0-9763565-0-3
To Liberia: Destiny's Timing, by Victoria Lang (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.
Godfrey Mwakikagile, Military Coups in West Africa Since The Sixties, Chapter Eight: Liberia: 'The Love of
Liberty Brought Us Here,' pp.85110, 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.118, Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2001.
Redemption Road: The Quest for Peace and Justice in Liberia (A Novel) by Elma Shaw, with a Foreword by
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. (Cotton Tree Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-9800774-0-7)
House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood by Helene Cooper (Simon & Schuster, 2008, ISBN
0-7432-6624-2)
Liberia
18
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Liberia.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Liberia.
Chief of State and Cabinet Members (https:/ / www. cia. gov/ library/ publications/ world-leaders-1/
world-leaders-l/ liberia. html)Wikipedia:Link rot
Liberia (https:/ / www. cia. gov/ library/ publications/ the-world-factbook/ geos/ li. html) entry at The World
Factbook
Liberia (http:/ / ucblibraries. colorado. edu/ govpubs/ for/ liberia. htm) from UCB Libraries GovPubs.
Liberia (http:/ / www. dmoz. org/ Regional/ Africa/ Liberia) at DMOZ
Liberia profile (http:/ / www. bbc. co. uk/ news/ world-africa-13729504) from the BBC News.
"Liberia Maps" (http:/ / www. lib. utexas. edu/ maps/ liberia. html), Perry-Castaeda Library, University of Texas
at Austin.
Wikimedia Atlas of Liberia
Article Sources and Contributors
19
Article Sources and Contributors
Liberia Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=627437793 Contributors: -- April, 23skidoo, A Werewolf, A robustus, A-giau, A. Parrot, A12n, AHands, AJR, ARC Gritt, Aan,
Abbick, AbdullaiKamara, AbhijayM., Abhijitsathe, AbigailAbernathy, Aboutmovies, AbsolutDan, Acarvin, Acntx, Acs4b, Adashiel, Addshore, Adoniscik, Adrianbrodal, Adriane.bien,
Ahoerstemeier, Aitias, Akanemoto, Alan J Shea, Alan Liefting, Alanpritt, Alansohn, AlefZet, AlexDenney, Alexbrennen, Alexfoley, Alexham, AlexiusHoratius, Alexwagner, Alinor, Allstarecho,
Aloginiwillremember, Alphaman11, Altspace, Amnestydaan, Andonic, Andrewstimothy, Angr, AniRaptor2001, Anradt, Antandrus, AnthonyK18, Antonio Lopez, Aordictator, Aphaia,
Applianceguy, Arms & Hearts, Arniep, ArsenD, Ash, Astemp, Astronaut, Aude, Avala, Awesome101, Axeman89, Aymatth2, Ayoubakosiah, Azzopardi, BD2412, Bart133, Bazonka, Bball37,
Bcorr, Bejnar, Beland, Benesch, Betacommand, Betterusername, Bharathiya, Big Adamsky, Bigloulll, BikeMurns, Birdman1, Bkell, Black Falcon, Blathnaid, Bleh999, Blondeguynative,
Bluemask, Bobblewik, Bobo192, Bongwarrior, Booksrrrl, Bornhj, BossStatus1, Bostonian Mike, Breakfastchief, Briaboru, Brian Patrick Cargile, Brian.haddad, Brianski, Brighterorange, Brilliant
Pebble, Brion VIBBER, BritishWatcher, Brutaldeluxe, Bte99, Buaidh, BubbleDude22, Buchsel, Buckshot06, Burroughsks88, Bwmcmaste, C.Fred, CJM, CL8, CLeaks1, CWY2190, Calabe1992,
Calliopejen1, Caltas, Calvin15100, CambridgeBayWeather, Can't sleep, clown will eat me, CanadianLinuxUser, Candleabracadabra, Cantus, CapitalLetterBeginning, Caponer, Capricorn42,
CarlKenner, Carstenq, Cassie Puma, CastleChick1592, Cateyz, Catgut, Cburnett, Chanelno3, Charles Edwin Shipp, Charles Essie, Charles Richardson, CharlotteWebb, Chasingsol, Cheagirl,
Checkingfax, Chie one, Cholmes75, Chris the speller, Cimon Avaro, Ck lostsword, Claidheamohmor, Clarityfiend, Coinmanj, Colonies Chris, CommanderBond, CommonsDelinker, Conte di
Cavour, Conversion script, Cooldunn, Coopercmu, Corriebertus, Corvus cornix, Credema, Cremepuff222, CripKiller1, CsDix, Cst17, Cunningham, Cwolfsheep, Cybercobra, D6, DNewhall,
Dackley, Danger, DanielCD, Danielbcolemansr, Danny, Danski14, Darwinek, Davejenk1ns, David Kernow, David the Aspie, DavidLeighEllis, Davidheisman, Daynuaht, Deflective, Delphii,
Demicx, Dendodge, Dengero, DennyColt, Deor, DevastatorIIC, Devtecons, Diceman, Digitalme, Dina, DirkvdM, Discospinster, DiverDave, Djmckee1, Dlfreem, Dmitrei, Dmoss, DocWatson42,
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EoGuy, Epicgenius, EricSpokane, Eridanos, Ermoba, Erudy, Esradekan, Estateofmind, Eu.stefan, Eurytus, EvergreenFir, Everyking, Evlekis, Excirial, F Camp, FF2010, Facts707, Factsearch,
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Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors
File:Flag of Liberia.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_Liberia.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Government of Liberia
