Liberia

Liberia,officially theRepublic of Liberia, is a country on theWest Africancoast. It is bordered bySierra Leonetoits northwest,Guineatoits north,Ivory Coasttoits east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. It has a population of around 5.5million and covers an area of 43,000 square miles (111,369 km). The official language is English.Over 20 indigenous languagesare spoken, reflecting the country's ethnic and cultural diversity. The capital and largestcityisMonrovia.
Liberia began in the early 19th century as a project of theAmerican Colonization Society(ACS), which believed that black people would face better chances for freedom and prosperity in Africa than in the United States.Between 1822 and the outbreak of theAmerican Civil Warin 1861, more than 15,000 freed and free-bornAfrican Americans, along with 3,198Afro-Caribbeans, relocated to Liberia.Gradually developing anAmerico-Liberianidentity,the settlers carried their culture and tradition with them while colonizing the indigenous population. Led by the Americo-Liberians, Liberia declared independence on July 26, 1847, which the U.S. did notrecognizeuntil February 5, 1862.
Liberia was the first African republic to proclaim its independence and is Africa's first and oldest modern republic. Along withEthiopia, it was one of the two African countries to maintain its sovereignty and independence during the European colonial "Scramble for Africa". DuringWorld War II, Liberia supported theU.S. war effortagainstNazi Germanyand in turn received considerable American investment in infrastructure, which aided the country's wealth and development.PresidentWilliam Tubmanencouraged economic and political changes that heightened the country's prosperity and international profile; Liberia was a founding member of theLeague of Nations,United Nations, and theOrganisation of African Unity.
The Americo-Liberian settlers did not relate well to the indigenous peoples they encountered. Colonial settlements were raided by theKruandGrebofrom their inland chiefdoms. Americo-Liberians formed into a small elite that held disproportionate political power, while indigenous Africans were excluded from birthright citizenship in their own land until 1904.
In 1980, political tensions from the rule ofWilliam R. Tolbertresulted ina military coup, marking the end of Americo-Liberian rule and the seizure of power of Liberia's first indigenous leader,Samuel Doe. Establishing a dictatorial regime, Doe was assassinated in 1990 in the context of theFirst Liberian Civil Warwhich ran from 1989 until 1997 with theelectionof rebel leaderCharles Tayloras president. In 1998, theSecond Liberian Civil Warerupted against his own dictatorship, and Taylor was overthrown by the end of the war in 2003. The two wars resulted in the deaths of 250,000 people (about 8% of the population) and the displacement of many more, withLiberia's economyshrinking by 90%.Apeace agreement in 2003led to democratic elections in2005. The country has remained relatively stable since then.
The presence ofOldowanartifacts in West Africa was confirmed byMichael Omolewa, attesting to the presence of ancient humans.
UndatedAcheulean(ESA) artifacts are well documented acrossWest Africa. The emergingchronometric recordof theMiddle Stone Age(MSA) indicates thatcoreandflaketechnologies have been present in West Africa since at least theChibanian(~780–126 thousand years ago orka) in northern, openSahelianzones, and that they persisted until theTerminal Pleistocene/Holoceneboundary (~12 ka) in both northern and southern zones of West Africa. This makes them the youngest examples of such MSA technology anywhere in Africa. The presence of MSA populations in forests remains an open question. Technological differences may correlate with variousecological zones.Later Stone Age(LSA) populations evidence significant technological diversification, including bothmicrolithicandmacrolithictraditions.
The record shows thataceramicandceramicLSA assemblages in West Africa overlap chronologically, and that changing densities ofmicrolithic industriesfrom the coast to the north are geographically structured. These features may represent social networks or some form of cultural diffusion allied to changing ecological conditions.
Microlithic industries with ceramics became common by theMid-Holocene, coupled with an apparent intensification of wild food exploitation. Between ~4–3.5 ka, these societies gradually transformed into food producers, possibly through contact with northern pastoralists and agriculturalists, as the environment became more arid. Hunter-gatherers have survived in the more forested parts of West Africa until much later, attesting to the strength of ecological boundaries in this region.
ThePepper Coast, also known as the Grain Coast, has been inhabited by indigenous peoples of Africa at least as far back as the 12th century.Mande-speaking people expanded from the north and east, forcing many smaller ethnic groups southward toward the Atlantic Ocean. TheDei,Bassa,Kru,Gola, andKissiwere some of the earliest documented peoples in the area.
This influx of these groups was compounded by the decline of theMali Empirein 1375 and theSonghai Empirein 1591. As inland regions underwentdesertification, inhabitants moved to the wetter coast. These new inhabitants brought skills such as cottonspinning, clothweaving, ironsmelting,riceandsorghumcultivation, and social and political institutions from the Mali and Songhai empires.Shortly after theManeconquered the region, theVai peopleof the former Mali Empire immigrated into theGrand Cape Mount Countyregion. The ethnic Kru opposed the influx of Vai, forming an alliance with the Mane to stop further influx of Vai.
