Southeastern
Europe, bordering Adriatic Sea and
Croatia
National
Language:
English
Total
Area:
51,129
sq. km (19,741 sq. mi)
Independence:
March
1, 1992
Boundaries:
Guinea,
Ivory Coast, and Sierra Leone, Atlantic
Ocean
Population:
4,620,300
History
Liberia
began when US philanthropists set out to resettle in Africa,
liberated slaves who no longer wanted to work on plantations.
Not all of the slaves, who were offered repatriation accepted
it; many found it humiliating and refused to go.
The
three thousand who accepted resettlement had a hard time establishing
themselves because they had to contend with the existing population
who resented being alienated from their land.
In 1847, the country declared itself as an independent republic. It wasn't until
1862 that the USA formerly recognized this. The new settlers saw themselves as
part of a mission to bring civilization and Christianity to Africa and so imposed
a type of forced labor on the existing population.
In
the late 19th century the country lost large chunks of its
territory to the British and French. In 1930 after a hundred
years of the virtual enslavement of the indigenous people of
Liberia, the USA and Britain broke off diplomatic relations,
prompted by the scandal over the sale of such labor to the
Spanish territories.
The International Labor Organization was condemning labor recruitment methods
even up to 1960. The settlers were unable to form an economic base as a result
of which they were heavily reliant on foreign capital. The True Whig Party
monopolized Liberian powers from early on and it held this grip until a coup
in 1980.
From
1944 to 1977 during William Tubman's Presidency, massive foreign
investment occurred. Liberia acquired the name "Fire Stone
Republic" due to Tubman's eagerness to hand out concessions
to foreign companies. The huge influx of foreign money caused
the economy to become distorted and exacerbated social inequalities
a consequence of which was increasing hostility between the
descendants of the settlers and the original inhabitants. This
alarmed Tubman and he was forced to concede that original inhabitants
would have to be granted an amount of political and economic
involvement in the country. One of his concessions was to enfranchise
them (97 per cent of the population had been denied the franchise
until 1963).
William
Tolbert succeeded Tubman in 1971. Tolbert continued with the
majority of Tubman's policies and diplomatic relations were
established with communist countries such as the People's Republic
of China. Tolbert created harsh laws to deal with opposition
to his regime prompting complaints from the USA about human
rights violations. In 1979 there were demonstrations against
the increase in the price of rice. Some demonstrators were
shot.
A
coup was staged in April 1980 when Tolbert was overthrown by
Master Sergeant Samuel Doe. In the coup Tolbert was assassinated
along with many other ministers. Their bodies were dumped in
a common grave. Many high-ranking government ministers who
survived were tried, beaten up and finally shot on the beach
at Monrovia. The coup gave the indigenous inhabitants real
political power for the first time, but other African countries,
allies and trading partners, condemned this. A flight of capital
from the country occurred after the coup.
Samuel
Doe who promoted himself to General and Commander in Chief
managed to survive several coup attempts. He finally fell in
1990 when Johnson and Charles Taylor launched a rebellion although
neither could agree on who would take charge.
Geography
Lying
on the Atlantic in the southern part of West Africa, Liberia
is bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Cote d'Ivoire.
It is comparable in size to Tennessee. Most of the country
is a plateau covered by dense tropical forests, which thrive
under an annual rainfall of about 160 inches an year.
People
and Land
Liberia
can be divided into three distinct topographical areas. First,
a flat coastal plain of some 10 to 50 miles (16-80 km), with
creeks, lagoons, and mangrove swamps; second, an area of broken,
forested hills with altitudes from 600 to 1,200 ft (180-370m),
which covers most the country; and third, an area of mountains
in the northern highlands, with elevations reaching 4,540 ft
(1,384m) in the Nimba Mts. and 4,528 ft (1,380m) in the Wutivi
dense forest growth. The climate is tropical and humid, with
a heavy rainfall, averaging 183 inches (465 cm) on the coast
and some 88 inches (224 cm) in the southeastern interior. There
are two rainy seasons and a dry, harmattan* season in December
and January. In addition to the capital, other important towns
include Buchanan and Harper, both ports.
The majority of the population are members of some 16 ethnic groups. These include
the Kpelle, the Mano, the Bassa, the Grebo, the Kru, and the Vai.
Climate
The
climate of Liberia is equatorial and humid, particularly during
the June to July and October to November rainy seasons. Annual
rainfall varies from 88 inches in the interior to 205 inches
along the coast. The average temperature in Monrovia is about
79° F in January and about 76° F in July.