File:Coat of arms of Liberia.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Coat_of_arms_of_Liberia.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: FXXX
File:Location Liberia AU Africa.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Location_Liberia_AU_Africa.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Alvaro1984 18
File:Liberia - Location Map (2013) - LBR - UNOCHA.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Liberia_-_Location_Map_(2013)_-_LBR_-_UNOCHA.svg License:
unknown Contributors: Pharos
File:Steady2.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Steady2.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: User:Tomchen1989
file:speakerlink-new.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Speakerlink-new.svg License: Creative Commons Zero Contributors: User:Kelvinsong
File:Negroland and Guinea with the European Settlements, 1736.jpg Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Negroland_and_Guinea_with_the_European_Settlements,_1736.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Herman Moll
File:Roosevelt and Barclay.gif Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Roosevelt_and_Barclay.gif License: Public Domain Contributors: Closeapple, Darwinek, Deadstar,
Infrogmation, Martin H., Morio, NeverDoING, POY, Zzyzx11, 1 anonymous edits
File:Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger - Samuel K. Doe.jpg Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Secretary_of_Defense_Caspar_W._Weinberger_-_Samuel_K._Doe.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: FRANK HALL
File:Topographic map of Liberia-en.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Topographic_map_of_Liberia-en.svg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike
Contributors: Oona Risnen (Mysid)
File:Liberia Counties.png Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Liberia_Counties.png License: GNU Free Documentation License Contributors: User:Acntx
File:Bomi lake.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Bomi_lake.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Sahmeditor
File:Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf3.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Ellen_Johnson-Sirleaf3.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Shealah Craighead
Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors
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File:Young boy grinding sugar cane in Liberia.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Young_boy_grinding_sugar_cane_in_Liberia.jpg License: Creative Commons
Attribution-Sharealike 2.0 Contributors: John Atherton
File:Liberia, Trends in the Human Development Index 1970-2010.png Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Liberia,_Trends_in_the_Human_Development_Index_1970-2010.png License: Public Domain Contributors: Underlying lk
File:Liberian students.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Liberian_students.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: USAID
File:Downtown Monrovia 3348917715 67a2002529.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Downtown_Monrovia_3348917715_67a2002529.jpg License: Creative
Commons Attribution 2.0 Contributors: Erik (HASH) Hershman
File:Flickr - usaid.africa - Liberia schoolgirls.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flickr_-_usaid.africa_-_Liberia_schoolgirls.jpg License: Public Domain
Contributors: USAID Africa Bureau
File:Old Liberia Executive Mansion.png Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Old_Liberia_Executive_Mansion.png License: Public Domain Contributors: L.A. Roy
File:Beachside Barbeque (6831739276).jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Beachside_Barbeque_(6831739276).jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
Contributors: David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada
File:George Weah.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:George_Weah.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: User:Irakli f1
Image:Commons-logo.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Commons-logo.svg License: logo Contributors: Anomie
Image:Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0
Contributors: User:AleXXw
File:Gnome-globe.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Gnome-globe.svg License: GNU Lesser General Public License Contributors: David Vignoni
License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
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