Liberia

Physical
Liberia is located in Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, Cote d'Ivoire, and Sierra Leone. It covers an area slightly larger than Tennessee. Its climate is tropical, dry winters with hot days and cool nights and wet, hot, humid summers. The land is mostly flat with some rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateaus and low mountains in the northeast. Natural resources include iron ore, timber, gold, diamonds, and hydropower.

People
Almost 3.3 million people inhabit Liberia (this assumes all refugees from the 7-year civil strife have returned). English is the official language while the inhabitants also speak over 20 tribal languages. Ethnically Liberia is comprised of indigenous tribes (95%C Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Bai, and Bella). Other ethnic groups are the Americo-Liberians, descendants of former U.S. slaves (2.5%), and the Congo People, descendants of Caribbean slaves (2.5%). The religions of Liberia are indigenous beliefs (40%), Christian (40%) and Muslim (20%).

Government
In 1995, a peace agreement was signed, eventually leading to the landslide election of Taylor as president (though many who voted for him admitted fears that if he wasn’t elected he’d make the country ungovernable with more violence). In 1999, Taylor was accused of buying arms to support rebellions in neighboring countries, and exploiting Liberia’s gold, diamonds and timber industries. In response, another dissident group, Liberians for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) launched armed incursions in Lofa Country near the Guinean border in an effort to oust Taylor. In 2003, Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL) attacked Taylor from the southeastern part of the country. LURD eventually seized Monrovia and after brutal fighting and hundreds of deaths, Taylor, under international pressure to step down, went into exile in Nigeria. In August of 2003, a transitional, power-sharing National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL) was created to move the country toward elections in 2005.

Economy
In the aftermath of the war, Liberia’s economy and social infrastructure have all but collapsed, and basic services such as water and electricity, telephone, etc., have yet to be restored.  Approximately 85% of the physical infrastructure was completely destroyed, looted, or abandoned without maintenance for the entire period of the war. Every town and village, including the capital city was damaged by the war, and there is widespread need of shelter, water and sanitation, protection and health care. According to a U.N. study in 2000, 3/4s of the population lives on less than $1 a day. 90 % of the population is unemployed. An estimated 300,000 Liberians are displaced, many of them living in camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).  Among the list of problems suffered by these war-effected citizens are: post-war trauma, family separations; rape and sexual abuse of women and children, widespread medical problems including malaria, diarrhea and malnutrition. Another 200-300,000 Liberians are slowing returning the country after living as refugees in other West African countries.

An international donor conference in February of 2004 pledged more than $520 million to assist in rebuilding Liberia. The U.S. pledged $200 million of that total. Scores of local and international NGOs and religious organizations are working to assist displaced people, provide food, health care, and other basic services. At present, the country is almost completely dependent on foreign aid

Areas of Concern
Soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, and pollution of coastal waters are Liberia's environmental concerns. Rebuilding the economy with 80% of the population living under the poverty level, a 70% unemployment rate, homelessness for much of the population, and destruction of much of the infrastructure (especially in and around Monrovia) will be difficult.

For more information about Liberia visit: www.elca.org/liberia