Adventist University of West Africa, a post-secondary learning environment that is situated in Margibi County, on the Roberts International Airport. [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]. At $0.54 per kWh, the cost of electricity in Liberia is among the highest in the world. [149], Liberia has begun exploration for offshore oil; unproven oil reserves may be in excess of one billion barrels. Between 1461 and the late 17th century, Portuguese, Dutch, and British traders had contacts and trading posts in the region. The subsequent 2005 elections were internationally regarded as the freest and fairest in Liberian history. Other ingredients include cassava, fish, bananas, citrus fruit, plantains, coconut, okra and sweet potatoes. Liberia has year-round evergreen vegetation. The Liberian constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right. Quiz, Central Intelligence Agency - The World Factbook - Liberia, Liberia - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Liberia - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). 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%. Four types of soil are found in Liberia. [58][59], In 2006, the government established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address the causes and crimes of the civil war. [172], Higher education is provided by a number of public and private universities. [15], The Pepper Coast, also known as the Grain Coast, has been inhabited by indigenous peoples of Africa at least as far back as the 12th century. Forestry is an important industry in Liberia. [25] Indigenous tribesmen did not enjoy birthright citizenship in their own land until 1904. [68] During the winter months of November to March, dry dust-laden harmattan winds blow inland, causing many problems for residents. In alphabetical order, the 15 counties are Bomi, Bong, Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, River Gee, and Sinoe. Gbarpolu is the newest county, created in 2001. [92], In the past, both of Liberia's neighbors, Guinea and Sierra Leone, have accused Liberia of backing rebels in their countries. [113][114], 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. This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name. 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. [103] This score represented a significant improvement since 2007, when the country scored 2.1 and ranked 150th of 180 countries. The Farmington River is a source of hydroelectric power. This Island, as one of the global areas of human slave . [160] In 2010 some 43.5% of Liberians were below the age of 15.[157]. [192] In 2007, 20.4% of children under the age of five were malnourished. [77], Bushmeat is widely eaten in Liberia, and is considered a delicacy. [20][21] By 1867, the ACS (and state-related chapters) had assisted in the migration of more than 13,000 people of color from the United States and the Caribbean to Liberia. The presence of Oldowan Earlier Stone Age (earliest ESA) artifacts in West Africa has been confirmed by Michael Omolewa, attesting to the presence of ancient humans. Liberia also helped to fund the Organisation of African Unity. [95] A history of corruption among police officers diminishes public trust and operational effectiveness. Outsiders' knowledge of the west of Africa began with a Portuguese sailor, Pedro de Sintra, who reached the Liberian coast in 1461. Mortality from tropical diseases was highof the 4,571 emigrants who arrived in Liberia between 1820 and 1843, only 1,819 survived. [161] Americo-Liberians, who are descendants of African American and West Indian, mostly Barbadian (Bajan) settlers, make up 2.5%. [37] (The loser actually received around 60% of the eligible vote. [34], Liberia remained neutral during World War I until August 4, 1917, upon declaring war on Germany. [67] Weah cited fighting corruption, reforming the economy, combating illiteracy, and improving living conditions as the main targets of his presidency.[67]. Moumouni, Guillaume. Competition for office was usually contained within the party; a party nomination virtually ensured election. [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. [72], Forests on the coastline are composed mostly of salt-tolerant mangrove trees, while the more sparsely populated inland has forests opening onto a plateau of drier grasslands. OECD Atlas of Gender and Development: How Social Norms Affect Gender Equality in non-OECD Countries, OECD Publishing, 2010. p 236. [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. and an interim government took power the following October. 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. In 1824 the territory was named Liberia, and its main settlement was named Monrovia, which is the present-day capital. [207] Customary law allows men to have up to four wives. Monrovia is the largest and capital city of Liberia. [57] Public schools offer biblical studies, though parents may opt their children out. For a treatment of earlier periods and of the country in its regional context, see western Africa. The country enjoyed relative stability until a rebellion in 1989 escalated into a destructive civil war in the 1990s that did not fully cease until 2003. 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. Founded as the Liberian Frontier Force in 1908, the military was renamed in 1956. Liberia possesses about forty percent of the remaining Upper Guinean rainforest. Mean annual temperatures range between 65 F (18 C) in the northern highlands to 80 F (27 C) along the coast. [80] The West African pariah dog is also a host for Tbg. Along the coast lie beds of sandstone, with occasional crystalline-rock outcrops. Liberia began in the early 19th century as a project of the American Colonization Society (ACS), which believed black people would face better chances for freedom and prosperity in Africa than in the United States. This makes them the youngest examples of such MSA technology anywhere in Africa. The map can be downloaded, printed, and used for educational purposes or coloring. Santa Monica, CA: Rand. [113] Liberia gained observer status with the World Trade Organization in 2010 and became an official member in 2016. [53] The dusty and dry harmattan (desert winds) blow from the Sahara to the coast in December, bringing relief from the high relative humidity. Give their locations, and length in miles. Today it has six colleges, including a medical school and the nation's only law school, Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law. [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. Hospitals in Liberia include the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia and several others. [90], From 1877 to 1980, the government was dominated by the True Whig Party. This article is about the country in Africa. European traders would barter commodities and goods with local people. The blank outline map represents the West African country of Liberia. Sirleaf's Vision With Passion", "Notes, Presented by Professor and Dean of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia, David A. Guinea, Cote D'Ivoire, Sierra Leone. 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. 