Liberia ( Ã, ( listen ) ), officially Republic of Liberia , is a country on the coast of West Africa. It borders Sierra Leone to the west, Guinea to the north and Ivory Coast to its east, the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of ​​111,369 square kilometers (43,000 sqÃ, mi) and has a population of about 4.7 million people. English is the official language and more than 20 languages ​​are spoken, representing many ethnic groups that make up more than 95% of the population. The capital of the country and largest city is Monrovia.
The forests on the shoreline consist mostly of salt-tolerant mangrove trees, while the less populated landscape has forests that open onto the dry grassland plains. The climate is equatorial, with significant rainfall during the May-October rainy season and harsh harmattan winds throughout the rest of the year. Liberia has about forty percent of the remaining Upper Guinean rainforests. It was an important rubber manufacturer at the beginning of the 20th century.
The Republic of Liberia begins as a settlement of the American Colonization Society (ACS), which believes blacks will face better chances for freedom and prosperity in Africa than in the United States. The country declared its independence on July 26, 1847. The US did not recognize Liberian independence until 5 February 1862, during the American Civil War. Between January 7, 1822, and the American Civil War, over 15,000 liberated and free-born blacks faced statutory limits in the United States, and 3,198 Afro-Caribbeans, moved into settlements. The black settlers brought their culture and traditions with them to Liberia. The constitution and flag of Liberia are modeled after people from the US. On January 3, 1848, Joseph Jenkins Roberts, a rich and free African African born African settler in Liberia, was elected Liberia's first president after the people proclaimed independence.
Liberia is the first African republic to proclaim its independence, and is the first and oldest modern republic of Africa. Liberia retained its independence during the Seize of Africa. During World War II, Liberia supported the US war effort against Germany and in turn, the US invested heavily in infrastructure in Liberia to assist its war effort, which also helped the country in modernizing and improving its major air transport facilities. In addition, President William Tubman encourages economic change. Internationally, Liberia is a founding member of the League of Nations, the United Nations, and the Organization of African Unity.
The Americo-Liberian settlers do not deal well with the indigenous peoples they encounter, especially those in the more isolated "bush" community. The colonial settlements were invaded by Crew and Grebo from their inland interior. Americo-Liberia developed as a small elite who held political power, and indigenous tribes were excluded from citizenship of birthright in their own land until 1904, in repeating the US treatment of Native Americans. Americo-Liberian promotes religious organizations to organize missions and schools to educate indigenous peoples.
The political tension of the William R. Tolbert government resulted in a military coup in 1980 that overthrew his leadership immediately after his death, marking the beginning of political instability over the years. Five years of military rule by the People's Redemption Council and five years of civilian rule by the Liberian Democratic National Party followed by the First and Second Liberian Wars of Liberia. This resulted in the deaths of 250,000 people (about 8% of the population), the displacement of more and shrinking the economy of Liberia by 90%. The peace treaty in 2003 led to democratic elections in 2005, in which Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected President. Recovery takes place but about 85% of the population lives below the international poverty line. Liberia's economic and political stability was threatened in 2010 by the Ebola virus epidemic; it originated in Guinea in December 2013, entered Liberia in March 2014, and declared officially to expire on May 8, 2015.
Video Liberia
History
The Pepper Coast, also known as the Grain Coast, has been inhabited by native Africans at least as far back as the 12th century. Mende-speaking people extend to the west from Sudan, forcing many smaller ethnic groups to the south toward the Atlantic Ocean. The Dei, Bassa, Crew, Gola and Kissi are some of the earliest documented people in the area.
The inclusion of these groups was exacerbated by the decline of the Western Sudanese Mali Empire in 1375 and the Songhai Empire in 1591. Liberia was part of the Koya Kingdom from 1450 to 1898. As the countryside deserted, the population moved to a wetter place. beach. These new residents bring skills such as cotton spinning, weaving cloth, iron smelting, rice and sorghum planting, and the social and political institutions of the kingdoms of Mali and Songhai. Shortly after Mane conquered the area, the Vai people of the Mali Empire who had immigrated to the Grand Cape Mount County area. Ethnic Crew opposed the entry of Vai, forming an alliance with Mane to stop Vai's further entry.
People along the coast make canoes and trade with other West Africans from Cap-Vert to the Gold Coast. Arab traders enter the area from the north, and long established slave trades bring prisoners to northern and eastern Africa.