People along the coast builtcanoesand traded with other West Africans fromCap-Vertto theGold Coast.
Between 1461 and the late 17th century,Portuguese,Dutch, andBritishtraders had contacts and trading posts in the region. The Portuguese named the areaCosta da Pimenta("Pepper Coast") but it later came to be known as theGrain Coast, due to the abundance ofmelegueta peppergrains.The traders would barter commodities and goods with local people.
In the United States, there was a movement to settleAfrican Americans, both free-born and formerly enslaved, in Africa. This was because they faced racial discrimination in the form of political disenfranchisement and the denial of civil, religious, and social rights.Formed in 1816, theAmerican Colonization Society(ACS) was made up mostly ofQuakersand slaveholders. Quakers believed black people would face better chances for freedom in Africa than in the U.S.While slaveholders opposed freedom for enslaved people, some viewed "repatriation" of free people of color as a way to avoidslave rebellions.
In 1822, the American Colonization Society began sending free people of color to the Pepper Coast voluntarily to establish a colony. Mortality fromtropical diseaseswas high—of the 4,571 emigrants who arrived in Liberia between 1820 and 1843, only 1,819 survived.By 1867, the ACS (and state-related chapters) had assisted in the migration of more than 13,000 people of color from the United States and the Caribbean to Liberia.These free African Americans and their descendants married within their community and came to identify asAmerico-Liberians.  Many were of mixed race and educated in American culture; they did not identify with the indigenous natives of the tribes they encountered.  They developed an ethnic group that had a cultural tradition infused with American notions of political republicanism and Protestant Christianity.
The ACS, supported by prominent American politicians such asAbraham Lincoln,Henry Clay, andJames Monroe, believed "repatriation" was preferable to having emancipated slaves remain in the United States.Similar state-based organizations established colonies inMississippi-in-Africa,Kentucky in Africa, and theRepublic of Maryland, which Liberia later annexed. Lincoln in 1862 described Liberia as only "in a certain sense...a success", and proposed instead that free people of color be assisted to emigrate toChiriquí, today part of Panama.
The Americo-Liberian settlers did not relate well to the indigenous peoples they encountered, especially those in communities of the more isolated "bush". The colonial settlements were raided by theKruandGrebofrom their inland chiefdoms. Encounters with tribal Africans in the bush often became violent. Believing themselves different from and culturally and educationally superior to the indigenous peoples, the Americo-Liberians developed as an elite minority that created and held on to political power. The Americo-Liberian settlers adopted clothing such ashoop skirtsandtailcoatsand generally viewed themselves as culturally and socially superior to indigenous Africans.Indigenous tribesmen did not enjoy birthright citizenship in their own land until 1904.Americo-Liberians encouraged religious organizations to set up missions and schools to educate the indigenous peoples.
On July 26, 1847, the settlers issued aDeclaration of Independenceand promulgated aconstitution. Based on the political principles of theUnited States Constitution, it established the independent Republic of Liberia.On August 24, Liberia adopted its 11-stripednational flag.TheUnited Kingdomwas the first country to recognize Liberia's independence.The United States did not recognize Liberia until 1862, after the Southern states, which had strong political power in the American government, declared their secession and the formation of theConfederacy.
The leadership of the new nation consisted largely of theAmerico-Liberians, who at the beginning established political and economic dominance in the coastal areas that the ACS had purchased; they maintained relations with the United States and contacts in developing these areas and the resulting trade. 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.
By 1877, theTrue Whig Partywas the country's most powerful political entity.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. Competition for office was usually contained within the party; a party nomination virtually ensured election.
Pressure from the United Kingdom, which controlledSierra Leoneto the northwest, and France, with its interests in the north and east, led to a loss of Liberia's claims to extensive territories. Both Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast annexed territories.Liberia struggled to attract investment to develop infrastructure and a larger, industrial economy.
There was a decline in the production of Liberian goods in the late 19th century, and the government struggled financially, resulting in indebtedness on a series of international loans.On July 16, 1892,Martha Ann Erskine RicksmetQueen Victoriaat Windsor Castle and presented her with a handmade quilt, Liberia's first diplomatic gift. Born into slavery in Tennessee, Ricks said, "I had heard it often, from the time I was a child, how good the Queen had been to my people—to slaves—and how she wanted us to be free."
American and other international interests emphasized resource extraction, with rubber production as a major industry in the early 20th century.In 1914,Imperial Germanyaccounted for three-quarters of the trade of Liberia. This was a cause for concern among the British colonial authorities ofSierra Leoneand the French colonial authorities ofFrench Guineaand theIvory Coastas tensions with Germany increased.
