Liberia

Republic of Liberia (Republic of Liberia), a state in the West. Africa. 111.4 thousand km2. Population approx. 2.8 million people (1993); kpelle, bakwe, kru, etc., ca. 2% Americo-Liberians are the descendants of blacks - immigrants from the United States. Urban population approx. 46% (1990). The official language is English. Believers - Christians, Muslims and adherents of local traditional beliefs. Administrative-territorial division: 13 counties. The capital is Monrovia. Low plain, in the north - Leono-Liberian rise. (up to 1381 m high, Kolahun). The climate is equatorial. Average monthly temperatures are not lower than 24°C. Precipitation varies from 1500-2000 mm per year in inland areas to 5000 mm near the Atlantic coast. Full-flowing short rivers (Mano, Loffa, St. Paul, etc.). Tropical forests with valuable tree species. Sapo National Park, forest reserves. Since 1821, settlements of liberated Negroes began to appear on the territory of Liberia - immigrants from the United States, who united in 1839 and founded the state of Liberia. (1847). Americo-Liberians occupied a dominant position in the state-administrative apparatus and economy of Liberia until 1980, when a coup d'etat took place in the country and representatives of other ethnic political groups came to power. In 1986, Liberia's transition to civilian rule was completed. In 1989, the National Patriotic Front began an armed struggle against government troops. With the help of inter-African peacekeeping forces, a transitional government was created in Liberia in 1990, but the struggle of the opposing factions continued. In 1993, an agreement was signed between them on a ceasefire, the creation of a three-party transitional government and the holding of free elections. Liberia is an agricultural country with a growing mining industry. Share in GDP (1989,%): industry 17, incl. mining 10. The main cash crops are hevea, coffee, cocoa. Livestock. Wood harvesting. Fishing. Extraction of iron ore, diamonds, gold. Sawmills, oil refineries, food flavoring, cement and other enterprises. Electricity production 450 million kW. h (1991). The length of roads is 8.1 thousand km, railways(ore carriers) 490 km (1987). Main ports: Monrovia, Buchanan, Marshall. Due to low taxes, ships of other countries sail under the flag of Liberia, so the Liberian merchant fleet formally ranks first in the world in terms of tonnage (97 million tons deadweight in 1991). Exports: iron ore, rubber, timber, diamonds, gold, coffee, cocoa. Main foreign trade partners: USA, EEC countries, Japan, etc. Currency unit- Liberian dollar.

Liberia

(Liberia), Republic of Liberia, a state in West Africa. It borders on the S.-W. from Sierra Leone, to the north and northeast. with the Republic of Guinea, in the east ≈ with the Ivory Coast. On 3. and S. it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The area is 111.4 thousand km2. Population 1.57 million (1972 est.). Capital ≈ Monrovia. Administratively, it is divided into 9 counties and 5 territories. Political system. L. ≈ republic. The current constitution was adopted in 1847 (amended in 1955). The head of state and government is the president, who is elected by the population for an 8-year term (in case of re-election, for 4 years). The President has broad powers: he manages the external and internal politics, appoints ministers, is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The organ of legislative power in Latvia is the parliament—the legislative assembly, which consists of two chambers: the chamber of representatives (62 deputies elected for four years) and the senate. The Senate is elected in the amount of 18 members (2 from each county), each senator is elected for 6 years. The right to vote is granted to all citizens over the age of 18 who own real estate(and in the settlement areas of some tribes they pay a tax on the hut). The government of Leningrad—the cabinet of ministers—carries out advisory functions to the president. The counties are headed by prefects (managers) appointed by the president. Territories are headed by commissioners. Traditional tribal leaders play an important role in local government. The judicial system of L. includes Supreme Court(consisting of 5 judges), which also performs the functions of constitutional supervision, district and municipal courts, magistrates' courts and special courts. Nature. The coast is mostly flat, along it stretches a sandy shaft separating the lagoons. The coastal low plain (several tens of kilometers wide) is very weakly dissected and swamped in places; on most of it, the Precambrian crystalline basement comes to the surface. Inland, the plain rises, becomes hilly (400-600 m) and passes in a series of steps into the undulating Leono-Liberian Upland with separate insular mountains (Nimba, 1752 m). Deposits of iron, diamonds, gold. The climate is hot and humid. Average monthly temperatures do not fall below 28╟С; on the coast, the heat is moderated by sea breezes. The amount of precipitation is from 1500≈2000 mm per year in the interior to 5000 mm on the Atlantic coast. Relatively dry season from November to April, wet season from May to October. The river network is dense. Numerous short but full-flowing rivers flowing into the Atlantic Ocean originate on the Leono-Liberian Upland. The most significant rivers - Mano, Loffa, St. Paul (Diani), St. John, Sess, Cavalli - are rapids in the upper and middle reaches. Only the lower section of the river is available for navigation. St. Paul (for 50 km). About 1/3 of the territory is covered with dense evergreen equatorial forests on red-yellow lateritic (ferrallitic) soils. In the forests there are red, rosewood, rubber (hevea), and other valuable species of trees. Coffee tree, wine and oil palms are widespread. On S.-E. countries, along with evergreen forests grow with falling leaves and light forests. Near the border with the Republic of Guinea, a tall-grass savanna with umbrella acacia and baobab appears. Mangrove vegetation is developed on the coast. In the savannah there are buffaloes, antelopes, leopards, wild boars. There are many monkeys and snakes in the forests. The fauna of birds is abundant, as well as insects (termites and tsetse flies). Endemic fauna and flora are protected in the Nimba mountain reserve. Population. The most significant group of the population (about 47 percent) is made up of closely related peoples who speak languages ​​of the Mande family (Kpelle, Loma, Mano, Malinke, and others who live in the north of the country, as well as the Vai, on the coast, northwest of Monrovia). The peoples of the Guinean group (the Kru, Grebo, Krahn, Gere, and others; about 43% of the total population) live in the southern part of Lithuania and on the coast. In the northwestern part of the country live peoples who speak the languages ​​of the Atlantic, or western Bantu group (Gola, Kisi; about 9% of the population). A special, privileged position in Latvia is occupied by the descendants of liberated American Negroes, the founders of the republic (about 1 percent of the population; they live mainly in coastal towns and speak English). The official language is English, although it is used by a minority of the population. The vast majority of the population adheres to local traditional beliefs, the rest are Muslims and Christians (mainly Protestants). The official calendar is Gregorian (see Calendar). Population growth for the period 1963-70 averaged 1.7% per year and 2.9% for 197

The economically active population is about 450 thousand people (1971). In 1972, of all those employed in agriculture, there were (in%) 51, in the mining industry 24.5, in manufacturing 4.9, in construction 2.8, in energy 2.0, in trade 6.5, in transport about 6 , in the service sector 2.3. Among the hired workers, about 42,000 are employed on rubber plantations. Average density 14 people per 1 km

The population is unevenly distributed: the coastal strip is the most populated (30≈35 people per 1 km2), the least ≈ areas covered with tropical forest (3≈5 people per 1 km2). Urban population 28% (1970). Significant cities: Monrovia (150 thousand people, 1972, estimate), Marshall, Buchanan, Harper, Ganta.

Historical essay. The early history of the peoples of Lithuania has not been sufficiently studied. From the 2nd half of the 15th century. Europeans (Portuguese, Dutch, English, and French) began to appear on the coast of present-day Lithuania. They met here a population that led natural economy. In 1821, a group of Negroes from the United States, with the assistance of the American Colonization Society, which sought to remove freed slaves from the country, bought Fr. Providence, as well as the section of the mainland opposite it. A settlement called Monrovia was founded here (in honor of US President John Monroe), and the entire colony became known as Liberia (from Latin liber ≈ free). New settlements arose in 1834-36: Maryland, Bassa Cove, Greenville. Initially, they were independent of each other. On April 1, 1839, the Commonwealth of Settlements of Liberia was created, uniting all the settlements on a federal basis, with the exception of Maryland (the latter joined the Republic of Latvia in 1857). The Republic of Latvia was proclaimed on July 26, 1847. It was recognized by Great Britain in 1848, France in 1852, and the United States in 1862. The immigrants, who called themselves Americo-Liberians, occupied a dominant position in the state administrative apparatus and economy. A small part of them had their own plantations, where export crops were grown and hired labor was used. Most Americo-Liberians became a hereditary caste of officials, officers, lawyers, and the like. In 1869 they formed the True Whig Party, which has been in power since 1878. A bureaucratic and comprador bourgeoisie began to take shape. Great Britain and France, whose possessions surrounded Lithuania, from the second half of the 19th century. tried to annex it. Only in 1911, having lost almost 44% of its original territory, did France succeed, using the contradictions between the colonial powers, to achieve the final recognition of its borders by Great Britain and France. Hostilities between settlers and natives, as well as the aggression of European powers, put the republic in an extremely difficult situation. financial position. She was forced to resort to external loans (English loans in 1870 and 1906, international loans in 1912). The terms of these loans, in addition to high interest rates, provided for the establishment of foreign control over the customs duties and tax revenues of the country, which in fact meant the introduction of a “surrender regime”. At the beginning of 1918 Lithuania formally entered World War I (1914–18) on the side of the Entente. After the war, extensive penetration of American capital into Latvia began. In 1926, with the active support of the US State Department, the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company Trust received a large concession from the Liberian government for the cultivation of rubber plants. The deal was concluded on onerous conditions for L.. During the years of World War II (1939-45) (Lithuania officially joined the anti-fascist coalition in January 1944), the United States used the territory of Latvia to transfer its troops and military equipment to the Middle and Far East. The United States built military bases in Latvia and received the right to use the port at Monrovia and the airfield at Robertsfield.