Initial colonization
Between 1461 and the late 17th century Portuguese, Dutch and British merchants had contacts and trading posts in the area. The Portuguese named that area Costa de Pimenta ("The Lada Beach") but later known as the Wheat Coast, because of the abundance of peppercorns going. European merchants will exchange goods and goods with the locals.
In the United States, there is a movement to resettle free-born blacks and freed slaves who face racial discrimination in the form of denial of political rights, and denial of civil, religious, and social rights in the United States. Most whites and then a small black nationalist cadre believed that blacks would face a better chance for freedom in Africa than in the US. The American Colonization Society was founded in 1816 in Washington, DC for this purpose, by a group of prominent politicians and slave-owners. But its membership grew to include most people who favored the abolition of slavery. Slave owners wanted to get color-free people from the South, where they were thought to threaten the stability of the slave community. Some abolitionists collaborate on free black relocation, as they are discouraged by racial discrimination against them in the North and believe they will never be accepted in a larger society. Most blacks, born in the original place at this time, want to work toward justice in the United States rather than emigrate. Leading activists in the North strongly oppose the ACS, but some blacks are free ready to try different environments.
In 1822, the American Colonization Society began sending black volunteers to the Lada Coast to establish a colony for liberated blacks. In 1867, the ACS (and related chapters of the state) had helped the migration of over 13,000 blacks to Liberia. African-Americans who are independent and their descendants marry within their community and come to identify as Americo-Liberia. Many of the races are mixed and educated in American culture; they did not identify with the natives of the tribe they encountered. They married mostly in the colonial community, developing ethnic groups that have a cultural tradition impregnated with American ideas about Christian republicanism and Protestant Christianity.
ACS, a private organization supported by leading American politicians such as Abraham Lincoln, Henry Clay, and James Monroe, believes that the republication of free Afro-Americans is better than the widespread emancipation of slaves. Similar state-based organizations set up colonies in Mississippi-in-Africa and the Republic of Maryland, which were later annexed by Liberia.
The Americo-Liberian settlers do not deal well with the indigenous peoples they encounter, especially those in the more isolated "bush" communities, They do not know anything about their animist culture, language or religion. Encounters with African tribes in the bush often develop as violent confrontations. The colonial settlements were invaded by Crew and Grebo from their inland interior. Because they feel excluded and favored by their culture and education to indigenous peoples, the Americo-Liberians evolved as a small elite with political power. It set aside the indigenous tribes of native citizenship on their own land until 1904, in repeating the treatment of the United States against Native Americans. Due to ethnocentrism and cultural inequality, Americo-Liberians envision creating a western-style state that must be assimilated by the tribes. They promote religious organizations to organize missions and schools to educate indigenous peoples.
Government
On July 26, 1847, the settlers issued the Declaration of Independence and announced the constitution. Based on the political principles symbolized by the Constitution of the United States, he founded the independent Republic of Liberia. The United Kingdom was the first country to recognize Liberia's independence.
The new state leadership consists mainly of Americo-Liberia, which initially determined the political and economic dominance of the coastal areas purchased by the ACS; they maintain contact with US contacts in developing these areas and the resulting trade. Their share of the 1865 Port of Entry Act prohibits foreign trade with inland tribes, as if to "encourage the growth of civilized values" before such trade is permitted in the region.
In 1877, the True Americo-Liberian Whig Party was the most powerful political force in the country. It was mainly composed of people from the Americo-Liberian ethnic group, who maintained social, economic and political domination until the 20th century, repeating the European colonist pattern in other countries in Africa. Competitions for offices are usually within the party; party nominations virtually secured elections.
The pressure from the British Empire, which controls Sierra Leone to the west, and France with its interests in the north and east led to the loss of Liberia's claims to a vast territory. Both Sierra Leone and Côte d'Ivoire annexed several areas. Liberia is struggling to attract investment to develop greater infrastructure and industrial economics.
There was a decline in the production of Liberian goods in the late nineteenth century, and the government struggled financially, resulting in indebtedness to a series of international loans. On July 16, 1892, Martha Ann Erskine Ricks met Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle and presented a handmade quilt, Liberia's first diplomatic gift. Born in slavery in Tennessee, Ricks stated, "I've heard it often, since I was a kid, how nice the Queen is to my people - to slaves - and how she wants us to be free."
20th century
American and other international interests emphasize resource extraction, with rubber production as a major industry in the early 20th century.