Liberia remained neutral duringWorld War Iuntil August 4, 1917, when it declared war on Germany. Subsequently, it wasone of 32 nationsto take part in theVersailles Peace Conferencein 1919, which ended the war and established theLeague of Nations; Liberia was among the few African and non-Western nations to participate in the conference and the founding of the league.
In1927, the country's electionsagain showed the power of the True Whig Party, with electoral proceedings that have been called some of the most rigged ever;the winning candidate was declared to have received votes amounting to more than 15 times the number of eligible voters.(The loser actually received around 60% of the eligible vote.)
Soon after, allegations ofmodern slaveryin Liberia led the League of Nations to establish theChristy Commission. Findings included government involvement in widespread "forced or compulsory labour". Minority ethnic groups especially were exploited in a system that enriched well-connected elites.As a result of the report, PresidentCharles D. B. Kingand Vice PresidentAllen N. Yancyresigned.
In the mid-20th century, Liberia gradually began to modernize with American assistance. DuringWorld War II, the United States made major infrastructure improvements to support its military efforts in Africa and Europe against Germany. It built theFreeport of MonroviaandRoberts International Airportunder theLend-Leaseprogram before its entry into the Second World War.
After the war, PresidentWilliam Tubmanencouraged foreign investment, with Liberia achieving the second-highest rate of economic growth in the world during the 1950s.In international affairs, it was a founding member of theUnited Nations, a vocal critic ofSouth Africanapartheid,a proponent of African independence from European colonial powers, and a supporter ofPan-Africanism. Liberia also helped to fund theOrganisation of African Unity.
On April 12, 1980,a military coupled by Master SergeantSamuel Doeof theKrahnethnic group overthrew and killed PresidentWilliam R. Tolbert Jr.Doe and the other plotters later executed most of Tolbert's cabinet and other Americo-Liberian government officials and True Whig Party members on a Monrovia beach.The coup leaders formed thePeople's Redemption Council(PRC) to govern the country.A strategicCold Warally of the West, Doe received significant financial backing from the United States while critics condemned the PRC for corruption and political repression.
After Liberia adopted anew constitutionin 1985, Doe was elected president insubsequent electionsthat were internationally condemned as fraudulent.On November 12, 1985, a failed coup was launched byThomas Quiwonkpa, whose soldiers briefly occupied the nationalradio station.Government repression intensified in response, as Doe's troops responded by executing members of theGioandManoethnic groups inNimba County.
TheNational Patriotic Front of Liberia, a rebel group led byCharles Taylor, launched an insurrection in December 1989 against Doe's government with the backing of neighboring countries such asBurkina FasoandIvory Coast. This triggered theFirst Liberian Civil War.By September 1990, Doe's forces controlled only a small area just outside the capital, and Doe was captured and executed in that month by rebel forces.
The rebels soon split into conflicting factions. TheEconomic Community Monitoring Groupunder theEconomic Community of West African Statesorganized an armed intervention.Between 1989 and 1997, around 60,000 to 80,000 Liberians died, and, by 1996, around 700,000 others had been displaced into refugee camps in neighboring countries.A peace deal between warring parties was reached in 1995, leading toTaylor's election as president in 1997.
Under Taylor's leadership, Liberia became apariah statedue to its use ofblood diamondsand illegaltimberexports to fund theRevolutionary United Frontin theSierra Leone Civil War.TheSecond Liberian Civil Warbegan in 1999 whenLiberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, a rebel group based in the northwest of the country, launched an armed insurrection against Taylor.
In March 2003, a second rebel group,Movement for Democracy in Liberia, began launching attacks against Taylor from the southeast.Peace talks between the factions began inAccrain June of that year, and Taylor was indicted by theSpecial Court for Sierra Leone(SCSL) for crimes against humanity the same month.By July 2003, the rebels had launched anassault on Monrovia.Under heavy pressure from the international community and the domesticWomen of Liberia Mass Action for Peacemovement,Taylor resigned in August 2003 and went into exile inNigeria.A peace deal was signed later that month.
TheUnited Nations Mission in Liberiabegan arriving in September 2003 to provide security and monitor the peace accord,and an interim government took power the following October.The subsequent2005 electionswere internationally regarded as the freest and fairest in Liberian history.Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a US-educated economist, former Minister of Finance and futureNobel Peace Prizewinner, was elected as the first female president in Africa.Upon her inauguration, Sirleaf requested the extradition of Taylor from Nigeria and transferred him to the SCSL for trial inThe Hague.
In 2006, the government established aTruth and Reconciliation Commissionto address the causes and crimes of the civil war.In 2011, July 26 was proclaimed by President Sirleaf as National Independence Day.In October 2011, peace activistLeymah Gboweereceived theNobel Peace Prizein her work of leading a women's peace movement that brought to an end to theSecond Liberian Civil Warin 2003.In November 2011, President Sirleaf wasre-electedfor a second six-year term.