On January 3, 1944, W. S. Tubman (one of the leaders of the True Whig Party), assuming the presidency (he remained in this post until his death in July 1971), proclaimed a "unification policy" aimed at eliminating inequality between the indigenous population and the descendants of American settlers, declaring that a single people lives in the country - the Liberians. At the same time, the president announced the government's intention to pursue an "open door" policy, which provides for the widespread attraction of foreign capital. In 1945, in the implementation of the principles of the "unification policy", voting rights were granted to the indigenous males, limited by property. qualification; indigenous people have access to public service, and individual representatives of the tribes occupied prominent posts. However, interethnic contradictions have not been completely overcome. From the beginning of the 40s. the influx of foreign, primarily American, capital into Latvia increased (in 1970, 45 foreign companies with a capital of $1 billion were operating in the country). In the post-war period, the formation of the national bourgeoisie accelerated, taking place mainly in the service sector. An important stratum of the national bourgeoisie is the local owners of rubber plantations (the so-called national producers). This relatively small group exerts a significant influence on the political course of Lithuania (in the early 1970s there were about 5,200 so-called national producers). After World War II, the formation of the working class accelerated. By the beginning of the 1970s, the number of people working for hire amounted to about 120 thousand (estimate). Most of them are migrant workers. The bulk of the workers are concentrated on rubber plantations and in the mining industry. Trade union organizations arose in 1960.

L. maintains close relations with the United States. In 1959, she concluded a military agreement with the United States on consultations in "the case of aggression or the threat of aggression against Latvia." L., an active member of the Organization of African Unity, contributed to the settlement of the Nigerian crisis (1966-70), condemned racism in South Africa and Southern Rhodesia. In July 1971 W. Tolbert took over as president of Latvia. In December 1972, an exchange of embassies took place between Leningrad and the USSR.

M. Yu. Frenkel.

Political parties and trade unions. True Whig Party, founded in 1869. The only party in the country, in power since 1878. It expresses the interests of the national bourgeoisie and tribal leaders. There are two trade union associations in Latvia: the Congress of Industrial Trade Unions, founded in 1960, and the Labor Congress of Leningrad, founded in 1960. The trade unions are controlled by the government.

Economic and geographical essay. Leningrad is an economically underdeveloped country whose economy is dominated by foreign capital. The capitalist way of life is combined with natural and semi-natural ways. The leading branches of the economy are the production of natural rubber (1st place in Africa and 6th in the capitalist world) and the extraction of iron ore (1st place in Africa and 8th place in the capitalist world), for the export of which L. stands at 4th place in the capitalist world (after Canada, Sweden, Australia).

Until the mid 40s. 20th century the country's commodity economy was based on the cultivation of rubber plants, the plantations of which belonged to an American company. Beginning in 1951, rich iron ore deposits discovered during World War II (1939-45) began to be developed with the participation of foreign capital. The influx of American and other foreign capital into Latvia increased, especially in the extraction of iron ore, in connection with the proclamation (1944) by the government of Latvia of the “open door” policy, a set of measures aimed at increasing the import of foreign capital (low taxes on profits, granting long-term concessions, lack of control over the exchange foreign exchange etc.)

The gross domestic product of Latvia in 1969 was estimated (in current prices) at $395 million, of which the main sectors of the economy accounted for (in %): agriculture 18.8, mining 30.9, manufacturing 5.8 , construction 5.3, trade 13.1, transport 7,

Gross national product per capita in 1971 was $284. Agriculture. Indigenous agriculture is characterized by communal land ownership and land use. The farming system is slash-and-burn. Cultivated land (including perennial crops) accounts for about 35% of the territory, pastures for 2%. The main crops cultivated on peasant farms are cassava, sweet potato, and rice. Due to the specialization of agriculture in the cultivation of export crops and the backward agricultural technology of peasant farms, Latvia does not have enough food of its own. The best lands are concentrated in foreign companies. Ch. export crop ≈ hevea. The total area of ​​plantations on a concession basis with 6 foreign companies (4 belong to the USA, 1 to the FRG, 1 to the Netherlands and the FRG) is 53,000 ha (1971); they give over 70% of rubber collection. The largest plantations owned by the American company Firestone Plantations Limited (36,000 ha) are located east of Monrovia (in the valley of the Farmington River) and near the town of Harper (in the valley of the Cavalli River). Liberian farmers (4.2 thousand) own about 72 thousand hectares of land occupied by hevea, and the collection of hevea juice in their farms is up to 30% of the total collection in the country; only about 250 farmers own plantations each of 100 hectares or more, the bulk of farmers have plantations of no more than 50 hectares. The collection of oil palm fruits (mainly on the coast) is of great importance; oil and kernels are bought up by the Anglo-Dutch concern Unilever (exports 13,000-14,000 tons per year); collection of cocoa fruits (in the southeast) export of St. 2,000 tons), coffee (plantations in the northwest, in the valleys of the Loffa and Mano rivers; coffee exports are about 5,000 tons per year). These plantations are owned by Liberians and foreign companies. Collecting wild-growing coffee. In the river valley Sino - banana plantations (owned by a German company). Sugarcane and coconut palm are also cultivated. Tab.

1. ≈ Collection of main agricultural crops, thousand tons

   Oil palm:

   37041 Average per year. 2 Export. 3 1971/7

   Due to the limited range of pastures and the abundance of tsetse flies, animal husbandry is practically possible only in the savannah in the northeast, where unproductive breeds of cattle are bred (30,000 heads in 1970–71); sheep (156,000 heads in 1970/71), goats (140,000 heads), and pigs (83,000 heads) are bred in some forest regions and along the coast.

   Fish catch 23 thousand tons (1971). Timber harvesting (red and rosewood) is carried out mainly by foreign companies on an area of ​​about 4 million hectares; the largest concession is that of Van Play. The state owns 1.7 million hectares of forest land. Wood harvesting 1.6 million m3 (1970).

   Industry. The mining industry has been greatly developed. Iron ore is mined: in the Bomi Hills area (there is also an enrichment plant) ≈ the American "Labirian Mining Company"; in the area of ​​the city of Nimba, a mixed company called Laibirian-American-Swedish Minerale (LAMCO), with the participation of the Lebanese government (50%), the American concern Bethlehem Steel (25%), and a group of Swedish companies (25%); in the river valley Mano ≈ the National Iron Ore company, in which the L. government owns 50% of the shares and the American company Republic Steel also 50%; in the Bong region there is a mixed company (“Delimco”), where the share of the government of L. is 50% and a consortium of companies from the FRG (“Thyssen” and “Krupp”) and Italy (“Finishider”) 50%. The development of iron ore has begun in the areas of Tokadeh (by the LAMCO company) and Volochisi (by the Labirian Iron and Steel Corporation), in which 50% of the shares are owned by the government of Leningrad and 50% by the US company. Ore is transported to the ports by specially built railroads. Diamonds are developed mainly in the river basin. Loff, gold in small quantities ≈ in the valleys of the river. Loffa, Sino, in the Zorzor area, etc.

   Tab. 2. ≈ Mining.

   Iron ore 1, thousand tons

   Diamonds, thousand carats 2

   Gold, kg

1. The manufacturing industry is represented by small-capacity plants: oil refineries, cement, sawmills, palm oil processing, non-alcoholic beverages, clothing, footwear, etc. factories. There are 4 enterprises for the production of iron ore pellets (Buchanan, Bong).

   Electricity production in 1970 amounted to 502 million kilowatt-hours (including 242 million kilowatt-hours generated at hydroelectric power stations), of which 277 million kilowatt-hours were generated at public power plants (their installed capacity is 82.5 thousand kilowatts). Crafts are developed: spinning and weaving, dressing of mats, baskets, leather.

   Transport. The main mode of transport is automobile. The length of highways is 4,000 km, of which 2,000 km are suitable for all seasons. There are railways Monrovia ≈ Bomi Hills ≈ Fono (160 km), Monrovia ≈ Bong (93 km), Buchanan ≈ Ekepa (Nimba) (267 km).

   L. occupies a special place in world maritime navigation. Thanks to the lowest registration fees and taxes in the capitalist countries, ships sail under the flag of Lithuania (mainly owned by the shipowners of the United States, Great Britain, and Greece), the total tonnage of which in 1971 was 38 million tons. In fact, Latvia does not have its own ships. Major ports: Monrovia, Buchanan, Marshall, Harper.

   Aerodromes of international importance: Robertsfield (60 km from Monrovia) and Spriggs Pin (in Monrovia).

   International trade. Exports increased from $28 million in 1950 (according to updated data) to $213.7 million in 1971 (with imports of $162.4 million). Important export items (1971, in%): iron ore (71.7), rubber (14.5), diamonds (2.5), coffee and cocoa (2.4), timber and sawn timber (3.6). They import finished industrial goods and foodstuffs. The main foreign trade partners in exports (1971, in%) are the USA (22.2), the FRG (18), the Netherlands (15), Italy (12), Japan (II), Great Britain (3.4); in terms of imports (1970, in%): USA (32), Germany (9.6), Great Britain (8.9), Japan (8), the Netherlands (8), Italy (2.1). Monetary unit ≈ Liberian dollar.

   M. Yu. Frenkel.

   Armed forces Leningrad is composed of ground troops (about 5,000 men in 1972) and the Navy (about 250 men). The Supreme Commander-in-Chief is the President, under him is the Joint Security Commission, which includes the Minister of Defense, who leads the troops. The army is recruited by recruiting volunteers and trained with the help of American instructors.

   Medical and geographical characteristics. In 1971, the birth rate per 1,000 inhabitants was 50.0, and the death rate was 21; infant mortality is 159 per 1000 live births. Average life expectancy is 36.1 years for men and 38.6 for women. Infectious pathology predominates. The main public health problems are malaria, tuberculosis, skin and venereal diseases. Intestinal infections, meningitis, leprosy are widespread. In coastal tropical forests there are pockets of yellow fever, filariasis, and yaws. Trypanosomiasis, filariasis, urogenital schistosomiasis, and helminthiases are common in the north of the country and the Leono-Liberian Upland. Smallpox epidemics are periodically recorded in various regions.