In 1929 the charge of modern slavery in Liberia led the League of Nations to establish Christy's commission. Findings include government involvement in widespread "forced or compulsory labor", ethnic minority groups especially exploited in systems that enrich the well-connected elite in Liberia. As a result of Christy's report, President Charles D. B. King and Vice President Allen N. Yancy resign.
In the mid-20th century, Liberia gradually began to modernize with the help of America. During World War II, the United States undertook major infrastructure improvements to support its military efforts in Africa and Europe against the Nazis. It built Freeport of Monrovia and Roberts International Airport under the Lend-Lease program prior to entering the Second World War.
After the war, President William Tubman encouraged foreign investment in the country. Liberia had the second highest economic growth rate in the world during the 1950s.
Liberia also began to take a more active role in international affairs. It was a founding member of the United Nations in 1945 and a vocal critic of the South African apartheid regime. Liberia also served as a supporter of African independence from European colonial powers and Pan-Africanism, and helped fund the Organization of African Unity.
On April 12, 1980, a military coup led by Sergeant Samuel Doe of the Krahn ethnic group overthrew and assassinated President William R. Tolbert, Jr. Doe and other conspirators then execute the majority of Tolbert's cabinet and other Americo-Liberian governments. officials and members of the True Whig Party. Coup leaders set up a People's Redemption Council (PRC) to rule the country. Western ally of the Cold War, Doe received significant financial backing from the United States while critics criticized the PRC for corruption and political repression.
After Liberia adopted a new constitution in 1985, Doe was elected president in the next election, which was internationally condemned as a fraud. On November 12, 1985, a counter coup failed to be launched by Thomas Quiwonkpa, whose troops briefly occupied national radio stations. Government suppression escalated in response, as Doe troops retaliated by executing members of the Gio and Mano ethnic groups in Nimba County.
The National Patriotic Front of Liberia, a rebel group led by Charles Taylor, launched a rebellion in December 1989 against the Doe government with the support of neighboring countries such as Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. This sparked the First Liberian Civil War. In September 1990, Doe forces only controlled a small area outside the capital, and Doe was captured and executed that month by rebel forces.
The rebels soon split into different factions fighting each other. The Economic Community Monitoring Group under the Economic Community of West African States organizes a military task force to intervene in a crisis. From 1989 to 1996, one of the bloodiest civil wars in Africa broke out, claiming the lives of over 200,000 Liberians and transferring another million to refugee camps in neighboring countries. A peace deal between the conflicting parties was reached in 1995, which led to the election of Taylor as president in 1997.
Under Taylor's leadership, Liberia became internationally known as a pariah country due to the use of blood diamonds and illegal wood exports to fund the Revolutionary United Front in the Sierra Leone Civil War. The Second Liberian Civil War began in 1999 when the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, a northwestern-based rebel group, launched an armed rebellion against Taylor.
2000s
In March 2003, the second rebel group, the Democracy Movement in Liberia, began launching an attack on Taylor from the southeast. The 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 that same month. In July 2003, the rebels had launched an attack on Monrovia. Under intense pressure from the international community and the Mass Movement for the Liberal Women Movement of Liberia, Taylor resigned in August 2003 and went into exile in Nigeria.
A peace deal was signed later that month. The United Nations mission in Liberia began arriving in September 2003 to provide security and monitor peace treaties, and the interim government took power in October next.
The next 2005 election is internationally regarded as the most free and fair in the history of Liberia. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a trained Harvard graduate economist and former Finance Minister, was elected the first female president in Africa. After his inauguration, Sirleaf requested Taylor's extradition from Nigeria and transferred him to SCSL for trial in The Hague.
In 2006, the government established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address the causes and crimes of civil war.
Maps Liberia
Geography
Liberia is located in West Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean to the southwest of the country. It lies between 4 ° and 9 ° N latitude, and the longitude of 7 ° and 12 ° W.
The landscape is characterized by most flat, rolled coastal plains containing mangroves and swamps, which rise to the rolling highlands and low mountains of the northeast.
Tropical rain forests cover the hills, while elephant grass and semi-autumn forests form dominant vegetation in the north. The hot equatorial climate throughout the year with heavy rainfall from May to October with a short interruption in mid-July to August. During the winter months from November to March, the harmattan winds filled with dry dust blowing into the mainland, causing many problems for the population.