Following the2017 Liberian general election, former professionalfootballstrikerGeorge Weah, considered one of the greatest African players of all time,was sworn in as president on January 22, 2018, becoming the fourth youngest serving president in Africa.The inauguration marked Liberia's first fully democratic transition in 74 years.Weah cited fighting corruption, reforming the economy, combating illiteracy, and improving living conditions as the main targets of his presidency.Opposition leaderJoseph Boakaidefeated Weah in the tightly contested2023 presidential election.On 22 January 2024, Boakai was sworn in as Liberia's new  president.
Liberia is situated inWest Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean to the country's southwest. It lies between latitudes4°and9°N, and longitudes7°and12°W.
The landscape is characterized by mostly flat to rolling coastal plains that containmangrovesandswamps, which rise to a rolling plateau and low mountains in the northeast.
Tropicalrainforestscover the hills, while elephant grass andsemi-deciduousforests make up the dominant vegetation in the northern sections.
Liberia's watershed tends to move in a southwestern pattern toward the sea as new rains move down the forested plateau off the inland mountain range ofGuinée Forestière, inGuinea.Cape Mountnear the border withSierra Leonereceives the most precipitation in the nation.
Liberia's main northwestern boundary is traversed by the Mano River while its southeast limits are bounded by theCavalla River.Liberia's three largest rivers areSt. Paulexiting nearMonrovia, the riverSt. JohnatBuchanan, and theCestos River, all of which flow into the Atlantic. The Cavalla is the longest river in the nation at 320 miles (510 km).
The highest point wholly within Liberia isMount Wuteveat 4,724 feet (1,440 m)above sea levelin the northwestern Liberia range of the West Africa Mountains and theGuinea Highlands.Mount Nimba, nearYekepa, is higher at 1,752 metres (5,748 ft)above sea level, but is not wholly within Liberia as Nimba is located at the point where Liberia borders both Guinea andIvory Coast. Nimba is thus the tallest mountain in those countries, as well.
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.During the winter months of November to March, dry dust-ladenharmattanwinds blow inland, causing many problems for residents.Climate change in Liberia causes many problems as Liberia is particularlyvulnerable to climate change. Like manyother countries in Africa, Liberia both faces existingenvironmental issues, as well assustainable developmentchallenges.Because of its location in Africa, it is vulnerable toextreme weather, the coastal effects ofsea level rise, and changing water systems and water availability.Climate change is expected to severely impact theeconomy of Liberia, especially agriculture, fisheries, and forestry. Liberia has been an active participant in international and local policy changes related to climate change.
Forestson the coastline are composed mostly of salt-tolerantmangrovetrees, while the more sparsely populated inland has forests opening onto a plateau of driergrasslands. The climate isequatorial, with significantrainfallduring the May–Octoberrainy seasonand harshharmattanwinds the remainder of the year. Liberia possesses about forty percent of the remainingUpper Guinean rainforest. It was an important producer ofrubberin the early 20th century.Four terrestrial ecoregions lie within Liberia's borders:Guinean montane forests,Western Guinean lowland forests,Guinean forest–savanna mosaic, andGuinean mangroves.
Liberia is a globalbiodiversity hotspot—a significant reservoir ofbiodiversitythat is under threat from humans.
Endangered species are hunted for human consumption asbushmeatin Liberia.Species hunted for food in Liberia includeelephants,pygmy hippopotamus,chimpanzees,leopards,duikers, and other monkeys.Bushmeat is often exported to neighboring Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast, despite a ban on the cross-border sale of wild animals.
Bushmeat is widely eaten in Liberia, and is considered a delicacy.A 2004 public opinion survey found that bushmeat ranked second behind fish amongst residents of the capital Monrovia as a preferred source of protein.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.The survey was conducted during the last civil war, and bushmeat consumption is now believed to be far higher.
Trypanosoma brucei gambienseisendemicin some animal hosts here including bothdomesticandwild.This causes the diseasenagana.Inpigshere and inIvory Coast, that includesTbggroup 1.Tbgand its vectorGlossina palpalis gambienseare a constant presence in the rainforests here.Much research intoTbgwas performed in the 1970s by Mehlitz and by Gibson, both working inBong Minewith samples from around the country.TheWest African pariah dogis also a host forTbg.
The Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is a constant presence here.
The Hairy Slit-Faced Bat (Nycteris hispida) suffers frommalariahere.
Slash-and-burnagriculture is one of the human activities eroding Liberia's natural forests.A 2004 UN report estimated that 99% of Liberians burned charcoal and fuel wood for cooking and heating, resulting indeforestation.
Illegal logginghas increased in Liberia since the end of theSecond Civil War in 2003.In 2012, President Sirleaf granted licenses to companies to cut down 58% of all the primary rainforest left in Liberia.After international protests, many of those logging permits were canceled.In September 2014, Liberia and Norway struck an agreement whereby Liberia ceased all logging in exchange for $150 million in development aid.
