[212][213] The Liberia national football team has reached the Africa Cup of Nations finals twice, in 1996 and 2002. Indigenous peoples comprise about 95 percent of the population. 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. [87], Parallel to the administrative divisions of the country are the local and municipal divisions. Located on the West African coast, Liberia covers an area of 111,369 sq. The all-female Sande society practices female circumcision. 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 There are several unique species of bats and birds, and scorpions, lizards, and fish are numerous. Quakers believed black people would face better chances for freedom in Africa than in the U.S.[7][19] While slaveholders opposed freedom for enslaved people, some viewed "repatriation" of free people of color as a way to avoid slave rebellions. [118] The country acted as a major trader in Sierra Leonian blood diamonds, exporting over US$300 million in diamonds in 1999. [15], The record shows that aceramic and ceramic Later Stone Age (LSA) assemblages in West Africa overlap chronologically, and that changing densities of microlithic industries from the coast to the north are geographically structured. [22] These free African Americans and their descendants married within their community and came to identify as Americo-Liberians. [198] As of November17, 2014[update], there were 2,812 confirmed deaths from the ongoing outbreak. [86] Montserrado is also the most populous county with 1,144,806 residents as of the 2008 census. [89], Liberia's highest judicial authority is the Supreme Court, made up of five members and headed by the Chief Justice of Liberia. [138] Gold, diamonds, and iron ore form the core minerals of the mining sector with a new Mineral Development Policy and Mining Code being put in place to attract foreign investments. While Christian, many Liberians also participate in traditional, gender-based indigenous religious secret societies, such as Poro for men and Sande for women. 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. )[37], Soon after, allegations of modern slavery in Liberia led the League of Nations to establish the Christy commission. [91], After the turmoil following the First and Second Liberian Civil Wars, Liberia's internal stabilization in the 21st century brought a return to cordial relations with neighboring countries and much of the Western world. ", "Ellen Describes Tubman University's Opening As PRS Success", "Remarks by H.E. Town of Monrovia 1827 [149], Liberia has begun exploration for offshore oil; unproven oil reserves may be in excess of one billion barrels. Name the major rivers of Liberia. [68] Liberia's three largest rivers are St. Paul exiting near Monrovia, the river St. John at Buchanan, and the Cestos River, all of which flow into the Atlantic. 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. [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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The climate is equatorial, with significant rainfall during the MayOctober rainy season and harsh harmattan winds the remainder of the year. [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. [7], In 1822, the American Colonization Society began sending free people of color to the Pepper Coast voluntarily to establish a colony. [86], The fifteen counties are administered by superintendents appointed by the president. [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. [62] In November 2011, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was re-elected for a second six-year term. 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). [120], In 2003, additional UN sanctions were placed on Liberian timber exports, which had risen from US$5 million in 1997 to over US$100 million in 2002 and were believed to be funding rebels in Sierra Leone. [1] Senators serve nine-year terms and are elected at-large by a plurality of the popular vote. [44] Government repression intensified in response, as Doe's troops retaliated by executing members of the Gio and Mano ethnic groups in Nimba County. [citation needed]. [100], Corruption is endemic at every level of the Liberian government. Liberia imports 90% of its rice, a staple food, and is extremely vulnerable to food shortages. 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. (2007). People along the coast built canoes and traded with other West Africans from Cap-Vert to the Gold Coast. The climate, especially on the coast, is warm and humid year-round, dominated by a dry season from November to April and by a rainy season from May to October. [165] Liberians also speak a variety of creolized dialects collectively known as Liberian English. This discussion focuses on Liberia from the 19th century. The greatest amount of rainfall, 205 inches (5,200 mm), occurs at Cape Mount and diminishes inland to about 70 inches (1,800 mm) on the central plateau. [93], The Liberian National Police is the country's national police force. [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. Wikidata ID. The Greater Monrovia District has 970,824 residents. [57] The 2005 elections marked the first time that the president's party did not gain a majority of seats in the Legislature. The presence of MSA populations in forests remains an open question; however technological differences may correlate with various ecological zones. In 1824 the territory was named Liberia, and its main settlement was named Monrovia, which is the present-day capital. What are the major mountains of Liberia and their location? It built the Freeport of Monrovia and Roberts International Airport under the Lend-Lease program before its entry into the Second World War. Subsequent Portuguese explorers named Grand Cape Mount, Cape Mesurado (Montserrado), and Cape Palmas, all . [30][31][32], The leadership of the new nation consisted largely of the Americo-Liberians, who initially established political and economic dominance in the coastal areas that the ACS had purchased; they maintained relations with U.S. contacts in developing these areas and the resulting trade. 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. This page was last edited on 16 April 2023, at 03:12. [24], The Americo-Liberian settlers did not relate well to the indigenous peoples they encountered, especially those in communities of the more isolated "bush". Adolescent girls are the most frequently assaulted, and almost 40% of perpetrators are adult men known to victims. OECD Atlas of Gender and Development: How Social Norms Affect Gender Equality in non-OECD Countries, OECD Publishing, 2010. p 236. Founding of Liberia, 1847 The founding of Liberia in the early 1800s was motivated by the domestic politics of slavery and race in the United States as well as by U.S. foreign policy interests. Milestones: 1830-1860 - Office of the Historian [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. PDF A Brief History of Liberia - International Center for Transitional Justice Starz University, is a private higher education institution that was established in the United States in 2007, and became incorporated in Monrovia, 2009; with the objective of addressing the Information Technology(IT) need of Liberia. 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. 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. [216] However, this change has been gradual, with government reports concurrently using both United States Customary and metric units. [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. Tbg and its vector Glossina palpalis gambiense are a constant presence in the rainforests here. A map of Liberia's major rivers and their drainage systems This is a list of rivers in Liberia . This institution was founded in 1998. [80] This causes the disease nagana. Next is the region of rolling hills about 32 km wide and an average elevation of 90 m. Beyond that is a dissected plateau with scattered mountains. [124], Liberia has the highest ratio of foreign direct investment to GDP in the world, with US$16 billion in investment since 2006. As in other African countries, China is an important part of the post-conflict reconstruction. [172], Higher education is provided by a number of public and private universities. However, over the years the two groups joined and the terms "Americo -Liberian" and "Congo" were used interchangeably. km. It contains the Freeport of Monrovia, the major national port of Liberia and a variety of businesses. [98][99] On July 20, 2012, the Liberian senate voted unanimously to enact legislation to prohibit and criminalize same-sex marriages. [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. Liberian Muslims are divided between Sunnis, Shias, Ahmadiyyas, Sufis, and non-denominational Muslims.[169]. Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Delaware, Newark. Monrovia - Wikipedia 15 Best Places to Visit in Liberia - The Crazy Tourist [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. [1] The vice president serves as the President of the Senate, with a President pro tempore serving in their absence. When President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf moved into the Executive Mansion, she reportedly had a Liberian-made quilt installed in her presidential office. Monrovia | Location, History, & Facts | Britannica Providence Island - UNESCO World Heritage Centre [113] Liberia gained observer status with the World Trade Organization in 2010 and became an official member in 2016. The coastal plains are around 560 km long and 40 km wide and feature sandy beaches, lagoons, mangrove swamps, and some rocky outcrops. The "Black Continent" is divided roughly in two by the equator and surrounded by sea except where the Isthmus of Suez joins it to Asia. [16], This influx of these groups was compounded by the decline of the Mali Empire in 1375 and the Songhai Empire in 1591. [158] Of those, 1,118,241 lived in Montserrado County, the most populous county in the country and home to the capital of Monrovia.

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