Liberian watershed tends to move in a southwestern pattern toward the sea when new rain falls on the forest plains in the inland mountains of GuinÃÆ' © e ForestiÃÆ'¨re, in Guinea. Cape Mount near the border with Sierra Leone receives the highest rainfall in the country.
The main northwestern border of Liberia is passed by the Mano River while the southeast border is bordered by the Cavalla River. The three largest Liberia rivers are St. Paul's near Monrovia, the river St. John in Buchanan and the Cestos River, all of which flowed to the Atlantic. Cavalla is the longest river in the country at 515 kilometers (320 mi).
The ultimate high point in Liberia is Mount Wuteve at 1,440 meters (4,724 feet) above sea level in the mountains of southwest Liberia from the Mountains of West Africa and the Guinea Highlands. However, Mount Nimba is near Yekepa, higher at 1,752 meters (5,748 feet) above sea level but not entirely inside Liberia because Nimba shares the border with Guinea and Ivory Coast and is their highest mountain as well.
District and district
Liberia is divided into fifteen districts, which, in turn, are subdivided into a total of 90 districts and subsequently subdivided into clan. The oldest districts are the Grand Bassa and Montserrado, both established in 1839 before Liberian independence. Gbarpolu is the newest county, created in 2001. Neem is the largest of the districts in size at 11,551 km 2 (4,460 sqÃ, mi), while Montserrado is the smallest in 1,909 km 2 (737Ã, sqÃ, mi). Montserrado is also the densest region with 1,144,806 residents at the 2008 census.
The fifteen districts are administered by heads of sections appointed by the president. The Constitution calls for the election of heads at local and local levels, but this election has not taken place since 1985 due to wars and financial constraints.
Environmental issues
Endangered species hunted for human consumption as wild meat in Liberia. Species hunted for food in Liberia include elephants, dwarf hippos, chimpanzees, leopards, duikers, and other monkeys. The bush meat is often exported to neighboring Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast, despite the ban on cross-border animal sales.
The bush meat is eaten in Liberia, and is considered a delicacy. The 2004 public opinion survey found that bush meat was ranked second behind fish among the inhabitants of the capital city of Monrovia as the source of the preferred protein. Of the households where game meat is served, 80% of the population says they cook it "occasionally", while 13% cook it once a week and 7% of animal meat is cooked daily. Surveys were conducted during the last civil war, and meat consumption of game animals is now believed to be much higher.
Liberia is a hotspot of global biodiversity - a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under human threat. Liberia hosts several remaining species populations, including western chimpanzees, forest elephants, and leopards. Liberia contains an important part of the remaining West African rainforests, with about 43% of the Upper Guinean forest - an important forest that spans several West African countries.
Slash-burning farming is one of the human activities that erode the natural forests of Liberia. A 2004 UN report estimated that 99 percent of Liberians burn charcoal and firewood for cooking and heating, resulting in deforestation.
Illegal logging has increased in Liberia since the end of the Second Civil War in 2003. In 2012, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf authorized the company to reduce 58% of all remaining primary rainforests in Liberia. After the international protests, many of the logging licenses were canceled. Liberia and Norway reached an agreement in September 2014 in which Liberia halted all logging in exchange for $ 150 million in development aid.
Pollution is a significant problem in the Liberian capital, Monrovia. Since 2006, the international community has paid for all garbage collection and disposal in Monrovia through the World Bank.
Politics
The Government of Liberia, modeled after the United States government, is a constitutional republic of unity and representative democracy as established by the Constitution. The government has three equal branches of government: the executive, headed by the president; legislative, composed of the Liberal Bicameral Legislature; and the judiciary, which consists of the Supreme Court and some lower courts.
The President serves as head of government, head of state and commander in chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia. Among other duties of the president is to sign or veto the legislative bill, grant pardons, and appoint members of the Cabinet, judges and other public officials. Together with the vice president, the president is elected for a six-year term by a majority vote in a two-round system and can serve up to two terms of tenure.
The legislature consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The DPR, headed by a speaker, has 73 members divided among 15 districts based on a national census, with each region receiving at least two members. Each member of the People's Legislative Assembly represents the election district in an area as drawn by the Election Commission and is elected by a number of their popular district votes within a period of six years. The Senate consists of two senators from each region with a total of 30 senators. The senator served a nine-year period and was chosen extensively by a number of popular voices. The vice president served as President of the Senate, with the President pro while serving in their absence.