Pollution is a significant issue inMonrovia.Since 2006, the international community has paid for all garbage collection and disposal in Monrovia via theWorld Bank.
Liberia is divided into fifteencounties, which, in turn, are subdivided into a total of 90districtsand further subdivided intoclans. The oldest counties are Grand Bassa and Montserrado, both founded in 1839 prior to Liberian independence. Gbarpolu is the newest county, created in 2001. Nimba is the largest of the counties in size at 11,551 km(4,460 sq mi), while Montserrado is the smallest at 737.069 sq mi (1,909.00 km).Montserrado is also the most populous county with 1,144,806 residents as of the 2008 census.
The fifteen counties are administered by superintendents appointed by the president. The Constitution calls for the election of variouschiefsat the county and local level, but these elections have not taken place since 1985 due to war and financial constraints.
Parallel to the administrative divisions of the country are the local and municipal divisions. Liberia currently does not have any constitutional framework or uniform statutes which deal with the creation or revocation of local governments.All existing local governments—cities, townships, and a borough—were created by specific acts of the Liberian government, and thus the structure and duties/responsibilities of each local government vary greatly from one to the other.
The government of Liberia, modeled on thegovernment of the United States, is aunitaryconstitutional republic andrepresentative democracyas established by theConstitution. The government has three co-equal branches of government: theexecutive, headed by thepresident; thelegislative, consisting of thebicameralLegislature of Liberia; and thejudicial, consisting of theSupreme Courtand severallower courts.
The president serves ashead of government,head of state, and thecommander-in-chiefof theArmed Forces of Liberia.Among the president's other duties are to sign or vetolegislative bills, grantpardons, and appointCabinetmembers, judges, and other public officials. Together with thevice president, the president is elected to a six-year term bymajority votein atwo-round systemand can serve up to two terms in office.
The Legislature is composed of theSenateand theHouse of Representatives. The House, led by aspeaker, has 73 membersapportionedamong the 15 counties on the basis of the nationalcensus, with each county receiving a minimum of two members.Each House member represents anelectoral districtwithin a county as drawn by theNational Elections Commissionand is elected by apluralityof the popular vote of their district into a six-year term. The Senate is made up of two senators from each county for a total of 30 senators.Senators serve nine-year terms and are electedat-largeby a plurality of the popular vote.The vice president serves as thePresident of the Senate, with aPresident pro temporeserving in their absence.
Liberia's highest judicial authority is the Supreme Court, made up of five members and headed by theChief Justice of Liberia. Members are nominated to the court by the president and are confirmed by the Senate, serving until the age of 70. The judiciary is further divided intocircuitandspeciality courts,magistratecourts, andjustices of the peace.The judicial system is a blend ofcommon law, based on Anglo-American law, and customary law.An informal system of traditional courts still exists within the rural areas of the country, withtrial by ordealremaining common despite being officially outlawed.
From 1877 to 1980, the government was dominated by theTrue Whig Party.Today, over 20 political parties are registered in the country, based largely around personalities and ethnic groups.Most parties suffer from poor organizational capacity.The 2005 elections marked the first time that the president's party did not gain a majority of seats in the Legislature.According to 2023V-Dem Democracy indicesLiberia is ranked 65th electoral democracy worldwide and 9thelectoral democracy in Africa.
The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) have 2,010 active personnel as of 2023, with most of them organized into the23rd Infantry Brigade, consisting of two infantry battalions, one engineer company, and one military police company. There is also a smallNational Coast Guardwith 60 personnel and several patrol ships.The AFL used to have an Air Wing, but all of its aircraft and facilities have been out of operation since the civil wars. It is in the process of reactivating its Air Wing with help from theNigerian Air Force.Liberia has deployed peacekeepers to other countries since 2013 as part of UN or ECOWAS missions, with the largest being an infantry unit in Mali, and smaller numbers of personnel in Sudan, Guinea-Bissau, and South Sudan. About 800 of the AFL's 2,000 personnel have been deployed to Mali in several rotations before the UN mission there ended in December 2023.In 2022 the country had a military budget of US$18.7 million.
The old military was disbanded after the civil wars and entirely rebuilt, starting in 2005, with assistance and funding from the United States. The military assistance program, which became known as Operation Onward Liberty in 2010, provided training with the goal of making the AFL into an apolitical and professional military. The operation ended in 2016, though theMichigan National Guardstill continues to work with the AFL as part of the U.S. National Guard's State Partnership Program.
After the turmoil following theFirstandSecond 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. As in other African countries, China is an important part of the post-conflict reconstruction.
In the past, both of Liberia's neighbors,GuineaandSierra Leone, have accused Liberia of backing rebels in their countries.
TheLiberian National Policeis the country's nationalpoliceforce. As of October 2007 it has 844 officers in 33 stations inMontserrado County, which containsMonrovia.The National Police Training Academy is inPaynesville City.A history of corruption among police officers diminishes public trust and operational effectiveness. The internal security is characterized by a general lawlessness coupled with the danger that former combatants in the late civil war might reestablish militias to challenge the civil authorities.
