Interesting facts about Liberia

liberia flag

Liberia is a country on the West African coast.

The official name of the country is the Republic of Liberia.

It is bordered by Sierra Leone to the northwest, Guinea to the north, Ivory Coast to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and west.

The official language is English.

As of 1 January 2017, the population of Liberia was estimated to be 4,682,395 people.

It is the 102nd largest country in the world in terms of land area with 111,369 square kilometers (43,000 square miles).

Monrovia is the capital and and largest city of Liberia. The city is named in honor of U.S. President James Monroe, a prominent supporter of the colonization of Liberia and the American Colonization Society. Along with Washington, D.C., it is one of two national capitals to be named after a U.S. President.

monrovia

Liberia has a mostly hilly terrain, from rolling plains along the coast to a rolling plateau and low mountains in the northeast.

The country is home to a lush rainforest containing a rich diversity of flora and fauna.

Mount Wuteve at 1,440 meters (4,724 feet) above sea level is the highest mountain in Gabon.

mount wuteve

Liberia has 580 kilometers (360 miles) of coastline.

Among Liberia’s attractions are its sandy beaches, like Silver Beach, one of the most popular beaches in Monrovia.

liberia beach

The network of protected areas in Liberia covers about 4% of the national territory. It is made up of 10 national parks, plus 2 nature reserves and other types of protected areas.

Sapo National Park is a national park in Sinoe County. It is the country’s largest protected area of rainforest and its only national park, and contains the second-largest area of primary tropical rainforest in West Africa after Taï National Park in neighbouring Ivory Coast. The Park is located in the Upper Guinean forest ecosystem, a biodiversity hotspot that has “the highest mammal species diversity of any region in the world”, according to Conservation International.

sapo national park

Liberia is a good fishing destination, with Lake Piso [photo below] and the Saint Paul and Mesurado rivers well-known for their many varieties of fish. Sport fishing offshore from Monrovia and Robertsport are popular, and the lakeshore is home to many traditional fishing villages.

lake piso

Firestone Rubber Plantation is the world’s largest rubber plantation, which is leased from the government on a controversial 99-year plan. You can view how rubber is processed, or play a round at the 18-hole golf course.

firestone rubber plantation

Chaotic Waterside Market offers almost everything for sale, including colourful textiles, shoes, leather goods and pottery, all with a dose of foul smells and lots of noise.

waterside market

The Centennial Pavilion is a landmark in Liberian national life. It is the place where the Presidents of the country are sworn in and it houses in its undergrounds many monuments and statutes. This is where William V.S. Tubman who ruled Liberia for 27 years is buried.

centennial pavilion

Liberia is a country which was founded, established, colonized, and controlled by citizens of the United States and ex-Caribbean slaves as a colony for former African American slaves and their free black descendants.

It is one of only two sovereign countries in the world that were started by citizens and ex-Caribbean slaves of a political power as a colony for former slaves of the same political power, the other being Sierra Leone, established by Great Britain.

The country declared its independence on July 26, 1847.

liberia-flag-2

Liberia is the only African republic to have self-proclaimed independence without gaining independence through revolt from any other power, and is Africa’s first and oldest modern republic.

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.

Timber and rubber are Liberia’s main export items since the end of the war. Alluvial diamond and gold mining activities also account for some economic activity.

The endangered and mysterious pygmy hippopotamus is native to the forests and swamps of West Africa, primarily in Liberia.

pygmy hippopotamus

Endangered species are hunted for human consumption as bushmeat in Liberia. Species hunted for food in Liberia include elephants, pygmy hippopotamus, chimpanzees, leopards, duikers, and other monkeys.

Over 20 indigenous languages are spoken, representing the numerous tribes who make up more than 95% of the population.

Liberian cuisine heavily incorporates rice, the country’s staple food. Other ingredients include cassava, fish, bananas, citrus fruit, plantains, coconut, okra and sweet potatoes.

One-third of married Liberian women between the ages of 15–49 are in polygamous marriages. Customary law allows men to have up to four wives.

Liberia is one of only three countries that have not officially adopted the International System of Units (metric system), the others being the United States and Myanmar. The Liberian government has begun transitioning away from use of imperial units to the metric system.

The most popular sport in Liberia is football. The second most popular sport in Liberia is basketball.