Cultural
Life
Traditional
and Western lifestyles coexist; however, traditional values,
customs and norms influence the Western type considerably.
In cities both Western and African music and dancing styles
are in vogue, but in rural areas traditional rhythms are favored.
Schools instruct students in the legends, traditions, songs,
arts, and crafts of African culture, and the government promotes
African culture through such agencies as the National Museum
in Monrovia, the Tubman Center for African Culture in Robertsport,
and the National Cultural Center in Kendeja, which exhibits
architecture of the 16 ethnic groups of Liberia. Mask making
is an artistic pursuit that is also related to the social structure
of some ethnic groups. Music festivals, predominantly religious,
are held in most communities. The University of Liberia has
an arts and crafts center. There are several libraries, including
a children's library in Monrovia and a National Public Library.
Football
(soccer) is the most popular sport. An intercounty football
competition is held for the annual championship. The University
of Liberia and Cuttington University College hold annual sports
competitions.
Monrovia has five daily newspapers, including the Daily Observer, the largest
and most prestigious. A few magazines are published annually. Officially,
there is press freedom, but newspapers are banned occasionally for violating
government policies on information.
There
are four radio stations and one television station. International
telecommunication services are available through direct satellite
links between Liberia, the United States, Italy, and France.
Tradition
and Belief
Traditional
religions are practiced by about 70% of the people, while
about 20% are Muslim and 10% are Christian. English is
the official language, but African languages are used extensively.
Far less numerous, but of great political importance in
the past, are the descendants of American freed slaves
who migrated to Liberia in the 19th century. These people,
formerly called Americo-Liberians, are concentrated in
the towns, where they have provided the country's Westernized
leadership and,
for the most part, are adherents of various Protestant
sects. There are also communities of Lebanese merchants
and European and American technicians.
Economy
Seventeen
years of civil war and military dictatorship diminished Liberia's
stature on the world scene, destroying much of Liberia's economy,
especially the infrastructure in and around the capital city
Monrovia. Business and investment confidence have eroded as
many businessmen have fled the country, taking capital and
expertise with them. Some returned during 1997. However, internationally
recognized free and fair elections held July 19, 1997 heralded
the birth of a New Liberia. Liberia is richly endowed with
water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable
to agriculture, had been a producer and exporter of basic products,
while local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, had been small
in scope. The democratically elected government, installed
in August 1997, inherited massive international debts and currently
relies on revenues from its maritime registry to provide the
bulk of its foreign exchange earnings. The restoration of the
infrastructure and the raising of incomes in this ravaged economy
depends on continued disarmament of factions and the implementation
of sound macro- and micro-economic policies of the new government.
Liberia has two broad-based development challenges: (1) establishing
a stable and effective democracy, and (2) rehabilitating and
reforming the country's economy. In his public statements,
President Charles Taylor has promised to give high priority
to national reconciliation, human rights, rule of law, and
curbing corruption, thus ensuring a stable environment for
economic development.
Major
exports from Liberia include diamonds, iron ore, rubber, timber
and coffee, while imports consist of fuels and lubricants,
chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactured
goods; rice and other foodstuffs.
Languages
Over
33 different dialects along with English, the official language,
are spoken in Liberia. They are Bandi, Bassa, Dan, Dewoin,
English Gbii, Glaro-Twabo, Glio-Oubi, Gola, Grebo, Kisi, Klao,
Kpelle, Krahn, Kru, Kuwaa, Liberian English, Lorma, Mninaka,
Mandingo, Mano, Manya, Mende, Sapo, Tajuasohn and Vai. Some
dialects have different variations and are spoken quite differently
in different regions. Grebo and Krahn are two. There are Barclayville
Grebo, E Je Grebo, Fopo-Bua Grebo, Gboloo Grebo, Glebo Grebo,
Globo Grebo, Jabo Grebo and Northeastern Grebo. The Krahn language
is divided into Western Krahn and Eastern Krahn. Some dialects
have more than one name, Lorma, is also known as Bouze, and
is spoken in Lofa County in the Northwest Region of the country.
Education
One
of the major sectors in any developing or developed
society that enhances growth and prosperity is the
advancement of education. That's why in Liberia,
with limited assistance, the Ministry of Education
in collaboration with some International Organizations
is striving to ensure that all of the educational
institutions that were destroyed by the civil crisis
become functional. From all indications, it is not
an easy task or venture. Notwithstanding, hundreds
of learning institutions ranging from .academic
to vocational have opened their doors to pave the way for
the future growth of Liberia and its people. Since
1999, the government gave full cognizance to Liberians'
special responsibility for the young people in
their society, and provided for their education
and welfare
to the best of their ability.