   In 1971 there were 34 hospitals in Leningrad with 2,400 beds, of which 14 state hospitals had ≈ 1,200 beds (2 beds per 1,000 inhabitants); outpatient care was provided by 32 outpatient departments of hospitals, 1 polyclinic, 200 dispensaries, 2 mobile medical teams and private practitioners. A significant part of the population uses the services of healers. Worked (1971) 107 doctors (1 doctor per 12 thousand inhabitants), 13 dentists, about 700 paramedical personnel. Doctors are trained by the department of the University of Liberia and the National Institute of Medicine. Tubman. There are schools for the training of nurses, midwives and health inspectors. Health care costs amounted to (1971) 6.4 million dollars.

   T. A. Kobakhidze, Z. I. Martynova.

   Veterinary business. Of animal diseases, scabies of sheep and goats, contagious pleuropneumonia and nematodosis of cattle are common. Anthrax has been registered in elephants, cattle, pigs; rabies in dogs; leukemia, Newcastle disease, and diphtheria-pox in birds. The veterinary network is not organized. In L. 3 veterinarians (1972).

   Education. As of 1971, about 80% of the adult population is illiterate. The education system is built on the American model. Training is conducted in English. The initial link in the education system is kindergartens for children aged 4-6 years (their number is insignificant). The primary 6-year school was declared compulsory as early as 1919, but in 1971 over 60% of children of the corresponding age did not have the opportunity to study. Secondary and vocational education is paid. The secondary 6-year school consists of 2 cycles of 3 years each (junior and senior secondary school). About 30% of elementary schools and about 50% of secondary schools are owned by American mission organizations. Vocational and pedagogical education is given mainly on the basis of the 1st cycle of secondary school. In the 1970/71 academic year, 120.2 thousand students studied at the primary level of education (including pupils of preschool institutions), in secondary educational institutions≈ 16.7 thousand students (of which 15.5 thousand people in general education, 887 people in vocational and 390 people in pedagogical).

   In the system of higher education, L. State University in Monrovia (founded in 1951), which consists of colleges (sciences and arts, pedagogy, agriculture and forestry, etc.) and schools (law, etc.), private Cuttington College in Suakoko and Maryland Teachers College. In the 1971/72 academic year, more than 1,200 students studied at higher educational institutions.

   Monrovia is home to the State Public Library (founded in 1959; 15,000 volumes) and the library of the State University of Leningrad (40,000 volumes).

   V. P. Borisenkov.

   Scientific institutions. Scientific research focus on the needs of agriculture and the mining industry. The Central Experimental Station in Suakoko (founded in 1946) studies the cultivation of rubber, coffee, cocoa, and sugar cane. Research is carried out at other experimental stations in animal husbandry, veterinary medicine (in particular, control of the tsetse fly), and river fisheries. The college of agriculture and forestry of the university also deals with agricultural problems. The Institute of Tropical Medicine (founded in 1952, a branch of the American Foundation for Tropical Medicine) operates. The Geographical and Ferrous Metallurgical Society of Leningrad (founded in 1964) conducts mineral exploration.

   Printing, broadcasting, television. Leading newspapers: The Liberian Age, from 1946, circulation 4,000, organ of the True Whig Party, and The Liberian Star, from 1964, circulation 4,000. copy, private commercial edition. Broadcasting and television (founded in 1964) are controlled by a government service, the Liberian Broadcasting Corporation.

   Literature. The peoples of the Kru, Vai, Malinke, and others, as well as the descendants of American Negroes who speak English, have a rich folklore (fairy tales, legends, fables, proverbs, sayings, songs). In 1957, the book Historical Legends and Folklore of the Grebo Tribe was published. In the 30s. 19th century Masolu Duwalu wrote the first history of this people in the Vai language. Modern literature develops predominantly in English. Literary forces are grouped around the society of writers. The most famous writers are the poet Byte Moore (author of the collection of poems Stardust, 1962), professor at the University of Liberia R. T. Dempster (compiler of the anthology of literature L.), writer Doris Banks Henris, and also Edin Bright (author of the popular play in the country "Diary"). The best poems of Moore ("New Africa"), Gene Holme ("The Legend of the Golden Throne") are directed against colonialism, which suppresses the national culture and art of Africans, and are permeated with love for Africa. The Liberian Dramatic and Cultural Society is committed to the revival of the best folk traditions, the development of theater and drama.

   S. P. Kartuzov.

   Folk art. In the central regions of Latvia, round, and more rarely rectangular in plan, frame huts, plastered with clay and covered with a thatched roof with a large overhang, are common. The walls are often decorated with painted polychrome ornaments and wooden carvings. In the development of coastal cities (Monrovia, etc.), 2≈3-story frame buildings predominate. wooden houses on a concrete plinth, stone houses with verandas. Since the mid 1940s. large public buildings were built in the forms of modern European architecture.

   Among the artistic crafts, the most common is the art of making wooden figurines and masks of various types that serve as part of a ritual costume for religious rites (usually black). In some, one can see the desire to convey the ethnic characteristics of the people, others are conditional, and others are grotesque. The narrow stylized faces of large Mende masks are carved together with a thick neck made up of wide flat rings, and resemble Benin bronze heads. Fantastically bizarre are the masks of the Poro secret union (where the rites of initiation into members of the tribe take place), with extremely conventional facial features, conveyed by sharp schematic lines. Wood carving, ceramics, weaving, metal crafts are developed.

   Music. The musical art of the peoples of Lithuania is limited to folklore. Song genres are grouped into wedding, labor, lullabies, funeral, etc., texts are improvised. The pentatonic mode of songs corresponds to the modes of musical instruments. Instrumental music is characterized by polyrhythm, which is based on the use of drums. Guitars, harps, and other stringed instruments are widespread. In orchestras there are flutes, trumpets, whistles. Among the instruments is the sansa (African piano). In 1963, the Liberian Dramatic and Cultural Society was established, whose goal is to preserve, maintain, and develop the cultural heritage of the peoples of Libya. A group of singers and musicians was organized under it. Future artists and musicians study at the school of the society (in the village of Kenema). In 1966, the National Troupe of Latvia was created, which represented the country at the first festival of African art in Dakar. One of the best productions of the National Troupe is the musical folk drama Love Came to the Girl from the Forest.

   Lit .: Khodosh I. A., Liberia (Historical essay), M., 1961; Egorov V., Liberia after the Second World War, M., 1963; Frenkel M. Yu., USA and Liberia, M., 1964; Huberich, S. H., The political and legislative history of Liberia, v. 1≈2, N.Y., 1947; Richardson N. R., Liberia "s past and present, L., 1959; Y ancy E. J., The republic of Liberia, L., ; Marinelli L. A., The new Liberia, N. Y. ≈ L., 1964; McLaughlin R. U., Foreign investment and development in Liberia, N. Y., ; Greel J. L., Folk tales of Liberia, Minneapolis, 1960; Olderogge D. A., Art of the peoples of West Africa in the museums of the USSR, L. ≈ M., 1958; Donner E., Kunst und Handwerk in Nord-Ost Liberia, "Baessler Archiv", B., 1940, Bd 23, H. 2≈3, S. 45≈110.

Wikipedia

Liberia

Liberia, officially Republic of Liberia is a small country in West Africa. It borders Sierra Leone in the west, Guinea in the north, and Ivory Coast in the east. The form of government is a republic; the capital is Monrovia.

Liberia, which means "Land of Freedom", was founded as an independent state by freeborn and freed African Americans.

At the end of the 20th century - at the turn of the 20th - 21st centuries, the country experienced a coup d'etat on April 12, 1980, the period of the military dictatorship of Sergeant Samuel Doe in 1980 - 1989 and the two civil wars that followed this period: the first Liberian civil war of 1989 - 1996 and the second the Liberian civil war of 1999-2003, which brought hundreds and thousands of victims, and also had a disastrous effect on the country's economy.

Liberia is the poorest country in West Africa and the third poorest in the world. In addition, Liberia has an unemployment rate of 85% of the population. This unemployment rate is one of the highest in the world.

Liberia (canton)

Liberia a canton in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica.

Examples of the use of the word liberia in the literature.

Eight hundred leagues across the lands Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ashanti, Dahomey, Grand Bassam!

Ominous rumors soon spread that Oste had been captured by the Patagonians, whose troops, having crossed the Beagle Channel, had landed on the northern side of the Dumas peninsula and were now moving towards Liberia.

Now between Liberia and various trading posts based in other parts of the island - in particular, in the vicinity of the Rus Peninsula and on the northern coast of the Beagle Channel - coasters, arriving, as a rule, from the Falkland Islands, kept running.

He tied all three of them with his rope and, climbing a rickety ladder, ordered that Liberia, and Anicius brought up the rear.

But in Liberia there are the richest rubber plantations in the world, and in its bowels there are the richest deposits of iron ores, diamonds are sometimes found in river flows.

But what really interested and fascinated me was not Monrovia or Liberia, and Africa, which I saw there.

In the second half of July 1960, I arrived in Monrovia, the capital Liberia, where he was supposed to replace Hanan Yavor.

After a working day, all four - Dorik, the brothers Mur and Serdey - wandered not far from Liberia, along the southern spurs of the mountains, stretching from the central ridge of the Hardy Peninsula to the western tip of the island.

A few days before President Tubman went on a visit to Israel, I was visited by the Secretary of Agriculture Liberia.

President Tubman, who received me on the occasion of my departure, expressed his sincere regret at the fact that I was ending my service in Liberia.

By order of the President Liberia Tubman, the presentation of credentials was to take place the day before Independence Day so that I could participate in the festivities as an ambassador.

Immediately after the declaration of independence Liberia almost deserted, but gradually its population began to grow again.

In the bend of the river, as if on a map, is located Liberia, and then there was a swampy plain that separated the city from the river.

Doctor Samuel Arvidson and a pharmacist from Valparaiso made sure that Liberia- a real gold mine.

Despite all the measures taken, Liberia was buried under a white shroud.

(Republic of Liberia)

General information

Geographical position. Liberia is a country in West Africa. In the north it borders on Sierra Leone and Guinea, in the east - on Ivory Coast. In the south and west it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Square. The territory of Liberia occupies 99,067 sq. km.

