For virtually all of its history, the AFL has received considerable material and training assistance from the United States. [58][59], In 2006, the government established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address the causes and crimes of the civil war. [62] In November 2011, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was re-elected for a second six-year term. [125] Palm oil companies like Sime Darby (Malaysia) and Golden Veroleum (USA) have been accused of destroying livelihoods and displacing local communities, enabled by government concessions. Later Stone Age (LSA) populations evidence significant technological diversification, including both microlithic and macrolithic traditions. [208], Liberian cuisine heavily incorporates rice, the country's staple food. [18] Formed in 1816, the American Colonization Society (ACS) was made up mostly of Quakers and slaveholders. Commerce is prohibited by law on Sunday and major Christian holidays. [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. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}630N 930W / 6.500N 9.500W / 6.500; -9.500. [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. [100], Corruption is endemic at every level of the Liberian government. [citation needed], Liberia has a rich history in textile arts and quilting, as the settlers brought with them their sewing and quilting skills. [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. [49] By July 2003, the rebels had launched an assault on Monrovia. [168] While separation of church and state is mandated by the Constitution, Liberia is considered a Christian state in practice. Their passage of the 1865 Ports of Entry Act prohibited foreign commerce with the inland tribes, ostensibly to "encourage the growth of civilized values" before such trade was allowed in the region. [81], The Hairy Slit-Faced Bat (Nycteris hispida) suffers from malaria here. 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 Moumouni, Guillaume. [90] GDP per capita peaked in 1980 at US$496, when it was comparable to Egypt's (at the time). [citation needed] It was made up primarily of Americo-Liberians, who maintained social, economic and political dominance well into the 20th century, repeating patterns of European colonists in other nations in Africa. [54], The United Nations Mission in Liberia began arriving in September 2003 to provide security and monitor the peace accord,[55] [86], The fifteen counties are administered by superintendents appointed by the president. Colonial settlements were raided by the Kru and Grebo from their inland chiefdoms. [43] The coup leaders formed the People's Redemption Council (PRC) to govern the country. [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. [57] Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a US-educated economist, former Minister of Finance and future Nobel Prize for Peace winner, was elected as the first female president in Africa. This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name. Shallow, coarse lithosols, in the hilly and rugged terrain, cover about one-eighth of the land. [42], On April 12, 1980, a military coup led by Master Sergeant Samuel Doe of the Krahn ethnic group overthrew and killed President William R. Tolbert Jr. Doe and the other plotters later executed a majority of Tolbert's cabinet and other Americo-Liberian government officials and True Whig Party members. [citation needed], The government of Liberia, modeled on the government of the United States, is a unitary constitutional republic and representative democracy as established by the Constitution. The Atlantic Ocean borders Liberia to the south-southwest. In Liberia the shield has been intensely folded and faulted and is interspersed with iron-bearing formations known as itabirites. Liberia, country along the coast of western Africa. [159] Nimba County is the next most populous county, with 462,026 residents. While Christian, many Liberians also participate in traditional, gender-based indigenous religious secret societies, such as Poro for men and Sande for women. Liberias rainforest used to abound with animals such as monkeys, chimpanzees, small antelopes, pygmy hippopotamuses, and anteaters. [79] Of households where bushmeat was served, 80% of residents said they cooked it "once in a while," while 13% cooked it once a week and 7% cooked bushmeat daily. [68], Liberia's watershed tends to move in a southwestern pattern towards the sea as new rains move down the forested plateau off the inland mountain range of Guine Forestire, in Guinea. There are many reptiles, including three types of crocodiles and at least eight poisonous snakes. [46], The rebels soon split into various factions fighting one another. The", "Data: Improved sanitation facilities (% of population with access)", "Liberia: Breathing Life into ailing healthcare system", "Data: Health expenditure per capita (current US$)", "Data: Health expenditure, total (% of GDP)", "Liberian health authorities confirm two cases of Ebola: WHO", The Ebola response in West Africa: Exposing the politics and culture of international aid, "Liberia: War-Weary, With Echoes of Old Dixie", "Liberia: It's the Little Things A Reflection on Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's Journey to the Presidency", "Liberia: "Literature Must Be Given Priority", "Baa Salaka: Sacrificial Lamb A Book Review & Commentary", "George Weah: Ex-AC Milan, Chelsea & Man City striker elected Liberia president", "Liberia:Chaos Mars Grand Bassa and Nimba Clash", "Reforming Cocoa and Coffee Marketing in Liberia", "Gov't Pledges Commitment to Adopt Metric System", Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, List of countries by English-speaking population, List of countries where English is an official language, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Liberia&oldid=1150057700, English-speaking countries and territories, States and territories