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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
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