Liberia's highest justice authority is the Supreme Court, made up of five members and presided over by Supreme Court Justice of Liberia. Members are nominated to court by the president and confirmed by the Senate, who served until the age of 70 years. The judiciary is further divided into circuits and special courts, court judges and peace judges. The judicial system is a mix between general law, under Anglo-American law, and customary law. The traditional informal court system still exists in the country's rural areas, with trials by ordinary trials even though officially banned.
Between 1877 and 1980, the government was dominated by the Whig True Party. Currently, more than 20 political parties are registered in the country, mostly based on personalities and ethnic groups. Most parties suffer from poor organizational capacity. The 2005 election marks the first time the president's party has not gained the majority of seats in the Legislature.
Corruption
Corruption is endemic at every level of the Liberian government. When President Sirleaf took office in 2006, he announced that corruption was "a major public enemy." In 2014, the US ambassador to Liberia stated that corruption there harms people through "unnecessary costs for products and services that have been difficult for many Liberians to buy".
Liberia scored 3.3 on a scale of 10 (very clean) to 0 (very corrupt) on the 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index. It ranked it 87 out of 178 countries worldwide and 11th 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa. This score, however, represents a significant improvement since 2007, when the country scored 2.1 and ranked 150th of 180 countries. When faced with government-facing government functionaries, 89% of Liberians say they have to pay bribes, the highest national percentage in the world according to the 2010 Corruption Barometer global organization.
Military
The Liberian Armed Forces (AFL) is an armed force of the Republic of Liberia. Founded as a Liberian Frontier Force in 1908, the military was entitled in 1956. Because of its history, the AFL has received considerable material and training assistance from the United States. For most of the period 1941-1989, training was largely provided by US advisers. After the UN Security Council Resolution 1509 in September 2003, the UN Mission in Liberia arrived to require a ceasefire with units from Ghana, Nigeria, Pakistan and China with a view to helping the Liberian National Transitional Government establish a new Liberia military..
Foreign relations
After the turmoil after the First and Second Civil Wars, Liberia's internal stabilization in the 21st century brought back good relations with neighboring countries and most of the Western world. As in other African countries, China is an important part of post-conflict reconstruction.
In the past, neighbors Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, accused Liberia of supporting rebels in their country.
Law enforcement
The National Police of Liberia is the national police force of the country. It has 844 officers at 33 stations in Montserrado County, containing the capital of Monrovia, in October 2007. The National Police Training Academy is in Montserrado district in Paynesville City. The history of corruption among police officers reduces public confidence and operational effectiveness. Internal security is characterized by a common lawlessness coupled with the danger that former combatants in the final civil war can rebuild militias to challenge civilian authorities.
Economy and infrastructure
The Central Bank of Liberia is responsible for printing and maintaining the Liberian dollar, which is the main currency form in Liberia. Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world, with 15% formal employment rate. GDP per capita peaked in 1980 at US $ 496, when it was comparable to Egypt (at the time). In 2011, the country's nominal GDP of US $ 1.154 billion, while nominal GDP per capita reached US $ 297, the third lowest in the world. Historically, Liberia's economy is heavily dependent on foreign aid, foreign direct investment and exports of natural resources such as iron ore, rubber and wood.
Following the peak of growth in 1979, Liberia's economy began to experience a steady decline due to economic mismanagement following the 1980 coup. This decline was accelerated by the outbreak of civil war in 1989; GDP was reduced by a 90% forecast between 1989 and 1995, one of the fastest declines in history. After the war ended in 2003, GDP growth began to increase, reaching 9.4% in 2007. The global financial crisis slowed GDP growth to 4.6% in 2009, although the strengthening of the agricultural sector led by exports of rubber and wood increased growth to 5.1% in 2010 and is expected to 7.3% in 2011, making the economy one of the 20 fastest growths in the world.
Current obstacles to growth include small domestic markets, lack of adequate infrastructure, high transportation costs, poor trade relations with neighboring countries and high dollarization of the economy. Liberia used the US dollar as its currency from 1943 to 1982 and continued to use the US dollar along with the Liberian dollar.
After the inflationary decline began in 2003, inflation soared in 2008 as a result of the worldwide food and energy crisis, reaching 17.5% before declining to 7.4% in 2009. Liberia's external debt was estimated in 2006 of about $ 4 , 5 billion, 800% of GDP. As a result of bilateral, multilateral and commercial debt assistance from 2007 to 2010, the country's foreign debt fell to $ 222.9 million in 2011.