Rapeandsexual assaultare frequent in the post-conflict era in Liberia. Liberia has one of the highest incidences of sexual violence against women in the world. Rape is the most frequently reported crime, accounting for more than one-third ofsexual violencecases. Adolescent girls are the most frequently assaulted, and almost 40% of perpetrators are adult men known to victims.
Both male and female homosexuality areillegal in Liberia.On July 20, 2012, the Liberian senate voted unanimously to enact legislation to prohibit and criminalizesame-sex marriages.
Corruption is endemic at every level of the Liberian government.When President Sirleaf took office in 2006, she announced that corruption was "the major public enemy."In 2014, the US ambassador to Liberia said that corruption there was harming people through "unnecessary costs to products and services that are already difficult for many Liberians to afford".
Corruption is endemic at every level of Liberian society, making Liberia one of the most politically corrupt nations in the world.This score represented a significant improvement since 2007, when the country scored 2.1 and ranked 150th of 180 countries.When dealing with public-facing government functionaries, 89% of Liberians say they have had to pay a bribe, the highest national percentage in the world according to the organization's 2010 Global Corruption Barometer.
TheCentral Bank of Liberiais responsible for printing and maintaining theLiberian dollar, Liberia's primarycurrency(theUnited States dollaris alsolegal tenderin Liberia).Liberia is one of the world's poorest countries, with aformal employmentrate of 15%.GDP per capita peaked in 1980 at US$496, (~$1,834 in 2023) when it was comparable to Egypt's (at the time).In 2011, the country'snominal GDPwas US$1.154 billion, while nominal GDP per capita stood at US$297, the third-lowest in the world.Historically the Liberian economy has depended heavily onforeign aid,foreign direct investmentand exports of natural resources such asiron ore,rubber, andtimber.
Following a peak in growth in 1979, the Liberian economy began a steady decline due to economic mismanagement after the 1980 coup.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.Upon the end of the war in 2003, GDP growth began to accelerate, reaching 9.4% in 2007.In 2009, during theGreat RecessionGDP growth slowed to 4.6%,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.
Current impediments to growth include a smalldomestic market, lack of adequate infrastructure, high transportation costs, poor trade links with neighboring countries, and the highdollarizationof the economy.Liberia used theUnited States dollaras its currency from 1943 until 1982 and continues to use the U.S. dollar alongside theLiberian dollar.
Following a decrease ininflationbeginning in 2003, inflation spiked in 2008 as a result of worldwidefoodandenergy crises,reaching 17.5% before declining to 7.4% in 2009.Liberia'sexternal debtwas estimated in 2006 at approximately $4.5 billion, 800% of GDP.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.
While official commodity exports declined during the 1990s as many investors fled the civil war, Liberia's wartime economy featured the exploitation of the region's diamond wealth.The country acted as a major trader in Sierra Leonianblood diamonds, exporting over US$300 million (~$516 million in 2023) in diamonds in 1999.This led to aUnited Nationsban on Liberian diamond exports in 2001, which was lifted in 2007 following Liberia's accession to theKimberley Process Certification Scheme.
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.These sanctions were lifted in 2006.Due in large part to foreign aid and investment inflow following the end of the war, Liberia maintains a largeaccount deficit, which peaked at nearly 60% in 2008.Liberia gained observer status with theWorld Trade Organizationin 2010 and became an official member in 2016.
Liberia has the highest ratio of foreign direct investment to GDP in the world, with US$16 billion (~$23.3 billion in 2023) in investment since 2006.Following Sirleaf's inauguration in 2006, Liberia signed several multi-billion-dollar concession agreements in theiron oreandpalm oilindustries with numerousmultinational corporations, includingArcelorMittal,BHPandSime Darby.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.Since 1926Firestonehas operated the world's largestrubber plantationinHarbel, Margibi County. As of 2015, it had more than 8,000 mostly Liberian employees, making it the country's largest private employer.
In September 2024 the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced that its executive board approved a financial arrangement of approximately $210 million for Liberia. The approval includes an immediate disbursement of around $8 million. This arrangement is aimed at supporting Liberia's economic recovery and addressing fiscal challenges.
Due to its status as aflag of convenience, Liberia has the second-largestmaritime registryin the world behindPanama. It has 3,500 vessels registered under its flag, accounting for 11% of ships worldwide.
There are six major newspapers in Liberia, and 65% of the population has a mobile phone service.
Much of Liberia's communications infrastructure was destroyed or plundered during the two civil wars (1989–1996 and 1999–2003).With low rates of adult literacy and high poverty rates, television and newspaper use is limited, leaving radio as the predominant means of communicating with the public.