Main cities, administrative divisions. The capital of Liberia is Monrovia (670 thousand people). Administrative-territorial division of the country: 13 counties.

Political system

Liberia is a republic. All executive and legislative power is vested in the Council of State.

Relief. A low plain, in the north is the Leono-Liberian Upland (up to 1,381 m high, Mount Kolahun).

Geological structure and minerals. The bowels of the country contain reserves of iron ore, diamonds, and gold.

Climate. The climate of the country is equatorial and humid. The two rainy seasons last from June to July and from October to November. The average January temperature is about +26°С; the average July temperature is about +24°С.

Inland waters. The main rivers are Mano, Loffa, St. Paul.

Soils and vegetation. A third of the territory is covered with forests (gvea palms, valuable tropical tree species); in the east, savanna with acacia and baobab.

Animal world. The fauna is represented in Liberia quite widely: pygmy hippos, chimpanzees, elephants, buffaloes.

Population and language

The population is about 2.772 million people, the average population density is about 28 people per 1 sq. km. km. Ethnic groups: Liberians - 5%, local tribes (Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru and others) - 95%. Languages: English (official), Mande, Kwa.

Religion

Muslims - 20%, Christians - 10%, pagans - 70%.

Brief historical outline

Liberia was founded in 1822 by freed American Negro slaves. On July 26, 1847, the country became a republic, the constitution of which almost completely copied the US constitution. Americo-Liberians occupied a dominant position in the state-administrative apparatus and economy of Liberia until 1980, when a coup d'etat took place in the country and representatives of other ethnic political groups came to power. In 1986, Liberia's transition to civilian rule was completed.

In 1989, the National Patriotic Front began an armed struggle against government troops. With the help of inter-African peacekeeping forces, a transitional government was established in Liberia in 1990, but the struggle of the opposing factions continued. In 1993, an agreement was signed between them on a ceasefire, the creation of a three-party transitional government and the holding of free elections.

Brief economic essay

Liberia is an agricultural country with a growing mining industry. The main commercial crops are hevea, coffee, and cocoa. Livestock. Wood harvesting. Fishing. Extraction of iron ore, diamonds, gold. Sawmills, oil refineries, food, cement and other enterprises. Exports: iron ore, rubber, timber, diamonds, gold, coffee, cocoa.

The monetary unit is the Liberian dollar, although since 1943 the US dollar has been in circulation in the country.

Travel notes. Day 15

Hooray) Finally, at least some kind of Internet has appeared and you can post fresh notes! Let's go to Abidjan! A lot of news and videos, we will show everything and tell you how we get to the place.

01. We wake up in the morning in tents. In the photo, Musya Kolesnikov is basking in our house. Yes, we sleep in the same tent. As you can see, the tent is completely open so as not to die from the heat at night. In case of sudden rain, an awning is stretched from above.

02. Sierra Leone policeman who guarded our camp.

03. The village wakes up. Porridge from the basin is poured into bags for children. In general, everything is sold here in bags, plastic bottles are at a great price, so all the garbage is happily taken from our car.

04. Children.

05. Locals.

06. Morning market.

07.

08. In one of the houses, a bride was being prepared for the wedding.

09. Multi-colored plastic nails were glued.

10. Beauty.

11. Girlfriends.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16. In general, ordinary village life.

17.

18. We pass the border in Sierra Leone quickly and without problems, we became friends with everyone overnight and they let us through without inspection. Already at the very end, a policeman comes up, looks into the car, my mobile office, looks at the charging flashlight from our sponsor "Superflashlight", at the binoculars from our sponsor "Levenhoek", at the Nikon D4 camera, at my Macbook Air and sadly says: "You have I have everything... you're my brother! But I don't have anything... give your brother a present?" Brother got a pack of tea)

The border with Liberia takes us 3 hours. Of these, 30 minutes for all the formalities and 2 and a half hours to convince the insurance dealer that we do not need his services. We bought car insurance in Germany, it covers all countries, but every swindler tries to sell us some special insurance at the border, assuring us that ours does not work in their country. It was the same in Liberia. Moreover, we have already called the office of our insurance company, where the insurer was confirmed that our insurance is in order and we do not need its services. The head of the border checkpoint was very worried that we would write a complaint against him. The conversation was ended by the head of our protocol service, Musya Kolesnikov: "Dude, you know that everything is in order with our documents, why are you fooling your head? Why are you spoiling our impression of your country?" We are released and we enter Liberia!

In 1822, the Americans decided to send the freed slaves back to Africa, for this they bought some land from African tribes, put the slaves on a ship and sent them to build a new state on their native continent. Former slaves did not lose their heads and after 25 years captured 500 km of the coast, proclaiming the independent state of Liberia. They built a new state in the image and likeness of the pre-war American South. Americo-Liberians adopted not only the laws and constitution from the United States, but also slave-owning traditions. Local residents were considered second-class people by former American slaves, so they were taken into slavery and their lands were taken away.

Although now the United States has nothing to do with Liberia, the genetic memory does not give a damn to the American-Liberians and they consider themselves part of the States. Here they copy the American way of life, adopt traditions, sometimes it even seems that you are not in West Africa, but somewhere in the American outback. The Liberian flag is the same as the American one, but with one large star. Liberia, like the States, has not switched to the metric system, so gasoline is sold here in gallons at $4.50. Yes and american dollars here they walk on a par with the local, Liberian.

As in any decent African country, Liberia had a civil war, a military coup, and even its own bloody dictator. The announcer Charles Taylor, the one who supplied the Sierra Leonean rebels with weapons in exchange for diamonds, is now in a cage. Moreover, he is the first African dictator to face international justice and be found guilty by an international court. So, Charles Taylor ran for president in the late 90s with the motto: “He killed my mother. He killed my dad. I vote for him” and won with a score of 75%.

By the way, now the president here is a woman, Liberia became the first African country headed by a woman.

20. We are approaching Monrovia, the capital of Liberia.

21. The first downpour for the entire trip begins. Someone draws an advertisement for Coca-Cola right on the bridge.


Ilya Varlamov: 22. There are stalls along the road where they change money, copy and print documents, charge phones, and also let them play consoles. All of them are called "Business Center".

23. Downtown Monrovia looks like this. In total, a million people live in the city.

24. Center.

25.

26. Quarter with fishermen.

27. Upstart.

Artemy Lebedev visited Liberia 3 years ago. Then he wrote on his blog:

"By the way, oh shit. Liberians don't give a shit on the beaches. Instead of swimming in the sea in the middle of the white sand right in the capital, residents go to the beach to take a shit right on the white sand. How many sitting eagles can you see in this photo? Right in the center of the capital, Shit is not at all shy about entering into a dialogue in the process: “Yo, why did you take a picture of me?” And it keeps laying grubs, you bastard."

After the publication of this post, there was a big scandal, the photo reached the president and the country was seriously concerned about its international image. Now the beaches are decorated with large posters that crap and throw garbage is not good. But people still come to the beach to do their dirty work overlooking the ocean. Of course, there are not so many of them, but you won’t be able to sunbathe in the city. Speaking of the sea, there are almost no swimmers here because of the strong current that takes them into the ocean. The UN members working in Monrovia even have a directive against swimming in the ocean.

28. City center. A lot of cars.

29.

30. On a high hill in the center - the ruins of a once luxurious hotel. There is a beautiful view from here.

31. Now the hotel is abandoned. Hotels in the city are expensive. Bed bug. which in Europe will not even be given 1 star, costs $ 140 per night. Electricity is cut off at night, and the Internet is only good for sending mail.

32.

33. By evening, the whole city is in one big traffic jam.

34. Locals prefer motorcycle taxis, at least somehow you can get through.

35. As in all of Africa, everything here is worn on the head.

36.

37. The latest in fashion - bright boots on a bare foot. They are made of rubber, so it's cheaper. I imagine that there with a foot in the African heat.

38. As I said, Americo-Liberians feel they are part of the States. Stickers with the American flag are glued on cars, and Liberian and American Stars and Stripes hang at the entrance to the store.

39. The uniform of the Liberian police officers resembles the US one.

40. Street signs are also American.

41. In Liberia, there are no well-established standards for license plates. For money, you can buy any combination of letters and numbers, for example "M4". The more expensive the car, the shorter the number.

43. Liberians are urged not to throw garbage out of cars, not to drink from puddles, not to shit on the streets and to pay taxes.

44. The positions of various international humanitarian organizations and the United Nations are very strong in Liberia. The UN has a whole block in the center where their buildings are located, and there are a lot of bases around the country. UN members are given discounts in hotels, they have their own numbers on cars. They teach Liberians to love their Motherland.

45. Of course, this may seem strange to you, but there is nothing to do in Monrovia. All beaches and natural attractions are outside the city.

46. ​​Beautiful Liberian sunset.

47. Sweet home. Do not look at the condo, it does not work.

Tomorrow we will continue to explore Liberia!

Previous reports:
Day 1: Casablanca, Morocco
Report from Lovygin: Morocco
Day 2: Essaouira and road to the south, Morocco
Day 3: Long road to Western Sahara
Day 4: Western Sahara
Report from Lovygin: Western Sahara
Day 5: Mauritania
Day 6: Long road to Senegal
Day 7: Dakar, Senegal
Report from Lovygin: Mauritania and Senegal
Day 8: Long road to Gambia
Day 9: Gambia to Guinea-Bissau
Day 10: Road to Guinea and overnight in a remote village
Report from Lovygin: Sketches about the Gambia
Day 11: Guinea
Day 12: Road to Sierra Leone
Report from Lovygin:

Liberia is located in West Africa and in the east it borders on Côte d'Ivoire (the length of the border is 716 km), in the north - on Guinea (563 km) and Sierra Leone (306 km). In the south and west, the country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. the length of the border is 1,585 km, the length of the coastline is 579 km.

The climate of the country is subequatorial, hot and humid. Up to 5,000 mm of precipitation falls on the coast, and 1,500-2,000 mm in the interior; the winter months are usually comparatively dry. Average temperatures throughout the country are not lower than +24°С.

