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Line 1: − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + − + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + − The '''Republic of Liberia''' is a small nation in Western [[Africa]], bordering [[Sierra Leone]], [[Guinea]], and [[Côte d'Ivoire]]. Liberia was founded in 1842 by the [[United States]] government, as a homeland for freed [[African-American]] slaves. Liberia gained full independence from the United States on July 26, 1847. Its capital city, Monrovia, is the only foreign city named for a U.S. president, [[James Monroe]].+ − ==Geography==+ − *Area: 111,369 sq. km. (43,000 sq. mi.). Slightly larger than Ohio. − *Cities: Capital--Monrovia (pop. 1,010,970). Principal towns--Ganta (pop. 41,000), Buchanan (pop. 34,000), Gbarnga (pop. 34,000), Kakata (pop. 33,000), Voinjama (pop. 26,000). − *Terrain: Three areas--Mangrove swamps and beaches along the coast, wooded hills and semideciduous shrub lands along the immediate interior, and dense tropical forests and plateaus in the interior. Liberia has 40% of West Africa's rain forest. − + − There are 16 ethnic groups that make up Liberia's indigenous population. The Kpelle in central and western Liberia is the largest ethnic group. Americo-Liberians who are descendants of freed slaves that arrived in Liberia early in 1821 make up an estimated 5% of the population. + − There also are sizable numbers of Lebanese, Indians, and other West African nationals who make up a significant part of Liberia's business community. The Liberian constitution restricts citizenship only to people of Negro descent; also, land ownership is restricted by law to citizens. + + − + − *Population (2005): 3.3 million.+ − *Annual growth rate (2005): 1.3%. − *Ethnic groups: Kpelle 20%, Bassa 16%, Gio 8%, Kru 7%, 49% spread over 12 other ethnic groups. − *Religions: Christian 40%, Muslim 20%, animist 40%. − *Languages: English is the official language. There are 16 indigenous languages. − *Education: Literacy (2003)--20%. − *Health: Life expectancy (2005)--42.5 years. − *Work force: Agriculture--70%; industry--15%; services--2%. Unemployment is 80% in the formal sector. − ==Government and Political Conditions==+ − Liberia has a bicameral legislature consisting of 64 representatives and 30 senators. Historically, the executive branch heavily influenced the legislature and judicial system, the latter being largely dysfunctional for now. The 2005 election placed a spectrum of political personalities in the legislature, most for six-year terms. Senior senators were elected for nine-year terms. Party structures remain weak, and politics continues to be personality-driven. − + − ===Principal Government Officials===+ − *President--Ellen Johnson Sirleaf − *Vice President--Joseph Nyumah Boakai − *Speaker of the House of Representatives--J. Alex Tyler − *Chief Justice of the Supreme Court--Johnnie N. Lewis − *Minister of Foreign Affairs--George W. Wallace − *Minister of Finance--Antoinette Sayeh − *Minister of Justice--Frances Johnson Morris − *Minister of Defense--Brownie Samukai − ===Foreign Relations===+ − Liberia has maintained traditionally cordial relations with the West. Liberia currently also maintains diplomatic relations with Libya, Cuba, and China. − Liberia is a founding member of the United Nations and its specialized agencies and is a member of the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Development Bank (ADB), the Mano River Union (MRU), and the Non-Aligned Movement. + − + − Congress appropriated $100,000 in 1819 for the establishment of Liberia (and resettlement of freemen and freed slaves from North America) by the American Colonization Society, led by prominent Americans such as Francis Scott Key, George Washington's nephew Bushrod, Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and Presidents Monroe, Adams, and Jackson. The first group of settlers arrived in Liberia from the United States in the 1820s. The United States, which officially recognized Liberia in 1862, shared particularly close relations with Liberia during the Cold War. + − The outbreak of civil war in Liberia and the long dominance of Charles Taylor soured bilateral relations. However, Liberia now counts the United States as its strongest supporter in its democratization and reconstruction efforts. Since the end of Liberia's civil war in 2003, the United States has contributed over $750 million in bilateral assistance and more than $750 million in assessed contributions to the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). In the current fiscal year, the U.S. will commit another $162 million bilaterally and $179 million through UNMIL. In February 2008, President Bush visited Liberia, where he held his fourth one-on-one meeting with President Sirleaf since Sirleaf's inauguration in January 2006. Peace Corps volunteers will return to Liberia in 2008 for the first time since 1990. + + + + + − The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) implements the U.S. Government's development assistance program in Liberia, the second-largest USAID development program in Africa. USAID's post-conflict rebuilding strategy focuses on reintegration and is increasingly moving towards a longer-term development focus. Rehabilitation efforts include national and community infrastructure projects, such as expanding access to electricity, building roads, refurbishing government buildings, training Liberians in vocational skills, promoting business development, and improving livelihoods while protecting Liberia's forests. USAID also funds basic education programs, improving education for children, focusing on girls, and training teachers. In the health area, USAID programs include primary health care clinics, HIV/AIDS prevention, and a large malaria program. USAID supports rule of law programs, establishing legal aid clinics and victim abuse centers, training judges and lawyers, community peace building and reconciliation efforts, and anti-corruption projects to promote transparency and accountability in public sector entities. USAID is also providing support to strengthen the legislature and other political processes. USAID is strengthening civil society's role in delivering services and advocating good governance. Total USAID funding in FY 2008 is $105 million. + + + − ==Economy==+ − The Liberian economy relied heavily on the mining of iron ore and on the export of natural rubber prior to the civil war. Liberia was a major exporter of iron ore on the world market. In the 1970s and 1980s, iron mining accounted for more than half of Liberia's export earnings. Following the coup d'etat of 1980, the country's economic growth rate slowed down because of a decline in the demand for iron ore on the world market and political upheavals in Liberia. Liberia's foreign debt amounts to about $3.7 billion. Efforts are currently underway to relieve Liberia of its bilateral and multilateral debts. Some bilateral creditors, including the United States, have pledged debt relief, and discussions of Liberia's arrears are underway at the international financial institutions (World Bank, International Monetary Fund, African Development Bank).+ − The 1989-2003 civil war had a devastating effect on the country's economy. Most major businesses were destroyed or heavily damaged, and most foreign investors and businesses left the country. Iron ore production stopped completely, and the United Nations banned timber and diamond exports from Liberia. UN sanctions on Liberian timber were removed in 2006; however, activity in the timber sector has not yet resumed on a large scale. Diamond sanctions were terminated by the UN Security Council on April 27, 2007 in Resolution 1753. Liberian diamond exports will be certified through the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.+ − Currently, Liberia's few earnings come primarily from rubber exports and revenues from its maritime registry program. With the second-largest maritime registry in the world--there are more than 2,350 vessels registered under its flag, and some 35% of the oil imported to the United States is transported on Liberian-flagged ships--Liberia earns over $15 million annually from the flag registry. There is increasing interest in the possibility of commercially exploitable offshore crude oil deposits along Liberia's Atlantic Coast.