The countrys first post-conflict elections, held in 2005, were noteworthy for the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to the presidency, as she was the first woman to be elected head of state in Africa. [129][130][131][132] Liberia has a climate favourable to farming, vast forests, and an abundance of water, yet low yields mean that over half of foodstuffs are imported, with net agricultural trade at -$73.12 million in 2010. The national capital of Monrovia is located in Montserrado. [8] Gradually developing an Americo-Liberian identity,[9][10] the settlers carried their culture and tradition with them. 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. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. [47] From 1989 to 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. What part of Africa is Liberia located in? The House, led by a speaker, has 73 members apportioned among the 15 counties on the basis of the national census, with each county receiving a minimum of two members. A map of Liberia's major rivers and their drainage systems This is a list of rivers in Liberia . The climate is equatorial, with significant rainfall during the MayOctober rainy season and harsh harmattan winds the remainder of the year. For a treatment of earlier periods and of the country in its regional context, see western Africa. 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. [93], The Liberian National Police is the country's national police force. Open Location Code. What are the major mountains of Liberia and their location? Colonial settlements were raided by the Kru and Grebo from their inland chiefdoms. This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name. [158] Of those, 1,118,241 lived in Montserrado County, the most populous county in the country and home to the capital of Monrovia. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 2 Robin Dunn-Marcos et al., "Liberians: An Introduction to Their History Culture," Culture Profile No. Encounters with tribal Africans in the bush often became violent. Both Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast annexed territories. [159] The population of Liberia was 1,016,443 in 1962 and increased to 1,503,368 in 1974. The subsequent 2005 elections were internationally regarded as the freest and fairest in Liberian history. Four physiographic regions run nearly parallel to the Atlantic coast of the country. [126] Since 1926 Firestone has operated the world's largest rubber plantation in Harbel, Margibi County. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Under heavy pressure from the international community and the domestic Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace movement,[52] People along the coast built canoes and traded with other West Africans from Cap-Vert to the Gold Coast. 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 peopleto slavesand how she wanted us to be free. In Liberia, the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex serves as a multi-purpose stadium. [71] Climate change is expected to severely impact the economy of Liberia, especially agriculture, fisheries, and forestry. Coeditor of. 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. 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. [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. [57] The 2005 elections marked the first time that the president's party did not gain a majority of seats in the Legislature. [133] This was dismissed as a "misconception" by Liberia's Minister of Agriculture. [88] All existing local governmentscities, townships, and a boroughwere created by specific acts of the Liberian government, and thus the structure and duties/responsibilities of each local government varies greatly from one to the other. multiparty republic with two legislative bodies (Liberian Senate [30]; House of Representatives [73]), Match the Country with Its Hemisphere Quiz, Which Country Is Larger By Population? The Liberian constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right. [40] In international affairs, it was a founding member of the United Nations, a vocal critic of South African apartheid,[41] a proponent of African independence from European colonial powers, and a supporter of Pan-Africanism. See hiking info, trail maps, and trip reports for every peak. A small minority of Liberians who are White Africans of European descent reside in the country. [19] Similar state-based organizations established colonies in Mississippi-in-Africa, Kentucky in Africa, and the Republic of Maryland, which Liberia later annexed. [90], From 1877 to 1980, the government was dominated by the True Whig Party. Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Delaware, Newark. Together with the vice president, the president is elected to a six-year term by majority vote in a two-round system and can serve up to two terms in office. The second most popular sport in Liberia is basketball. The colonial settlements were raided by the Kru and Grebo, from their inland chiefdoms. [12] Americo-Liberians encouraged religious organizations to set up missions and schools to educate the indigenous peoples. [101] When President Sirleaf took office in 2006, she announced that corruption was "the major public enemy. During World War II, Liberia supported the United States war effort against Germany, and in turn received considerable American investment in infrastructure, which aided the country's wealth and development. Please read the. [80], The Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is