Story

The Republic of Liberia was founded in the early 19th century by freed American slaves; it gained independence in 1847, becoming the first republic of Africa. England and France, from the territories of their colonies (modern Sierra Leone and Guinea), advanced on Liberia, and, in the end, in 1867 annexed large parts of its territory: the diamond-bearing region of present-day Sierra Leone (the Mano River valley) and the northern part present-day Guinea, rich in bauxite and iron ore.

The so-called "Americo-Liberians" (called the Congo People in Liberia)) single-handedly ruled the country, disposing of the native population as their property. In 1926, the American company Firestone received a concession (for 99 years) of vast areas for the establishment of rubber plantations, which made Liberia the largest exporter of rubber in West Africa.

Liberia reached its greatest prosperity during the reign of William Tubman (1944-1971), who created attractive conditions for foreign companies. As a result, three Western companies began large-scale mining of iron ore in the country; iron ore exports soon accounted for more than half of Liberia's budget revenues. The extraction of diamonds and gold, the export of timber and rubber were actively developed. Sugar refineries, a hydroelectric power station, railways and roads were built. Liberia was considered the most prosperous country in West Africa at the time, attracting many immigrants from Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Nigeria.

Tubman's successor, William Tolbert, began to liberalize political life Liberia. He first began to introduce representatives of local tribes to the authorities. Tolbert opened the embassies of China, the USSR and Romania in the country. Beginning in 1974, he annually sent students to study at the universities of the USSR. All this displeased the United States, and in 1980 Tolbert was killed during a CIA special operation. An illiterate Liberian army sergeant, Samuel Doe, who was 28 at the time, was appointed to the presidency; apparently, the Americans felt that such a "leader of the nation" would be easier to control.

In the early 1980s, the US provided about $500 million in aid to Liberia; US President George W. Bush referred to Samuel Doe as his "little brother". In 1985, Dow rigged the election in his favor and violently suppressed civil unrest that broke out. The dissatisfaction of the population was also caused by the fact that he appointed representatives of his “Kran” tribe to all key positions, and also by the fact that he legalized immigrants from Guinea, “Mandingos”. In addition, he began to draw closer to the USSR, and send students there to study, which worsened his relations with the United States. In 1989, a massive U.S.-backed uprising broke out against Doe's rule; the president, in turn, was supported by the Krahn and Mandingo tribes, as well as the Liberian army; A civil war broke out that lasted 14 years.

In 2003, the situation was stabilized with the help of African Union troops, the United States and the United Nations. In 2005, presidential elections were held, in which Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf won, in the past - the Minister of Finance of Liberia, an employee of the World Bank and the UN. Under her leadership, the country set a course for economic recovery, attraction of foreign investment, eradication of corruption. The military contingents of the African Union and the UN, numerous advisers and consultants from Europe, the USA, and Russia help to ensure stability in the country. Elections for a new President of Liberia will be held in 2011.

Sights of Liberia

City Monrovia named after US President James Monroe. It is the largest city and capital of Liberia, located at the mouth of the Saint Paul River. Particularly popular with the local population is Garley Street, which is also called the African Amsterdam. It is in this place that many establishments are concentrated: nightclubs, restaurants, bars and cafes.

National Museum Liberia is the heritage of the country. The museum was founded in 1958, it is here that exclusive exhibits and interesting collections are collected, which have been collected by specialists for a long time. Here you can see ancient women's jewelry, works of art, all kinds of pottery exhibits and much more.

Another attraction of Liberia are Kpa Tawe waterfalls located about 400 km from Monrovia. The waterfalls are surrounded by a palm farm. You can get to this picturesque place on a rented jeep, as local roads are beyond the power of non-wheel drive vehicles. A trip to the Kpa-Tave waterfalls is the best for fans of ecotourism.

More than half of the coastline of Liberia, stretching along the Atlantic Ocean, is occupied by sandy beaches. The best and cleanest are: Bernard Beach, Kendahe Beach, Kenema Beach, Cooper Beach, Side Beach, Caesars Beach, Shuge Beach, and Elva Beach. To get on them you need to pay a small fee. In addition, very pretty beaches are located in the Robertsport area.

Sapo National Park is the only national park in Liberia. The park was established in 1983. The lands of the national park are spread over 1808 square kilometers. Sapo - the pearl of West Africa! These are unique tropical rainforests with their unique beautiful pristine beauty. Much of the national park has never been trodden by a white man, making it the largest untouched patch of forest in West Africa.

Thanks to the attention paid to the Sapo National Park in terms of its protection, the flora and fauna of the park has been preserved in its original form. The park has become a haven for many wild animals, insects and wild flowers.

In 2002, scientists discovered six new plant species, until recently unknown to science, who knows how many more secrets and mysteries this African miracle holds!

Cuisine of Liberia

Liberia cannot boast high level life. The low standard of living limits Liberians in products but not in fantasy. Therefore, everything that can be accessed and eaten is eaten in a variety of forms.

Fu-fu is a cassava porridge that will be sure to be present on any table. It is quite heavy, so it is always accompanied by various sauces.

Chop of the country is the name of a dish that consists of meat, fish and greens fried in palm oil.

Here you can try East African sweet pea soup, which is made from onion, garlic, ginger, sweet potato, green peas and an incredible amount of spices.

The main alcoholic drink is palm moonshine. In order to get mash, the trunk of a palm tree is cut down. The places of log cabins are covered with clay. And the trunk stretches out in the sun. The clay dries and the palm sap begins to ferment. After a while, you can remove the mash and make moonshine.

Another important and favorite drink is ginger beer.

The cuisine of Liberia is distinguished by the great imagination of the chefs. By mixing spices, they can achieve completely different flavors for dishes prepared according to the same recipe.

The content of the article

LIBERIA, Republic of Liberia. State in West Africa. Capital- Monrovia (550.2 thousand people - 2003). Territory- 111.4 thousand square meters. km. Administrative-territorial division- 15 counties. Population– 3.48 million people (2005, estimate). Official language- English. Religion- Christianity, Islam and traditional African beliefs. Currency unit- Liberian dollar. National holiday- Independence Day (1847), July 26. Liberia is a member of ca. 40 international organizations, incl. UN since 1945, Organization of African Unity (OAU) since 1963, and since 2002 its successor African Union (AU), Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) since 1975, Mano River Union (MRU) since 1973.

Geographic location and boundaries. Continental State. It borders in the north with Sierra Leone and Guinea, in the east with Côte d'Ivoire, in the south and southwest it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The length of the coastline is 579 km.

Nature.

Terrain relief.

The coastline is flat, but in some places it is disturbed by the estuaries of the large rivers Mano, Loffa, St. Paul. St. John, Sess and Cavalli, running parallel to one another along the coastal lowlands. Strong surf and tides contributed to the formation of sandy coastal bars and spits oriented from northwest to southeast and often blocking access to river mouths.

The coastal lowland, 30–65 km wide, is bordered by thickets of palms and pandanuses; lagoons and mangrove swamps are formed in places behind the sandy ramparts, which are breeding grounds for malaria. Rocky remnants rise above the coastal lowland, including Cape Mount (near the city of Robertsport), rising 326 m above the surface of Lake. Fisherman, which is also known as Piso and is a vast lagoon, and Cape Mesurado, 91 m high, on which the city of Monrovia is located. Dense tropical rainforest is preserved only in some parts of the coast. In the north of the coastal lowland, 65 km north of Monrovia, are the remnant hills of Bomi Hills, where rich deposits of iron ore have been mined. Other minerals are diamonds, bauxite, graphite, gold, ilmenite, cobalt, manganese, nickel, tin, uranium, chromium, zinc, etc.

The coastal lowland gradually turns into a densely populated hilly plain 120–370 m high. This plain is bounded by steep ledges of the plateau, which occupy a significant part of the country. In places, the surface of the plateau is complicated by ridges 760 m above sea level. The Bong Mountains (about 100 km northeast of Monrovia) contain iron ore deposits, which have been exploited by the construction of a highway leading from the coast over the Reputa Escarpment to Guinea. The plateau is covered with dense tropical forest.

The Guinea Upland enters the northern regions of Liberia, where there is a watershed between the rivers of the Niger basin and the rivers flowing through the territory of Liberia into the Atlantic Ocean. The hill is most elevated in the north (Mount Vuteve, 1380 m) and northeast (near Mount Nimba, 1752 m, located at the junction of the border with Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire). Rich deposits of iron ore are concentrated in the latter region. For the Guinean Upland savannas with sparse woody vegetation are typical, and only in the valleys is a dense forest stand developed.

Climate

Liberia is tropical, hot and humid. The average annual rainfall in the coastal lowlands exceeds 5000 mm, while in the interior it is 1500–2000 mm. The maximum precipitation occurs in April - November, when the southwest monsoon blows. In the interior of the country, the duration of the wet season is shorter - usually from June to September. In winter, the Harmattan blows from the Sahara, bringing dry, pleasant weather with sunny days and cool nights. Average monthly temperatures in Liberia do not fall below 28°C.

Vegetable world.

Mangrove forests are common on the coast of Liberia. Palm trees grow beyond the reach of the tides: raffia (which gives industrial fiber), rattan, oilseed and coconut, as well as pandanus. In the evergreen tropical forests, there are about 200 species of trees, including a number of valuable species (Erythrophleum Guinea, Hevea, Kaya, or mahogany, etc.). The northeastern regions are characterized by deciduous forests and light forests, while the northern regions are characterized by tall grass savannahs with umbrella acacias and baobabs.

Liberia has significant reserves of valuable timber.

Animal world.

Wild animals are preserved mainly in the east and northwest of Liberia. Large mammals include elephants, leopards, antelopes (bongos, Liberian forest and zebra duikers and water deer), pygmy hippopotamus, bush pig, African (black) buffalo. Crocodiles and numerous snakes, including a number of poisonous ones, are found in the country. Freshwater fish resources have been greatly reduced due to predatory fishing, but the coastal waters of the ocean abound with fish. A significant part of the territory of Liberia is included in the range of tsetse flies (which limits the development of animal husbandry) and malarial mosquitoes.

