Liberia
Liberia be officially de Republic of Liberia, be country for de West African coast.[1] Sierra Leone dey border am go ein northwest, Guinea go ein north, Ivory Coast go ein east, den de Atlantic Ocean go ein south den southwest. E get population of around 5 million wey edey cova area of 43,000 square miles (111,369 km2). De country ein official language be English; howeva, dem dey speak ova 20 indigenous languages, wey dey reflect de country ein ethnic den cultural diversity. De capital den largest city be Monrovia.
Part of | West Africa |
---|---|
Year dem found am | 7 January 1822 |
Official name | Repubblica di Libèria, Liberia, la République du Libéria |
Native label | Republic of Liberia |
Short name | 🇱🇷 |
Official language | English |
Anthem | All Hail, Liberia, Hail! |
Culture | culture of Liberia |
Motto text | The Love Of Liberty Brought Us Here, Любовта към свободата ни доведе тук, Ein Cariad at Ryddid a Ddaeth a Ni Yma |
Continent | Africa |
Country | Liberia |
Capital | Monrovia |
Located in time zone | UTC±00:00, Africa/Monrovia |
Located in or next to body of water | Atlantic Ocean |
Located in/on physical feature | West Africa |
Coordinate location | 6°32′0″N 9°45′0″W |
Coordinates of easternmost point | 5°20′3″N 7°22′4″W |
Coordinates of northernmost point | 8°33′0″N 9°46′12″W |
Coordinates of southernmost point | 4°21′10″N 7°37′3″W |
Coordinates of westernmost point | 6°55′28″N 11°29′57″W |
Highest point | Mount Wuteve |
Lowest point | Atlantic Ocean |
Office held by head of state | President of Liberia |
State ein head | George Weah |
Office head of government hold | President of Liberia |
Government ein head | George Weah |
Legislative body | Legislature of Liberia |
Highest judicial authority | Supreme Court of Liberia |
Central bank | Central Bank of Liberia |
Currency | Liberian dollar |
Dey share bother plus | Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast |
Driving side | right |
Electrical plug type | NEMA 1-15, NEMA 5-15, Europlug, Type E, Schuko |
Dey replace | Colony of Liberia, Republic of Maryland |
Studied in | Liberian studies |
Hashtag | Liberia |
Top-level Internet domain | .lr |
Flag | flag of Liberia |
Coat of arms | coat of arms of Liberia |
Geography of topic | geography of Liberia |
Get characteristic | partly free country |
History of topic | history of Liberia |
Economy of topic | economy of Liberia |
Demographics of topic | demographics of Liberia |
Mobile country code | 618 |
Country calling code | +231 |
Emergency phone number | 911, 114 |
Licence plate code | LB |
Maritime identification digits | 636, 637 |
Unicode character | 🇱🇷 |
Category for maps | Category:Maps of Liberia |
Liberia begin for de early 19th century insyd as project for de American Colonization Society (ACS), wey dem believe black people go face better chances give freedom den prosperity for Africa insyd den for de United States insyd.[2] Between 1822 den de outbreak of de American Civil War for 1861 insyd, more dan 15,000 freed den free-born African Americans, along plus 3,198 Afro-Caribbeans, relocate go Liberia.[3] Gradually dey develop Americo-Liberian identity,[4][5] de settlers carry dema culture den tradition plus them. Liberia declare independence for July 26, 1847, wey na de U.S. no recognize am til February 5, 1862.
Na Liberia be de first African republic make e proclaim ein independence wey ebe Africa ein first den oldest modern republic. Along plus Ethiopia, na ebe de one of de two African countries make e maintain ein sovereignty during de Scramble for Africa. During World War II, Liberia support de United States war effort against Germany, wey e receive considerable American investment insyd infrastructure, wey e aid de country ein wealth den development.[6] Presido William Tubman encourage economic den political changes wey heighten de country ein prosperity den international profile; Liberia be founding member of de League of Nations, United Nations, den de Organisation of African Unity.
Na de Americo-Liberian settlers no dey relate well plus de indigenous peoples dem encounter. De Kru den Grebo dey raid colonial settlements from dema inland chiefdoms. Americo-Liberians form go small elite wey dey hold disproportionate political power; dem exclude indigenous Africans from birthright citizenship for dema own land til 1904.[7][8]
For 1980 insyd, political tensions from William R. Tolbert ein rule result in military coup wey dem kill Tolbert, wey dey mark de end of Americo-Liberian rule for de country insyd wey begin ova two decades of political instability. De First den Second Liberian Civil Wars follow five years of military rule by de People's Redemption Council den five years of civilian rule by de National Democratic Party of Liberia. Dis result for de deaths of 250,000 people (about 8% of de population) den de displacement of chaw more, plus Liberia ein economy shrink by 90%.[9] Peace agreement for 2003 insyd lead go democratic elections for 2005 insyd.