a constant presence here. [109] In 2011, the country's nominal GDP was US$1.154 billion, while nominal GDP per capita stood at US$297, the third-lowest in the world. [189] Approximately 58.2%[190] 66%[191] of women are estimated to have undergone female genital mutilation. [83] A 2004 UN report estimated that 99% of Liberians burned charcoal and fuel wood for cooking and heating, resulting in deforestation. [73] Four terrestrial ecoregions lie within Liberia's borders: Guinean montane forests, Western Guinean lowland forests, Guinean forestsavanna mosaic, and Guinean mangroves. [76], Endangered species are hunted for human consumption as bushmeat in Liberia. Liberia began in the early 19th century as a project of the American Colonization Society (ACS), which believed black people would face better chances for freedom and prosperity in Africa than in the United States. Additional rivers of note are the Lofa, St. Paul, St. John and Cestos River, all of which flow into theAtlantic. When President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf moved into the Executive Mansion, she reportedly had a Liberian-made quilt installed in her presidential office. Hospitals in Liberia include the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia and several others. [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. [86] Montserrado is also the most populous county with 1,144,806 residents as of the 2008 census. [160] In 2010 some 43.5% of Liberians were below the age of 15.[157]. The Liberian national basketball team has reached the AfroBasket twice, in 1983 and 2007. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Edward Wilmot Blyden, Bai T. Moore, Roland T. Dempster and Wilton G. S. Sankawulo are among Liberia's more prominent authors. Founded as the Liberian Frontier Force in 1908, the military was renamed in 1956. Liberia is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Ivory Coast, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. [28] The United Kingdom was the first country to recognize Liberia's independence. Omissions? [63], Following the 2017 Liberian general election, former professional football striker George Weah, one of the greatest African players of all time,[64][65] was sworn in as president on January 22, 2018, becoming the fourth youngest serving president in Africa. List of 99 Liberia mountains showing elevation, prominence, and popularity Liberia Population What Is The Population Of Liberia? [58][59], In 2006, the government established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address the causes and crimes of the civil war. The ethnic Kru opposed the influx of Vai, forming an alliance with the Mane to stop further influx of Vai.[17]. [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. Between 1461 and the late 17th century, Portuguese, Dutch, and British traders had contacts and trading posts in the region. [172], Higher education is provided by a number of public and private universities. [103] This score represented a significant improvement since 2007, when the country scored 2.1 and ranked 150th of 180 countries. [189], In 2014, an outbreak of Ebola virus in Guinea spread to Liberia. Liberia's Latitude is 6.428055 and Longitude is -9.429499. [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. [170] In some areas primary and secondary education is free and compulsory from the ages of 6 to 16, though enforcement of attendance is lax. (April 2014). Liberia, country along the coast of western Africa. [48] A peace deal between warring parties was reached in 1995, leading to Taylor's election as president in 1997. The all-female Sande society practices female circumcision. [148] In 2013, Liberia began importing power from neighboring Ivory Coast and Guinea through the West African Power Pool. Monrovia is the largest and capital city of Liberia. 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. Making Liberia safe: transformation of the national security sector. Quiz, Central Intelligence Agency - The World Factbook - Liberia, Liberia - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Liberia - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). [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. [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. [146] The vast majority of electric energy services is provided by small, privately owned generators. The country's major rivers include the Mano River in the northwest and the Cavalla River in the southeast. 19, 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. Four types of soil are found in Liberia. [193] In 2008, only 17% of the population had access to adequate sanitation facilities. [164], According to the 2008 National Census, 85.6% of the population practiced Christianity, while Muslims represented a minority of 12.2%. [192] In 2007, 20.4% of children under the age of five were malnourished. [72], Forests on the coastline are composed mostly of salt-tolerant mangrove trees, while the more sparsely populated inland has forests opening onto a plateau of drier grasslands. [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. [167] A multitude of diverse Protestant confessions such as Lutheran, Baptist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, United Methodist, African Methodist Episcopal (AME) and African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AME Zion) denominations form the bulk of the Christian population, followed by adherents of the Catholic Church and other non-Protestant Christians. [198] As of November17, 2014[update], there were 2,812 confirmed deaths from the ongoing outbreak. [154] Among the companies to have won licenses are Repsol YPF, Chevron Corporation, and Woodside Petroleum. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 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). All structured data from the file namespace is available under the Creative Commons CC0 License; all unstructured text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; . [117], While official commodity exports declined during the 1990s as many investors fled the civil war, Liberia's wartime economy featured the exploitation of the region's diamond wealth. Liberia has year-round evergreen vegetation. Liberia is the only Black state in Africa never subjected to colonial rule and is Africas oldest republic. [80] The West African pariah dog is also a host for Tbg. "[93] 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". [46], The rebels soon split into various factions fighting one another. [57], The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) are the country's armed forces. [74] It had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 4.79/10, ranking it 116th globally out of 172 countries. Today it has six colleges, including a medical school and the nation's only law school, Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law. [80] This causes the disease nagana. [1] The vice president serves as the President of the Senate, with a President pro tempore serving in their absence. Parallel to the coastal plains is a region of rolling hills some 20 miles (32 km) wide with an average maximum elevation of about 300 feet (90 metres); a few hills rise as high as 500 feet (150 metres). The Wologizi mountains are an isolated area of upland located in north-west of the country, to the south of the town of Voinjama. [1][162][bettersourceneeded] These latter two groups established political control in the 19th century which they kept well into the 20th century. Liberia forms part of the West African Shield, a rock formation 2.7 to 3.4 billion years old, composed of granite, schist, and gneiss. Guinea, Cote D'Ivoire, Sierra Leone. The population includes 16 indigenous ethnic groups and various foreign minorities. The lowest point of the country is the Atlantic Ocean at 0m. Competition for office was usually contained within the party; a party nomination virtually ensured election. Santa Monica, CA: Rand. The blank outline map represents the West African country of Liberia. 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. African Methodist Episcopal University, a private higher education institution that was founded in 1995. The University of Liberia is the country's largest and oldest university. [168], Muslims comprised 12.2% of the population in 2008, largely represented by the Mandingo and Vai ethnic groups. [168] While separation of church and state is mandated by the Constitution, Liberia is considered a Christian state in practice. [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 country's education sector is hampered by inadequate schools and supplies, as well as a lack of qualified teachers. [1] Senators serve nine-year terms and are elected at-large by a plurality of the popular vote. [bettersourceneeded][1], English is the official language and serves as the lingua franca of Liberia. 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. The Portuguese named the area Costa da Pimenta ("Pepper Coast") but it later came to be known as the Grain Coast, due to the abundance of melegueta pepper grains. 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. km, Nimba is the largest country and Montserrado is the most populous one. The Economic Community Monitoring Group under the Economic Community of West African States organized a military task force to intervene in the crisis. [102], Liberia scored a 3.3 on a scale from 10 (highly clean) to 0 (highly corrupt) on the 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index. [38] As a result of the report, President Charles D. B. [209] Heavy stews spiced with habanero and scotch bonnet chilies are popular and eaten with fufu. [1], The president serves as head of government, head of state, and the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia. In a conscious effort to emulate the American South, the Americo-Liberian settlers adopted clothing such as hoop skirts and tailcoats, and excluded natives from economic opportunities, including creating plantations on which natives were forced to work as slaves. Category:Headlands of Liberia . [76] After international protests, many of those logging permits were canceled. [68], The highest point wholly within Liberia is Mount Wuteve at 4,724 feet (1,440m) above sea level in the northwestern Liberia range of the West Africa Mountains and the Guinea Highlands. Name the major rivers of Liberia. [43] A strategic Cold War ally of the West, Doe received significant financial backing from the United States while critics condemned the PRC for corruption and political repression. 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. Liberia Bordering Countries: Area: 111,370 square kilometers (43,000 square miles) Highest point on mainland: Mount Wutivi (1,380 meters/4,528 feet) Lowest point on land: Sea level. Liberian Muslims are divided between Sunnis, Shias, Ahmadiyyas, Sufis, and non-denominational Muslims.[169]. - 13488122 It hosts FIFA World Cup qualifying matches in addition to international concerts and national political events.