+ − With a new, democratically elected government in place since January 2006, Liberia seeks to reconstruct its shattered economy. The Governance and Economic Management Program (GEMAP), which started under the 2003-2006 transitional government, is designed to help the Liberian Government raise and spend revenues in an efficient, transparent way. + − Foreign direct investment is returning to Liberia, attracted to the stable security situation provided by the large UN peacekeeping force and the demonstrated commitment to reform on the part of the Sirleaf administration. Investors are now seeking opportunities in mining, rubber, agro-forestry, light industry, and other sectors. Large-scale activity in Liberia's logging industry is expected to resume in 2007, and significant diamond sector activity could follow the lifting of UN sanctions. Arcelor Mittal Steel has negotiated an agreement to invest over $1 billion in the mining sector.+ − Liberia is a member of ECOWAS. With Guinea and Sierra Leone, it formed the Mano River Union (MRU) for development and the promotion of regional economic integration. The MRU became all but defunct because of the Liberian civil war, which spilled over into neighboring Sierra Leone and Guinea. There has been some revival of MRU cooperation discussions in recent years, particularly since the January 2006 inauguration of Liberian President Sirleaf.+ − *GDP (IMF 2005 est.): $548.4 million. − *Real GDP growth rate (2005): 5.3%. − *Per capita GDP (2005): $119.4. − *Average annual inflation (2005): 6.9%. − *Natural resources: Iron ore, rubber, timber, diamonds, gold and tin. The Government of Liberia believes there may be sizable deposits of crude oil along its Atlantic Coast. − *Agriculture: Products--coffee, cocoa, sugarcane, rice, cassava, palm oil, bananas, plantains, citrus, pineapple, sweet potatoes, corn, and vegetables. − *Industry: Types--agriculture, iron ore, rubber, forestry, diamonds, gold, beverages, construction. − *Trade (2005): Exports--$112 million (of which rubber $99 million). Major markets--Germany, Poland, U.S., Greece. Imports--$272 million (petroleum $89 million; rice $30 million; donor and foreign direct investment-related $141 million). − ==History==+ − Portuguese explorers established contacts with Liberia as early as 1461 and named the area Grain Coast because of the abundance of grains of Malegueta Pepper. In 1663 the British installed trading posts on the Grain Coast, but the Dutch destroyed these posts a year later. There were no further reports of European settlements along the Grain Coast until the arrival of freed slaves in the early 1800s. + − Liberia, which means "land of the free," was founded by free African-Americans and freed slaves from the United States in 1820. An initial group of 86 immigrants, who came to be called Americo-Liberians, established a settlement in Christopolis (now Monrovia, named after U.S. President James Monroe) on February 6, 1820. + + + − Thousands of freed American slaves and free African-Americans arrived during the following years, leading to the formation of more settlements and culminating in a declaration of independence of the Republic of Liberia on July 26, 1847. The drive to resettle freed slaves in Africa was promoted by the American Colonization Society (ACS), an organization of white clergymen, abolitionists, and slave owners founded in 1816 by Robert Finley, a Presbyterian minister. Between 1821 and 1867 the ACS resettled some 10,000 African-Americans and several thousand Africans from interdicted slave ships; it governed the Commonwealth of Liberia until independence in 1847. + − In Liberia's early years, the Americo-Liberian settlers periodically encountered stiff and sometimes violent opposition from indigenous Africans, who were excluded from citizenship in the new Republic until 1904. At the same time, British and French colonial expansionists encroached upon Liberia, taking over much of its territory. Politically, the country was a one-party state ruled by the True Whig Party (TWP). Joseph Jenkins Roberts, who was born and raised in America, was Liberia's first President. The style of government and constitution was fashioned on that of the United States, and the Americo-Liberian elite monopolized political power and restricted the voting rights of the indigenous population. The True Whig Party dominated all sectors of Liberia from independence in 1847 until April 12, 1980, when indigenous Liberian Master Sergeant Samuel K. Doe (from the Krahn ethnic group) seized power in a coup d'etat. Doe's forces executed President William R. Tolbert and several officials of his government, mostly of Americo-Liberian descent. One hundred and thirty-three years of Americo-Liberian political domination ended with the formation of the People's Redemption Council (PRC). + − Over time, the Doe government began promoting members of Doe's Krahn ethnic group, who soon dominated political and military life in Liberia. This raised ethnic tension and caused frequent hostilities between the politically and militarily dominant Krahns and other ethnic groups in the country. + − After the October 1985 elections, characterized by widespread fraud, Doe solidified his control. The period after the elections saw increased human rights abuses, corruption, and ethnic tensions. The standard of living further deteriorated. On November 12, 1985, former Army Commanding Gen. Thomas Quiwonkpa almost succeeded in toppling the government of Samuel Doe. The Armed Forces of Liberia repelled Quiwonkpa's attack and executed him in Monrovia. Doe's Krahn-dominated forces carried out reprisals against Mano and Gio civilians suspected of supporting Quiwonkpa.+ − Despite Doe's poor human rights record and questionable democratic credentials, he retained close relations with Washington. A staunch U.S. ally, Doe met twice with President Ronald Reagan and enjoyed considerable U.S. financial support. + − On December 24, 1989, a small band of rebels led by Doe's former procurement chief, Charles Taylor, invaded Liberia from the Ivory Coast. Taylor and his National Patriotic Front rebels rapidly gained the support of many Liberians and reached the outskirts of Monrovia within six months. + − 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. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) intervened in 1990 and succeeded in preventing Charles Taylor from capturing Monrovia. Prince Johnson--formerly a member of Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL)--formed the break-away Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL). Johnson's forces captured and killed Doe on September 9, 1990. Taking refuge in Sierra Leone and other neighboring countries, former AFL soldiers founded the new insurgent United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO), fighting back Taylor’s NPFL. + − An Interim Government of National Unity (IGNU) was formed in Gambia under the auspices of ECOWAS in October 1990, headed by Dr. Amos C. Sawyer. Taylor (along with other Liberian factions) refused to work with the interim government and continued fighting. After more than a dozen peace accords and declining military power, Taylor finally agreed to the formation of a five-man transitional government. A hasty disarmament and demobilization of warring factions was followed by special elections on July 19, 1997. Charles Taylor and his National Patriotic Party emerged victorious. Taylor won the election by a large majority, primarily because Liberians feared a return to war had Taylor lost. + − For the next six years, the Taylor government did not improve the lives of Liberians. Unemployment and illiteracy stood above 75%, and little investment was made in the country's infrastructure. Liberia is trying to recover from the ravages of war; pipe-borne water and electricity are generally unavailable to most of the population, especially outside Monrovia, and schools, hospitals, roads, and infrastructure remain derelict. Rather than work to improve the lives of Liberians, Taylor supported the Revolutionary United Front in Sierra Leone (see Sierra Leone Country Background Note). Taylor’s misrule led to the resumption of armed rebellion from among Taylor's former adversaries. By 2003, armed groups called "Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy" (LURD) and "Movement for Democracy in Liberia" (MODEL), largely representing elements of the former ULIMO-K and ULIMO-J factions that fought Taylor during Liberia’s previous civil war (1989-1996), were challenging Taylor and his increasingly fragmented supporters on the outskirts of Monrovia.