established in 1847, Articles with dead external links from May 2020, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with dead external links from September 2018, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, All Wikipedia articles written in Liberian English, Wikipedia introduction cleanup from January 2023, Articles covered by WikiProject Wikify from January 2023, All articles covered by WikiProject Wikify, Pages using infobox country or infobox former country with the symbol caption or type parameters, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2023, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2023, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2019, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2006, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles lacking reliable references from May 2022, Articles lacking reliable references from November 2015, Articles containing potentially dated statements from November 2014, Articles with MusicBrainz area identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. [171] In other areas children are required to pay a tuition fee to attend school. During World War II, the United States made major infrastructure improvements to support its military efforts in Africa and Europe against Germany. Minority ethnic groups especially were exploited in a system that enriched well-connected elites. 2278117. For a treatment of earlier periods and of the country in its regional context, see western Africa. Category:Headlands of Liberia . The three countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Ivory Coast bound Liberia to the northwest, north, and east respectively. [174] Since 2006, the government has also opened community colleges in Buchanan, Sanniquellie, and Voinjama. [57] The 2005 elections marked the first time that the president's party did not gain a majority of seats in the Legislature. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf At Official Launch and Fundraising Program Of the Grand Bassa Community College", "Government Moves Ahead With Education Decentralization Plans", "July 26 Celebrations Kick Off in Lofa As President Sirleaf Arrives", "Liberia's Weah announces free tuition for undergrads", "Starz University Aim For Global Success", "St Clements University College Liberia", "The State of the World's Midwifery 2011: Liberia", "Maternal health gets a new boost in Liberia", "Data: Prevalence of HIV, total (% of population ages 1549)", "Liberia: Nurtitional "crisis" in Monrovia", "Data: Malnutrition prevalence, weight for age (% of children under 5). Liberia declared independence on July 26, 1847, which the U.S. did not recognize until February 5, 1862. In 1824 the territory was named Liberia, and its main settlement was named Monrovia, which is the present-day capital. Deforestation and drought in the Sahel have affected the climate, lengthening the dry season by almost a month in some areas. [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. 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. [68] During the winter months of November to March, dry dust-laden harmattan winds blow inland, causing many problems for residents. 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. [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. Pressure from the United Kingdom, which controlled Sierra Leone to the northwest, and France, with its interests in the north and east, led to a loss of Liberia's claims to extensive territories. 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. Liberia is bordered by the countries of Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and by the Atlantic Ocean. 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. Crane, Keith; Gompert, David C; Oliker, Olga; Riley, Kevin Jack; and Lawson, Brooke Stearns. Latosols of low to medium fertility occur in rolling hill country and cover about three-fourths of the total land surface. [80] Much research into Tbg was performed in the 1970s by Mehlitz and by Gibson, both working in Bong Mine with samples from around the country. Liberia is situated in West Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean to the country's southwest. Olukoju, Ayodeji. [189], In 2014, an outbreak of Ebola virus in Guinea spread to Liberia. Liberia imports 90% of its rice, a staple food, and is extremely vulnerable to food shortages. [85], Liberia is divided into fifteen counties, which, in turn, are subdivided into a total of 90 districts and further subdivided into clans. Monrovia (/ m n r o v i /) is the capital city of the West African country of Liberia.Founded in 1822, it is located on Cape Mesurado on the Atlantic coast and as of the 2008 census had 1,010,970 residents, home to 29% of Liberia's total population. The Farmington River is a source of hydroelectric power. Total capacity in 2013 was 20 MW, a sharp decline from a peak of 191 MW in 1989 before the wars. Retrieved October 29, 2013, Marc DuBois and Caitlin Wake, with Scarlett Sturridge and Christina Bennett (2015). [210] Liberia also has a tradition of baking imported from the United States that is unique in West Africa.[211]. 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. Today it has six colleges, including a medical school and the nation's only law school, Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law. [49] The Second Liberian Civil War began in 1999 when Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, a rebel group based in the northwest of the country, launched an armed insurrection against Taylor. [111] As a result of bilateral, multilateral and commercial debt relief from 2007 to 2010, the country's external debt fell to $222.9 million by 2011. [79] The survey was conducted during the last civil war, and bushmeat consumption is now believed to be far higher. [79], Trypanosoma brucei gambiense is endemic in some animal hosts here including both domestic and wild. 