How many people live in Liberia?
Liberia
As of the 2017 national census, Liberia was home to 4,694,608 people. Of those, 1,118,241 lived in Montserrado County, the most populous county in the country and home to the capital of Monrovia. The Greater Monrovia District has 970,824 residents. Nimba County is the next most populous county, with 462,026 residents. As revealed in the 2008 census, Monrovia is more than four times more populous than all the county capitals combined.
List of birds of Liberia
This is a list of the bird species recorded in Liberia. The avifauna of Liberia include a total of 695 species, of which one is endemic, three have been introduced by humans and three are rare or accidental. Twelve species are globally threatened.
Politics of Liberia
The First and Second Liberian Civil War, which was one of Africa's bloodiest, claimed the lives of more than 200,000 Liberians and further displaced a million others into refugee camps in neighboring countries.
Religion in Liberia
The Muslim population is mainly found among the Mandingo and the Vai ethnic groups. Vai live predominantly in the west. Mandingo reside throughout the country.
Demographics of Liberia
In the 16th century; Kru (Tajuasohn), Bassa, Belleh, Krahn, Grebo.In the late 19th century to early 20th century Lebanese merchants, families and businessmen began arriving in Liberia. Lebanese currently own many major businesses such as supermarkets, restaurants, textiles, construction works, factories and other production based companies across the country. Despite living in the country, Lebanese are denied citizenship rights due to Liberia's nationality law and are seen in a political view as foreigners.
History of Liberia
Between 1847 and 1980, the state of Liberia was dominated by the small minority of black colonists and their descendants, known collectively as Americo-Liberians. The Americo-Liberian minority, many of whom were mixed race African Americans, tended to marry within their group. They had established plantations and businesses, and were generally richer than the indigenous people of Liberia and exercised overwhelming political power.
Economy of Liberia
Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world, and its economy is extremely underdeveloped, largely due to the First Liberian Civil War in 1989-96. The civil war destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around Monrovia. The war also caused a brain drain and the loss of capital, as the civil war involved overthrowing the Americo-Liberian minority that ruled the country. Some returned during 1997, but many have not.
Bassa people (Liberia)
The Bassa people of Liberia are a West African ethnic group primarily found in its central coastal regions. They live in Grand Bassa, Rivercess, Margibi and Montserrado counties. In Liberia's capital of Monrovia, they are the largest ethnic group. With an overall population of about 0.57 million, they are the second largest ethnic group in Liberia (13.4%), after the Kpelle people (20.3%). Small Bassa communities are also found in Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast.
Margibi County
As of 2008, the county had a population of 209,923: 105,840 male and 104,083 female. The sex ratio was 101.7 compared to 100.9 in 1994 census. The number of households during 2008 was 19,254 and the average size of the households was 4.6. The population was 7.20 per cent of the total population, while it was 6.00 per cent in 1994. The county had an area of 1,039 sq mi and the density per sq.mi was 202. The density during the 1984 census stood at 146. Liberia experienced civil war during various times and the total number of people displaced on account of wars as of 2008 in the county was 46,663. The number of people residing in urban areas was 88,868, with 43,723 males and 45,145 females. The total number of people in rural areas was 121,055, with 62,117 males and 58,938 females. The total fraction of people residing in urban areas was 42.33 per cent, while the remaining 058 per cent were living in rural areas. The number of people resettled as of 2008 was 29,813 while the number of people who were not resettled was 1,754. The number of literates above the age of ten as of 2008 was 55,994 while the number of illiterates was 39,112 making the literacy rate to 58.88. The total number of literate males was 33,596 while the total number of literate females was 22,398.
Wildlife of Liberia
Liberia has a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna.About 530 species of butterfly are known to be from Liberia, one of which is endemic.
Liberia
The Central Bank of Liberia is responsible for printing and maintaining the Liberian dollar, which is the primary form of currency in Liberia.
Liberia is one of the world's poorest countries, with a formal employment rate of 15%. GDP per capita peaked in 1980 at US$496, when it was comparable to Egypt's (at the time). In 2011, the country's nominal GDP was US$1.154 billion, while nominal GDP per capita stood at US$297, the third-lowest in the world. Historically, the Liberian economy has depended heavily on foreign aid, foreign direct investment and exports of natural resources such as iron ore, rubber, and timber.
Health in Liberia
HIV/AIDS is one of the biggest diseases that has affected and is affecting Liberia to date. At any given time 33,000 people are living with HIV in Liberia of whom nearly 60% are female. Due to Liberia's incapability to treat this disease only about 1.2% of those affected survives the disease. The youth in Liberia is one of the biggest contributors to the extensive post-conflict HIV/AIDS problem. This is due to risky unprotected sex among adolescents without any form of contraception. A new social marketing condom program is being introduced to adolescents in vulnerable areas of the country in order to stop the spread of the disease and to minimize many preventable deaths throughout the country. In a 2012 study conducted by the African Health Sciences organisation over 20,400 condoms were provided to males and 316 to females in over 87 sites throughout Liberia. Communities were informed how to provide awareness of the dangers of HIV AIDS and how easily it can be prevented through the method of safe sex. Through the help of Population Services International in 2012 alone, the provision of contraception is estimated to have prevented 4.7 million unintended pregnancies and 13,600 maternal deaths, and to have provided 19 million couples with protection.