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. [43] On November 12, 1985, a failed counter-coup was launched by Thomas Quiwonkpa, whose soldiers briefly occupied the national radio station. [159] Nimba County is the next most populous county, with 462,026 residents. During World War II, Liberia supported the United States war effort against Germany, and in turn received considerable American investment in infrastructure, which aided the country's wealth and development. Minority ethnic groups especially were exploited in a system that enriched well-connected elites. As of 2015, it had more than 8,000 mostly Liberian employees, making it the country's largest private employer. [76], Pollution is a significant issue in Monrovia. 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. [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. 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. [40], After the war, President William Tubman encouraged foreign investment, with Liberia achieving the second-highest rate of economic growth in the world during the 1950s. It was among the few African countries to maintain its sovereignty during the Scramble for Africa. Column - Arts and Culture today is looking at a very important cultural heritage- The Providence Island, which was originally called the Dozoa Island. [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. [108] Liberia is one of the world's poorest countries, with a formal employment rate of 15%. 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 Rainfall is irregular, and the rainy season varies in intensity and begins earlier at the coast than in the interior. Liberia is an independent state that is situated in West Africa. [80], The Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is a constant presence here. Indigenous peoples comprise about 95 percent of the population. [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. km, Nimba is the largest country and Montserrado is the most populous one. [102], Liberia scored a 3.3 on a scale from 10 (highly clean) to 0 (highly corrupt) on the 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index. [171] In other areas children are required to pay a tuition fee to attend school. Liberia is divided into 15 counties which are subdivided into 90 and further into clans. [citation needed] Today, over 20 political parties are registered in the country, based largely around personalities and ethnic groups. [13] A peace agreement in 2003 led to democratic elections in 2005. 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 Latosols of low to medium fertility occur in rolling hill country and cover about three-fourths of the total land surface. 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. 6CRF9647+VR. 2 Robin Dunn-Marcos et al., "Liberians: An Introduction to Their History Culture," Culture Profile No. 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. It contains the Freeport of Monrovia, the major national port of Liberia and a variety of businesses. [168] While separation of church and state is mandated by the Constitution, Liberia is considered a Christian state in practice. [96], Rape and sexual assault are frequent in the post-conflict era in Liberia. There is a high percentage of interracial marriage between ethnic Liberians and the Lebanese, resulting in a significant mixed-race population especially in and around Monrovia. It was founded during the administration of U.S. Pres. [202] Most Americo-Liberian men were members of the Masonic Order of Liberia, which became heavily involved in the nation's politics. 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. 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. 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. Please read the. A small number of people were Bah, Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist. [1] The vice president serves as the President of the Senate, with a President pro tempore serving in their absence. [167] A multitude of diverse Protestant confessions such as Lutheran, Baptist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, United Methodist, African Methodist Episcopal (AME) and African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AME Zion) denominations form the bulk of the Christian population, followed by adherents of the Catholic Church and other non-Protestant Christians. Additional rivers of note are the Lofa, St. Paul, St. John and Cestos River, all of which flow into theAtlantic. Taylor resigned in August 2003 and went into exile in Nigeria. [89], Liberia's highest judicial authority is the Supreme Court, made up of five members and headed by the Chief Justice of Liberia. [204], A rich literary tradition has existed in Liberia for over a century. [111] Upon the end of the war in 2003, GDP growth began to accelerate, reaching 9.4% in 2007. Olukoju, Ayodeji. Category:Headlands of Liberia . Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [24], The Americo-Liberian settlers did not relate well to the indigenous peoples they encountered, especially those in communities of the more isolated "bush". 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). Liberia is a country in West Africa. [75], Liberia is a global biodiversity hotspota significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans. 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. The judiciary is further divided into circuit and speciality courts, magistrate courts and justices of the peace. 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. Liberia currently does not have any constitutional framework or uniform statutes which deal with the creation or revocation of local governments. 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. [173], In 2009, Tubman University in Harper, Maryland County was established as the second public university in Liberia. [205] Moore's novella Murder in the Cassava Patch is considered Liberia's most celebrated novel. In 1824 the territory was named Liberia, and its main settlement was named Monrovia, which is the present-day capital. Liberia (/labri/ (listen)), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. [94] The National Police Training Academy is in Paynesville City. "[29], American and other international interests emphasized resource extraction, with rubber production a major industry in the early 20th century. [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. The emerging chronometric record of the Middle Stone Age (MSA) indicates that core and flake technologies have been present in West Africa since at least the Chibanian (~780126 thousand years ago or ka) in northern, open Sahelian zones, and that they persisted until the Terminal Pleistocene/Holocene boundary (~12ka) in both northern and southern zones of West Africa. [49] By July 2003, the rebels had launched an assault on Monrovia. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Retrieved October 29, 2013, Marc DuBois and Caitlin Wake, with Scarlett Sturridge and Christina Bennett (2015). "Congos." For much of Liberia's early history, the Congos were classed below the Americo -Liberians. "[163] That being said, numerous immigrants have come as merchants and become a major part of the business community, including Lebanese, Indians, and other West African nationals.
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