[115], Following a decrease in inflation beginning in 2003, inflation spiked in 2008 as a result of worldwide food and energy crises,[116] reaching 17.5% before declining to 7.4% in 2009. Crane, Keith; Gompert, David C; Oliker, Olga; Riley, Kevin Jack; and Lawson, Brooke Stearns. Four physiographic regions run nearly parallel to the Atlantic coast of the country. [111] 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. 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. Pages in category "Islands of Liberia" The following 2 pages are in this category, out of 2 total. Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Delaware, Newark. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. [1] Senators serve nine-year terms and are elected at-large by a plurality of the popular vote. 2278117. [119] 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. [84] Since 2006, the international community has paid for all garbage collection and disposal in Monrovia via the World Bank. [139] 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. King and Vice President Allen N. Yancy resigned. [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. [1] The vice president serves as the President of the Senate, with a President pro tempore serving in their absence. Deforestation and drought in the Sahel have affected the climate, lengthening the dry season by almost a month in some areas. [140], There are six major newspapers in Liberia, and 65% of the population has a mobile phone service. [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. [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. [71] Climate change is expected to severely impact the economy of Liberia, especially agriculture, fisheries, and forestry. This makes them the youngest examples of such MSA technology anywhere in Africa. The Mano and Morro rivers in the northwest and the Cavalla in the east and southeast are major rivers and form sections of Liberias boundaries. The colonial settlements were raided by the Kru and Grebo, from their inland chiefdoms. This article is about the country in Africa. [193] In 2008, only 17% of the population had access to adequate sanitation facilities. Corrections? The country is home to a lush rainforest containing a rich diversity of flora and fauna. Stella Maris Polytechnic, a post-secondary, private institution of higher learning. [1], The Legislature is composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. For most of the 194189 period, training was largely provided by U.S. advisors, with combat experience in the Second World War also playing a role in training. [43], After Liberia adopted a new constitution in 1985, Doe was elected president in subsequent elections that were internationally condemned as fraudulent. Other ingredients include cassava, fish, bananas, citrus fruit, plantains, coconut, okra and sweet potatoes. During World War II, the United States made major infrastructure improvements to support its military efforts in Africa and Europe against Germany. [87], Parallel to the administrative divisions of the country are the local and municipal divisions. [30][31][32], 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. [164] As of 2022, 27 indigenous languages are spoken in Liberia, but each is a first language for only a small percentage of the population. multiparty republic with two legislative bodies (Liberian Senate [30]; House of Representatives [73]), Match the Country with Its Hemisphere Quiz, Which Country Is Larger By Population? [24], The Americo-Liberian settlers did not relate well to the indigenous peoples they encountered, especially those in communities of the more isolated "bush". As of 2015, it had more than 8,000 mostly Liberian employees, making it the country's largest private employer. See hiking info, trail maps, and trip reports for every peak. Official name: Republic of Liberia. Mortality from tropical diseases was highof the 4,571 emigrants who arrived in Liberia between 1820 and 1843, only 1,819 survived. and an interim government took power the following October. [94] The National Police Training Academy is in Paynesville City. This Island, as one of the global areas of human slave . [19] Similar state-based organizations established colonies in Mississippi-in-Africa, Kentucky in Africa, and the Republic of Maryland, which Liberia later annexed. It contains the Freeport of Monrovia, the major national port of Liberia and a variety of businesses. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The government does not require businesses or schools to excuse Muslims for Friday prayers. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The settlers wore top hat and tails and modeled their homes on those of Southern slaveowners. Coauthor of. 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. [79] The survey was conducted during the last civil war, and bushmeat consumption is now believed to be far higher. [51] 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. "China and Liberia: Engagement in a Post-Conflict Country 20032013". 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. [77], Bushmeat is widely eaten in Liberia, and is considered a delicacy. [206], One-third of married Liberian women between the ages of 1549 are in polygamous marriages. The subsequent 2005 elections were internationally regarded as the freest and fairest in Liberian history. The four physiographic regions of Liberia parallel the coast. Nimba is the largest of the counties in size at 11,551km2 (4,460sqmi), while Montserrado is the smallest at 737.069sqmi (1,909.00km2). [149], Liberia has begun exploration for offshore oil; unproven oil reserves may be in excess of one billion barrels. As the nation's primate city, Monrovia is the country's economic, financial and cultural center; its economy is primarily centered on . Liberias terrain ranges from the low and sandy coastal plains to rolling hills and dissected plateau further inland. [201], The religious practices, social customs and cultural standards of the Americo-Liberians had their roots in the antebellum American South. It was established on land acquired for freed U.S. slaves by the American Colonization Society, which founded a colony at Cape Mesurado in 1821. 2 Robin Dunn-Marcos et al., "Liberians: An Introduction to Their History Culture," Culture Profile No. [207] Customary law allows men to have up to four wives. [209] Heavy stews spiced with habanero and scotch bonnet chilies are popular and eaten with fufu. [83], Illegal logging has increased in Liberia since the end of the Second Civil War in 2003. This discussion focuses on Liberia from the 19th century. [118] The country acted as a major trader in Sierra Leonian blood diamonds, exporting over US$300 million in diamonds in 1999. The University of Liberia is the country's largest and oldest university. As of October 2007 it has 844 officers in 33 stations in Montserrado County, which contains Monrovia. 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. [93], The Liberian National Police is the country's national police force. 