+ − On June 4, 2003 in Accra, Ghana, ECOWAS facilitated peace talks among the Government of Liberia, civil society, and the LURD and MODEL rebel groups. On the same day, the Chief Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone issued a press statement announcing the opening of a sealed March 7, 2003 indictment of Liberian President Charles Taylor for "bearing the greatest responsibility" for atrocities in Sierra Leone since November 1996. In July 2003 the Government of Liberia, LURD, and MODEL signed a cease-fire that all sides failed to respect; bitter fighting reached downtown Monrovia in July and August 2003, creating a massive humanitarian disaster. + + + + − + − The October 11, 2005 presidential and legislative elections and the subsequent November 8, 2005 presidential run-off were the most free, fair, and peaceful elections in Liberia's history. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf defeated international soccer star George Weah 59.4% to 40.6% to become Africa's first democratically elected female president. She was inaugurated in January 2006 and formed a government of technocrats drawn from among Liberia's ethnic groups and including members of the Liberian diaspora who had returned to the country to rebuild government institutions. The president's party, the Unity Party, does not control the legislature, in which 12 of the 30 registered political parties are represented. + + + + + + − The political situation has remained stable since the 2005 elections. The Government of Liberia has made positive strides aimed at political stability and economic recovery. President Sirleaf has taken a public stance against corruption and has dismissed several government officials. The President is supported by highly experienced and technically competent senior officials, and the public has more confidence in her administration than in any of its recent predecessors. President Sirleaf enjoys good relations with international organizations and donor governments, with whom she is working closely on Liberia's development. The national legislature has enacted several key reforms. + − In order to maintain stability through the post-conflict period, Liberia's security sector reform efforts have led to the disarmament of more than 100,000 ex-combatants, the wholesale U.S.-led reconstruction of the Armed Forces of Liberia, and a UN-led effort to overhaul the Liberian National Police. The mandate of UNMIL has been extended to September 2008 and a gradual drawdown will commence in 2008, to last several years. During this period the Government of Liberia and its development partners will focus on creating jobs, attracting investment, and providing education and other essential services to Liberia's communities. The Government of Liberia won substantial donor support for its new Poverty Reduction Strategy at the June 2008 Liberia Poverty Reduction Forum in Berlin, Germany. + + + + + + + + − {| style="width: 100%; background:transparent; border: 2px solid #000099;" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1"+ − !colspan=2 style="width: 100%; text-align: center; background-color: #000088; color: white; "|'''Copyright Details''' − |- − !style="background-color: #000088; color:white;"|License: − |style=" background-color: none;"| <small>This work is in the [[Public Domain]] in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the U.S. Code</small> − |- − !style=" background-color: #000088; color:white;"|Source: − |style="background-color: none;border-top: 2px solid black"| <small>File available from the {{{1|[[United States Federal Government]] [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/6618.htm]</small>}}}. − |} − + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
removing some too-obvious bias
{{Country
{{otheruses4|the country in Africa|the city|Liberia, Costa Rica}}
|name =''Republic of Liberia''
{{Infobox Country
|map =Liberia rel 2004.jpg
|conventional_long_name = Republic of Liberia
|flag =Flag of Liberia.png
| common_name = Liberia
|arms =Arms of Liberia.png
| image_flag = Flag of Liberia.svg
|capital =Monrovia
| image_coat = Coat of arms of Liberia.png
|capital-raw =
| image_map = LocationLiberia.svg
|government =Republic
| national_motto = "The love of liberty brought us here"
|government-raw =
| national_anthem = ''[[All Hail, Liberia, Hail!]]''
|language =English
| official_languages = [[English language|English]]
|king =
|demonym = Liberian
|queen =
| capital = [[Monrovia]]
|monarch-raw =
| latd=6 |latm=19 |latNS=N |longd=10 |longm=48 |longEW=W
|president =Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
| largest_city = Monrovia
|president-raw =
| government_type = [[Republic]]
|chancellor =
| leader_title1 = [[President of Liberia|President]]
|chancellor-raw =
| leader_title2 = [[Vice-President of Liberia|Vice-President]]
|pm =
| leader_name1 = [[Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf]]
|pm-raw =
| leader_name2 = [[Joseph Boakai]]
|area =43,000 sq mi
| leader_title3 = [[Supreme Court of Liberia|Chief Justice]]
|pop =3,489,072
| leader_name3 = [[Johnnie Lewis]]
|pop-basis =2008
| area_rank = 103rd
|gdp =$1.6 billion
| area_magnitude = 1 E11
|gdp-year =2005
| area_km2 = 111,369
|gdp-pc =$500
| area_sq_mi = 43,000 <!-- Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]] -->
|currency =Liberian dollar
| percent_water = 13.514
|idd =
| population_estimate = 3,489,072
|tld =
| population_estimate_year = 2008 [[Liberian Census]]
| population_estimate_rank = 132nd
| population_census = <!-- census data n/a, more searching needs to be done -->
| population_census_year =
| population_density_km2 = 29
| population_density_sq_mi = 75 <!-- Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]] -->
| population_density_rank = 174th
| GDP_PPP_year = 2007
| GDP_PPP = $1.342 billion<ref name=imf2>{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=44&pr.y=8&sy=2004&ey=2008&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=668&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a= |title=Liberia|publisher=International Monetary Fund|accessdate=2008-10-09}}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_per_capita = $357<ref name=imf2/>
|GDP_nominal = $735 million<ref name=imf2/>
|GDP_nominal_year = 2007
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $195<ref name=imf2/>
| sovereignty_type = [[History of Liberia|Formation]]
| sovereignty_note = by [[African-American]]s
| established_event1 = [[American Colonization Society|ACS]] colonies
{{spaces|3}}consolidation
| established_event2 = [[Independence]] (from the [[United States]])
| established_date1 = 1821-1842
| established_date2 = 26 July 1847
| HDI_year = 1993
| HDI = 0.311
| HDI_rank = n/a
| HDI_category = <font color="red">low</font>
|FSI = 92.9 {{decrease}} 6.1
|FSI_year = 2007
|FSI_rank = 27th
|FSI_category = <font color="#FF0000">Alert</font>
| currency = [[Liberian dollar]]<sup>1</sup>
| currency_code = LRD
| country_code = lr
| time_zone = [[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]]
| utc_offset = <!-- this entry intentionally left blank -->
| time_zone_DST = ''not observed''
| utc_offset_DST = <!-- this entry intentionally left blank -->
| cctld = [[.lr]]
| calling_code = 231
| footnotes = <sup>1</sup> [[United States dollar]] also in common usage.
}}
}}
'''Liberia''' {{Audio-IPA|en-us-Liberia.ogg|[laɪˈbɪəriə]}}, officially the '''Republic of Liberia''', is a country on the west coast of [[Africa]], bordered by [[Sierra Leone]], [[Guinea]], [[Côte d'Ivoire]], and the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. As of 2008, the nation is estimated to be home to 3,489,072 people and cover {{convert|111369|km2|sqmi}}. Liberia has a hot equatorial climate with most rainfall arriving in summer with harsh [[harmattan]] winds in the dry season. Liberia's populated [[Pepper Coast]] is composed of mostly [[mangrove]] forests while the sparse inland is forested, later opening to a plateau of drier grasslands.
Founded as a colony in 1822 by freed slaves from the [[United States]], the area was already inhabited by various indigenous ethnic groups who had occupied the region for centuries. In 1847, the colony of freed slaves declared independence and founded the Republic of Liberia. In 1980, the government was overturned in a military coup, and from 1989 to 2005 Liberia was in a state of flux, witnessing two [[civil war]]s, the [[First Liberian Civil War]] (1989–1996) and the [[Second Liberian Civil War]] (1999–2003) that displaced hundreds of thousands of people and devastated the country's [[Economy of Liberia|economy]].
