Liberia Facts, Culture & Attractions, That You Might Not Know About

Liberia is the first country to have been founded by freed slaves from the US, in 1821.

The spectacular sea coast of the Atlantic Ocean borders Liberia. It is a tropical country of West Africa. Covering an area of about 43,000 sq mi (111,369 sq km), the country is larger than Bulgaria and Tennessee.

Liberia has a population of 5.18 million people. Its largest city is the country's capital Monrovia, which is named after James Monroe, who was a former US President. Other popular cities are Harper and Buchanan.

The official language of Liberia is English. However, residents also communicate in English-based pidgin and other indigenous languages. The country is also called the Republic of Liberia.

Due to its high rate of corruption and poor government system, Liberia is considered one of the poorest countries in the world. The 14 year-long Civil War and the deadly Ebola pandemic killed thousands of people and led to a massive downfall of the country's economy.

Keep reading to learn more fascinating facts about Liberia.

History Of Liberia

Liberia was the first African republic founded in the year 1822 by the efforts of the American Colonization Society. They aimed to make a permanent place for the freed American slaves in West Africa.

More than 12,000 slaves were relocated to Libera during a span of 40 years. In 1847, the colony of Monrovia became the free and independent Republic of Liberia.

Only 5% of the country's population consists of the descendants of the American slaves, who first came here after independence. About 16 different ethnic groups are present in the indigenous population of Liberia. Joseph Jenkins Roberts was the first elected President of Liberia.

In the year 1936, the Liberian Government banned forced labor practices in the country. Democratic elections made William Tubman the elected President in the year 1943. He outlawed racial discrimination.

In 2018, George Weah became the President of Liberia. He was a professional footballer and played for Paris Saint-Germain.

George Weah had also played for Chelsea and AC Milan before joining politics. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf then defeated George Weah and became Africa's first female President in 2006.

After her selection in the legislative elections, the Liberian military announced the start of recruitment of female soldiers in the country. In 2011, her opponent in the second round of elections was Winston Tubman, who was a former United Nations official and lost 32% of the votes.

In 2014, Sirleaf declared a state emergency for 90 days during the deadly Ebola outbreak in the country. Thousands of people lost their lives amid this pandemic in Liberia.

Liberia faced a lot of internal conflicts starting in 1980 and continuing until 2003, with the end of the autocratic rule of Charles Taylor. Samuel K. Doe's rule was ended by Charles Taylor.

After years of criminal activities in the country, President Taylor was arrested and turned over to The Hague international court.

He was sent to exile in Nigeria and later that month, a peace deal was signed between the United Nations, African Union, Economic Community of West African states, and the United States. The United Nations also laid an interim government in 2003 to monitor the security and peace of the country.

Climate And Weather In Liberia

Liberia experiences a tropical climate. This means that the country remains hot and humid throughout the year.

It receives plenty of rainfall with temperatures ranging between 73-89 F (23-32 C). Fresh sea breeze from the Atlantic coast hits the country with frequent showers.

Two main seasons are predominant in the country; a wet season and a dry season. A hot and humid season takes place in April to November, while December to March experiences a dry season with cool nights and hot days.

Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia, receives the highest amount of rainfall, which is an average of 14.76 ft (4.5 m). But the showers are restricted to the wet season only.

This makes the months of December to March the best time to visit Liberia when the country remains dry. However, travelers may experience a lot of sandy and hot winds that blow from the Sahara Desert.

Biodiversity In Liberia

Liberia is considered to be a hotspot for biodiversity. A large number of plants and animals can be spotted in this country.

Liberia has two main types of forests; evergreen forests and semi-deciduous forests. Apart from these, patches of mangroves are found in the forests that contain a large number of endemic trees.

Pygmy hippopotamus, African manatee, leopards, monkeys, antelopes, chimpanzees, anteaters, and elephants are the most common mammals found here. The rarest mammal seen here is the Liberian mongoose, which was hunted down for bushmeat and is recognized as a vulnerable animal by the UICN Red List. A more common mammal is the red river hog.