Lofa County
Lofa County has six districts (2008 population):Foya District (100,000), Kolahun District (59,057), Salayea District (22,968), Vahun District (16,876), Voinjama District (40,730), and Zorzor District (40,352). 
The Legislature of Liberia was modeled based on the Legislature of United States. It is bicameral in nature with a Senate and the House of Representatives. There are 13 counties in the country and based on the population, each county is defined to have at least two members, while the total number of members to the house including the Speaker being 64. Each member represents an electoral district and elected to a six-year term based on popular vote. There were 26 senators, two each for the 13 counties and they serve a nine-year term (30 senators, 15 counties and nine years from 2011). Senators are also elected based on plurality of votes. The Vice-President is the head of the Senate and he also acts as President in the President's absence.
Rivercess County
As of 2008, the county had a population of 71,509: 37,224 male and 34,285 female. The sex ratio was 108.6 compared to 99 in 1994 census. The number of households during 2008 was 15,829 and the average size of the households was 5. The population was 1.80 per cent of the total population, while it was 2.10 per cent in 1994. The county had an area of 2,183 sq mi and the density per sq.mi was 33. The density during the 1984 census stood at 17. Liberia experienced civil war during various times and the total number of people displaced on account of wars as of 2008 in the county was 24,318. The number of people residing in urban areas was 2,389, with 1,262 males and 1,127 females. The total number of people in rural areas was 69,120, with 35,962 males and 33,158 females. The total fraction of people residing in urban areas was 3.34 per cent, while the remaining 0.97 per cent were living in rural areas. The number of people resettled as of 2008 was 12,817 while the number of people who were not resettled was 2,253. The number of literates above the age of ten as of 2008 was 34,838 while the number of illiterates was 35,323 making the literacy rate to 49.65. The total number of literate males was 22,702 while the total number of literate females was 12,136.
American Colonization Society
From 1821, thousands of free blacks, who faced legislated restrictions in much of the US, moved to Liberia. Over twenty years, the colony continued to grow and establish economic stability. In 1847, the legislature of Liberia declared the nation an independent state. The ACS had closely controlled the development of Liberia until its declaration of independence. By 1867, the ACS had assisted in the immigration of more than 13,000 Americans to Liberia.
Environmental issues in Liberia
Liberia is a global biodiversity hotspot - a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans. Liberia contains a significant portion of West Africa's remaining rainforest, with about 43% of the Upper Guinean forest - an important forest that spans several West African nations.
Liberia
Both male and female homosexuality is illegal in Liberia. On July 20, 2012, the Liberian senate voted unanimously to enact legislation to prohibit and criminalize same-sex marriages.
Liberia
The rebels soon split into various factions fighting one another. The Economic Community Monitoring Group under the Economic Community of West African States organized a military task force to intervene in the crisis. From 1989 to 1996 one of Africa's bloodiest civil wars broke out, claiming the lives of more than 200,000 Liberians and displacing a million others into refugee camps in neighboring countries. A peace deal between warring parties was reached in 1995, leading to Taylor's election as president in 1997.
Agriculture in Liberia
Alongside cassava, rice is the staple food of the republic, with 238,000 tonnes produced in 2013. The foodstuff accounts for 22% of agricultural GDP, far higher than all livestock. However, the harvest still falls short of 1988 levels which were 299,000 tonnes even though the population has doubled. Yields are also low with most rice at 3 tonnes per hectare, less than half the average in the United States.
Quardu Gboni District
The Quardu Gboni District is the newest of the seven administrative districts of Lofa County in Liberia. The district is predominantly Mandingo (99%) who are all Maliki Muslims. According to LISGIS 2008 report, the region is about a little over 33,000 hectares of land with over thirty human settlements. Some eminent citizens that hail from the District include the late Edward Kesselly, founding father of Liberia current ruling party (Unity Party), G. V. Kromah, Esq. a former resistance leader, a renowned veteran journalist, lawyer and a writer, Mariamu Beyan Fofana, current lawmaker of the district.
Barkedu is the largest and most populous town in the district which was currently declared a township through legislation by the effort of Hon. Fofana. The current representative as well as Prof. Kromah hails from Tusu Town, the District's second largest and second most populated settlement only surpassed by Barkedu.
Lofa County
As of 2008, the county had a population of 276,863: 133,611 male and 143,252 female. The sex ratio was 93.3 compared to 107.8 in 1994 census. The number of households during 2008 was 45,095 and the average size of the households was 5.5. The population was 9.50 per cent of the total population, while it was 8.00 per cent in 1994. The county had an area of 3,854 sq mi and the density per sq.mi was 72. The density during the 1984 census stood at 52. Liberia experienced civil war during various times and the total number of people displaced on account of wars as of 2008 in the county was 128,178. The number of people residing in urban areas was 83,150, with 40,592 males and 42,558 females. The total number of people in rural areas was 193,713, with 93,019 males and 100,694 females. The total fraction of people residing in urban areas was 30.03 per cent, while the remaining 070 per cent were living in rural areas. The number of people resettled as of 2008 was 32,959 while the number of people who were not resettled was 13,399. The number of literates above the age of ten as of 2008 was 79,196 while the number of illiterates was 66,907 making the literacy rate to 54.21. The total number of literate males was 47,865 while the total number of literate females was 31,331.