While official commodity exports declined during the 1990s as many investors fled the civil war, the Liberian war economy displays the exploitation of diamond wealth in the region. The country acted as a principal trader in the Sierra Leonian blood diamond, exporting more than US $ 300 million in diamonds in 1999. This led to a UN ban on the export of Liberia's diamonds in 2001, which was lifted in 2007 after the accession of Liberia to Process Certification Kimberley Scheme.
In 2003, additional UN sanctions were placed on Liberian timber exports, which had increased from $ 5 million in 1997 to over US $ 100 million in 2002 and are believed to be financing rebels in Sierra Leone. These sanctions were lifted in 2006. Due largely to foreign aid and inward investment after the end of the war, Liberia maintained a large account deficit, which peaked almost 60% in 2008. Liberia gained observer status with the World Trade Organization in 2010 and was in the process of obtaining full member status.
Liberia has the highest ratio of foreign direct investment to GDP in the world, with an investment of US $ 16 billion since 2006. After the inauguration of Sirleaf's government in 2006, Liberia signed several multibillion-dollar concession agreements in the iron ore and palm oil industries. with many multinational companies, including BHP Billiton, ArcelorMittal, and Sime Darby. Especially palm oil companies such as Sime Darby (Malaysia) and Golden Veroleum (USA) are accused by critics of destruction of livelihoods and displacement of local communities, made possible through government concessions. The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company has operated the world's largest rubber plantation in Harbel, Margibi County since 1926 with more than 8,000 employees mostly in Liberia by 2015, making Firestone Liberia the largest private company in Liberia.
Flagship cruise convenience
Because of its status as a comfort flag, Liberia has the second largest maritime registry in the world behind Panama. It has 3500 vessels registered under the accounting banner for 11% of the vessels worldwide.
Telecommunications
There are six major newspapers in Liberia, and 45% of the population has cell phone service. Many of Liberia's communications infrastructure was destroyed or looted during two civil wars (1989-1996 and 1999-2003). With a low adult literacy rate and high poverty rates, the use of television and newspaper is limited, making the radio the primary means of communicating with the public.
Transportation
The main economic relationship of Liberia with the outside world came through Monrovia, through ports and airports in the capital.
Energy
The formal electricity service is provided solely by the State Electricity Company of Liberia, which operates a small network almost exclusively in the Greater District of Monrovia. Most of the electrical energy services are provided by small personal generators. At $ 0.54 per kWh, electricity rates in Liberia are among the highest in the world. The total installed capacity in 2013 is 20 MW, a sharp drop from the 191 MW peak in 1989 before the war.
The completion of the repair and expansion of Gunung Kopi hydropower, with a maximum capacity of 80 MW, is scheduled to be completed by 2018. Construction of three new heavy oil-fired power plants is expected to increase electricity capacity by 38 MW. In 2013, Liberia began importing electricity from neighboring Ivory Coast and Guinea through West Power Power Africa.
Liberia has started exploration for offshore oil; Unproven oil reserves may be more than a billion barrels. The government divided offshore waters into 17 blocks and began auctioning exploration licenses for blocks in 2004, with further auctions in 2007 and 2009. Additional 13 blocks of ultra-demarcation offshore in 2011 and planned to be auctioned. Among the companies that have won the license are Repsol, Chevron, Anadarko and Woodside Petroleum.
Demographics
At the 2017 national census, Liberia is home to 4,694,608 people. Of those, 1,118,241 live in Montserrado County, the most populous region in the country and home to the capital of Monrovia. The Greater Monrovia district has 970,824 inhabitants. Nimba County is the next densest area, with 462,026 residents. As revealed in the 2008 census, Monrovia is more than four times denser than all district capitals combined.
Before the 2008 census, the last census was held in 1984 and recorded 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. In 2006, Liberia had the highest population growth rate in the world (4.50% per year). In 2010, about 43.5% of Liberia's population was under 15 years old.
Ethnic group
The population includes 16 indigenous ethnic groups and various foreign minorities. Indigenous peoples comprise about 95 percent of the population. The 16 officially recognized ethnic groups include Kpelle, Bassa, Mano, Gio or Dan, Crew, Grebo, Krahn, Vai, Gola, Mandingo or Mandinka, Mende, Kissi, Gbandi, Loma, Fante, Dei or Dewoin, Belleh and Americo - Latvian or Congolese people.
