History

Founded in 1822 by freed black slaves from the United States, Liberia is Africa’s oldest republic. The region was home to a number of indigenous tribes for thousands of years before then. For more than 150 years after Liberia was founded, Americo-Liberians, who were a minority group, primarily governed the country. The nation was economically prosperous and politically stable.

In 1980, Samuel Doe overthrew the president, William Tolbert, after riots over food prices. That signaled the end of Americo-Liberian minority rule. Doe began to govern the country as a dictator, and in 1990, Charles Taylor led the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) as an opposition movement, setting off one of the most destructive civil wars of the 20th century, with an estimated 250,000 killed and many more wounded and displaced.

In 1995 a peace agreement was brokered and Charles Taylor became the president of Liberia. In 1999 anti-government fighting broke out in Northern Liberia. During Sierra Leone's violent civil war, between 1991 and 2000, several West African governments accused Taylor of backing rebel fighters. Because of international pressure and the growing strength of anti-government rebel groups in Liberia, Taylor was forced to step down in 2003 and went into exile in Nigeria. In 2006, Taylor was extradited to Liberia and then The Hague, where he currently faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the United Nations Special Court for Sierra Leone.

In 2006, Liberians chose the first democratically elected female president of an African nation, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. She has received international praise for her work rebuilding Liberia and leading it toward a stable, democratic future.

The Top 5: Local Advice

1. Liberia is roughly the size of the state of Tennessee and has a population of about 3.6 million. The country is divided into three regions: Southern Liberia, Central Liberia, and Northern Liberia. It is mostly flat near the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, with rolling plateau farther inland and a mountainous region in the northeast. The capital city is Monrovia, located on the coast in Central Liberia.

2. The official language of Liberia is English. At least 20 other languages are spoken, but many of them cannot be written down.

3. The official Liberian currency is the Liberian dollar (symbol LRD), but American greenbacks are accepted almost everywhere. There are no ATMs in Liberia, and debit or credit cards and traveler’s checks are not accepted. Visitors must take cash into Liberia with them or arrange for wire transfers.

4. Ninety-five percent of Liberians consists of indigenous Africans, belonging to such tribes as the Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Mende, and Mandingo. Two and a half percent of the population is Americo-Liberian (descendants of freed slaves who immigrated from the United States), and the other 2.5 percent is known as Congo People (descendants of freed slaves who immigrated from the Caribbean).

5. Liberians are generally very friendly toward foreigners, and it is important to be receptive of the greetings of locals. Keep in mind that while many Liberians may be keen to engage in conversation with you, it is best to avoid the subject of the civil war unless it is brought up to you, as memories of the violence are still fresh in the minds of many.

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