Population.

The most densely populated areas are those adjacent to the capital of the country. The average population density is 33.1 people. per 1 sq. km (2002). Its average annual growth is 2.64%. Birth rate - 44.22 per 1000 people, mortality - 17.87 per 1000 people. Child mortality - 128.9 per 1000 newborns. 44.1% of the population are children under 14 years of age. Residents who have reached the age of 65 - 2.8%. The average age of the population is 18.7 years. Fertility rate (average number of children born per woman) - 5.24. Life expectancy - 56.58 years (men - 55.05, women - 58.14) (all data for 2010).
The purchasing power of the population is $700 (2005 estimates).

Liberia is a multi-ethnic state. 95% of the population are Africans (there are more than 20 ethnic groups - Bassa, Belle, Vai, Kpelle, Gbandi, Gio, Gola, Grebo, Dei, Kissi, Kru, Loma, Mandingo, Mano, Mende, etc.). The most numerous are Kpelle (19.4%), Bassa (13.8%) and Grebo (9%) - 2001. Americo-Liberians (descendants of immigrants from the USA) and descendants of settlers from the Caribbean countries make up 2.5% of the population . Of the local languages, the languages ​​of the Kpelle, Mano, Gio, and Bassa peoples are the most common. Most of the local languages ​​are not written.

The urban population is 56% (2004). Large cities - Buchanan (27.3 thousand people), Harper (20 thousand people), Greenville (13.5 thousand people), Ganta (11.2 thousand people), Grand Sess, Duabo , Kakata, Mano River, Marshall, Njebele, Robertsport, Sagleipie, Tappita and Chien (2003).

Labor migrants from Liberia are in Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea and other countries. The problem of refugees remains a serious one. Liberia has been one of the main suppliers of refugees and internally displaced persons on the African continent over the past decades. During the civil war that began in 1989, about 700 thousand people became refugees (420 thousand of them found refuge in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Ghana).In 1998, after the signing of an agreement on the disarmament of the rebels, 235 thousand Liberian refugees returned to their homeland.After the resumption of military conflict began a new mass exodus of the population (more than 150 thousand Liberians fled to Sierra Leone - 2002) Refugees from Liberia are also in the EU countries, the USA (2.5 thousand people - 2000), etc. Liberia was also a host country for refugees from Sierra Leone and Cote d "Ivoire (25 thousand people - 2003).

Religions.

40% of the country's population are Christians (the majority are Protestants), 40% are Muslims (the majority profess Sunni Islam), 20% of Liberians adhere to traditional African beliefs (animalism, fetishism, the cult of ancestors, the forces of nature, etc.) - 2003. According to the constitution Liberia guarantees complete freedom of religion.

Christianity began to spread in the 16th-17th centuries, the first missionary society was established in Monrovia in 1827. At the present time there are also a number of Christian-African churches. Active penetration of Islam began in mid. 18th century Muslims inhabit mainly the northwestern counties of the country. Among the Muslims of Liberia, the Sufi order (tarikat) Ahmadiyya ( Cm. SUFISM). Among adherents of traditional African beliefs, the influence of male (Poro) and female (Bundu and Sande) secret societies has been preserved.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

State device.

Liberia is a presidential republic (the oldest republic in Tropical Africa). The constitution adopted on January 6, 1986 with subsequent changes is in force. The head of state and government, as well as the supreme commander of the armed forces, is the president, who is elected by direct universal suffrage (by secret ballot) for a 6-year term. Legislative power is exercised by a bicameral parliament (National Assembly), which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. 64 deputies of the House of Representatives are elected by universal direct and secret elections for 6 years. The Senate, consisting of 30 senators, is also elected by universal direct and secret suffrage (the term of office of 15 senior senators is 9 years, 15 junior senators - 7 years).

State flag.

Rectangular panel consisting of 11 horizontal alternating stripes of the same width in red and white (6 red and 5 white). In the upper left corner (near the staff) there is a blue square with a white five-pointed star in the center.

administrative device.

The country is divided into 15 counties - Bomi, Bong, Gparbolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Kess, River Gii and Sino.

Judicial system.

Based on Anglo-American civil law with the application of customary (traditional) law. There is a Supreme Court.

Armed Forces and Defense.

The armed forces were formed after the proclamation of the republic in 1847 on a voluntary basis from among the Americo-Liberians. The Air Force and Navy were created in the 1960s. In 2003, the armed forces of Liberia were estimated to have numbered 11-15 thousand people. Currently, a new army is being formed, which will consist of 4 thousand people. The protection of internal order is provided by the police (2 thousand people - 2006). In March 2006, a woman was appointed to the post of chief of the country's police for the first time. Defense spending in 2004 was $1.5 million (0.2% of GDP).

Foreign policy.

It is based on the policy of non-alignment. In 2002, relations with Côte d'Ivoire were aggravated due to the appearance of an armed group from Liberia on the side of the rebels. Sierra Leone Relations with China are being improved, Liberian Defense Minister Daniel Chi visited Beijing in May 2005. Relations with the US are maintained In March 2006, the new President of Liberia, E. Johnson-Sirleaf, was on an official visit to the US, where she was received by the President George W. Bush International observers of the 2005 general election included former US President Jimmy Carter In September 2005, the US provided $6.6 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to help return Liberian refugees to their homelands.

Diplomatic relations between the USSR and Liberia were established on January 11, 1956 (they were interrupted in 1985-1986 at the initiative of the government of Liberia). In the 1960s–1970s, delegations were exchanged along state, parliamentary, and social lines. The first trade agreement was signed in 1979. The USSR provided assistance to Liberia in the field of health care. In con. 1970 cooperation in the field of culture was carried out (tours of Soviet stage artists in Liberia, the exchange of delegations of writers, an exhibition of photographic artists of the USSR in Monrovia). In December 1991, the Russian Federation was recognized as the legal successor of the USSR. The resumption of trade cooperation began in 2000. The UN mission in Liberia includes 80 Russian peacekeepers. During the years of cooperation in the USSR/RF, 123 citizens of Liberia received higher education. In 2004, 22 Liberians were studying at Russian universities. For students from Liberia, Russia annually allocates 10 scholarships.

political organizations.

A multi-party system has developed in the country (on the eve of the 2005 general elections, there were 30 political parties). The most influential of them:

– « Unity Party», PE(Unity Party, UP), leader - Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (female). Created in 1984;

– « National Patriot Party», NPP(National Patriotic Party, NPP), Chairman - Allen Cyril (Cyril Allen), Gen. sec. - John Whitfield Main in 1996 on the basis of a military-political group called the "National Patriotic Front";

– « National Democratic Party of Liberia», NTFP(National Democratic Party of Liberia, NDPL), leader - George Boley. Created in 1996 on the basis of a military-political group called the Liberian Peace Council;

– « All-Liberian Coalition Party», PVC(All Liberian Coalition Party, ALCOP), leader - Alhaji G.V. Kromah, chairman - David Kortie. Main in 1996 on the basis of the military-political group "United Liberation Movement for Democracy in Liberia".

trade union associations.

"Liberian Federation of Labor Unions", LFP (Liberian Federation of Labor Unions). The single trade union center of the country has more than 10 thousand members. It was formed in February 1980 as a result of the merger of the Labor Congress of Liberia and the United Workers' Congress of Liberia. The General Secretary is Amos Gray.

ECONOMY

Liberia is an agricultural country, belongs to the group of the poorest countries in the world. As a result of a long civil war, industrial and transport infrastructures were undermined, and agriculture was destroyed. According to experts, the recovery process national economy may take up to 15 years. More than 80% of the population is below the poverty line (2005). Significant positions in the economy are occupied by foreign capital (USA, Japan, etc.).

Labor resources.

The economically active population of the country is 1.24 million people (2001). Unemployment rate - 80% (2006).

Agriculture.

Share in GDP - 76.9% (2002), 829 thousand people are employed. (2001). 3.9% of the land is cultivated (2001). The main cash crops are cocoa, rubber, coffee and oil palm. Prior to the start of the military conflict, Liberia was one of the world's largest producers and exporters of natural rubber. The main food crops are rice and cassava. Animal husbandry (breeding of cattle, goats, sheep and pigs) is poorly developed due to the spread of the tsetse fly. Fishing is developing (catch of ocean and freshwater fish). In 2000, the catch of fish and seafood amounted to 11.7 thousand tons. Agriculture does not provide the population of Liberia with basic food.

Industry.

The share in GDP is 5.4% (2002), 8% of the population is employed (2000). The mining industry is developing (extraction of iron ore and diamonds). Before the start of the military conflict, the country was one of the world's largest exporters of iron ore. There are food industry enterprises, as well as small rubber processing and cement production plants.

International trade.

Plays an extremely important role in the economy of Liberia. The volume of imports significantly exceeds the volume of exports: in 2004, imports (in US dollars) amounted to 4.84 billion, exports - 910 million. The main imports are machinery and equipment, petroleum products, vehicles, manufactured goods and foodstuffs. The main import partners are Korea (38.8%), Japan (21.2%), Singapore (12.2%) and Germany (4.2%) - 2004. The main export commodities are diamonds, iron ore, precious wood rocks, cocoa, coffee and raw rubber. The main export partners are Denmark (28.1%), Germany (18%), Poland (13.6%), USA (8.5%), Greece (7.6%) and Thailand (4.8%) – 2004.

Energy.

Liberia has significant hydropower potential. Electricity production (produced at HPPs and TPPs) in 2003 amounted to 509.4 million kilowatt-hours. The vast majority of the population uses wood as fuel.

Transport.