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%. [81], The Hairy Slit-Faced Bat (Nycteris hispida) suffers from malaria here. Liberia is divided into 15 counties which are subdivided into 90 and further into clans. [185] 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. [150] 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. The Atlantic Ocean borders Liberia to the south-southwest. Liberia is situated in West Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean to the country's southwest. [108] Liberia is one of the world's poorest countries, with a formal employment rate of 15%. Liberian independence was proclaimed in 1847, and its boundaries were expanded. [1], The president serves as head of government, head of state, and the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia. Longest distances: 274 kilometers (170 miles) from north-northeast to south-southwest; 548 . This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name. Much of Liberia's communications infrastructure was destroyed or plundered during the two civil wars (19891996 and 19992003). 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. [66] The inauguration marked Liberia's first fully democratic transition in 74 years. [76] After international protests, many of those logging permits were canceled. Challenges of reservoir hosts and transmission cycles: Expect the unexpected", "Desert Locust Bulletin General situation during September 2021 Forecast until mid-November 2021", "Restoring the Battered and Broken Environment of Liberia One of the Keys to a New and Sustainable Future". With an area of 11,551 sq. 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. OECD Atlas of Gender and Development: How Social Norms Affect Gender Equality in non-OECD Countries, OECD Publishing, 2010. p 236. Behind the rolling hills, most of the countrys interior is a dissected plateau with scattered low mountains ranging from 600 to 1,000 feet (180 to 305 metres) in elevation; some mountains rise to 2,000 feet (600 metres). [57], The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) are the country's armed forces. [202] Most Americo-Liberian men were members of the Masonic Order of Liberia, which became heavily involved in the nation's politics. [76], Endangered species are hunted for human consumption as bushmeat in Liberia. Minority ethnic groups especially were exploited in a system that enriched well-connected elites. 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). It lies between latitudes 4 and 9N, and longitudes 7 and 12W. "[29], American and other international interests emphasized resource extraction, with rubber production a major industry in the early 20th century. [12] Americo-Liberians encouraged religious organizations to set up missions and schools to educate the indigenous peoples. [143], 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. 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. [117], 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. As inland regions underwent desertification, inhabitants moved to the wetter coast. [159] As revealed in the 2008 census, Monrovia is more than four times more populous than all the county capitals combined. [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. LinkedIn 15 Best Places to Visit in Liberia: Monrovia Sapo National Park Robertsport Buchanan Gbarnga Harbel Gola National Forest Bushrod Island Marshall Zwedru Kakata Greenville Harper Voinjama Sanniquellie [76], Pollution is a significant issue in Monrovia. [199] 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. Guinea, Cote D'Ivoire, Sierra Leone. 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 peopleto slavesand how she wanted us to be free. [73] Four terrestrial ecoregions lie within Liberia's borders: Guinean montane forests, Western Guinean lowland forests, Guinean forestsavanna mosaic, and Guinean mangroves. [50] 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. Cape Mount near the border with Sierra Leone receives the most precipitation in the nation. Area: 111,370 square kilometers (43,000 square miles) Highest point on mainland: Mount Wutivi (1,380 meters/4,528 feet) Lowest point on land: Sea level. [171] In other areas children are required to pay a tuition fee to attend school. The countrys first post-conflict elections, held in 2005, were noteworthy for the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to the presidency, as she was the first woman to be elected head of state in Africa. Finally, there is a mountainous highland region to the north hosting the country's highest point, the 1,440 m high Mount Wuteve, which has been marked on the map by an upright yellow triangle. [47] 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. The most popular sport in Liberia is association football, with President George Weahthe only African to be named FIFA World Player of the Yearbeing the nation's most famous athlete. [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. Founded in 1988, the school is owned and operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Monrovia. Global Powers and Africa Programme. 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. Santa Monica, CA: Rand. As of 2016, it had approximately 9,118 students. [15], 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. [77] Species hunted for food in Liberia include elephants, pygmy hippopotamus, chimpanzees, leopards, duikers, and other monkeys. It is a region suitable for agriculture and forestry. [111] Upon the end of the war in 2003, GDP growth began to accelerate, reaching 9.4% in 2007. However, Lincoln in 1862 described Liberia as only "in a certain sensea success", and proposed instead that free people of color be assisted to emigrate to Chiriqu, today part of Panama. The Dei, Bassa, Kru, Gola, and Kissi were some of the earliest documented peoples in the area. People along the coast built canoes and traded with other West Africans from Cap-Vert to the Gold Coast. Liberia is the only Black state in Africa never subjected to colonial rule and is Africas oldest republic. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [215], The Liberian government has begun transitioning away from use of United States customary units to the metric system. [18] 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][19] While slaveholders opposed freedom for enslaved people, some viewed "repatriation" of free people of color as a way to avoid slave rebellions. Encounters with tribal Africans in the bush often became violent. At $0.54 per kWh, the cost of electricity in Liberia is among the highest in the world. [127][128], Due to its status as a flag of convenience, Liberia has the second-largest maritime registry in the world behind Panama. [212][213] The Liberia national football team has reached the Africa Cup of Nations finals twice, in 1996 and 2002. Founding of Liberia, 1847 The founding of Liberia in the early 1800s was motivated by the domestic politics of slavery and race in the United States as well as by U.S. foreign policy interests. Liberia forms part of the West African Shield, a rock formation 2.7 to 3.4 billion years old, composed of granite, schist, and gneiss. 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. [126] Since 1926 Firestone has operated the world's largest rubber plantation in Harbel, Margibi County. When President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf moved into the Executive Mansion, she reportedly had a Liberian-made quilt installed in her presidential office. 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]. [22] These free African Americans and their descendants married within their community and came to identify as Americo-Liberians. [110] 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. [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]. Along the coast lie beds of sandstone, with occasional crystalline-rock outcrops. The area includes Liberia's highest mountain, Mount Wuteve (Wutuwi) at 1,447 m, as well as several other peaks, including Mount Balagizi (1,100 m).

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