Liberia, Costa Rica
With more than 50,000 inhabitants, Liberia is the regional hub of the Costa Rican northwest. The city center features a modern church, as many Costa Rican towns do, facing a plaza surrounded by locally owned shops and restaurants. Liberia is also home to an expo that takes place in the month of July, celebrating the annexation of Guanacaste Province on 25 July 1824.
Religion in Liberia
Regardless of public statements of identification with Christianity, a "vast majority" of Liberians believe a supernatural world of ancestral and bush spirits that impact daily life. Ethnic groups in all regions of Liberia participate in the traditional religious practices of the Poro and Sande secret societies, with the exception of the Krahn ethnic group, who have their own secret society.
Economy of Liberia
Communications in Liberia is the press, radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet. There are six major newspapers in Liberia, and 45% of the population has a mobile phone service. Also, the radio stations in Liberia are abundant to the extent that there are over 70 radio stations in the entire country (Liberia). As for Montserrado County, there exist about 30 radio stations.
First Liberian Civil War
The civil war claimed the lives of one out of every 17 people in the country, uprooted most of the rest, and destroyed a once-viable economic infrastructure. The strife also spread to Liberia's neighbors. It helped slow democratization in West Africa at the beginning of the 1990s and destabilized a region that already was one of the world's most unsteady.
Demographics of Liberia
With recent civil wars being fought along ethnic lines, Liberia is a multiethnic and multicultural country. Diversity has always been celebrated in Liberian culture - ethnically based civil wars aside - in regard to cuisine, music, fashion, language and people. Despite individuals at power claim that 80% of the population is Christian, most of the population follow traditional African belief system and an other significant portion belong to Islamic faith.
Liberia
Liberia imports 90% of its rice, a staple food, and is extremely 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.
Liberian Kreyol language
Kreyol (Liberian Pidgin English, Vernacular Liberian English) is an English-based pidgin spoken in Liberia. It was spoken by 1,500,000 people as a second language (1984 census) which is about 70% of the population in that time. Today the knowledge of some form of English is even more widespread. It is historically and linguistically related to Merico, a creole spoken in Liberia, but is grammatically distinct from it. There are regional dialects such as the Kru Pidgin English used by the Kru fishermen.
Outline of Liberia
Liberia
Bahá'í Faith in Liberia
The Bahá'í Faith in Liberia begins with the entrance of the first member of the religion in 1952 and the first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly in 1958 in Monrovia. By the end of 1963 there were five assemblies and Liberian Bahá'ís elected their first National Spiritual Assembly in 1975. Hosting various conferences through the '70's the community was somewhat disrupted by the First Liberian Civil War with some refugees going to Côte d'Ivoire in 1990 and the re-establishment of the National Spiritual Assembly in 1998. Third parties invited the modern Bahá'í community into their dialogues in the country while Bahá'ís have continued their work supporting a private Bahá'í school, the Bahá'í Academy and a private radio station. The Association of Religion Data Archives(relying mostly on the World Christian Encyclopedia) estimated some 11,691 Bahá'ís in 2005.
Agriculture in Liberia
Half of Liberia's total landmass is forest (4.9 million hectares) and 47% is arable land, although most of this is upland pasture. The 'slash and burn' technique is used extensively to convert woodland into rice paddies, often at the expense of biodiversity. The nation consists of flat, coastal plains and dwarf mountains further inland in the north east.
Demographics of Liberia
English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence.
Nimba County
Nimba County is a county in the northeastern Liberia that shares borders with the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire in the East and the Republic of Guinea in the Northwest. Its capitol city is Sanniquellie and its most populous city is Ganta. With the county's area measuring , Nimba is the largest of Liberia's 15 counties. The county has 6 statutory districts and as of the 2008 Census, it had a population of 462,026, making it the second most populous county in Liberia.
Demographics of Liberia
43.5% of Liberians were below the age of 15 in 2010. 53.7% were between 15 and 65 years of age, while 2.8% were 65 years or older.
Ahmadiyya in Liberia
Ahmadiyya is an Islamic religious movement in Liberia. Founded in the year 1956, during the era of the Second Caliphate, the movement today represents an estimated 10% of the country's Muslim population. Approximately, this corresponds to 85,000 Ahmadi Muslims in Liberia.
Liberian nationality law
The Republic of Liberia was founded by African slaves from North America by the American Colonization Society and returned to establish a republic on African soil. Nationality law is given in the Aliens and Nationality Law of 1973, based on its 1847 Constitution. Current citizenship laws explicitly state being Black as a prerequisite to citizenship. The first constitution allowed for women to transmit their nationality to their children, although multiple citizenship was not permitted nor is it permitted in revisions of the constitution.