Kpelle comprises over 20% of the population and is the largest ethnic group in Liberia, mostly living in Bong County and adjacent areas in central Liberia. Americo-Liberia, of African American and Western Indian descent, is largely a settler of Barbados, reaching 2.5%. The Congolese, the descendents of Congolese repatriation and Afro-Caribbean slaves arriving in 1825, account for about 2.5%. These last two groups established the political control of the nineteenth century that they maintained until the twentieth century.
Many immigrants come as traders and become a major part of the business community, including Lebanese, Indian, and other West African citizens. There is a high percentage of interracial marriages between ethnic Liberians and Lebanese, resulting in a significant mixed race population especially in and around Monrovia. A small minority of Liberian Africans of European descent live in this country. The Constitution of Liberia limits citizenship to people of African descent.
Language
English is the official language and serves as Liberia 'lingua franca . Thirty-one native languages ​​are spoken in Liberian, none of which is the first language for more than a small percentage of the population. Liberia also speaks various creole dialects that are collectively known as Liberian English.
The largest city
Religion
According to the 2008 National Census, 85.6% of the population practiced Christianity, while Muslims represented a minority of 12.2%. Lots of different Protestant confessions such as Lutheran, Baptist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, United Methodist, African Methodist Episcopal (AME) and African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AME Zion) denominations form a large part of the Christian population, followed by followers of the Roman Catholic and Christian Church other non-Protestants. Most of these Christian denominations were brought by African-American settlers moving from the United States to Liberia through the American Colonization Society, while others were indigenous - especially Pentecostal and evangelical Protestants. Protestantism was initially associated with American black settlers and their Americo-Liberian descendants, while indigenous peoples retained their own traditional forms of African religious animism. Indigenous people are targeted by Christian missionaries, as well as Americo-Liberia's efforts to close the cultural gap by means of education. This proved successful, leaving Christians to be the majority in this country.
Muslims comprise 12.2% of the population, largely represented by the Mandingo and Vai ethnic groups. Sunni, Shiite, Ahmadiyya, Sufi, and non-denominational Muslims constitute the bulk of Muslim Liberians.
Traditional indigenous religions are practiced by 0.5% of the population, while 1.5% are not subscribed to religion. A small number of people are BahÃÆ'¡'ÃÆ', Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist. While Christian, many Liberians also participate in secret societies of gender-based indigenous religions, such as Poro for men and Sande for women. The Sande community that all women do female circumcision.
The Constitution provides freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right. While the separation of church and state is mandated by the Constitution, Liberia is considered a Christian state in practice. Public schools offer Bible study, although parents can choose their children out. Trade is prohibited by law on Sunday and major Christian festivities. The government does not require companies or schools to forgive Muslims for Friday prayers.
Education
In 2010, Liberia's literacy rate was estimated at 60.8% (64.8% for males and 56.8% for females). In some areas free and compulsory primary and secondary education is from 6 to 16 years of age, although enforcement is weak. In other areas, children have to pay tuition to go to school. On average, children reach 10 years of education (11 for boys and 8 for girls). The country's education sector is hampered by inadequate schools and supplies, and a lack of qualified teachers.
Higher education is provided by a number of public and private universities. The University of Liberia is the largest and oldest university in the country. Located in Monrovia, the university opened in 1862. Currently, it has six colleges, including medical school and the only state law school, Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law.
Cuttington University was founded by the United States Episcopal Church in 1889 in Suakoko, Bong District, as part of its missionary education work among indigenous peoples. It is the oldest private university in the country.
In 2009, Tubman University in Harper, Maryland County was established as the second public university in Liberia. Since 2006, the government has also opened a community college in Buchanan, Sanniquellie, and Voinjama.
Health
Hospitals in Liberia include John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia and several others. Life expectancy in Liberia is estimated to be 57.4 years in 2012. With a fertility rate of 5.9 births per woman, maternal mortality reached 990 per 100,000 births in 2010. A number of highly contagious diseases, including tuberculosis, diarrhea and malaria. In 2007, the rate of HIV infection reached 2% of the population aged 15-49 while the incidence of tuberculosis was 420 per 100,000 people in 2008. Approximately 58.2% - 66% of women were estimated to have female genital mutilation.
Liberia imports 90% of its rice, staple food, and is particularly vulnerable to food shortages. In 2007, 20.4% of children under the age of five were malnourished. In 2008, only 17% of the population had access to adequate sanitation facilities.