The main mode of transport is automobile. Its development began in con. 1940s The total length of roads is 10.6 thousand km (with a hard surface - 657 km) - 1999. The total length of railways is 490 km (2004). After the Second World War, Liberia began to provide its flag to foreign ships, which provides a significant part of the foreign exchange earnings in the budget. The merchant fleet (one of the largest in the world in terms of total displacement) has 1,465 ships (2005). Seaports - Monrovia, Buchanan, Greenville and Harper. There are 53 airports and runways (2 of them are paved) - 2005. Robertsfield International Airport is located 56 km from the capital.

Finance and credit.

The monetary unit is the Liberian dollar (LRD), which consists of 100 cents. In the beginning. 2005 course national currency was: 1 USD = 54.91 LRD.

SOCIETY AND CULTURE

Education.

The first elementary schools were opened in 1827, the first high school in 1834. In 1839, West Africa College was opened in Monrovia. The school system is modeled after the American one.

Officially compulsory is 9 years of primary education, which children receive at the age of 7-16. Primary and secondary education is free of charge (except for an annual entrance fee of 10,000 Liberian dollars). Children receive primary education (6 years) from the age of 7. Secondary education (6 years) begins at the age of 13 and takes place in two stages of 3 years each. According to UNESCO data, in 2000, 83.4% of children of the corresponding age (95.6% of boys and 71.2% of girls) attended primary school, and 20.3% of children (23.7% of boys and 16.9% of girls) attended secondary school. ). During the civil war, many schools were destroyed. There is one university in the country - the University of Liberia (opened in Monrovia in 1951 on the basis of the Liberian College, founded in 1862). The university is under state control, teaching is carried out in English. In 2002, 282 teachers worked at its 7 faculties and 5.1 thousand students studied. The system of higher education also includes the Anglican University College Cuttington (founded in the capital in 1889) and the Catholic College of Our Lady of Fatima. In 2003, 57.5% of the population were literate (73.3% of men and 41.6% of women). One of the acute problems facing the new government is the problem of integrating 100,000 former rebels who are teenagers into civilian life. In May 2005 in the county of Montserrado, with the help of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), an internship was held for primary school teachers on the methodology of teaching children demobilized from the army.

Healthcare.

Architecture.

The most common type of folk dwelling is a hut, round in plan, placed on a frame of poles. The walls are erected from stakes or bundles of bamboo fastened with vines, they are plastered with white clay on the outside. Walls and sometimes doors are covered with carvings or colored paintings of a geometric nature. A high roof of a conical shape is laid from raffia palm leaves (in the southern regions) or grass (in the north of the country). Often a spire, decorated with a faience plate, is installed on the roof. Houses in the north of the country (among the Kru people and others) are rectangular in shape, often with a veranda attached to them. The material for the construction of such dwellings are wood and clay. In modern cities, houses are built of brick, reinforced concrete structures and glass.

Fine Arts and Crafts.

The traditional fine arts of the peoples of Liberia have a long history. Cylindrical stone figurines called "pomdo" among the Kissi people date back to the 16th century. Wooden masks are widely used in various rituals, especially in the secret societies of Poro, Bundu and Sande. They are distinguished by the originality of the mende mask - narrow faces are framed by a high hairstyle, the head is carved along with the neck, which is decorated with several rings. Among the Loma people there are anthropomorphic masks called "landa" - images of long flat and mouthless faces with a convex forehead and small horns.

Professional fine arts began to develop after the Second World War. One of the most famous painters and sculptors of Liberia is Laron Brown. Other artists are Ahmed V. Sirleaf, Barclay G. Waters, Bulu John Barbour, I. E. Dangua, John N. Thompson, Samuel Reeves, Samuel Walker, Cesar W. Harris, Fable Walker. From the beginning In the 2000s, the work of contemporary battle painter Michael Mitchell is popular. His war paintings are in black and white. Collections of African traditional and contemporary art are presented at the National Museum, which is located in Monrovia.

Crafts and arts and crafts are well developed - wood carving (making masks and ritual objects (drums, wands, figurines), household utensils and women's combs), ivory carving, pottery (making pottery decorated with bright multi-color ornaments), metal processing (ritual bells, copper and silver bracelets, rings, necklaces), as well as weaving various baskets and bags from straw and plant fibers.

Literature.

It is based on the rich traditions of oral art (myths, songs, proverbs and fairy tales) of the local peoples, primarily the Vai, Grebo and Kru. Modern literature develops in English and local languages. In the 1830s, Massolu Duwalu Booker wrote a history of the Vai in the language of this people. In con. 19th century works of religious content were published in the Bassa language. E. Bosolou became the founder of English-language prose in the country. Most of the books by national authors were published abroad. The first Liberian novel (Love in Ebony: A West African Novel, published in London in 1932) was written by Carly Warfelli (pseudonym of Edward Clarke Cooper). Other significant writers, poets and playwrights are Ronald Tombekaya Demster, Henriss Doris Bana, Sankovulu Wilton, H.K.Thomas.

Music and theatre.

The national musical culture is diverse, formed as a result of the interaction of the traditions of numerous peoples inhabiting the country. Music is an important part of the daily life of Liberians. The musical instrumentation is diverse: gbegbetele harp, drums (gbili, gbingbin, gio, dukpa, kaleng, likpa, sangba, tu "n, fanga, chbungbung, etc.), duu guitar, xylophones (bali, bilophone, blinde, ballau, kongoma ), konni (stringed), zino musical bow, rattles and rattles (saasaa, semkon), jomokor (wind), flutes (bong, puu), zither konang, etc. Ensemble performance of music is popular, which is characterized by polyrhythm. Solo and choral singing To this day, some peoples of Liberia have preserved songs and dances associated with the cults of the forces of nature, animals and plants (for example, rice).

Professional musicians and singers appeared in the middle. 20th century In con. In the 1990s, the musician Otto Braun, the Loffa-30 traditional music ensemble, were popular. Popular music in the styles of hi-life, al-jad has become widespread. Amateur theater groups have been formed at the University of Liberia and in some schools. The famous Liberian playwright is Edith Bright.

Press, radio broadcasting, television and the Internet.

The first newspaper - the weekly "Labiria Herald" ("Herald of Liberia") - began to be published in 1826. Currently published in English:

- government newspaper The New Liberian, the daily private newspaper The Daily Observer, the independent newspaper The Inquirer, private, the Wednesday newspaper Express, as well as the weekly independent newspaper News and the Catholic newspaper Herald.

The government's Liberian News Agency, LINA has been operating in Monrovia since 1978. The government's Liberian Broadcasting System (RM) was established in 1960 and is located in the capital. Radio programs are broadcast in English, French and Portuguese, Swahili, as well as in local languages ​​(Gio, Mano, Bassa, etc.). Television has been operating since 1964 (color programs have been broadcast since 1979). In 2002 there were 1 thousand Internet users.

STORY

The indigenous population entered the territory of modern Liberia from the north, northeast and east in the 12th-16th centuries. Portuguese navigators first visited this coast in the 15th century. During the 15th and 16th centuries ivory and pepper were the main items of trade, but in the 17th century. the slave trade came first. Until the middle of the 19th century. coastal dwellers were intermediaries in the transatlantic slave trade.

In 1816, a group of white Americans founded the American Colonization Society in the United States, which set itself the goal of solving the "Negro problem" by settling freed black slaves in Africa. In 1818, two representatives of the society were sent to Africa in search of a place to settle, and in 1820, 88 black colonists, led by three white Americans, headed for the shores of Sierra Leone. Before leaving, they signed a document stating that a representative of the American Colonization Society would manage the future settlement. For several weeks, settlers tried to settle on Sherbro Island (now part of Sierra Leone), where malaria was rampant; 25 people died from it, including all three whites. Then one of the black settlers named Elijah Johnson took over the leadership and headed with the survivors to the mainland. There they were picked up by another group of colonists from the United States, and in 1821 they moved to Cape Mesurado, where they began building a settlement on land purchased from local leaders. Malaria and raids by local tribes led to a decrease in the number of colonists. In 1822, the Methodist priest Yehudi Eshmun arrived as the head of the settlement, who, with the help of Elijah Johnson, built fortifications, organized self-defense units, cleared land for agricultural land and established trade relations with the population of the hinterland. In 1824, the entire territory of the settlement was named Liberia, and its capital, Monrovia, in honor of US President James Monroe.

The successes achieved by Eshmun contributed to the further colonization of the coast of Liberia. In 1827, the Maryland Colonization Society founded the Independent Republic of Maryland at Cape Palmas, which in 1857 became part of Liberia as a county. In 1835, thanks to the efforts of the Pennsylvania Association of Young Christians, a group of Quakers at the mouth of the St. John River founded the settlement of Basa Cove (Buchanan). Three years later, at the mouth of the Sino River, the Mississippi Colonization Society created another settlement. In 1838, when difficulties arose with financing and attracting new settlers, all settlements except Maryland became part of the Commonwealth of Liberia. A new constitution was adopted, with Thomas Buchanan as the first governor. By this time, the number of colonists was 2247 people. The missionaries worshiped among the settlers and tried to expand the flock at the expense of the local population and Congolese Africans from captured slave ships, who were settled in Liberia. Around the same time, Islam was gaining strength in the northwestern regions of modern Liberia.

In 1841, Joseph Jenkins Roberts, who was born and educated in Virginia, became governor and managed to expand the coastal possessions of Liberia to the Grand Sess River on the border with the Maryland settlement. The colonial society aimed to create an agricultural colony. However, D.D. Roberts sought to develop trade in the country, since most of the colonists were emigrants from the northern cities of the United States and preferred to engage in trade, rather than agriculture. Roberts failed to collect customs duties and taxes from French and English merchants. As the costs of the colonization society grew, and the colonists themselves supported the idea of ​​​​independence and wanted to obtain legal rights to their land, the society helped the settlers create a sovereign state. In 1847 the Declaration of Independence was promulgated and a constitution adopted. On July 26 of that year, Roberts became the first president of an independent Liberia. The new state was recognized by Great Britain, and later by other countries, including the United States.