Geography
editAdministrative divisions
editMap # | County | Capital | Population
(2022 Census) |
Area
(mi2) |
Number of
Districts |
Date
Created |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bomi | Tubmanburg | 133,668 | 749 sq mi (1,940 km2) | 4 | 1984 |
2 | Bong | Gbarnga | 467,502 | 3,386 sq mi (8,770 km2) | 12 | 1964 |
3 | Gbarpolu | Bopolu | 95,995 | 3,740 sq mi (9,700 km2) | 6 | 2001 |
4 | Grand Bassa | Buchanan | 293,557 | 3,064 sq mi (7,940 km2) | 8 | 1839 |
5 | Grand Cape Mount | Robertsport | 178,798 | 1,993 sq mi (5,160 km2) | 5 | 1844 |
6 | Grand Gedeh | Zwedru | 216,692 | 4,047 sq mi (10,480 km2) | 3 | 1964 |
7 | Grand Kru | Barclayville | 109,342 | 1,503 sq mi (3,890 km2) | 18 | 1984 |
8 | Lofa | Voinjama | 367,376 | 3,854 sq mi (9,980 km2) | 6 | 1964 |
9 | Margibi | Kakata | 304,946 | 1,010 sq mi (2,600 km2) | 4 | 1985 |
10 | Maryland | Harper | 172,202 | 886 sq mi (2,290 km2) | 2 | 1857 |
11 | Montserrado | Bensonville | 1,920,914 | 737 sq mi (1,910 km2) | 17 | 1839 |
12 | Nimba | Sanniquellie | 621,841 | 4,459 sq mi (11,550 km2) | 6 | 1964 |
13 | Rivercess | River Cess | 90,777 | 2,159 sq mi (5,590 km2) | 7 | 1985 |
14 | River Gee | Fish Town | 124,653 | 1,974 sq mi (5,110 km2) | 6 | 2000 |
15 | Sinoe | Greenville | 150,358 | 3,913 sq mi (10,130 km2) | 17 | 1843 |
Demographics
editLargest cities anaa towns insyd Liberia
According to de 2008 Census | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | Name | County | Pop. | ||||||
Monrovia | 1 | Monrovia | Montserrado | 1,021,762 | Ganta | ||||
2 | Gbarnga | Bong | 56,986 | ||||||
3 | Buchanan | Grand Bassa | 50,245 | ||||||
4 | Ganta | Nimba | 42,077 | ||||||
5 | Kakata | Margibi | 34,608 | ||||||
6 | Zwedru | Grand Gedeh | 25,349 | ||||||
7 | Harbel | Margibi | 25,309 | ||||||
8 | Harper | Maryland | 23,517 | ||||||
9 | Pleebo | Maryland | 23,464 | ||||||
10 | Foya | Lofa | 20,569 |
Ethnic groups
editEthnic Groups in Liberia | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Ethnic Groups | percent | |||
Kpelle | 20.3% | |||
Bassa | 13.4% | |||
Grebo | 10% | |||
Gio | 8% | |||
Mano | 7.9% | |||
Kru | 6% | |||
Lorma | 5.1% | |||
Kissi | 4.8% | |||
Gola | 4.4% | |||
Krahn | 4% | |||
Vai | 4% | |||
Mandinka | 3.2% | |||
Gbandi | 3% | |||
Mende | 1.3% | |||
Sapo | 1.2% | |||
Belle | 0.8% | |||
Dey | 0.3% | |||
Other Liberian | 0.6% | |||
Other African | 1.4% | |||
Non African | 0.1% |
De population dey include 16 indigenous ethnic groups den various foreign minorities. Indigenous peoples dey comprise about 95 percent of de population. De 16 officially recognize ethnic groups dey include de Kpelle, Bassa, Mano, Gio or Dan, Kru, Grebo, Krahn, Vai, Gola, Mandingo anaa Mandinka, Mende, Kissi, Gbandi, Loma, Dei anaa Dewoin, Belleh, den Americo-Liberians (anaa Congo people).