American Colonization Society
Emigrants arriving in Liberia suffered the highest recorded mortality rate in accurately recorded human history. Of the 4,571 emigrants who arrived in Liberia from 1820 to 1843, only 1,819 survived until 1843. The ACS knew of the high death rate, but continued to send more people to the colony. Professor Shick writes:
Liberia
Traditional indigenous religions are practiced by 0.5% of the population, while 1.5% subscribe to no religion. A small number of people are Bahá'í, Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist. While Christian, many Liberians also participate in traditional, gender-based indigenous religious secret societies, such as Poro for men and Sande for women. The all-female Sande society practices female circumcision.
Grebo people
A 2001 estimate of the number of Grebo people in Liberia is approximately 387,000. There are an estimated 48,300 Grebo in Côte d'Ivoire, not counting refugees. Precise numbers are lacking, since many have been displaced by the civil war in Liberia of the late 20th and early 21st century.
History of Liberia
Liberia retained its independence throughout the Scramble for Africa by European colonial powers during the late 19th century, while remaining in the American sphere of influence. From the 1920s, the country became dependent on exploitation of natural resources. The rubber industry and the Firestone Company dominated much of the economy. Until 1980, Liberia was politically dominated by the small minority of descendants of the free African-American colonists, known collectively as Americo-Liberians. Little economic development occurred during this period. Since the late 20th century, the country has been politically dominated by members of the indigenous peoples of the country, who constitute the majority of the population. Years of civil war have disrupted the country and its economy.
Liberia, Costa Rica
It is a major center for the country's tourism industry. Liberia has been nicknamed "la ciudad blanca" (the white city) due to the white gravel that was once used to make the city’s roads and the whitewashed colonial houses which used to make up a large part of the city. It had a population of 56,899 in 2013.
Demographics of Liberia
The demographics of Liberia are examined on this page, including Liberia's population density, ethnic groups, education level, population health, economic status, religious affiliations and other demographic information.
Gender inequality in Liberia
The fertility rate has been slowly declining from 6.9 births per woman in 1984 to 5.4 in 2007 and 5.2 in 2012. Although fertility rates are decreasing in Liberia, its population growth rate is 2.6%, meaning that Liberia is one of the fastest growing nations in Africa. This growth is caused by a large percent of the female population being of reproductive age, along with early marriage practices (approximately 48% married by age 18 in 2007) and widespread polygamy, especially in rural areas. Contraceptive use is low among women from poor households and unmarried women, with an estimated prevalence rate of 11%.
United Nations Mission in Liberia
The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) was a peacekeeping force established in September 2003 to monitor a ceasefire agreement in Liberia following the resignation of President Charles Taylor and the conclusion of the Second Liberian Civil War. 
The peacekeeping mission formally withdrew on 30 March 2018. At its peak it consisted of up to 15,000 United Nations military personnel and 1,115 police officers, along with a civilian component. It superseded the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL). As of July 2016, 1,240 U.N. military and 606 police personnel remained on the ground, but were there only in case of emergency.
Liberia
Hospitals in Liberia include the 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, the maternal mortality rate stood at 990 per 100,000 births in 2010. A number of highly communicable diseases are widespread, including tuberculosis, diarrheal diseases and malaria. In 2007, the HIV infection rates stood at 2% of the population aged 15–49 whereas the incidence of tuberculosis was 420 per 100,000 people in 2008. Approximately 58.2% – 66% of women are estimated to have undergone female genital mutilation.
Kru people
The Kru are one of the many ethnic groups in Liberia, comprising 7% of the population. It is also one of the main languages spoken. The Kru are one of the three main indigenous group players in Liberia's socio-political activities along with the Krahn and Mano people.
Precaria (country)
This concept is used to distinguish the condition of poverty corresponding to a population of 180 million people, which would make it the second country-wide population of Latin America after Brazil. It is considered that its population is mestizo. Precaria has a population, among others, of "2 million of Chileans, 1 million of Costa Ricans, 6 million of Bolivians, 4 million of Nicaraguans and 5 million of Hondurans."
Several factors as the lack of access to fair opportunities for the poor people are not detected by traditional development indices. Therefore within this paradigm an index of dignity is established, in accordance to the deserved respect to human dignity. Major problems in "Precaria" are the lack of drinking water and of basic sanitation services, and the lack of adequate housing.
Six Days: Three Activists, Three Wars, One Dream
Liberia has experienced two Civil Wars – The First Liberian Civil War was in 1989 and the Second Liberian Civil War was in 1999 . Nelly Cooper in the documentary was witness to the wars and even had a 6 month old baby during the evacuation of homes. Owing to the Civil War, many communities in Liberia have been subjected to extreme poverty. In 2010, more than 80% Liberians were surviving on less than $1.25 per day. Nelly relates in the documentary, that “many of the women’s husbands don’t work in Liberia. So the households are run by women.” Education of these women and other young girls is meant to be a “cornerstone” in the development of Liberia.
Politics of Liberia
For more than a year, over 9,000 census-takers combed the densely forested nation mapping every structure. For three days starting 21 March 2008, they revisited each dwelling and counted the inhabitants.
