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I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself. Nelson Mandela
Historically shown to be first inhabited around 900-1000 A.D. , the rich culture and background of Liberia defines its place in African history. Independence was officially declared in 1847 as the first African state."Liberia", comes from the Latin word liber meaning "Free." National Anthem lyrics The Lone Star Forever lyrics TIMELINE OF LIBERIAN HISTORY THE LIBERIAN FLAG Favorite RECIPES Liberians Making a Difference map of Liberia (click to enlarge)
DID YOU KNOW: In November 2005 in second-round run-off elections, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf became Liberia's & Africa's first elected female President. From September 1996 to August 1997, Ruth Sando Fahnbulleh Perry served as Interim Leader in Liberia - the first woman to ever serve as an African head of state. In 1951 Liberian Women voted in the presidential election, suffrage was granted in Liberia to women years before countries such as Monaco and Switzerland. In 1958, before the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S., the Liberian National Legislature made racial discrimination a crime punishable by fines of up to $30,000 and jail terms in some cases.Some statistics about LIBERIA: Coastline: approx. 579 km Area: 43,000 sq. miles (111,370 sq. km) Geographic coordinates: 6 30 N, 9 30 W Vegetation: majority of land is dense forest growth Borders: southwest-Atlantic Ocean, northwest-Sierra Leone, north-Guinea, east-Cote d'Ivoire. Major rivers: Mano, Lofa, Saint Paul, Saint John, Cestos, Cavalla, Mesurado, Ya Natural resources: iron ore, timber, rubber, diamonds, gold, and hydropower. Manufactures include cement, refined petroleum, food products, bricks and tiles, furniture, and pharmaceuticals Capital: Monrovia - largest city, main port, and commercial center. Counties: Sinoe, Bomi, Bong, Gparbolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, River Gee Climate/ Seasons: tropical, humid, heavy rainfall, averaging 183 in. (465 cm) on the coast and some 88 in. (224 cm) in the southeastern interior. Rainy season occurs between May and October. A dusty winter wind, the Harmattan, blows during December. Legal system: dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American common law for the modern sector and customary law based on unwritten tribal practices for indigenous sector Affiliations: Founding member of the United Nations, member state of the African Union (formerly the OAU), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Development Bank (ADB), Mano River Union (MRU) and the Non-Aligned Movement.The PEOPLE of LIBERIA: its people have migrated to the region over a span of almost 1000 years... Tribes: Kumba tribes immigrating around 900-1100 A.D.(Kpelle ,Lorma , Gbandi, Mende,Mano) Tribes immigrating from the Republic of Ivory Coast in the 1500s- Kru (Tajuasohn) ,Bassa ,Dei, Mamba, Grebo. Muslim tribes immigrating from Sudan from the 1500s through 1600s: Vai, Mandingo. Other tribes migrating to the region: Gola, Gio, Krahn, Kissi Immigrants from the 1800s: Americo-Liberians: Freed slaves and descendants of freed slaves from the US & the Caribbean Congo: people from the Congo River Basin who were captured for the slave trade but sent to Liberia when slavery was abolished without ever being exposed to non-African cultures.
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