Languages
editEnglish be de official language wey dey serve as de lingua franca of Liberia.[10] As of 2022, na dem dey speak 27 indigenous languages insyd Liberia, buh each be first language for a small percentage per of de population.[11] Liberians sanso dey speak a variety of creolized dialects dem collectively know as Liberian English.[10]
Further reading
edit- Cooper, Helene, House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood (Simon & Schuster, 2008, ISBN 0743266242)
- Gilbert, Erik; Reynolds, Jonathan T (October 2003). Africa in World History, From Prehistory to the Present (Paperback ed.). Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0130929075.
- Greene, Barbara (1991). Too Late to Turn Back. Penguin. ISBN 0140095942.
- Hetherington, Tim (2009). Long Story Bit By Bit: Liberia Retold. New York: Umbrage. ISBN 978-1884167737.
- Huffman, Alan (2004). Mississippi in Africa: The Saga of the Slaves of Prospect Hill Plantation and Their Legacy in Liberia Today. Gotham Books. ISBN 978-1592400447.
- Kraaij, Fred; van der (2015). Liberia : From the Love of Liberty to Paradise Lost. African Studies Centre, Leiden. ISBN 978-9054481447. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
- Lang, Victoria, To Liberia: Destiny's Timing (Publish America, Baltimore, 2004, ISBN 1413718299). Novel of the journey of a young Black couple fleeing America to settle in the African motherland of Liberia.
- Maksik, Alexander, A Marker to Measure Drift (John Murray 2013; Paperback 2014; ISBN 978-1848548077). A novel about a young woman's experience of and escape from the Liberian civil war.
- Merriam Webster's Geographical Dictionary: third Edition (Paperback ed.). Springfield: Merriam Webster Inc. 1997. ISBN 0877795460.
- Mwakikagile, Godfrey, Military Coups in West Africa Since The Sixties, Chapter Eight: Liberia: 'The Love of Liberty Brought Us Here,' pp. 85–110, Nova Science Publishers, Inc., Huntington, New York, 2001; Godfrey Mwakikagile, The Modern African State: Quest for Transformation, Chapter One: The Collapse of A Modern African State: Death and Rebirth of Liberia, pp. 1–18, Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2001.
- Pham, John-Peter (2001). Liberia: Portrait of a Failed State. Reed Press. ISBN 1594290121.
- Sankawulo, Wilton, Great Tales of Liberia. Dr. Sankawulo is the compiler of these tales from Liberia and about Liberian culture. Editura Universității "Lucian Blaga", Sibiu, Romania, 2004. ISBN 978-9736518386.
- Sankawulo, Wilton, Sundown at Dawn: A Liberian Odyssey. Recommended by the Cultural Resource Center, Center for Applied Linguistics for its content concerning Liberian culture. ISBN 0976356503
- Shaw, Elma, Redemption Road: The Quest for Peace and Justice in Liberia (a novel), with a foreword by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Cotton Tree Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0980077407)
- Williams, Gabriel I. H. (2006). Liberia: The Heart of Darkness. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 1553692942.
References
edit- ↑ "Liberia country profile". BBC News. June 10, 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
- ↑ "Background on conflict in Liberia" Archived February 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Friends Committee on National Legislation, July 30, 2003
- ↑ "July 26, 1847 Liberian independence proclaimed" Archived June 14, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, This Day In History, History website.
- ↑ Cooper, Helene, The House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood (United States: Simon and Schuster, 2008), p. 6
- ↑ Liberia: History, Geography, Government, and Culture Archived May 15, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Infoplease.com
- ↑ "Global Connections . Liberia . Timeline | PBS". www.pbs.org. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
- ↑ Nelson, Harold D.; American University (Washington, D. C. ) Foreign Area Studies (January 24, 1984). "Liberia, a country study". Washington, D.C. : The Studies : For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O. – via Internet Archive.
- ↑ "Constitutional history of Liberia". Constitutionnet.org. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- ↑ "Praise for the woman who put Liberia back on its feet". The Economist. October 5, 2017. Archived from the original on May 15, 2018. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Moore, Jina (October 19, 2009). "Liberia: Ma Ellen talk plenty plenty Liberian English". Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. Archived from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
- ↑ Liberia in Eberhard, David M.; Simons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D., eds. (2022). Ethnologue: Languages of the World (25th ed.). Dallas, Texas: SIL International.
External links
edit- Chief of State and Cabinet Members Archived October 17, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
- Liberia Archived March 19, 2021, at the Wayback Machine. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
- Liberia from UCB Libraries GovPubs.