==People==
== Etymology ==
The name Liberia denotes "liberty" as [[Black Americans]] moved to Liberia in 1822, and founded the country in 1847 with the support of the [[American Colonization Society]] creating a new ethnic group called the [[Americo-Liberians]].<ref>[[Defense Language Institute]] Foreign Language Center, [http://www.lingnet.org/areaStudies/perspectives/liberia/liberia.pdf Liberia in Perspective: An Orientation Guide (2006) ], page 1</ref> However, this introduction of a new ethnic mix resulted in ethnic tensions with the sixteen other main ethnicities.<ref>Financial Times World Desk Reference (2004) Dorling Kindersley Publishing. p 368 </ref>
== History ==
{{main|History of Liberia}}
Liberia was traditionally noted for its academic institutions and its large iron-mining and rubber industries. Political upheavals beginning in the 1980s and a 14-year civil war (1989-2003) largely destroyed Liberia's economy and brought a steep decline in living standards.
=== Indigenous peoples of West Africa ===
Anthropological research shows the region of Liberia was inhabited at least as far back as the 12th century, perhaps earlier. [[Mende]]-speaking people expanded westward, forcing many smaller ethnic groups southward towards the Atlantic ocean. The Deys, [[Bassa (Liberia)|Bassa]], [[Kru]], [[Gola (ethnic group)|Gola]] and [[Kissi]] were some of the earliest recorded arrivals.<ref>Runn-Marcos, K. T. Kolleholon, B. Ngovo, p. 5 </ref> This influx was compounded during the ancient 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 [[Pepper 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 Songhay Empires.<ref>Runn-Marcos, K. T. Kolleholon, B. Ngovo, p. 6 </ref>
Shortly after the Manes conquered the region there was a migration of the [[Vai (ethnic group)|Vai]] people into the region of Grand Cape Mount. The Vai were part of the [[Mali Empire]] who were forced to migrate when the empire collapsed in the fourteenth century. The Vai chose to migrate to the coastal region.
The judiciary is divided into four levels, including justices of the peace, courts of record (magistrate courts), courts of first instance (circuit and specialty courts), and the Supreme Court. Traditional courts and lay courts exist in rural areas of the country. Trial by ordeal, though officially outlawed, is practiced in various parts of Liberia. Locally, political power emanates from traditional chiefs (town, clan, or paramount chiefs), mayors, and district commissioners. Mayors are elected in principal cities in Liberia. Superintendents appointed by the president govern the counties. There are 15 counties in Liberia.
The ethnic [[Kru]] opposed the migration of the Vai into their region. An alliance of the Manes and Kru were able to stop the further migration of the Vai but the Vai remained in the Grand Cape Mount region (where the city of [[Robertsport]] is now located).
[[Littoral zone|Littoral]] coast people built canoes and traded with other West Africans from [[Cap-Vert]] to the [[Gold Coast (region)|Gold Coast]]. Later European traders would barter various commodities and goods with local people, sometimes hoisting their canoes aboard. When the Kru began trading with Europeans, they initially traded in non-slave commodities but later became active participants in the [[African slave trade]].
Kru laborers left their territory to work on [[plantations]] and in construction as paid laborers. Some even worked building the [[Suez Canal|Suez]] and [[Panama Canal]]s.
Another tribal group in the area was the [[Grebo (ethnic group)|Glebo]]. The Glebo were driven, as a result of the Manes invasion, to migrate to the coast of what later became Liberia.
===Relations with the United States===
=== Early European contacts ===
Between 1461 and late seventeenth century, Portuguese, Dutch and British traders had contacts and trading posts in Liberia. The Portuguese had named the area ''Costa da Pimenta'', later translated as [[Grain Coast]], because of the abundance of grains of [[melegueta pepper]].
=== Settlers from the United States ===
In 1822, the [[American Colonization Society]] established Liberia as a place to send black people who were formerly enslaved.<ref name="eowg"/> Other African Americans, who were never enslaved, chose to emigrate to Liberia as well.<ref> Merriam Webster, p.684</ref> African-Americans gradually migrated to the colony and became known as [[Americo-Liberian]]s, from whom many present day Liberians trace their
ancestry. On July 26, 1847, the Americo-Liberian settlers declared the independence of the Republic of Liberia.
The settlers regarded Africa as a "Promised Land," but they did not integrate into an African society. Once in Africa, they referred to themselves as "Americans" and were recognized as such by local Africans and by British colonial authorities in neighboring [[Sierra Leone]]. The symbols of their state — its flag, motto, and seal — and the form of government that they chose reflected their American background and [[diaspora]] experience. [[Lincoln University, PA|Lincoln University]] (founded as Ashmun Institute for educating young blacks in Pennsylvania in 1854) played an important role in supplying Americo-Liberians leadership for the new [[nation]]. The first graduating class of Lincoln University, James R. Amos, his brother Thomas H. Amos, and Armistead Miller sailed for Liberia on the [[brig]] ''Mary C. Stevens'' in April, 1859 after graduation.
[[Image:Liberiawomen1910.jpg|thumb|right|Indigenous Liberian women in 1910.]]
The religious practices, social customs and cultural standards of the Americo-Liberians had their roots in the [[antebellum]] [[American South]]. These ideals strongly influenced the attitudes of the settlers toward the indigenous African people. The new nation, as they perceived it, was coextensive with the [[settler]] community and with those Africans who were [[cultural assimilation|assimilated]] into it. Mutual mistrust and hostility between the "Americans" along the coast and the "Natives" of the interior was a recurrent theme in the country's history, along with (usually successful) attempts by the Americo-Liberian minority to dominate what they identified as savage native peoples. They named the land "Liberia," which in the Romance languages, and in Latin in particular, means "Land of the Free," as an homage to their freedom from slavery.
[[Image:Joseph Jenkins Roberts.jpg|thumb|right|[[Joseph Jenkins Roberts]], First President of Liberia.]]
Historically, Liberia has enjoyed the support and unofficial cooperation of the [[United States]] government.<ref>Flint, John E. ''The Cambridge history of Africa: from c.1790 to c.1870'' Cambridge University Press (1976) pg 184-199</ref> Liberia’s government, modeled after that of the United States, was democratic in structure, if not always in substance. After 1877 the [[True Whig Party]] monopolized political power in the country, and competition for office was usually contained within the party, whose nomination virtually ensured election. Two problems confronting successive administrations were pressure from neighboring colonial powers, [[United Kingdom|Britain]] and [[France]], and the threat of financial insolvency, both of which challenged the country’s sovereignty. Liberia retained its independence during the [[Scramble for Africa]], but lost its claim to extensive territories that were annexed by Britain and France. Economic development was hindered by the decline of markets for Liberian goods in the late nineteenth century and by indebtedness on a series of loans, payments on which drained the economy.
[[Image:Roosevelt and Barclay.gif|thumb|left|President [[Edwin Barclay]] (right) and President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] during World War II, 1943]]
=== Significant mid-twentieth century events ===
Two events were of particular importance in releasing Liberia from its self-imposed isolation. The first was the grant in 1926 of a large concession to the American-owned [[Firestone Tire and Rubber Company|Firestone]] Plantation Company; that move became a first step in the (limited) modernization of the [[Economy of Liberia|Liberian economy]]. The second occurred during [[World War II]], when the United States began providing technical and economic assistance that enabled Liberia to make economic progress and introduce social change. Both the [[Freeport of Monrovia]] and [[Roberts International Airport]] were built by U.S. personnel during World War II.
In a late night raid on April 12, 1980, a successful [[military coup]] was staged by a group of noncommissioned army officers led by Master Sergeant [[Samuel Kanyon Doe]]. The soldiers were a mixture of the various ethnic groups that claimed marginalization at the hands of the minority Americo-Liberian settlers. They killed [[William R. Tolbert, Jr.]], who had been president for nine years, in his mansion. Constituting themselves the People’s Redemption Council, Doe and his associates seized control of the government and brought an end to Africa’s first republic. Significantly, Doe was the first Liberian head of state who was not a member of the Americo-Liberian elite.