Liberian Americans
During the 20th century few Liberian emigrated to United States; most who did were students. However, when developing the First Liberian Civil War (1989–96), emigrated thousands of Liberian to the United States, becoming so the first wave of migration from Liberians to that country. So, from 1990 through 1997, the INS reported 13,458 Liberians fled to the United States and that lived there permanently. During these years, there were also tens of thousands who sought temporary refuge in the United States. In fact, in 1991 alone, the INS guaranteed Temporary Protective Status (TPS) to approximately 9,000 Liberians in the United States.
However, still after the war, more than 6,000 Liberians moved to Providence, Rhode Island. About 10,000 other Liberians settled across the U.S. and most of them decided to stay after the war ended. Although the INS revoked the status in 1997 following national elections in Liberia, many of these Liberian Americans refused return to Liberia. As of mid-1999, the U.S. Congress decided by legislation to give the Liberian refugees permanent status in the United States.
Presbyterian Church in Liberia
The church has 15 congregations across Liberia and more than 3,000 members.
United Nations Mission in Liberia
Civil war in Liberia claimed the lives of more than 150,000 people - mostly civilians - and led to a complete breakdown of law and order. It displaced scores of thousands of people, both internally and beyond the borders, resulting in some 850,000 refugees in the neighboring countries. Fighting began in late 1989, and by early 1990, several hundred deaths had already occurred in confrontations between government forces and fighters who claimed membership in an opposition group, the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), led by a former government official, Mr. Charles Taylor.
Liberia
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-southwest. It covers an area of and has a population of around 4,700,000 people. English is the official language and over 20 indigenous languages are spoken, representing the numerous ethnic groups who make up more than 95% of the population. The country's capital and largest city is Monrovia.
Languages of Liberia
Liberia is a multilingual country where more than thirty languages are spoken. English is the official language. None of the languages group forms a distinctive majority. The native languages can be grouped in four language families: Mande, Kru, Mel, and the divergent language Gola.
Liberia
Prior to the 2008 census, the last census had been held in 1984 and listed 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. , Liberia has the highest population growth rate in the world (4.50% per annum). In 2010 some 43.5% of Liberians were below the age of 15.
List of Liberians
http://webtv.un.org/watch/wantoe-liberia-world-humanitarian-summit-istanbul-2016-member-states-and-stakeholders-announcements/4912942480001
https://frontpageafricaonline.com/diaspora/liberian-youth-advocate-addresses-united-nations-youth-assembly/
Demographics of Liberia
As of 2006, Liberia has the highest population growth rate in the world (4.50% per annum). 43.5% of Liberians were below the age of 15 in 2010.
Demographics of Liberia
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.
Environmental issues in Liberia
Slash-and-burn agriculture is one of the human activities eroding Liberia's natural forests. A 2004 UN report estimated that between 1990 and 2004, forest cover in Liberia had fallen by around seven per cent to just over 31 per cent of Liberia's total area.
Religion in Liberia
Christianity is by far the most common faith in Liberia, with recent surveys showing Christians making up 83-86% of the population, up significantly from surveys in the 1980s. By contrast, Islam has declined slightly from 14-15% in the 1980s to 11-12% in recent surveys. Traditional religions and non-religious individuals have seen greater declines.
Christian denominations include the Lutheran, Baptist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, United Methodist, African Methodist Episcopal (AME) and AME Zion denominations, and a variety of Pentecostal churches. Some of the Pentecostal movements are affiliated with churches outside the country, while others are independent. There are also members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and Seventh-day Adventists. Christians live throughout the country.
Liberia
Political tensions from the rule of William R. Tolbert resulted in a military coup in 1980 during which Tolbert was killed, marking the beginning of years-long political instability. Five years of military rule by the People's Redemption Council and five years of civilian rule by the National Democratic Party of Liberia were followed by the First and Second Liberian Civil Wars. These resulted in the deaths of 250,000 people (about 8% of the population), the displacement of many more and shrunk Liberia's economy by 90%. A peace agreement in 2003 led to democratic elections in 2005, in which Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected President. Recovery proceeds but about 85% of the population lives below the international poverty line. Liberia's economic and political stability was threatened in the 2010s by an Ebola virus epidemic; it originated in Guinea in December 2013, entered Liberia in March 2014, and was declared officially ended on May 8, 2015.
Ebola virus epidemic in Liberia
On 19 October the President of Liberia apologized to the Mayor of Dallas for the Liberian national that brought the disease to the United States. By 19 October only one area in Liberia, Grand Gedeh, has yet to report an Ebola case. 14 out of the 15 districts have reported cases. The disease has been noted to be spreading in Monrovia, the nation's capital with over one million inhabitants. Monrovia was particularly affected with 305 new cases reported in the week ending 19 October.
Montserrado County
The most populous district in the county and the nation, Greater Monrovia District, is home to 970,824 people. Employment is mainly informal, small scale trade and government employment through the national government or foreign governments. The population has members of each of Liberia’s 16 main tribes.