Bibliography
"Liberia," Microsoft
Encarta Encyclopedia 2000. 1993-1999, Microsoft Corporation
"Liberia," http://www.emulateme.com/.
1997-2001, Emulate Me
Just
before Christmas 1989, a small group of armed fighters
crossed a narrow river marking the frontier with
the Ivory Coast, and entered the West African state
of Liberia. The civil war which followed plunged
the African continent's oldest republic into a long
and agonizing nightmare, during which the country
was torn apart and its people brutalized by terror,
violence and bloodshed. Mark Huband, the West Africa
correspondent of the Financial Times and subsequently
Africa correspondent for The Guardian, lived through
the war from the beginning, and his account of the
conflict, which begins a few days after the incursion,
is a moving and dramatic portrayal of the war as
it unfolded.
THE
MASK OF ANARCHY
By:
Stephen Ellis
Publisher:
New York University Press, 1999
For
the last decade Liberia has been one of Africa's
most violent trouble spots. In 1990, when thousands
of teenage fighters, including young men wearing
women's clothing and bizarre objects of decoration,
laid siege to the capital, the world took notice.
Since then Liberia has been through devastating civil
upheaval and the most feared warlord, Charles Taylor,
is now president. What began as a civil conflict
has spread to other West African nations.
Western correspondents saw in the Liberian war a primeval, savage Africa-a "heart
of darkness." They focused on sensational "primitive" aspects
of the conflict, such as the prevalence of traditional healers and soothsayers,
and shocked the international community with tales of cannibalism, especially
the eating of the body parts of defeated opponents, which was widespread.
LIBERIAN
DREAMS
By:
Wilson Jeremiah Moses
Publisher:
Pennsylvania State University Press, 1998
In
the early nineteenth century, the American Colonization
Society was formed for the purpose of encouraging
emigration of free blacks to Africa. While intent
on ridding the United States of what they saw as
a dangerous black population, the association also
attracted some liberals who viewed its goals as an
incentive toward emancipation. Attitudes among African
Americans toward colonization were varied, viewed
by some as an opportunity to start new lives in a
free country and by others as a deceptive scheme
of the white man. But when the passage of the Fugitive
Slave Act in 1850 put the freedom of every person
of African descent in jeopardy, many began to consider
emigration their only option. This collection of
historic documents illuminates the debate on emigration
through the narratives of four black men who in 1853
traveled to the new black nation of Liberia. Their
accounts offer surprisingly different views and insights
on the young country and provide both endorsements
and condemnations of the colonization effort.
Beyond
the Mango Tree
By:
Amy Bronwen Zemser
Publisher:
Harper Collins Children's Books, 2000
I
am here, in the rain, tied to the mango tree. The
water level rises, above my naked feet, past my ankles.
I wait ...
It
has been this way since Sarina's family moved to
Liberia from Boston eight months ago. Her mother
ties her to the mango tree in their front yard, terrified
of losing her. It's never for long, and Sarina knows
her mother doesn't mean to hurt her. But things just
seem to get harder the longer her family stays in
this country so far from home.
On
good days, when Sarina's mother is feeling better,
she sets her daughter free. On bad days, Sarina dangles
her feet in the puddles and mud until dusk, waiting
for someone to rescue her, wishing for the one thing
her mother fears most: a friend.
Then one day Sarina meets Boima, a Liberian boy, and he becomes Sarina's cherished
secret. He takes her to places outside her dirty yard, and shows her the
ocean, the trees, and the people of Liberia. Together they discover what
friendship really means ... and that there is a world of joy, hunger, and
hope waiting just beyond the mango tree.
Contribution
by:
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE CENTER
21 South River Street Harrisburg, PA 17101
Phone: (717) 236-1523 Fax: (717) 236-3821
Email: isc1976@aol.com http://hometown.aol.com/isc1976
This
handout was prepared to accompany a workshop by Almira C. Rzehak
presented December 8, 2000 at the PA Department of Education.
Ms. Rzehak is a refugee from Bosnia and Herzegovina where she
was a professor of philosophy and sociology at the
University
of Sarajevo. Since coming to the United States, Ms. Rzehak
has been a journalist, teacher, and cultural consultant.
She
currently lives in Hershey, PA.
Administration Building, 4900 Curry Road,
Pittsburgh, PA 15236