In the early 1980s, the [[United States]] provided Liberia more than $500 million for pushing the [[Soviet Union]] out of the country, and for providing the US exclusive rights to use Liberia's ports and land (including allowing the [[CIA]] to use Liberian territory to spy on [[Libya]]).{{Fact|date=August 2008}}
Doe favored [[authoritarian]] policies, banning newspapers and outlawing various opposition parties. His tactic was to brand popular opposition parties as "socialist", and therefore illegal according to the Liberian constitution, while allowing less popular minor parties to remain as a token opposition. Unfortunately for Doe, popular support would then tend to realign behind one of these smaller parties, causing them to be labeled "socialist" in their turn.
[[Image:HD-SC-98-07558.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Samuel Doe]] with [[Caspar Weinberger]] on a 1982 visit to the United States]]
In October 1985, Liberia held the first post-coup elections, ostensibly to legitimize Doe's regime. Virtually all international observers agreed that the Liberia Action Party (LAP) led by Jackson Doe (no relation) had won the election by a clear margin. After a week of counting the votes, however, Samuel Doe fired the count officials and replaced them with his own Special Election Committee (SECOM), which announced that Samuel Doe's ruling National Democratic Party of Liberia had won with 50.9% of the vote. In response, on November 12 a counter-coup was launched by [[Thomas Quiwonkpa]], whose soldiers briefly occupied the Executive Mansion and the national radio station, with widespread support throughout the country. Three days later, Quiwonkpa's coup was overthrown. Following this failed coup, government repression intensified, as Doe's troops killed more than 2000 civilians and imprisoned more than 100 opposing politicians, including Jackson Doe, [[Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf]] and BBC journalist Isaac Bantu.
=== 1989 and 2003 civil wars ===
In late 1989, a [[First Liberian Civil War|civil war]] began. The harsh dictatorial atmosphere that gripped the country was due in large part to Sergeant Samuel Doe's rule. An Americo-Liberian named [[Charles Taylor (Liberia)|Charles Taylor]] with the backing of neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso and Cote d'Ivoire entered [[Nimba County]] with around 100 men.<ref>''The Mask of Anarchy'', by Stephen Ellis, 2001, p.75 (There is also an NYU Press Updated Edition 2006, ISBN 0814722385)</ref> These fighters gained high levels of support with the local population who were disillusioned with their present government. A large section of the country came under the invaders' control as a result. By this time a new player had also emerged. Yormie Prince Johnson (former ally of Taylor) had formed his own army and had gained tremendous support from the Gio and Mano ethnic groups.
In August 1990, the [[Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group|Economic Community Monitoring Group]] under the [[Economic Community of West African States]] organized its own military task force to intervene in the crisis. The troops were largely from Nigeria, Guinea and Ghana. On his way out after a meeting, Doe, who was traveling only with his personal staff, was ambushed and captured by members of the [[Gio Tribe]] who were loyal to Prince Yormie Johnson. The soldiers took him to the headquarters of Johnson in neighboring Caldwell, tortured and killed him.
By this time Taylor was a prominent warlord and leader of the [[National Patriotic Front of Liberia]]. After some prompting from Taylor that the anglophone Nigerians and Ghanaians were opposed to him, Senegalese troops were brought in with some financial support from the United States.<ref>Adekeye Adebajo, 'Liberia's Civil War: Nigeria, ECOMOG, and Regional Security in West Africa,' Lynne Rienner/International Peace Academy, 2002, p.107</ref> Their service was however shortlived, after a major confrontation with Taylor forces in [[Vahun]], [[Lofa County]] on 28 May 1992, when six were killed when a crowd of NPFL supporters surrounded their vehicle and demanded they surrender their jeep and weapons.<ref>Adekeye Adebajo, 'Liberia's Civil War: Nigeria, ECOMOG, and Regional Security in West Africa,' Lynne Rienner/International Peace Academy, 2002, p.108</ref>
By September 1990 Doe's forces controlled only a small area just outside the capital of Monrovia. After his death, and as a condition for the end of the conflict, interim president [[Amos Sawyer]] resigned in 1994, handing power to the Council of State. Taylor was [[Liberia elections, 1997|elected]] as President in 1997, after leading a bloody insurgency backed by Libyan President [[Muammar al-Gaddafi]]. Taylor's brutal regime targeted several leading opposition and political activists. In 1998, the government sought to assassinate child rights activist [[Kimmie Weeks]] for a report he had published on its involvement in the training of child soldiers, which forced him into exile. Taylor's autocratic and dysfunctional government led to a [[Second Liberian Civil War|new rebellion]] in 1999. More than 200,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the civil wars.
The conflict intensified in mid-2003, and the fighting moved into [[Monrovia]]. A hastily assembled force of 1000 [[Military of Nigeria|Nigerian troops]], the [[ECOWAS]] Mission In Liberia (ECOMIL) was airlifted into Liberia on August 15, 2003 to prevent the rebels from over running the capital city and committing revenge inspired [[war crime]]s. Meanwhile the U.S. [[Joint Task Force Liberia]] commanded from [[USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7)]] was offshore, though only 100 of the 2,000 U.S. Marines landed to liaise with the ECOMIL force.
As the power of the government shrank and with increasing international and American pressure for him to resign, President Taylor accepted an asylum offer from [[Nigeria]], but vowed: "God willing, I will be back." Some of the ECOMIL troops were subsequently withdrawn and at least two [[battalion]]s incorporated into the 15,000 strong [[United Nations Mission in Liberia]] (UNMIL) [[peace keeping force]].
=== Transitional government and elections ===
After the exile of Taylor, [[Gyude Bryant]] was appointed Chairman of the transitional government in late 2003. Because of failures of the Transitional Government in curbing corruption, Liberia signed onto [[GEMAP]], a novel anti-corruption program. The primary task of the transitional government was to prepare for fair and peaceful democratic elections. With [[UNMIL]] troops safeguarding the peace, Liberia successfully conducted presidential elections in the fall of 2005. Twenty three candidates stood for the October 11, 2005 general election, with the early favorite [[George Weah]], internationally famous footballer, [[UNICEF]] Goodwill Ambassador and member of the Kru ethnic group expected to dominate the popular vote. No candidate took the required majority in the general election, so that a run-off between the top two vote getters, Weah and [[Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf]], was necessary. The November 8, 2005 presidential runoff election was won decisively by Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a [[Harvard]]-trained economist. Both the general election and runoff were marked by peace and order, with thousands of Liberians waiting patiently in the Liberian heat to cast their ballots.
=== Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf presidency ===
{{Newsrelease|date=September 2008}}
Daughter of the first indigenous Liberian to be elected to the national legislature, Jahmale Carney Johnson, [[Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf]] was born in rural Liberia. As the first elected female head of state in Africa, Johnson-Sirleaf’s election focused much international attention on Liberia.
A former [[Citibank]] and [[World Bank]] employee, Johnson-Sirleaf’s career also includes heading the [[UNDP|U.N. Development Programme]] for Africa [http://www.undp.org/africa/].
