Liberia is bounded by Sierra Leone to the northwest, Guinea to the north, Côte d’Ivoire to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and west. The capital and largest city is Monrovia. Liberia 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. Although founded by freed American and Caribbean slaves, Liberia is mostly inhabited by indigenous Africans, with the slaves’ descendants comprising 5% of the population.
The Kpelle people, who comprise almost 20% of Liberia’s population, are the largest of these groups. The Bassa, Gio, and Mano are some of the other significant ethnic groups. Although many Liberians speak one or more of the indigenous languages of the country, English is the official language of Liberia. These languages include, among others, Gio, Mano, Bassa, and Kpelle.
Monrovia is one of two national capitals named after an American president, the other being Washington DC in the USA. Approximately, one in ten of the world’s ships are registered in Liberia and fly its flag in order to avoid taxes and stricter employment regulations. The practice is known as “flag of convenience”. Only Panama has more ships registered under its flag. Liberia’s flag is modelled on the USA’s. A single star symbolises Liberia’s freedom and status as the first independent state in Africa. The 11 stripes represent the number of men who signed the Liberian Declaration of Independence. Additionally, a blue square with a white star in the middle of the flag symbolizes the nation’s role as a ray of hope for African independence. The slogan of Liberia is “The love of liberty brought us here.”
Liberia is emerging as one of Africa’s leading surf destinations. The fishing village of Robertsport, with beautiful beaches and excellent waves, is at the centre of the developing surfing community. Liberia only has one national park, the Sapo National Park. Lonely Planet says it is “one of West Africa’s best national parks” and contains “some of West Africa’s last remaining primary rainforest”. The endangered pygmy hippopotamus, or pygmy hippo, can be found in Sapo National Park. Liberians call it a “water cow”. The world’s largest rubber plantation is located in Liberia. The Firestone Rubber Plantation, a subsidiary of tyre-maker Bridgestone, has operated in Liberia since 1926.
The country is the only Black state in Africa never subjected to colonial rule and is Africa’s oldest republic. It was established on land acquired for people who formerly had been enslaved in the United States by the American Colonization Society, which founded a colony at Cape Mesurado in 1821. In 1824 the territory was named Liberia, and its main settlement was named Monrovia, which is the present-day capital.
Liberian independence was proclaimed in 1847, and its boundaries were expanded. The country enjoyed relative stability until a rebellion in 1989 escalated into a destructive civil war in the 1990s that did not fully cease until 2003. The president of Liberia is the head of state and government of this presidential representative democratic republic. The House of Representatives and the Senate comprise the nation’s legislature.
The country’s first post-conflict elections, held in 2005, were noteworthy for the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to the presidency, as she was the first woman to be elected head of state in Africa. Opposition leader Joseph Boakai defeated the incumbent George Weah in the November 2023 presidential election run-off to Weah conceded defeat as the bulk of the results came in, making the final outcome clear – helping to ensure a smooth transition of power in the once-volatile African country. The 2023 result was a marked change from the 2017 election. In that earlier election, the former football star Weah had secured a stunning victory against Boakai.
But since then, many Liberians had become disillusioned with a lack of progress on the challenges of poverty, joblessness, food insecurity and power shortages. President Boakai has promised to restore hope in Liberia and prevent the country “from falling over the cliff”. Having served for 12 years as vice-president under Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first elected female African head of state, he is familiar with running a country.
Liberia is a low-income country that relies heavily on foreign assistance and remittances from the diaspora. It is richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture. Its principal exports are iron ore, rubber, diamonds, and gold. Palm oil and cocoa are emerging as new export products. The government has attempted to revive raw timber extraction and is encouraging oil exploration.
In 2017, gold was a key driver of growth, as a new mining project began its first full year of production; iron ore exports are also increased as Arcelor Mittal opened new mines at Mount Gangra. The completion of the rehabilitation of the Mount Coffee Hydroelectric Dam increased electricity production to support ongoing and future economic activity, although electricity tariffs remain high relative to other countries in the region and transmission infrastructure is limited. Presidential and legislative elections in October 2017 generated election-related spending pressures.
