About Liberia

Founded in 1821

Liberia, derived from the Latin word Libre meaning freedom was founded in 1821 by freed American slaves, headed by the American Colonization Society.

The settlers arrived on a small island now called Providence Island. Some of them arrived with families of up to 12 members. The transition was anything but easy, as they met with opposition from the locals whom they met there and Europeans who had just colonized neighboring Sierra Leone and Guinea, and had their sights on that parcel of land.

Liberia finally declared its independence on July 26, 1847, with Joseph Jenkins Roberts as president of the first independent African republic. Eleven Liberian men had composed and signed a declaration of independence along with a constitution. That alone was a victory!

43,000 Square Miles of a Hot Dewy Paradise

Completely submersed in the tropics, Liberia is bordered by Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and the Atlantic Ocean. Endowed by beautiful stretches of beach land, Liberia was called the Greenland prior to its founding. The name derived from her rich soil, which produces the largest rubber plantations in the world, unlimited orange, coconut, banana, mango, papaya, sour sop, guava and cashew trees, along with pineapple orchards. Liberia’s famous landscapes can be attributed to Cape Mount, Cape Mesurado, Cape Palmas and Nimba Mountain. Her largest exports are rubber, iron ore, gold and diamonds.

Liberia’s primary language is English, which is taught in the school system. However, there are 27 additional local languages, each belonging to an ethnic group. Some of the major languages of the 27 are Bassa, Vai, Kru, Gola, Lorma, Grebo, Gio, Mende, Mandingo and Kpelle. Bassa, Vai and Mandingo have actually been written.

Liberia, Sweet Land of Liberty

The current population of Liberia is 3.5 million. Following the long and brutal civil war, Liberia is now on the road to recovery, in a cleanup and rebuilding stage. What A.M. Peabody envisions for her native land are free and fair elections, the right leader for Liberia, a firm and consistent education system, reliable electricity and water/sewage system, agriculture, tourism, commerce and a corrupt-free government. With those attributes, Liberia is marked to succeed.

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Image Source: 1. www.cnn.com, 2. www.liberia.com 

 

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