Johnson-Sirleaf was jailed twice during the Doe administration before escaping and going into exile. As president, Johnson-Sirleaf's main focus is to enlist the help of the international community in rebuilding Liberia’s economy and infrastructure. On November 12, 2007, the [[International Monetary Fund|IMF]] agreed to begin providing debt relief to Liberia to assist in eradicating the country's external debt of $3.5 billion .<ref>IMF Survey: [http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2007/CAR1113A.htm "IMF to Deliver Debt Relief to Liberia"], an IMF online publication, retrieved November 20, 2007</ref>
She has extended an invitation to the Nigerian business community to participate in business opportunities in Liberia, in response to Nigeria’s help in securing Liberia’s peace. Exiled Liberians are also investing in the country and participating in Liberia's rebuilding efforts.
On August 11, 2003, under intense U.S. and international pressure, President Taylor resigned office and departed into exile in Nigeria. This move paved the way for the deployment by ECOWAS of what became a 3,600-strong peacekeeping mission in Liberia (ECOMIL). On August 18, leaders from the Liberian Government, the rebels, political parties, and civil society signed a comprehensive peace agreement that laid the framework for constructing a 2-year National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL), headed by businessman Gyude Bryant. The UN took over security in Liberia in October 2003, subsuming ECOMIL into the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), a force that grew to its present size of over 12,000 troops and 1,148 police officers.
On March 29, 2006 Charles Taylor was extradited from Nigeria to [[Sierra Leone]], where he had been indicted by the Special Court (a war crimes tribunal). Taylor's trial by that court is being held in the Hague, for security. He is charged with crimes against humanity, violations of the Geneva Conventions and "other serious violations of international humanitarian law".<ref>Special Court for Sierra Leone, http://www.sc-sl.org/Documents/SCSL-03-01-PT-263.pdf</ref>
In addition to focusing her early efforts to restore basic services like water and electricity to the capital of Monrovia, Johnson-Sirleaf has established a [[Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Liberia)|Truth and Reconciliation Commission]] to address crimes committed during the later stages of Liberia's long civil war.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=58220
|accessdate=2008-05-16
|work=IRIN Africa
|title=LIBERIA: War-battered nation launches truth commission}}</ref> She is also working to re-establish Liberia's food independence. Johnson-Sirleaf also requested that Nigeria extradite accused war criminal and profiteer [[Charles G. Taylor|Charles Taylor]].
Addressing graduating students at the 2008 commencement ceremony at [[Dartmouth College]], Johnson-Sirleaf stated that Liberia is on "a new path" and pledged to "build the institutions of justice, human rights and participatory democracy, strong systems of governance in which rights are respected and institutions serve the public good and natural resources are used for the benefit of all. [http://www.dartmouth.edu/~news/releases/2008/06/08a.html]"
=== Human rights situation ===
[[Amnesty International]] summarizes in its Annual Report 2006: "Sporadic outbreaks of violence continued to threaten prospects of peace. Former rebel fighters who should have been disarmed and demobilized protested violently when they did not receive benefits. Slow progress in reforming the police, judiciary and the criminal justice system resulted in systematic violations of due process and vigilante violence against criminal suspects. Laws establishing an Independent National Commission on Human Rights and a Truth and Reconciliation Commission were adopted. Over 200,000 internally displaced people and refugees returned to their homes, although disputes over land and property appropriated during the war raised ethnic tensions. UN sanctions on the trade in diamonds and timber were renewed. Those responsible for human rights abuses during the armed conflict continued to enjoy impunity. The UN Security Council gave peacekeeping forces in Liberia powers to arrest former President Taylor and transfer him to the Special Court for [[Sierra Leone]] if he should return from [[Nigeria]], where he continued to receive asylum. Liberia made a commitment to abolish [[capital punishment]]. A new law on rape, which initially proposed imposition of the death penalty for gang rape, was amended to provide a maximum penalty of life imprisonment."<ref>[[Amnesty International]], {{note|Amnesty}} [http://web.amnesty.org/report2006/lbr-summary-eng Report 2006]</ref> Former 22nd president [[Charles Taylor (Liberia)|Charles Taylor]] was later captured trying to escape across the border of Cameroon and has been sent to the [[International Criminal Court]] in [[The Hague]] for trial.
== Politics and Government ==
{{main|Politics of Liberia}}
Liberia has a dual system of statutory law based on [[England|Anglo]]-[[United States|American]] [[common law]] for the modern sector and customary unwritten law for the native sector for exclusively rural tribes.<ref>[http://www.lingnet.org/areaStudies/perspectives/liberia/liberia.pdf Liberia in Perspective: An Orientation Guide] (2006) Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, page 2 </ref> Liberia's modern sector has three equal branches of government in the [[constitution]], though in practice the executive branch headed by the [[President of Liberia]] is the strongest of the three. Following the dissolution of the [[Republican Party (Liberia)|Republican Party]] in 1876, the [[True Whig Party]] dominated the Liberian government until the 1980 coup. Currently, no party has majority control of the legislature. The longest serving president in Liberian history was [[William Tubman]], serving from 1944 until his death in 1971. The shortest term was held by [[James Skivring Smith]], who controlled the government for two months. However, the political process from Liberia's founding in 1847, despite widespread corruption, was very stable until the end of the First Republic in 1980.
== Geography ==
[[Image:Topographic map of Liberia-en.svg|right|230px|Map of Liberia]]
{{main|Geography of Liberia}}
Liberia is situated in [[West Africa]], bordering the North Atlantic Ocean to the country's southwest. 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.<ref name="eowg">{{cite book|last=Bateman|first=Graham|coauthors=Victoria Egan, Fiona Gold, and Philip Gardner|title=Encyclopedia of World Geography|publisher=Barnes & Noble Books|location=New York|date=2000|pages=161|isbn=1566192919}}</ref> Tropical [[rainforests]] cover the hills, while elephant grass and [[semi-deciduous]] forests comprise the dominant vegetation in the northern sections.<ref name="eowg"/> The equatorial climate is hot year-round with heavy rainfall from May to October with a short interlude in mid-July to August.<ref name="eowg"/> During the winter months of November to March dry dust-laden [[harmattan]] winds blow inland causing many problems for residents.<ref name="eowg"/>
Liberia's watershed tends to move in a southwestern pattern towards the sea as new rains move down the forested plateau off the inland mountain range of [[Guinée Forestière]], in [[Guinea]]. [[Cape Mount]] near the border with [[Sierra Leone]] receives the most precipitation in the nation.<ref name="eowg"/> The country's main northwestern boundary is traversed by the Mano River while its southeast limits are bounded by the [[Cavalla River]].<ref name="eowg"/> Liberia's three largest rivers are [[Saint Paul River|St. Paul]] exiting near [[Monrovia]], the river St. John at [[Buchanan, Liberia|Buchanan]] and the Cestos River, all of which flow into the Atlantic. The Cavalla is the longest river in the nation at {{convert|515|km|mi}}.<ref name="eowg"/>
[[Category:African Countries]]
Liberia's highest point is [[Mount Wuteve]] at {{convert|1380|m|ft}} above sea level in the northwestern Liberia range of the [[West Africa Mountains]] and the [[Guinea Highlands]].<ref name="eowg"/> However, [[Mount Nimba]] near [[Yekepa]], is taller at 1,752 meters (5,748 ft) above sea level but is not wholly within Liberia as Nimba shares a border with [[Guinea]] and [[Côte d'Ivoire]] (Ivory Coast) and is their tallest mountain as well.<ref> Financial Time's World Desk Reference (2004) Dorling Kindersley Publishing. p 368</ref>
== Counties and districts ==
{{main|Counties of Liberia|Districts of Liberia|Clans of Liberia}}
Liberia is divided into 15 [[Counties of Liberia|counties]], which are subdivided into [[districts]], and further subdivided into ''clans''. The counties are:
<table><td><ol>
<li> [[Bomi County|Bomi]]
<li> [[Bong County|Bong]]
<li> [[Gbarpolu County|Gbarpolu]]
<li> [[Grand Bassa County|Grand Bassa]]
<li> [[Grand Cape Mount County|Grand Cape Mount]]
</td><td><ol start=6>
<li> [[Grand Gedeh County|Grand Gedeh]]
<li> [[Grand Kru County|Grand Kru]]
<li> [[Lofa County|Lofa]]
<li> [[Margibi County|Margibi]]
<li> [[Maryland County, Liberia|Maryland]]
</td><td><ol start=11>
<li> [[Montserrado County|Montserrado]]
<li> [[Nimba County|Nimba]]
<li> [[River Cess County|River Cess]]
<li> [[River Gee County|River Gee]]
<li> [[Sinoe County|Sinoe]]
</ol></td></table>
== Economy ==
{{main|Economy of Liberia}}
Historically, the Liberian economy depended heavily on [[iron ore]] and [[rubber]] exports, [[foreign direct investment]], as well as the export of its other natural resources, such as timber.<ref name="eowg"/> Agricultural products include livestock (goats, pigs, cattle) and rice, the staple food.<ref name="eowg"/> Fish are raised on inland farms and caught along the coast.<ref name="eowg"/> Other foods are imported to support the population.<ref name="eowg"/> Electricity is provided by dams and oil-fired plants.<ref name="eowg"/>
Foreign trade was primarily conducted for the benefit of the Americo-Liberian elite, with trade between foreigners and indigenous Liberians severely restricted throughout most of its history by the 1864 Ports of Entry Act. Little foreign direct investment benefited the 95% majority population, who were often subjected to forced labor on foreign concessions. Liberian law often did not protect indigenous Liberians from the extraction of rents and arbitrary taxation, with the majority surviving on subsistence farming and low wage work on foreign concessions.