Public electricity services are provided solely by the state-owned Liberia Electricity Corporation, which operates a small grid almost exclusively in theGreater Monrovia District.The vast majority of electric energy services is provided by small, privately ownedgenerators. At $0.54 per kWh, the cost of electricity in Liberia is among the highest in the world. Total capacity in 2013 was 20 MW, a sharp decline from a peak of 191 MW in 1989 before the wars.
The repair and expansion of theMount Coffee Hydropower Project, with a maximum capacity of 80 MW, was completed in 2018.Construction of three newheavy fuel oilpower plants is expected to boost electrical capacity by 38 MW.In 2013, Liberia began importing power from neighboring Ivory Coast and Guinea through theWest African Power Pool.
Liberia has begun exploration for offshore oil; unproven oil reserves may be in excess of one billion barrels.The government divided its offshore waters into 17 blocks and began auctioning off exploration licenses for the blocks in 2004, with further auctions in 2007 and 2009.An additional 13 ultra-deep offshore blocks were demarcated in 2011 and planned for auction.Among the companies to have won licenses areRepsol YPF,Chevron Corporation, andWoodside Petroleum.
As of the 2017 national census, Liberia was home to 4,694,608 people.Of those, 1,118,241 lived inMontserrado County, the most populous county in the country and location of the capital Monrovia. TheGreater Monrovia Districthas 970,824 residents.Nimba Countyis the next most populous county, with 462,026 residents.As revealed in the 2008 census, Monrovia is more than four times more populous than all the county capitals combined.
Prior to the 2008 census, the last census had been taken in 1984 and listed the country's population as 2,101,628.The population of Liberia was 1,016,443 in 1962 and increased to 1,503,368 in 1974.As of 2006, Liberia had thehighest population growth rate in the world(4.50% per annum).In 2010 some 43.5% of Liberians were below the age of 15.
The population includes 16 indigenousethnic groupsand various foreign minorities. Indigenous peoples comprise about 95 percent of the population. The 16 officially recognized ethnic groups include theKpelle,Bassa,Mano,Gioor Dan,Kru,Grebo,Krahn,Vai,Gola, Mandingo orMandinka,Mende,Kissi,Gbandi,Loma,Deior Dewoin,Belleh, andAmerico-Liberians(orCongo people).
TheKpellecomprise more than 20% of the population and are the largest ethnic group in Liberia, residing mostly inBong Countyand adjacent areas in central Liberia.Americo-Liberians, who are descendants ofAfrican AmericanandWest Indian, mostlyBarbadian(Bajan)settlers, make up 2.5%. Congo people, descendants of repatriatedCongoand Afro-Caribbean slaves who arrived in 1825, make up an estimated 2.5%.These latter two groups established political control in the 19th century which they kept well into the 20th century.
The Liberian constitution exercisesjus sanguinis, which means it usually restricts its citizenship to "Negroes or persons of Negro descent."That being said, numerous immigrants have come as merchants and become a major part of the business community, includingLebanese,Indians, and other West African nationals. There is a high prevalence of interracial marriage between ethnic Liberians and the Lebanese, resulting in a significantmixed-racepopulation especially in and aroundMonrovia. A small minority of Liberians who areWhite Africans of European descentreside in the country.
English is the official language and serves as thelingua francaof Liberia.As of 2022, 27 indigenous languages are spoken in Liberia, but each is afirst languagefor only a small percentage of the population.Liberians also speak a variety ofcreolized dialectscollectively known asLiberian English.
According to the 2008 National Census, 85.6% of the population practicedChristianity, while Muslims represented a minority of 12.2%.A multitude of diverseProtestantconfessions such asLutheran,Baptist,Episcopal,Presbyterian,Pentecostal,United Methodist,African Methodist Episcopal(AME) andAfrican Methodist Episcopal Zion(AME Zion) denominations form the bulk of the Christian population, followed by adherents of theCatholic Churchand other non-Protestant Christians. Most of these Christian denominations were brought byAfrican-Americansettlersmoving from the United States into Liberia via theAmerican Colonization Society, while some are indigenous—especiallyPentecostalandevangelical Protestantones. Protestantism was originally associated with Black American settlers and theirAmerico-Liberiandescendants, while native peoples initially held to their ownanimistforms ofAfrican traditional religionbefore largely adopting Christianity. While Christian, many Liberians also participate in traditional, gender-based indigenous religioussecret societies, such asPorofor men andSandefor women. The all-female Sande society practicesfemale circumcision.
Muslimscomprised 12.2% of the population in 2008, largely represented by theMandingoandVaiethnic groups. Liberian Muslims are divided betweenSunnis,Shias,Ahmadiyyas,Sufis, andnon-denominational Muslims.
In 2008, 0.5% identified adherence totraditional indigenous religions, while 1.5% claimed no religion. A small number of people wereBaháʼí,Hindu,Sikh, orBuddhist.