New Georgia, Liberia
In July 1827 a ship named "Norfolk" carried 131, 143 or 144 Africans to Liberia from the United States, of whom 78 were adult women and another eleven or twelve were under ten years of age. One hundred twenty of those people had been found on the slave ship "Antelope" when it was seized off the coast of Florida in 1820. They had been held in Georgia for seven years waiting for the courts to settle their fate. After being kept under supervision in Monrovia for a while, the people from the "Antelope" were settled along Stockton Creek on Bushrod Island about four miles up the Mesurado River from Monrovia. The settlement was named New Georgia after their home of the prior seven years. Although "recaptured" Africans (people taken from slave ships by U.S. Navy anti-slave trade patrol ships) had been brought to Liberia previously, none were still there when the people from the "Antelope" arrived. Most, if not all, of the people found on the "Antelope" in 1820 and taken to Liberia in 1827 had originally been loaded on slave ships at Cabinda, and were probably Congos.
Religion in Liberia
The Bahá'í Faith in Liberia begins with the entrance of the first member of the religion in 1952. By the end of 1963 there were five assemblies and Liberian Bahá'ís elected their first National Spiritual Assembly in 1975. The community was somewhat disrupted by the First Liberian Civil War but re-established their National Spiritual Assembly in 1998. Almost 9,500 Bahá'ís are believed to have been in Liberia in 2006.
Culture of Liberia
According To the 2008 National Census, 85.5% of Liberia's population practices Christianity. Muslims comprise 12.2% of the population, largely coming from the Mandingo and Vai ethnic groups.
Communications in Liberia
Four licensed GSM cellular mobile service providers operate in the country: Lonestar Cell, CellCom, LiberCell, and Comium. Approximately 45% of the population has cell phone service.While Liberia's commercial internet sector is still behind the majority of African countries there are still a few classifieds sites:
Kru languages
Recent documentation has noted "Kru societies can now be found along the coast of Monrovia, Liberia to Bandama River in Côte d'Ivoire". "Villages maintain their ties based on presumed common descent, reinforced by ceremonial exchanges and gifts". The Kru people and their languages, although now many speak English (in Liberia) or French (in Côte d'Ivoire) as a second language, are said to be "dominant in the southwest region where the forest zone reaches the coastal lagoons". The Kru people rely on the forest for farming, supplemented by hunting for their livelihood. In 2010, Kru and associated languages were spoken by 95 percent of the approximately 3.5 million people in Liberia.
Charles Taylor (Liberian politician)
By early 2003, LURD had gained control of northern Liberia. That year, a second Ivorian-backed rebel group, Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), emerged in southern Liberia and achieved rapid successes. By the summer, Taylor's government controlled only about a third of Liberia: Monrovia and the central part of the country. More than one-third of the total population lived in this area.
Demographics of Liberia
There are also more or less nomadic groups like the Fula, who engage mostly in trade, and the Fanti, who are often fishermen or traders of fish, usually from Ghana, living seasonally and more and more often permanently in Liberia.
United Nations Mission in Liberia
However, the Second Liberian Civil War began in 1999 when a rebel group backed by the government of neighbouring Guinea, the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), emerged in northern Liberia. In early 2003, a second rebel group, the Movement for Democracy in Liberia, emerged in the south, and by June–July 2003, Charles Taylor's government controlled only a third of the country. The capital Monrovia was besieged by LURD, and that group's shelling of the city resulted in the deaths of many civilians. Thousands of people were displaced from their homes as a result of the conflict.
Demographics of Liberia
"total population:"
57 years
"male:"
55.44 years
"female:"
58.6 years (2011 est.)
Demographics of Liberia
Then there are Americo-Liberians, who are descendants of free-born and formerly enslaved African Americans who arrived in Liberia from 1822 onward and Congo People (descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean), making up an estimated 5% of the population. They used to dominate political life in Liberia and still have a lot of influence.
Second Ivorian Civil War
On 7 April Rupert Colville said that 40 bodies were found in Blolequin, where perpetrators were said to have been Liberian militias, who spared the Guere after separating them out from other groups. In Guiglo 60 bodies were found, including a number of West Africans.
According to the United Nations, due to the continuing violence more than 100,000 people have fled the country to neighbouring Liberia. At Old Pohan, a Liberian settlement next to the thickets that extend to the border, refugees greatly outnumbered the local population, and more were arriving all the time. President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said in an interview that “it’s a serious threat to the stability of Liberia and, I might say, to the stability of all neighboring countries”. Seeking to move the Ivorians away from border settlements, the United Nations has opened a camp about 25 miles inside Liberia. Refugees are also starting to cross in significant numbers into Ghana.
Negro
The constitution of Liberia limits Liberian nationality to "Negro" people (see also Liberian nationality law). People of other racial origins, even if they have lived for many years in Liberia, are thus precluded from becoming citizens of the Republic.
Americo-Liberians
In 1980, a violent military coup was led by Samuel Doe. Doe's tenure as leader of Liberia led to a period of civil wars, resulting in destruction of the country's economy. In the early 21st century, Liberia has been reduced to one of the most impoverished nations in the world, in which most of the population lives below the international poverty line.