While official export figures for commodities declined during the 1990’s civil war as many investors fled, Liberia’s wartime economy featured the exploitation of the region’s diamond wealth, with the country acting as a major trader in Liberian, Sierra Leonian and Angolan [[conflict diamonds]], exporting over $300 million in diamonds annually. This led to a [[United Nations]] ban on Liberian diamond exports, which was lifted on April 27, 2007. Other commodity exports continued during the war, in part due to illicit agreements struck between Liberia’s warlords and foreign concessionaires. Looting and war profiteering destroyed nearly the entire infrastructure of the country, such that the Monrovian capital was without running water and electricity (except for fuel-powered generators) by the time the first elected post-war government began to institute development and reforms in 2006. Although some official exporting and legitimate business activity resumed once the hostilities ended (for instance, Liberia signed a new deal with steel giant [[Mittal Steel Company|Mittal]] for the export of iron ore in summer 2005), as of mid-2006 Liberia was dependent on foreign aid, and carried a debt overhang of $3.5 billion. Liberia currently{{when}} has an approximate 85% unemployment rate, the second highest in the world, behind only [[Nauru]].{{Fact|date=October 2008}}
[[Image:Liberiancurrency.jpg|thumb|250px|Nineteenth-century Liberian two-dollar bill.]]
The Liberia dollar currently trades against the US dollar at a ratio of 57:1. Liberia used the US dollar as its currency from 1943 until it reversed dollarization in 1982. Its external debt ($3.5 billion) is huge in comparison to its GDP (approx $2.5 billion/year); it annually imports approximately $4.839 billion in goods while it exports only about $910 million. Inflation is falling, but still significant (dropping from 15% in 2003 to 4.9% in the 3rd quarter of 2005); interest rates are high, with the average lending rate listed by the Central Bank of Liberia at 17.6% for 3rd quarter 2005 (although the average time deposit rate was only .4%, and CD rate only 4.4%, barely keeping pace with inflation). It continues to suffer with poor economic performance due to a fragile security situation, the devastation wrought by its long war, its lack of infrastructure, and necessary human capital to help the country recover from the scourges of conflict and corruption.{{Fact|date=October 2008}} Liberia has one of the world's largest national registries of ships, due to its status as a "[[flag of convenience]]".
== Demographics ==
{{main|Demographics of Liberia}}
The population of over 3 million comprises 16 indigenous ethnic groups and various foreign minorities. Indigenous peoples comprise about 95% of the population, the largest of which are the [[Kpelle people|Kpelle]] in central and western Liberia. Americo-Liberians, who are descendants of African-American [[settler]]s makeup 2.5% of the population and Congo people (descendants of repatriated [[Kongo people|Congo]] and Afro-[[Caribbean]] slaves who arrived in 1825) make up an estimated 2.5% of the population.<ref>http://www.theperspective.org/rewriting_history.html</ref><ref>https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/li.html</ref> There also is a sizable number of [[Lebanon|Lebanese]], [[India]]ns, and other West African nationals who make up a significant part of Liberia's business community. A few whites (estimated at 18,000 in 1999; probably fewer now) reside in the country.<ref>https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/li.html</ref>
As of 2006, Liberia has the highest [[List of countries by population growth rate|population growth rate]] in the world (4.50%). Similar to its neighbors, it has a large youth population, with half of the population being under the age of 18.
== Culture ==
{{main|Culture of Liberia}}
Liberia was traditionally noted for its hospitality, academic institutions, cultural skills, and arts/craft works—
Liberia has a long, rich history in textile arts and quilting. The free and former US slaves who emigrated to Liberia brought with them their sewing and quilting skills. The [http://www.disc.wisc.edu/Liberia/ 1843 Liberian census] indicated a variety of occupations, including hatter, milliner, seamstress and tailor. 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 [http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/portrait.asp?LinkID=mp63618&rNo=0&role=sit Martha Ann Ricks], who presented a quilt featuring the famed Liberian coffee tree to Queen Victoria in 1892.
In modern times, Liberian presidents would present quilts as official government gifts. The [http://www.jfklibrary.org/ John F. Kennedy Library and Museum] collection includes a cotton quilt by Mrs. Jemima Parker which has portraits of both Liberian president William Tubman and JFK. Zariah Wright-Titus founded the Arthington (Liberia) Women's Self-Help Quilting Club (1987). In the early 1990s, Kathleen Bishop documented examples of [http://hartcottagequilts.com/Liberia.htm appliquéd Liberian quilts.] When current Liberian President [[Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf]] moved into the Executive Mansion, she reportedly had a Liberian-made quilt installed in her presidential office.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200603240593.html?page=2
|accessdate=2008-05-16
|title=Liberia: It's the Little Things - A Reflection on Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's Journey to the Presidency
|work=allAfrica.com}}</ref>
The tallest man-made structure of Africa, the mast of former [[Omega Navigation System#Paynesville_Omega_Transmitter|Paynesville Omega transmitter]] is situated in Liberia.
== Education ==
{{Main|Education in Liberia}}
The [[University of Liberia]] is located in [[Monrovia]]. Opened in 1862, it is one of [[Africa|Africa's]] oldest institutes of higher learning. Civil war severely damaged the university in the 1990s, but the university has begun to rebuild following the restoration of peace.
[[Cuttington University]] was established by the [[Episcopal Church of the USA]] (ECUSA) in 1889; its campus is currently located in Suakoko, [[Bong County]] (120 miles north of [[Monrovia]]).