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. [44] Government repression intensified in response, as Doe's troops retaliated by executing members of the Gio and Mano ethnic groups in Nimba County. Monrovia, capital, largest city, and chief Atlantic port of Liberia, located on Bushrod Island and Cape Mesurado. "Gender Roles, Marriage and Family", Economic Community of West African States, Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, highest population growth rate in the world, Omnibus Foreign Trade and Competitiveness Act, "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2022", "July 26, 1847 Liberian independence proclaimed", Liberia: History, Geography, Government, and Culture, "Praise for the woman who put Liberia back on its feet", "Liberians: An Introduction to their History and Culture", "A quantitative analysis of Liberian colonization from 1820 to 1843 with special reference to mortality", "Address on Colonization to a Deputation of Negroes", "These Abandoned Buildings Are the Last Remnants of Liberia's Founding History", "How a former slave gave a quilt to Queen Victoria", "Frontline/World Liberia No More War Liberia's Historic Ties to America PBS", "Independent Lens Iron Ladies of Liberia Liberian History PBS", Elections Chief Hints Slashing Numbers of Mushrooming Parties for 2005 Polls, "Elections history in Africa's oldest democratic republic: Liberia", "Commission's Report: International Commission of Enquiry in Liberia", "Pan-Africanism Revisited: Vision and Reality of African Unity and Development", "Liberia and the United States: A Complex Relationship", "Liberia's civil war: Fiddling while Monrovia burns", "Profile: Leymah Gbowee Liberia's 'peace warrior', "Taylor resigns as president of Liberia, leaves the country", "Liberia: UNMIL extends deployment as more troops arrive", United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, "LiberiaNigeria: "Time to bring Taylor issue to closure," says Sirleaf", "Taylor Sent Off to Face War Crimes Charges", "War-battered nation launches truth commission", "Tuesday, July 26, is National Independence Day; to be Observed as National Holiday", "Sirleaf seen winning Liberia run-off vote", "From Football King To Liberian President George Weah's Journey", "Top 10 youngest serving presidents in Africa, 2018", "George Weah sworn in as Liberia's president", "Building effective climate governance in Liberia Liberia", "Multinational Investment and the Development of an Export Industry: Rubber in Liberia", "An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm", "Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity Supplementary Material", "Poaching in Liberia's Forests Threatens Rare Animals", 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T10032A18567171.en, "Extinction is forever: A crisis that is Liberia's endangered wildlife", "The elimination of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense? 911. Liberia is an independent state that is situated in West Africa. The Economic Community Monitoring Group under the Economic Community of West African States organized a military task force to intervene in the crisis. Liberia currently does not have any constitutional framework or uniform statutes which deal with the creation or revocation of local governments. The national capital of Monrovia is located in Montserrado. [148] In 2013, Liberia began importing power from neighboring Ivory Coast and Guinea through the West African Power Pool. These features may represent social networks or some form of cultural diffusion allied to changing ecological conditions. [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. The judiciary is further divided into circuit and speciality courts, magistrate courts and justices of the peace. As of 2016, it had approximately 9,118 students. The 7 Best Small Towns In Nevada To Chill Out, 11 Coolest Small Towns in Washington for a Summer Vacation. [28] The United Kingdom was the first country to recognize Liberia's independence. Liberia is the only Black state in Africa never subjected to colonial rule and is Africas oldest republic. [1], The president serves as head of government, head of state, and the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia. Mean annual temperatures range between 65 F (18 C) in the northern highlands to 80 F (27 C) along the coast. Includes 99 Liberia mountains. This discussion focuses on Liberia from the 19th century. [197] In 2008, Liberia had only one doctor and 27 nurses per 100,000 people. People along the coast built canoes and traded with other West Africans from Cap-Vert to the Gold Coast. Located on Capitol Hill, the school has approximately 2,000 students. Under heavy pressure from the international community and the domestic Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace movement,[52] A peace deal was signed later that month. [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. 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. [51] Liberia was the first African republic to proclaim its independence and is Africa's first and oldest modern republic. The Liberian constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right. 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. [161] Americo-Liberians, who are descendants of African American and West Indian, mostly Barbadian (Bajan) settlers, make up 2.5%. The Constitution calls for the election of various chiefs at the county and local level, but these elections have not taken place since 1985 due to war and financial constraints. )[37], Soon after, allegations of modern slavery in Liberia led the League of Nations to establish the Christy commission. [14], Undated Acheulean (ESA) artifacts are well documented across West Africa. [76], Pollution is a significant issue in Monrovia. (2007). [79] A 2004 public opinion survey found that bushmeat ranked second behind fish amongst residents of the capital Monrovia as a preferred source of protein.