Grand Cape Mount County
As of 2008, the county had a population of 127,812: 65,679 male and 62,133 female. The sex ratio was 105.7 compared to 89.2 in 1994 census. The number of households during 2008 was 18,143 and the average size of the households was 5.2. The population was 3.80 per cent of the total population, while it was 3.70 per cent in 1994. The county had an area of 1,846 sq mi and the density per sq.mi was 69. The density during the 1984 census stood at 43. Liberia experienced civil war during various times and the total number of people displaced on account of wars as of 2008 in the county was 44,486. The number of people residing in urban areas was 8,145, with 4,022 males and 4,123 females. The total number of people in rural areas was 118,931, with 61,657 males and 57,274 females. The total fraction of people residing in urban areas was 6.37 per cent, while the remaining 093 per cent were living in rural areas. The number of people resettled as of 2008 was 24,316 while the number of people who were not resettled was 2,897. The number of literates above the age of ten as of 2008 was 53,824 while the number of illiterates was 40,346 making the literacy rate to 57.16. The total number of literate males was 31,435 while the total number of literate females was 22,389. An estimated 60% of the population speak the Vai language and 70% are Muslim.
Liberia
Liberia is divided into fifteen counties, which, in turn, are subdivided into a total of 90 districts and further subdivided into "clans". The oldest counties are Grand Bassa and Montserrado, both founded in 1839 prior to Liberian independence. Gbarpolu is the newest county, created in 2001. Nimba is the largest of the counties in size at , while Montserrado is the smallest at . Montserrado is also the most populous county with 1,144,806 residents as of the 2008 census.
Outline of Liberia
Liberia – country in West Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, and the Atlantic Ocean. Liberia has a hot equatorial climate with most rainfall arriving in summer with harsh harmattan winds in the dry season. Liberia's populated Pepper Coast is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the sparse inland is forested, later opening to a plateau of drier grasslands. Since 1989, Liberia has been in a state of flux witnessing two civil wars, the First Liberian Civil War (1989–1996), and the Second Liberian Civil War (1999–2003), displacing hundreds of thousands of people and devastating the country's economy.Geography of Liberia
History of Liberia
Emigrants arriving in Liberia suffered the highest recorded mortality rate in accurately recorded human history. Of the 4,571 emigrants who arrived in Liberia from 1820 to 1843, only 1,819 survived until 1843. The ACS knew of the high death rate, but continued to send more people to the colony. Professor Shick writes:
Montserrado County
Montserrado County is a county in the northwestern portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it is composed of five districts. As of the 2008 Census, it had a population of 1,118,241, making it the most populous county in Liberia. The area of the county measures , the smallest in the country.Bensonville serves as the capital.
Culture of Liberia
One third of married Liberian women between the ages of 15-49 are in polygamous marriages. Customary law allows men to have up to 4 wives.
Economy of Liberia
Liberia maintains an open maritime registry, meaning that owners of ships can register their vessels as Liberian with relatively few restrictions. This has meant that Liberian ship registration is usually understood as the employment of a flag of convenience. Liberia has the second-largest maritime registry in the world behind Panama, with 3,500 vessels registered under its flag accounting for 11% of ships worldwide. This includes 35% of the world's tanker fleet. Liberia earned more than $18 million from its maritime program in 2000.
Kakata
As of the 2008 census, Kakata has a population of 33,945. Of this, 16,501 were male and 17,444 female; it is the fifth most populous urban area in Liberia.
Liberian National Police
INTERPOL states that "With more than 4,100 police officers in 151 police stations across the country, the Liberian National Police (LNP) has responsibility for Liberian internal security and criminal investigations." The Liberian National Police have 844 officers spread across 33 stations in Montserrado County, which contains the capital Monrovia, as of October 2007.
Liberia
Approximately 95% of the country's healthcare facilities had been destroyed by the time civil war ended in 2003. In 2009, government expenditure on health care per capita was US$22, accounting for 10.6% of total GDP. In 2008, Liberia had only one doctor and 27 nurses per 100,000 people.
1951 Liberian general election
The Legislature of Liberia was modeled based on the Legislature of United States. It is bicameral in nature with a Senate and the House of Representatives. There are 15 counties in the country and based on the population, each county is defined to have at least two members, while the total number of members to the house including the Speaker being 64. Each member represents an electoral district and elected to a four year term (six years after 2011 elections) based on popular vote. There were 18 senators, two each for the nine counties and they serve a six year term (30 senators, 15 counties and nine years from 2011). Senators are also elected based on plurality of votes. The Vice-President is the head of the Senate and he also acts as President in his absence. This was the first election in Liberia where women and the local Liberians owning property were allowed to vote based on a Constitutional Referendum in 1945-46. Previously, only men of indigenous descendants were allowed to vote.
Bahá'í Faith in Liberia
A small percentage of the Liberian population is Bahá'í, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, or atheist. The Association of Religion Data Archives (relying on World Christian Encyclopedia) estimated some 11,691 Bahá'ís in 2005.
House of Representatives of Liberia
Seats in the House are apportioned among the counties of Liberia in proportion to their percentage of the population according to the national census, with each county being guaranteed a minimum of two seats. Article 80(d) of the Constitution states, "Each constituency shall have an approximately equal population of 20,000, or such number of citizens as the legislature shall prescribe in keeping with population growth." Furthermore, the Constitution limits the number of House seats that the Legislature may create to 100. Currently, the number of seats is set at 73, averaging approximately 55,000 citizens per seat.
