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Liberia

Liberia

Liberia officially the Republic of Liberia is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, and the Atlantic Ocean.

Country name:

  • conventional long form: Republic of Liberia
  • conventional short form: Liberia

Nationality:

  • noun: Liberian(s)
  • adjective: Liberian

Capital:

  • name: Monrovia
  • geographic coordinates: 6 18 N, 10 48 W
  • time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Independence:

  • 26 July 1847

Population:

  • 3,334,587 (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

  • 3.661% (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

  • 5.9% (2003 est)

Ethnic groups:

  • indigenous African 95% (including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, Dei, Bella, Mandingo, and Mende)
  • Americo-Liberians 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the US who had been slaves)
  • Congo People 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean who had been slaves)

Religions:

  • Christian 40%
  • Muslim 20%
  • indigenous beliefs 40%

Languages:

  • English 20% (official)
  • some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence

Literacy:

  • definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  • total population: 57.5%
  • male: 73.3%
  • female: 41.6% (2003 est.)

Government type:

  • republic

Location:

  • Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone

Area - comparative:

  • slightly larger than Tennessee

Climate:

  • tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers

Natural resources:

  • iron ore
  • timber
  • diamonds
  • gold
  • hydropower

Economy - overview:

Civil war and government mismanagement destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around the capital, Monrovia. Many businesses fled the country, taking capital and expertise with them, but with the conclusion of fighting and the installation of a democratically-elected government in 2006, some have returned. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia had been a producer and exporter of basic products - primarily raw timber and rubber. Local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, had been small in scope. President JOHNSON SIRLEAF, a Harvard-trained banker and administrator, has taken steps to reduce corruption, build support from international donors, and encourage private investment. Embargos on timber and diamond exports have been lifted, opening new sources of revenue for the government. The reconstruction of infrastructure and the raising of incomes in this ravaged economy will largely depend on generous financial and technical assistance from donor countries and foreign investment in key sectors, such as infrastructure and power generation.

GDP - real growth rate:

  • 9.4% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

  • $400 (2007 est.)

Background:

Settlement of freed slaves from the US in what is today Liberia began in 1822; by 1847, the Americo-Liberians were able to establish a republic. William TUBMAN, president from 1944-71, did much to promote foreign investment and to bridge the economic, social, and political gaps between the descendents of the original settlers and the inhabitants of the interior. In 1980, a military coup led by Samuel DOE ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule. In December 1989, Charles TAYLOR launched a rebellion against DOE's regime that led to a prolonged civil war in which DOE himself was killed. A period of relative peace in 1997 allowed for elections that brought TAYLOR to power, but major fighting resumed in 2000. An August 2003 peace agreement ended the war and prompted the resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR, who faces war crimes charges in The Hague related to his involvement in Sierra Leone's civil war. After two years of rule by a transitional government, democratic elections in late 2005 brought President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF to power. The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) maintains a strong presence throughout the country, but the security situation is still fragile and the process of rebuilding the social and economic structure of this war-torn country will take many years.

Environment - current issues:

  • tropical rain forest deforestation
  • soil erosion; loss of bioh3ersity
  • pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage

    • For more info please contact:
    African Studies
    (310) 825-3686
    africa@international.ucla.edu