Liberia

Liberia is a country on the West African coast, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, and the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital and largest city is Monrovia. The official language is English, with widely spoken Liberian English and numerous indigenous languages such as Kpelle, Bassa, and Vai. The population is diverse, with multiple ethnic groups and a predominantly Christian majority, alongside a significant Muslim minority and traditional belief systems.

Liberia was founded in 1822 by the American Colonization Society as a homeland for freed enslaved people from the United States and the Caribbean. The republic declared independence on July 26, 1847, becoming Africa’s first modern republic and one of the continent’s earliest independent states.

Politically, Liberia is a constitutional republic with a president as head of state and government and a bicameral legislature consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. As of 2024, the president is George Weah, who has served since 2018 and was reelected to a second term in 2023, sworn in January 2024.

Liberia’s modern history includes long periods of political instability and two civil wars, from 1989 to 1996 and from 1999 to 2003. The 2003 Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement helped end the conflict, paving the way for postwar reforms and elections beginning in 2005. Since then, the country has focused on reconstruction, governance, and development challenges.

Economically, Liberia relies on natural resources such as iron ore, rubber, and timber, along with agriculture and services. The economy faces infrastructure and governance constraints and depends on aid, remittances, and monetary usage of the Liberian dollar alongside the U.S. dollar.

Education and health systems have expanded but remain constrained by limited infrastructure and uneven access. Liberia is known for its forests, river systems, and Atlantic coastline, with cultural life shaped by Christian traditions, music, and storytelling.

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