About 95% of the country's health facilities were destroyed at the time the civil war ended in 2003. In 2009, government spending on health care per capita was 22 US dollars, accounting for 10.6% of total GDP. In 2008, Liberia had only one doctor and 27 nurses per 100,000 people.
In 2014, the Ebola virus outbreak in Guinea spread to Liberia. On November 17, 2014, there were 2,812 confirmed deaths from the ongoing outbreak. In early August 2014 Guinea closed its border into Liberia to help curb the spread of the virus, as more new cases were reported in Liberia than in Guinea. On May 9, 2015, Liberia declared Ebola free after six weeks without a new case.
According to the Foreign Development Institute report, private health spending accounts for 64.1% of total health expenditures.
Crime
Rape and sexual assault are common in the post-conflict era in Liberia. The country has one of the highest incidents of sexual violence against women in the world. Rape is the most frequently reported crime, accounting for more than one-third of cases of sexual violence. Teenage girls are the most frequently attacked, and nearly 40% of the perpetrators are adult males known to the victim.
Both male and female homosexuality is illegal in Liberia. On July 20, 2012, the Liberian senate voted unanimously to enact legislation to ban and criminalize same-sex marriage.
Culture
Religious practices, social customs, and Americo-Liberian cultural standards stem from South America before the war. The settlers wear hats and tails and model their homes on the owners of Southern slaves. Most Americo-Liberian men are members of the Liberian Masonic Order, who became deeply involved in the politics of the nation.
Liberia has a long history of rich art and quilting textiles, as the settlers bring their sewing and quilting skills. Liberia organized the National Exhibition in 1857 and 1858 where prizes were awarded for various art needles. One of Liberia's most famous quilters is Martha Ann Ricks, who presents a blanket featuring the famous Liberian coffee tree to Queen Victoria in 1892. When President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf moved into the Executive Mansion, he reportedly had a built-in Liberia blanket. in his presidential office.
A rich literary tradition has existed in Liberia for over a century. Edward Wilmot Blyden, Bai T. Moore, Roland T. Dempster and Wilton G. S. Sankawulo were among the more prominent Liberian authors. Novel Moore Murder in the Cassava Patch is considered the most famous novel in Liberia.
Polygamy
A third of Liberian women marry between the ages of 15-49 in polygamous marriages. Customary law allows men to have up to four wives.
Cuisine
Liberian cuisine greatly combines rice, the country's staple food. Other ingredients include cassava, fish, bananas, citrus fruits, plantains, coconuts, okra and sweet potatoes. Heavily peppered drinks with habanero and scotch bonnet chillies are popular and eaten with fufu. Liberia also has a unique importing tradition from the United States in West Africa.
Sports
The most popular sport in Liberia is the football association, with President George Weah - the only African man to be crowned FIFA World Player of the Year - being the most famous athlete in the country. Liberia's national football team has reached the African Nations Cup twice, in 1996 and 2002.
The second most popular sport in Liberia is basketball. Liberia's national basketball team has reached AfroBasket twice, in 1983 and 2007.
In Liberia, the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex serves as a multi-purpose stadium. It hosts FIFA World Cup qualifying matches in addition to international concerts and national political events.
Measurement system
Liberia is one of only three countries that have not yet officially adopted the International System of Units (metric systems), others are the United States and Myanmar.
In the United States, the Omnibus Trade and Commerce Act changed the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 and established the metric system as "the preferred weight and size system for US trade and commerce", but mixed in consumer use, with the general population more selecting units and custom industries either fully metric or mixed.
Myanmar, has made an official decision for the metric and, since 2013, has switched from the Imperial unit in recent years. Gasoline sales now in liters.
The Government of Liberia has begun to shift from the use of US Customary Units to the metric system. However, these changes have occurred gradually, with government reports simultaneously using both Indigenous units and US metrics.
See also
- Outline of Liberia
- Gender inequality in Liberia
References
Further reading
External links
- Head of State and Cabinet Member
- "Liberia". The World Factbook . Central Intelligence Agency.
- Liberia from UCB GovPubs Library .
- Liberia on Curlie (based on DMOZ)
- Liberian Profile from BBC News.
- Liberian profile from the portal of the Leiden's African Studies Center of the Country.
- "Liberia Map", Perry-CastaÃÆ' Â ± eda Library, University of Texas at Austin.
- Wikimedia Atlas Liberia
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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