[63], Following the 2017 Liberian general election, former professional football striker George Weah, one of the greatest African players of all time,[64][65] was sworn in as president on January 22, 2018, becoming the fourth youngest serving president in Africa. Findings included government involvement in widespread "Forced or compulsory labour". This was because they faced racial discrimination in the form of political disenfranchisement and the denial of civil, religious, and social rights. Liberia is bordered by the countries of Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and by the Atlantic Ocean. 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. [151][152][153] An additional 13 ultra-deep offshore blocks were demarcated in 2011 and planned for auction. When President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf moved into the Executive Mansion, she reportedly had a Liberian-made quilt installed in her presidential office. [35], 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;[36] the winning candidate was declared to have received votes amounting to more than 15 times the number of eligible voters. It built the Freeport of Monrovia and Roberts International Airport under the Lend-Lease program before its entry into the Second World War. For a treatment of earlier periods and of the country in its regional context, see western Africa. In 1824 the territory was named Liberia, and its main settlement was named Monrovia, which is the present-day capital. [76] After international protests, many of those logging permits were canceled. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf At Official Launch and Fundraising Program Of the Grand Bassa Community College", "Government Moves Ahead With Education Decentralization Plans", "July 26 Celebrations Kick Off in Lofa As President Sirleaf Arrives", "Liberia's Weah announces free tuition for undergrads", "Starz University Aim For Global Success", "St Clements University College Liberia", "The State of the World's Midwifery 2011: Liberia", "Maternal health gets a new boost in Liberia", "Data: Prevalence of HIV, total (% of population ages 1549)", "Liberia: Nurtitional "crisis" in Monrovia", "Data: Malnutrition prevalence, weight for age (% of children under 5). [80] This causes the disease nagana. [79] A 2004 public opinion survey found that bushmeat ranked second behind fish amongst residents of the capital Monrovia as a preferred source of protein. On average, children attain 10 years of education (11 for boys and 8 for girls). Mortality from tropical diseases was highof the 4,571 emigrants who arrived in Liberia between 1820 and 1843, only 1,819 survived. In 1816, a group of white Americans founded the American Colonization Society (ACS) to deal with the "problem" of the growing number of free blacks in the United States by resettling them in Africa. [155], As of the 2017 national census, Liberia was home to 4,694,608 people. [84] Since 2006, the international community has paid for all garbage collection and disposal in Monrovia via the World Bank. The country is home to a lush rainforest containing a rich diversity of flora and fauna. This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name. Liberia is the only Black state in Africa never subjected to colonial rule and is Africas oldest republic. [citation needed] Today, over 20 political parties are registered in the country, based largely around personalities and ethnic groups. [49] By July 2003, the rebels had launched an assault on Monrovia. In 2008, 0.5% identified adherence to traditional indigenous religions, while 1.5% claimed no religion. [87], Parallel to the administrative divisions of the country are the local and municipal divisions. Liberia is situated in West Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean to the country's southwest. [90], From 1877 to 1980, the government was dominated by the True Whig Party. Parallel to the coastal plains is a region of rolling hills some 20 miles (32 km) wide with an average maximum elevation of about 300 feet (90 metres); a few hills rise as high as 500 feet (150 metres). The ethnic Kru opposed the influx of Vai, forming an alliance with the Mane to stop further influx of Vai.[17]. Please read the. 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. Monrovia, capital, largest city, and chief Atlantic port of Liberia, located on Bushrod Island and Cape Mesurado. Forestry is an important industry in Liberia. Competition for office was usually contained within the party; a party nomination virtually ensured election. The climate, especially on the coast, is warm and humid year-round, dominated by a dry season from November to April and by a rainy season from May to October. While Christian, many Liberians also participate in traditional, gender-based indigenous religious secret societies, such as Poro for men and Sande for women. The University of Liberia is the country's largest and oldest university. [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. Four types of soil are found in Liberia. In 2007, the HIV infection rates stood at 2% of the population aged 1549[188] whereas the incidence of tuberculosis was 420 per 100,000 people in 2008. The outline map represents the West African country of Liberia. The interior has hot but pleasant days and cool nights during the dry season. [113] 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. [123] 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. Four physiographic regions run nearly parallel to the Atlantic coast of the country. Quakers believed black people would face better chances for freedom in Africa than in the U.S.[7][19] While slaveholders opposed freedom for enslaved people, some viewed "repatriation" of free people of color as a way to avoid slave rebellions. [160] In 2010 some 43.5% of Liberians were below the age of 15.[157]. [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. Quiz, Central Intelligence Agency - The World Factbook - Liberia, Liberia - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Liberia - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Edward Wilmot Blyden, Bai T. Moore, Roland T. Dempster and Wilton G. S. Sankawulo are among Liberia's more prominent authors. Liberia has one of the highest incidences of sexual violence against women in the world. The Liberian national basketball team has reached the AfroBasket twice, in 1983 and 2007. [112] The global financial crisis slowed GDP growth to 4.6% in 2009,[112] 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. [43] The coup leaders formed the People's Redemption Council (PRC) to govern the country. [28] The United Kingdom was the first country to recognize Liberia's independence. The dusty and dry harmattan (desert winds) blow from the Sahara to the coast in December, bringing relief from the high relative humidity. [82], Slash-and-burn agriculture is one of the human activities eroding Liberia's natural forests. Rape is the most frequently reported crime, accounting for more than one-third of sexual violence cases. As of 2016, it had approximately 9,118 students. [citation needed], 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. 