Sierra Leone
According to the "World Refugee Survey 2008", published by the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Sierra Leone had a population of 8,700 refugees and asylum seekers at the end of 2007. Nearly 20,000 Liberian refugees voluntarily returned to Liberia over the course of 2007. Of the refugees remaining in Sierra Leone, nearly all were Liberian.
Health in Liberia
After the thirteen year long civil war, populations in the slums of Liberia skyrocketed. At this point around 60% of the population, or 2.5 million people, do not meet the poverty line. The people were left with little choice of where to obtain water or sanitation. To date Liberia still lives with bad sanitation conditions, with up to 10 people sharing the same toilet without disinfectant and an extreme lack of clean consumable water. For every four people living in Liberia, there is one living without access to any clean drinking water or substantial sanitation. Every five deaths that occur in Liberia is due to people drinking contaminated drinking water. Due to extreme public defecation, the World Health Organisation discovered that 58% of Liberia's water was contaminated with E coli. The E coli present in the water cause many illnesses such as diarrhea and vomiting throughout the population. The water crisis in Liberia has reached catastrophic levels. Action has been taken by many non-profit organizations, one of which is called Waves for Water who are providing water filters for clean drinking water to over 60,000 Liberian people.
Liberian Americans
Liberian American organizations estimate there are between 250,000 and 500,000 Liberians living in the United States. This figure includes Liberian residents that have a temporary status, and American of Liberian descent.
African vulture trade
Liberia
Liberia
Liberia began as a settlement of the American Colonization Society (ACS), who believed black people would face better chances for freedom and prosperity in Africa than in the United States. The country declared its independence on July 26, 1847. The U.S. did not recognize Liberia's independence until February 5, 1862, during the American Civil War. Between January 7, 1822, and the American Civil War, more than 15,000 freed and free-born black people who faced legislated limits in the U.S., and 3,198 Afro-Caribbeans, relocated to the settlement. The black settlers carried their culture and tradition with them to Liberia. The Liberian constitution and flag were modeled after those of the U.S. On January 3, 1848, Joseph Jenkins Roberts, a wealthy, free-born African American from Virginia who settled in Liberia, was elected as Liberia's first president after the people proclaimed independence.
Ebola virus epidemic in Liberia
By 5 November Liberia had 6,525 cases (including 1,627 probable, 2,447 suspected cases) and 2,697 deaths.
The 5 November WHO situation report noted that "There appears to be some evidence of a decline at the national level in Liberia, although new case numbers remain high in parts of the country." A report by CDC released on 14 November, based on data collected from Lofa county, indicates that there has been a genuine reduction in new infections. This is credited to an integrated strategy combining isolation and treatment with community behaviour change including safe burial practices, case finding and contract tracing – this strategy might serve as a model to implement in other affected areas to accelerate control of Ebola. On 13 November the Liberian President announced the lifting of the state of emergency in the country following the decrease in the number of new cases in the country. The decline in Liberia cases is contradicted in the latest reports from WHO with 439 new cases reported between 23 and 28 November.
Nimba County
Before the Civil War of Liberia in 1989, it had a population of over 310,000 people.
First Liberian Civil War
The Liberian civil war was one of Africa's bloodiest. From 1989-1996, it claimed the lives of more than 200,000 Liberians and further displaced a million others into refugee camps in neighboring countries. Child soldiers were used throughout the war.
Sinoe County
Sinoe is one of Liberia's 15 counties and it has 17 districts. Greenville is the county's capital. As of the 2008 Census, it had a population of 104,932, making it one of the least populous counties in Liberia. Sinoe has the third-largest area of all Liberia's counties; it has the second least-dense population after Gbarpolu County. The County was originally a colony in the name Mississippi-in-Africa, under auspices of a chapter of the American Colonization Society as it was created with slaves from Mississippi to Liberia.
Religion in Liberia
According to the 2008 National Census, 85.5% of Liberia's population practices Christianity. Muslims comprise 12.2% of the population, largely coming from the Mandingo and Vai ethnic groups. The vast majority of Muslims are Malikite Sunni, with sizeable Shia and Ahmadiyya minorities.
Second Liberian Civil War
The bulk of the personnel were armed military troops, but there were also civilian policemen, as well as political advisers and humanitarian aid workers. On October 1, the first peacekeepers changed their berets and became a UN force, with many more troops earmarked. During three days of riots in Monrovia in October 2004, nearly 400 people were wounded and 15 killed. The UN slowly built up its forces in the country, with 5,500 projected to be in place by November 2003, and worked to disarm the various factions. However, instability in neighbouring countries, an incomplete disarmament process, and general discontent threatened Liberia's fragile peace.
President of Liberia
Under the 1986 Constitution, the president is directly elected by eligible voters to a six-year term, which may be renewed once. Overall, 22 individuals have served as president. On January 16, 2006, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was sworn in as the twenty-fourth president, making her the first elected female head of state in Africa. , the president is George Weah.