Portal:Liberia

The Liberia Portal

Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. It has a population of around 5.5 million and covers an area of 43,000 square miles (111,369 km²). The official language is English. Over 20 indigenous languages are spoken, reflecting the country's ethnic and cultural diversity. The capital and largest city is Monrovia.

Liberia began in the early 19th century as a project of the American Colonization Society (ACS), which believed that black people would face better chances for freedom and prosperity in Africa than in the United States. Between 1822 and the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, more than 15,000 freed and free-born African Americans, along with 3,198 Afro-Caribbeans, relocated to Liberia. Gradually developing an Americo-Liberian identity, the settlers carried their culture and tradition with them while colonizing the indigenous population. Led by the Americo-Liberians, Liberia declared independence on July 26, 1847, which the U.S. did not recognize until February 5, 1862.

Liberia was the first African republic to gain independence and is Africa's oldest continuously independent country. Ethiopia was never colonized, but endured an Italian occupation from 1936 to 1941. Both Liberia and Ethiopia were spared from the European colonial Scramble for Africa. Early 20th century Liberia saw large investment in rubber production by Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. These investments led to large-scale changes in Liberia's economy, work force, and climate. During World War II, Liberia supported the U.S. war effort against Nazi Germany and in turn received considerable American investment in infrastructure, which aided the country's wealth and development. President William Tubman encouraged economic and political changes that heightened the country's prosperity and international profile; Liberia was a founding member of the League of Nations, United Nations, and the Organisation of African Unity.

In 1980, political tensions from the rule of William Tolbert resulted in a military coup, marking the end of Americo-Liberian rule and the seizure of power by Liberia's first indigenous leader, Samuel Doe. Establishing a dictatorial regime, Doe was assassinated in 1990 in the context of the First Liberian Civil War which ran from 1989 until 1997 with the election of rebel leader Charles Taylor as president. In 1998, the Second Liberian Civil War erupted against his own dictatorship, and Taylor resigned by the end of the war in 2003. The two wars resulted in the deaths of 250,000 people (about 8% of the population) and the displacement of many more, with Liberia's economy shrinking by 90%. A peace agreement in 2003 led to democratic elections in 2005. The country has remained relatively stable since then.

Mining in Liberia has been a significant economic driver since the 1960s, though it largely stopped during the Liberian civil wars. Since the end of the civil wars, mining activity increased with emphasis on industrial mining. Mining has also led to concerns about environmental degradation and environmental destruction such as deforestation, water pollution, and air pollution. Industrial miners' poor wages, working conditions, and living conditions have sparked protests from the beginning of the Liberian mining industry continuing to today. (Full article...)

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Bong is a county in the north-central portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has twelve districts. Gbarnga serves as the capital. The area of the county measures 8,772 square kilometres (3,387 sq mi). As of the 2022 Census, it had a population of 467,502, making it the third-most populous county in Liberia. The county was organized in 1964 and is important for its mining industry. Bong produces mostly iron ore, for example at the Bong Mine, located in Bong Town.

Named after Mount Bong in the southern portion of the county, it is bordered by Lofa and Gbarpolu counties to the north, Margibi and Montserrado counties to the west, Grand Bassa County to the south, and Nimba County to the east. The northeast part of Bong borders the nation of Guinea. Bong County's flag is purple, signifying the dawn, and orange, signifying the county's newness. The two geological instruments in the white field portion of the flag symbolize Bong County's mining industry. (Full article...)

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... that Izetta Wesley, a female football administrator, believes the government of Liberia is insincere in how they treat the Liberia women's national football team?

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... that in Liberia, self-induced abortions are performed with herbal remedies known as "rocket-propelled grenade" and "Christmas leaf"?

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Credit: Global Photographer

Robertsport, Liberia.

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The following are images from various Liberia-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1A proportional representation of Liberian exports. The shipping related categories reflect Liberia's status as an international flag of convenience—there are 3,500 vessels registered under Liberia's flag, accounting for 11% of ships worldwide. (from Liberia)
Image 2INPFL militiamen in 1990 after taking control of much of Monrovia. (from History of Liberia)
Image 3Charles D. B. King, 17th President of Liberia (1920–1930), with his entourage on the steps of the Peace Palace, The Hague (the Netherlands), 1927. (from History of Liberia)
Image 4Development of life expectancy (from Liberia)
Image 5The Bassa Vah alphabet. (from Culture of Liberia)
Image 6Map of Liberia c.1856 (from History of Liberia)
Image 7A map of Liberia (from Liberia)
Image 8Real GDP per capita development, since 1950 (from Liberia)
Image 9American troops in Liberia during World War II. (from History of Liberia)
Image 10President Sirleaf with (left to right) British Prime Minister David Cameron, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, and United States Secretary of State John Kerry in September 2015 (from Liberia)
Image 11Loggers and logging truck, early 1960s (from Liberia)
Image 12Liberian ceremonial spoon (from Culture of Liberia)
Image 13Bassa culture. Helmet Mask for Sande Society (Ndoli Jowei), Liberia. 20th century. Brooklyn Museum. (from Liberia)
Image 14Liberia map of Köppen climate classification (from Liberia)
Image 15Liberian President Joseph Boakai with US President Donald Trump, July 9, 2025 (from Liberia)
Image 16A one Liberian Dollar banknote from 1862 (from History of Liberia)
Image 17Liberia on a 1839 map of West Africa (from History of Liberia)
Image 18A view of a lake in Bomi County (from Liberia)
Image 19Residence of Joseph Jenkins Roberts, first President of Liberia, between 1848 and 1852 (from Liberia)
Image 20American troops secure Freeport of Monrovia, 2003 (from History of Liberia)
Image 21A beachside barbecue at Sinkor, Monrovia, Liberia (from Liberia)
Image 22President Tolbert and U.S. President Jimmy Carter (in car, left) in Monrovia, 1978 (from History of Liberia)
Image 23Charles D. B. King, 17th President of Liberia (1920–1930), with his entourage on the steps of the Peace Palace, The Hague (the Netherlands), 1927. (from Liberia)
Image 24Map of Liberia circa 1830 (from History of Liberia)
Image 25Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (from Liberia)
Image 26Edward Wilmot Blyden (from Culture of Liberia)
Image 27Pygmy hippos are among the species illegally hunted for food in Liberia. The World Conservation Union estimates that there are fewer than 3,000 pygmy hippos remaining in the wild. (from Liberia)
Image 28African Americans depart for Liberia, 1896. The ACS sent its last emigrants to Liberia in 1904. (from Liberia)
Image 29Students studying by candlelight in Bong County (from Liberia)
Image 30Paul Cuffee in 1812. (from History of Liberia)
Image 31A Liberian tropical forest (from Liberia)
Image 32The Daily Talk is a street blackboard announcing news on Monrovia's Tubman Boulevard. (from Culture of Liberia)
Image 33A technical in Monrovia during the Second Liberian Civil War (from Liberia)
Image 34The Buduburam refugee camp west of Accra, Ghana, home in 2005 to more than 40,000 refugees from Liberia (from History of Liberia)
Image 35Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. (from History of Liberia)
Image 36Gyude Bryant (from History of Liberia)
Image 37Map of Liberia Colony in the 1830s, created by the ACS, and also showing Mississippi Colony and other state-sponsored colonies (from Liberia)
Image 38A European map of West Africa and the Grain Coast, 1736. It has the archaic mapping designation of Negroland. (from Liberia)