According to statistics published by [[UNESCO]] for 2004 65% of [[Primary education|primary-school age]] and 24% of [[Secondary education|secondary-school age]] children were enrolled in school.<ref>[http://www.uis.unesco.org/profiles/EN/EDU/countryProfile_en.aspx?code=4300 UNESCO Schooling data]</ref> This is a significant increase on previous years, the statistics also show substantial numbers of older children going back to earlier school years.
== See also ==
*[[List of Liberian people]]
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==Bibliography==
*Gilbert, Erik & Reynolds, Jonathon T (2004) ''Africa in World History, From Prehistory to the Present''. Pearson Education Canada Ltd pg 357 ISBN-13 9780130929075
*Merriam Webster Inc. (1997) ''Merriam Webster's Geographical Dictionary: 3rd Edition''. Merriam Webster Inc. Springfield, Mass. ISBN 0877795460
*Runn-Marcos, K. T. Kolleholon, B. Ngovo (2005)[http://www.cal.org/co/liberians/liberian_050406_1.pdf ''Liberians: An Introduction to their History and Culture'']. Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington, DC
== Further reading ==
* ''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
*http://www.analystliberia.com/featurearticle_aug20_07.html
*http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/africa/07/23/twih.liberia/index.html
* ''Mississippi in Africa: The Saga of the Slaves of Prospect Hill Plantation and Their Legacy in Liberia Today'', by Alan Huffman (Gotham Books, 2004)
* ''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.
* '' Liberia: The Heart of Darkness'' by Gabriel I. H. Williams, Publisher: Trafford Publishing (July 6, 2006) ISBN-10: 1553692942
* ''Liberia: Portrait of a Failed State'' by John-Peter Pham, ISBN-10: 1594290121
*[[Godfrey Mwakikagile]], ''Military Coups in West Africa Since The Sixties'', Chapter Eight: Liberia: 'The Love of Liberty Brought Us Here,' pp. 85 - 110, Nova Science Publishers, Inc., Huntington, New York, 2001; Godfrey Mwakikagile, ''The Modern African State: Quest for Transformation'', Chapter One: The Collapse of A Modern African State: Death and Rebirth of Liberia, pp. 1 - 18, Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2001.
== External links ==
* [http://allafrica.com/liberia/ allAfrica.com - ''Liberia''] news headlines
* {{wikitravel}}
* [http://www.liberianobserver.com/ Liberian Observer] newspaper
* [http://www.CuttingtonChronicle.com Cuttington Chronicle - ''Student Newspaper of Cuttington University in Suakoko, Liberia'']
* [http://www.Cuttington.org Cuttington University - ''Liberia's oldest university'']
* [http://www.c-span.org/search/basic.asp?ResultStart=1&ResultCount=10&BasicQueryText=sirleaf&image1.x=21&image1.y=14 Johnson-Sirleaf presidential speeches from CSPAN]
* {{cite web
|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/li.html
|accessdate=2008-05-16
|title=Liberia
|work=CIA - The World Factbook}}
* {{cite web
|url=http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/6618.htm
|accessdate=2008-05-16
|title=Liberia
|month=April
|year=2008
|publisher=US State Department
|author=Bureau of African Affairs}}
*[http://library.lawschool.cornell.edu/WhatWeHave/SpecialCollections/LiberianLaw/index.cfm Liberian Law] - Cornell Law Library - contains digitized documents dealing with the creation of the nation of Liberia and the laws enacted at its foundation, as well as extensive links for further research
{{Template group
| list ={{Liberia topics}}
{{Countries of Africa}}
{{South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone}}
{{Member states of the African Union}}
{{Niger-Congo-speaking}}
}}
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[[af:Liberië]]
[[als:Liberia]]
[[am:ላይቤሪያ]]
[[ar:ليبيريا]]
[[an:Liberia]]
[[frp:Libèria]]
[[ast:Liberia]]
[[az:Liberiya]]
[[bn:লাইবেরিয়া]]
[[zh-min-nan:Liberia]]
[[be-x-old:Лібэрыя]]
[[bar:Liberia]]
[[bo:ལི་པེ་ལའི་ཡ]]
[[bs:Liberija]]
[[br:Liberia]]
[[bg:Либерия]]
[[ca:Libèria]]
[[cv:Либери]]
[[ceb:Liberia]]
[[cs:Libérie]]
[[cy:Liberia]]
[[da:Liberia]]
[[de:Liberia]]
[[dv:ލައިބީރިއާ]]
[[et:Libeeria]]
[[el:Λιβερία]]
[[es:Liberia]]
[[eo:Liberio]]
[[eu:Liberia]]
[[ee:Liberia]]
[[fa:لیبریا]]
[[ff:Labiriyaa]]
[[fo:Liberia]]
[[fr:Libéria]]
[[fy:Libearia]]
[[ga:An Libéir]]
[[gv:Yn Laibeer]]
[[gd:Libèiria]]
[[gl:Liberia]]
[[ko:라이베리아]]
[[hy:Լիբերիա]]
[[hi:लाइबेरिया]]
[[hr:Liberija]]
[[io:Liberia]]
[[ilo:Liberia]]
[[bpy:লাইবেরিয়া]]
[[id:Liberia]]
[[ie:Liberia]]
[[is:Líbería]]
[[it:Liberia]]
[[he:ליבריה]]
[[jv:Liberia]]
[[pam:Liberia]]
[[kn:ಲೈಬೀರಿಯ]]
[[ka:ლიბერია]]
[[kk:Либерия]]
[[kw:Liberi]]
[[sw:Liberia]]
[[kg:Liberia]]
[[ht:Liberya]]
[[ku:Lîberya]]
[[la:Liberia]]
[[lv:Libērija]]
[[lb:Liberia]]
[[lt:Liberija]]
[[lij:Libeïa]]
[[li:Liberia]]
[[ln:Liberia]]
[[hu:Libéria]]
[[mk:Либерија]]
[[ml:ലൈബീരിയ]]
[[mr:लायबेरिया]]
[[ms:Liberia]]
[[nah:Liberia]]
[[nl:Liberia]]
[[ja:リベリア]]
[[no:Liberia]]
[[nn:Liberia]]
[[nrm:Libérie]]
[[nov:Liberia]]
[[oc:Libèria]]
[[uz:Liberiya]]
[[ps:لايبېريا]]
[[pms:Liberia]]
[[nds:Liberia]]
[[pl:Liberia]]
[[pt:Libéria]]
[[crh:Liberiya]]
[[ro:Liberia]]
[[rm:Liberia]]
[[qu:Libirya]]
[[ru:Либерия]]
[[se:Liberia]]
[[sa:लायबीरिया]]
[[sq:Liberia]]
[[scn:Libberia]]
[[simple:Liberia]]
[[sk:Libéria]]
[[sl:Liberija]]
[[sr:Либерија]]
[[sh:Liberija]]
[[fi:Liberia]]
[[sv:Liberia]]
[[tl:Liberia]]
[[ta:லைபீரியா]]
[[th:ประเทศไลบีเรีย]]
[[vi:Liberia]]
[[tg:Либерия]]
[[tr:Liberya]]
[[uk:Ліберія]]
[[ur:لائبیریا]]
[[vec:Liberia]]
[[vo:Liberän]]
[[wo:Libeeria]]
[[yo:Liberia]]
[[zh-yue:利比利亞]]
[[diq:Liberya]]
[[bat-smg:Liberėjė]]
[[zh:利比里亚]]