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. [46], The rebels soon split into various factions fighting one another. The subsequent 2005 elections were internationally regarded as the freest and fairest in Liberian history. Minority ethnic groups especially were exploited in a system that enriched well-connected elites. [172], Higher education is provided by a number of public and private universities. 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). Later Stone Age (LSA) populations evidence significant technological diversification, including both microlithic and macrolithic traditions. (2007). This triggered the First Liberian Civil War. [16], This influx of these groups was compounded by the decline of the Mali Empire in 1375 and the Songhai Empire in 1591. 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. [51] Between 1461 and the late 17th century, Portuguese, Dutch, and British traders had contacts and trading posts in the region. - 13488122 6CRF9647+VR. [43] On November 12, 1985, a failed counter-coup was launched by Thomas Quiwonkpa, whose soldiers briefly occupied the national radio station. [121][122] These sanctions were lifted in 2006. The climate is equatorial, with significant rainfall during the MayOctober rainy season and harsh harmattan winds the remainder of the year. Omissions? [90] GDP per capita peaked in 1980 at US$496, when it was comparable to Egypt's (at the time). [26], By 1877, the True Whig Party was the country's most powerful political entity. [40] In international affairs, it was a founding member of the United Nations, a vocal critic of South African apartheid,[41] a proponent of African independence from European colonial powers, and a supporter of Pan-Africanism. The four physiographic regions of Liberia parallel the coast. [68] However, Mount Nimba near Yekepa, is higher at 4,724 feet (1,440m) 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. 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. These features may represent social networks or some form of cultural diffusion allied to changing ecological conditions. [18] Formed in 1816, the American Colonization Society (ACS) was made up mostly of Quakers and slaveholders. [38] As a result of the report, President Charles D. B. Founded in 1988, the school is owned and operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Monrovia. The blank outline map represents the West African country of Liberia. The "Black Continent" is divided roughly in two by the equator and surrounded by sea except where the Isthmus of Suez joins it to Asia. [bettersourceneeded][1], English is the official language and serves as the lingua franca of Liberia. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. [158] Of those, 1,118,241 lived in Montserrado County, the most populous county in the country and home to the capital of Monrovia. [90] The judicial system is a blend of common law, based on Anglo-American law, and customary law. Outsiders' knowledge of the west of Africa began with a Portuguese sailor, Pedro de Sintra, who reached the Liberian coast in 1461. Olukoju, Ayodeji. [citation needed] 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. [66] The inauguration marked Liberia's first fully democratic transition in 74 years. What part of Africa is Liberia located in? Shallow, coarse lithosols, in the hilly and rugged terrain, cover about one-eighth of the land. [70] 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. [12] Americo-Liberians encouraged religious organizations to set up missions and schools to educate the indigenous peoples. Official name: Republic of Liberia. Coeditor of. "Gender Roles, Marriage and Family", Economic Community of West African States, Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, highest population growth rate in the world, Omnibus Foreign Trade and Competitiveness Act, "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2022", "July 26, 1847 Liberian independence proclaimed", Liberia: History, Geography, Government, and Culture, "Praise for the woman who put Liberia back on its feet", "Liberians: An Introduction to their History and Culture", "A quantitative analysis of Liberian colonization from 1820 to 1843 with special reference to mortality", "Address on Colonization to a Deputation of Negroes", "These Abandoned Buildings Are the Last Remnants of Liberia's Founding History", "How a former slave gave a quilt to Queen Victoria", "Frontline/World Liberia No More War Liberia's Historic Ties to America PBS", "Independent Lens Iron Ladies of Liberia Liberian History PBS", Elections Chief Hints Slashing Numbers of Mushrooming Parties for 2005 Polls, "Elections history in Africa's oldest democratic republic: Liberia", "Commission's Report: International Commission of Enquiry in Liberia", "Pan-Africanism Revisited: Vision and Reality of African Unity and Development", "Liberia and the United States: A Complex Relationship", "Liberia's civil war: Fiddling while Monrovia burns", "Profile: Leymah Gbowee Liberia's 'peace warrior', "Taylor resigns as president of Liberia, leaves the country", "Liberia: UNMIL extends deployment as more troops arrive", United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, "LiberiaNigeria: "Time to bring Taylor issue to closure," says Sirleaf", "Taylor Sent Off to Face War Crimes Charges", "War-battered nation launches truth commission", "Tuesday, July 26, is National Independence Day; to be Observed as National Holiday", "Sirleaf seen winning Liberia run-off vote", "From Football King To Liberian President George Weah's Journey", "Top 10 youngest serving presidents in Africa, 2018", "George Weah sworn in as Liberia's president", "Building effective climate governance in Liberia Liberia", "Multinational Investment and the Development of an Export Industry: Rubber in Liberia", "An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm", "Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity Supplementary Material", "Poaching in Liberia's Forests Threatens Rare Animals", 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T10032A18567171.en, "Extinction is forever: A crisis that is Liberia's endangered wildlife", "The elimination of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense? [83] A 2004 UN report estimated that 99% of Liberians burned charcoal and fuel wood for cooking and heating, resulting in deforestation. A map of Liberia's major rivers and their drainage systems This is a list of rivers in Liberia . Includes 99 Liberia mountains. Pages in category "Islands of Liberia" The following 2 pages are in this category, out of 2 total. People along the coast built canoes and traded with other West Africans from Cap-Vert to the Gold Coast. [92], In the past, both of Liberia's neighbors, Guinea and Sierra Leone, have accused Liberia of backing rebels in their countries. Liberia is bounded by Sierra Leone to the northwest, Guinea to the north, Cte dIvoire to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and west. Official Name: Republic of Liberia Location: West Africa coast between Sierra Leone, Guinea, Cte d'Ivoire, and the Atlantic Ocean Population: 5,057,681 (as of 2020) Land Area: 43,000 square miles (111,369 square kilometres) Capital: Monrovia Official Language: English Form of Government: Unitary presidential constitutional republic Adolescent girls are the most frequently assaulted, and almost 40% of perpetrators are adult men known to victims. and an interim government took power the following October. On May 9, 2015, Liberia was declared Ebola free after six weeks with no new cases. [61] 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. 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. [146], The repair and expansion of the Mount Coffee Hydropower Project, with a maximum capacity of 80 MW, was completed in 2018. It has 3,500 vessels registered under its flag, accounting for 11% of ships worldwide. Total capacity in 2013 was 20 MW, a sharp decline from a peak of 191 MW in 1989 before the wars. Many treessuch as red ironwood, camwood, whismore, teak, and mahoganyare valuable, but occur with other species, preventing easy harvest. All structured data from the file namespace is available under the Creative Commons CC0 License; all unstructured text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; . However, these animals, along with the already threatened elephants, bush cows (short-horned buffalo), and leopards, were hunted for food during the civil war; their populations are recovering. Global Powers and Africa Programme. Monrovia stands on such an outcropping, a ridge of diabase (a dark-coloured, fine-grained rock). Name the major rivers of Liberia. The 7 Best Small Towns In Nevada To Chill Out, 11 Coolest Small Towns in Washington for a Summer Vacation. Other major rivers are the Lofa in the north and, moving southward, the St. Paul, St. John, and Cestos, all of which parallel each other and flow perpendicular to the coast. [175][176][177], 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.[178]. Nicola Jones, Janice Cooper, Elizabeth Presler-Marshall and David Walker, June 2014; "The fallout of rape as a weapon of war", ODI; Pew Forum on Religious & Public life. During World War II, the United States made major infrastructure improvements to support its military efforts in Africa and Europe against Germany. [100], Corruption is endemic at every level of the Liberian government. Wikidata ID. [113] Liberia gained observer status with the World Trade Organization in 2010 and became an official member in 2016. [60] In 2011, July 26 was proclaimed by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to be observed as National Independence Day. Along the coast lie beds of sandstone, with occasional crystalline-rock outcrops. The oldest counties are Grand Bassa and Montserrado, both founded in 1839 prior to Liberian independence. [69], 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. [101] When President Sirleaf took office in 2006, she announced that corruption was "the major public enemy. [194], Approximately 95% of the country's healthcare facilities had been destroyed by the time civil war ended in 2003. [46], 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. Both Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast annexed territories. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Colonial settlements were raided by the Kru and Grebo from their inland chiefdoms. 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. [54], The United Nations Mission in Liberia began arriving in September 2003 to provide security and monitor the peace accord,[55] Highly fertile alluvial soils represent a small percentage of the land area and are utilized largely for agriculture. Liberia occupies an area of about 43,000 square miles and has a population of about 4,900,000 people. [168] While separation of church and state is mandated by the Constitution, Liberia is considered a Christian state in practice. [50], In March 2003, a second rebel group, Movement for Democracy in Liberia, began launching attacks against Taylor from the southeast. [42], 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. (April 2014). Financial Time's World Desk Reference (2004) Dorling Kindersley Publishing, p. 368. [25], On July 26, 1847, the settlers issued a Declaration of Independence and promulgated a constitution. [77] Bushmeat is often exported to neighboring Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast, despite a ban on the cross-border sale of wild animals. The Cavalla is the longest river in the nation at 320 mi (515 km). [168], Muslims comprised 12.2% of the population in 2008, largely represented by the Mandingo and Vai ethnic groups. Sapo National Park, established in 1983 in the countrys southeast, was expanded in 2003 to encompass an area of some 700 square miles (1,800 square km). Please select which sections you would like to print: Professor and Chairman, Department of History, University of Liberia, Monrovia. The Liberian constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right. Time zone: Noon = noon GMT. [106][107], 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). [45] 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. [68], Following a peak in growth in 1979, the Liberian economy began a steady decline due to economic mismanagement after the 1980 coup. During the rainy season there is often severe flooding in the coastal plains.

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