The Liberian constitution provides forfreedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right.Whileseparation of church and stateis mandated by the Constitution, Liberia is considered aChristian statein practice.Public schools offerbiblical studies, though parents may opt their children out. Commerce is prohibited by law on Sunday and majorChristian holidays. The government does not require businesses or schools to excuse Muslims forFriday prayers.
In 2010, theliteracy rateof Liberia was estimated at 60.8% (64.8% for males and 56.8% for females).In some areas primary and secondary education is free and compulsory from the ages of 6 to 16, though enforcement of attendance is lax.In other areas children are required to pay a tuition fee to attend school. On average, children attain 10 years of education (11 for boys and 8 for girls).The country's education sector is hampered by inadequate schools and supplies, as well as a lack of qualified teachers.
Higher education is provided by a number of public and private universities. TheUniversity of Liberiais the country's largest and oldest university. Located in Monrovia, the university opened in 1862. Today it has six colleges, including a medical school and the nation's only law school,Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law.
In 2009,Tubman UniversityinHarper,Maryland Countywas established as the second public university in Liberia.Since 2006, the government has also openedcommunity collegesinBuchanan,Sanniquellie, andVoinjama.
Due to student protests late in October 2018, newly elected president George Weah abolished tuition fees for undergraduate students in public universities in Liberia.
Hospitals in Liberiainclude theJohn F. Kennedy Medical CenterinMonroviaand several others.Life expectancyin Liberia is estimated to be 64.4 years in 2020.With a fertility rate of 5.9 births per woman, thematernal mortalityrate stood at 990 per 100,000 births in 2010, and 1,072 per 100,000 births in 2017.A number of highly communicable diseases are widespread, includingtuberculosis,diarrheal diseasesandmalaria. In 2007, theHIVinfection rates stood at 2% of the population aged 15–49whereas the incidence of tuberculosis was 420 per 100,000 people in 2008.Approximately 58.2%– 66%of women are estimated to have undergonefemale genital mutilation.
Liberia imports 90% of its rice, a staple food, and is extremely vulnerable to food shortages.In 2007, 20.4% of children under the age of five were malnourished.Liberia has a high level of hunger and food insecurity
Approximately 95% of the country's healthcare facilities had been destroyed by the time civil war ended in 2003.In 2009, government expenditure on health care per capita was US$22, (~$30.00 in 2023)accounting for 10.6% of total GDP.In 2008, Liberia had only one doctor and 27 nurses per 100,000 people.
In 2014, anoutbreak of Ebola virusin Guineaspread to Liberia.As of November 17, 2014, there were 2,812 confirmed deaths from the ongoing outbreak.
The religious practices, social customs, and cultural standards of the Americo-Liberians had their roots in theantebellumAmerican South. The settlers woretop hat and tailsand modeled their homes on those of Southern slaveowners.Most Americo-Liberian men were members of theMasonic Order of Liberia, which became heavily involved in the nation's politics.
Liberia has a rich history in textile arts and quilting, as the settlers brought with them their sewing and quilting skills. 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 Martha Ann Ricks,who presented a quilt featuring the famed Liberiancoffee treetoQueen Victoriain 1892. When President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf moved into the Executive Mansion, she reportedly had a Liberian-made quilt installed in her presidential office.
A rich literary tradition has existed in Liberia for over a century.Edward Wilmot Blyden,Bai T. Moore,Roland T. DempsterandWilton G. S. Sankawuloare among Liberia's more prominent authors.Moore's novellaMurder in the Cassava Patchis considered Liberia's most celebrated novel.
One-third of married Liberian women between the ages of 15–49 are inpolygamous marriages.Customary law allows men to have up to four wives.
Liberian cuisine heavily incorporatesrice, the country's staple food. Other ingredients includecassava,fish,bananas,citrus fruit,plantains,coconut,okraandsweet potatoes.Heavystewsspiced withhabaneroandscotch bonnetchilies are popular and eaten withfufu.Liberia also has a tradition ofbakingimported from the United States that is unique in West Africa.
The most popularsportin Liberia isassociation football, with former PresidentGeorge Weahbeing the nation's most famous athlete. He is so far the only African to be namedFIFA World Player of the Year.TheLiberia national football teamhas reached theAfrica Cup of Nationsfinals twice, in1996and2002.
The second most popular sport in Liberia isbasketball. TheLiberian national basketball teamhas reached theAfroBaskettwice, in1983and2007.
In Liberia, theSamuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complexserves as a multi-purposestadium. It hostsFIFA World Cupqualifying matches in addition to international concerts and national political events.
Liberia has not yet completely adopted theInternational System of Units(abbreviated as the SI, also called the metric system). The Liberian government has begun transitioning away from use ofUnited States customary unitsto the metric system.This change has been gradual, with government reports concurrently using United States Customary and metric units.In 2018, the Liberian Commerce and Industry Minister announced that the Liberian government is committed to adopting the metric system.
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