More than 125 species of wild animals are present in the Sapo National Park of Liberia, which includes African golden cats, monkeys, and Gola malimbe. About 695 species of birds inhabit Liberia, of which some are residents of the country, while others are migratory birds.

Some of the rarest species of birds spotted here are the hooded vulture, white-backed vulture, and Balearic shearwater. Flamingos are quite frequently seen in the Ivory Coast region.

Woodpeckers, parrots, and hornbills are other larger bird types found there.

Nearly 590 species of different birds are seen flying around Sapo National Park alone. The most commonly seen birds are the white-breasted guineafowl, the African fish eagle, the white-necked rockfowl, the great blue turaco, the African grey parrot, the woodland kingfisher, hornbills, egrets, bee-eaters, sunbirds, and rollers.

Nile crocodile, dwarf crocodile, West African crocodile, lizards, snakes, geckos, and chameleons are the most common reptiles seen there. Snakes endemic to West Africa like the Bitis rhinoceros are commonly noticed here.

The forest hinge black tortoise is a large amphibian frequently seen relaxing on the coasts of Liberia. A large number of fish species are also available in the water bodies of the country.

The popular ones are the African brown knife fish, Jeanpol's killi, Guinean killifish, Norman's lampeye, and Rancurel's lampeye, and banded lampeye. Commercial fish species available here are Madeiran, Spanish mackerel, round sardinellas, bonga, European anchovy, lobster, and shrimps.

Liberia is also known for more than 530 species of butterfly that are endemic to the country.

However, just like most other countries in Africa, Liberia is also experiencing large-scale deforestation, resulting in a decrease in biodiversity.

Economy Of Liberia

Due to a lack of adequate infrastructure, poor trade links, and high transport costs, Liberia's economy is constrained. It is the second-largest registry center for ships in the world and accounts for about 11% of the total ship registry.

The prolonged Civil War is the sole reason for the underdeveloped economy of Liberia. One Liberian dollar is equivalent to 0.0065 USD.

The country gains its profits from the vast biodiversity and rich mineral and water resources. More than $100 million is earned from timber annually and about $70 million from rubber. Other economic shares come from gold mining and alluvial diamond mining as well.

Other than these, Liberia depends heavily on foreign aid, particularly the assistance of the USA, Britain, Sweden, France, Germany, and Italy. The Republic of China is at present the largest financial donor to the Liberian government.

FAQs

Q: What are three interesting facts about Liberia?

A: Three interesting facts about Liberia are:

Liberia was the first country in Africa created for and by freed slaves.

The country is 171 years old. However, the average age of the citizens of Liberia is only 18 years.

The world's largest cruise ships are registered in this country.

Q: Why is Liberia so poor?

A: The main reasons for Liberia being one of the poorest countries in West Africa are corruption and conflict in the Liberian government. The 14 years long Civil War in the country left the government exhausted and affected the Liberian economy to a great extent.

Q: Why is Liberia important?

A: Liberia is important because it is the first African republic as well as the oldest modern republic that proclaimed its independence. The American freed slaves founded Liberia in the year 1822.

Q: What is Liberia like?

A: Most of the common people of Liberia are living in extreme poverty. They are deprived of the necessities for living like food, water, healthcare, and sanitation. The Liberian Government has been greatly affected due to the 14 year-long Civil War in the country. As a result of extreme poverty, violence and petty crimes are quite commonly seen here.

Q: Is Liberia safe?

A: Liberia is considered a risky place to visit due to the increasing rate of armed robbery and violent crimes. Foreigners are targeted quite often and face an alarming rate of theft and robbery. Therefore, one must be extremely vigilant if visiting this place.

Q: What is the seal of Liberia?

A: The national seal of Liberia consists of all the natural resources of the country. It depicts a shore scene with tall palm trees, a sailing ship in the ocean, the sun rising in the sky, a white dove flying with an open scroll, and a plow and spade lying at the base of the palm trees.

On top of this scenic picture is the national motto, that says ‘The Love of Liberty Brought Us Here’, and below the depiction are the words, ‘The Republic of Liberia’.

Q: What is the national animal of Liberia?

A: The Asiatic lion, also known as the Persian lion or Indian lion is the national animal of Liberia.