The young republic faced numerous problems. Some coastal tribes, notably the Grebo and Kru, mutinied due to government intervention in the slave trade in the 1850s. From the 1860s, Britain and France began to make claims to the territory previously recognized as Liberian. During the American Civil War, emigration of black Americans to Liberia declined, and it also entered a period of protracted economic crisis, caused by the cessation of sugar exports, which could not compete with cheaper sugar from the West Indies. In 1870, Brazilian coffee exporters dealt a crushing blow to Liberian coffee exports, and the African Republic, which found itself in a difficult situation, was forced to take foreign loans on unfavorable terms. By 1890, the production of artificial dyes led to a reduction in demand for the natural dye baffia, mined in the interior of Liberia, and Sierra Leone forced Liberia out of the world market for piassava. Revenues to the state treasury continued to decline, and in order to pay off debts, Liberia was forced to make new loans. Creditors insisted on establishing their control over the funds from customs duties, the main revenue item in the budget of Liberia. Despite complete bankruptcy, Liberia continued to maintain sovereignty, since England, France and Germany, pursuing their own financial interests, could not agree on the division of the country. In addition, independent Liberia was supported by the United States.

In 1926, with the active participation of the US State Department, Liberia was granted a loan of $5 million for a period of 40 years, necessary to pay off debts. In return, the Liberian government leased approximately 400,000 hectares to the American company Firestone for a period of 99 years to grow rubber plants. In the 1930s, the League of Nations investigated allegations by the Liberian government of using slave labor and uncovered the involvement of Vice President Allen N. Yancey in forcibly recruiting native Liberians to work on Fernando Po Island. President King was forced to resign. Using this situation, Great Britain raised the issue of establishing guardianship of the League of Nations over Liberia. The new president, Edwin Barkley, prevented the establishment of international control by banning the use of Liberian workers abroad and the practice of giving the debtor's relatives to the creditor as collateral until the debt was paid. He managed to negotiate more favorable terms for Liberia under a contract with Firestone.

When did the second World War, Liberia declared its neutrality. However, the agreement with Firestone significantly strengthened economic ties with the United States, and in 1942, having received from them guarantees of sovereignty and technical assistance to the Liberian armed forces, the government of Liberia agreed to the construction of the Robertsfield Air Force Base. In 1943, an agreement was concluded between Liberia and the United States on the construction of a modern port in Monrovia. At the same time, an agreement was reached on US assistance in implementing the plan for the economic and social development of Liberia, which was based on the idea of ​​uniting Americo-Liberians with the indigenous population and implementing an open door policy for private foreign capital. In 1944 Liberia declared war on Germany. Thanks to the growth of rubber exports and periodic loans and subsidies from the United States in the post-war period, by 1951 Liberia was able to pay all the debts of the Firestone company. Significant new foreign investment in the mining industry enabled Liberia to become a major exporter iron ore. President Tubman died in 1971 and was replaced by William Tolbert, who has been Vice President since 1951. Continuing his predecessor's domestic politics, Tolbert maintained close ties with the US, but at the same time sought to increase Liberia's role in African affairs and improve relations with communist countries. Under Tolbert, as under Tubman, the Americo-Liberian elite continued to have a monopoly on power.

In the 1970s, a strong and well-organized political opposition emerged in Liberia. Public dissatisfaction with rising food prices led in April 1979 to serious "rice riots". On April 12, 1980, as a result of a coup carried out by indigenous Liberians, led by Senior Sergeant Samuel Doe, the Tolbert government was overthrown. Power in the country passed to the Council of People's Salvation, whose chairman was Dow, who assumed the rank of general.

The outside world condemned the assassination of President Tolbert and 13 members of his cabinet, but soon relations with the United States were restored, and the amount of American financial assistance even increased. This did not prevent a deep recession in the Liberian economy in the early 1980s. Doe's regime became increasingly unpopular, and former associates of the leader of the country became its victims, who were imprisoned or executed. In October 1985, Liberia formally returned to civilian rule. However, Dow won the presidential election.

In December 1989, an armed uprising of the hitherto unknown National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) began in Nimba County. It was led by Charles Taylor, a former civil servant accused by Dow of embezzling $1 million in 1984. Initially a small partisan group, by the end of 1990 the NPFL had increased its ranks to several thousand fighters and controlled more than 90% of the country's territory. A splinter group led by Yormie Johnson fought against the forces of both Taylor and Doe. The hostilities were accompanied by mass repressions against the civilian population, exacerbation of interethnic conflicts, chaos in the economy, hunger and impoverishment of a huge number of the country's inhabitants. Hundreds of thousands of people were forced to emigrate (according to various estimates, in countries neighboring Liberia, there are from 700 thousand to 1 million refugees).

To achieve a ceasefire in August 1990, by decision of the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS), a military contingent of 3 thousand people was sent to Liberia. During negotiations between Johnson and Doe in September, the president was captured by Johnson's men and later killed. By 1991, the ECOWAS armed forces in Liberia, known as the Control Group of the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOMOG), reached 10 thousand people. Between Taylor, Johnson and Captain Wilmot Diggs, who led the remnants of the Liberian armed forces, an agreement was reached to cease hostilities. It was observed until the spring of 1992, when armed clashes between ECOMOG units and NPFL detachments broke out again. In the summer, there were several clashes between the forces of Taylor and a new participant in the civil war - the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO), where the main force was supporters of the overthrown Doe regime, their bases were in Sierra Leone. The fighting for Monrovia intensified, during which ECOMOG units attacked NPFL fortifications from land, sea and air. Numerous cases of brutal massacres of civilians were reported, for example, the murder in June 1993 of more than 400 people in the refugee camp in Harbel near Monrovia. The massacre was initially blamed on the NPFL, but a UN investigation determined that it was the work of government soldiers and members of ULIMO.

The civil war continued until mid-1995, then in August an agreement was reached on the disarmament of 60 thousand partisans. ECOMOG forces and a group of UN military observers sought to achieve the implementation of the 1995 agreements. With varying success, the interim government, the State Council, tried to establish governance in the country, but often its orders were carried out only in Monrovia.

After in April 1996 the State Council accused the leader of one of the armed groups, D. Roosevelt Johnson, in the murders and ordered his arrest, Monrovia experienced the largest armed clashes in the years of the civil war, accompanied by mass robberies. A fragile truce was reached two weeks later, and then hostilities resumed.

In July-August 1996, on the initiative of ECOWAS, two rounds of negotiations were held between the leaders of the main military-political groups. During the negotiations, an agreement was reached on the reorganization of the transitional authority - the State Council. Although the leaders of the main factions, including Taylor, remained in its composition, the agreement provided for their resignation on the eve of the general elections scheduled for May 1997. The new plan for ending the armed conflict assumed that by January 1997 all warring factions should lay down their arms.

In pursuance of the provisions of the peace agreement in September 1996, former Senator Ruth Parry became head of the State Council.

Sporadic armed clashes continued throughout 1996 hampered the delivery of humanitarian aid to the civilian population, which was suffering from hunger and other consequences of the protracted civil war.

In early 1997, Taylor dissolved and disarmed the National Patriotic Front of Liberia, creating on its basis a political organization called the National Patriot Party (NPP). His example was soon followed by the leaders of other factions, who disbanded their military formations and created political parties. In accordance with the terms of the peace agreement in March 1997, Taylor and other faction leaders resigned from the State Council.

On July 19, 1997, presidential and parliamentary elections were held, 13 candidates fought for the presidency. The elections were supervised by an independent electoral commission. On July 23, she announced Taylor with 75.3% of the vote as the winner. The Taylor-created NPP won an overwhelming majority of seats in both houses of the newly created legislature.

Upon taking the presidency, Taylor promised to organize two commissions - on the observance of human rights and national reconciliation. He formed a 19-member cabinet of ministers, which included some members of the provisional government. In August 1997, ECOWAS member countries revised their mandate for peacekeeping operations and called on ECOMOG forces to remain in Liberia to maintain order during a period of national reconciliation.

Relations between the government and ECOWAS deteriorated after a 1,000-strong security force was formed on Taylor's orders to patrol the border between Liberia and Sierra Leone. This decision ran counter to one of the provisions of the peace plan, which provided for the participation of ECOMOG in the formation of the armed forces of Liberia.

Throughout 1998 there were reports of the Taylor government's use of repressive measures against political opponents, although a human rights commission was established in late 1997.

In September 1998, armed clashes broke out in Monrovia between government troops and rebel military units that supported D. Roosevelt Johnson.

Liberia in the 21st century

In 2000-2001, the military conflict engulfed the border areas with Guinea and Sierra Leone. In February 2002, a state of emergency was declared in Liberia. June 17, 2002 in Accra (Ghana) between the government and the rebels signed a ceasefire agreement. However, the rebels violated the agreement and demanded the immediate resignation of President Taylor. On August 11, 2003, he voluntarily handed over power to Vice President Moses Blah and left for Nigeria, which granted him asylum. On August 18 of the same year, a peace agreement was signed between the warring parties, according to which a provisional government and a unicameral parliament were formed in October. (During the years of the military conflict, 200-250 thousand people died.)

In 2004, economic growth began. In 2005, the GDP was 2.59 billion US dollars.

On October 11, 2005, general elections were held. 28 candidates ran for the presidency. None of them won the necessary more than 50% of the votes. George Weah (world football legend - 28.3%) and former senior World Bank official Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (19.8%) received the most votes. In the second round (November 8, 2005), Johnson-Sirleaf won, becoming the first female president in African history. In the parliamentary elections, the largest number of seats in the House of Representatives were won by the Congress for Democratic Change, CDP (15), Freedom Party, PS (9), Unity Party, PE and Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia, CPL (8 each). places each). In the Senate, the Liberian Transformation Coalition (7) and the National Patriotic party”, NPP (4). The elections were held under the control of the UN mission in Liberia. More than 400 international observers followed the voting process. According to observers, the elections were held in a peaceful and calm atmosphere.

In March 2006, the new government canceled some contracts concluded by the former government of the country (for the extraction of iron ore, for exploration of oil deposits on the coastal shelf, etc.), as not meeting the national interests. On March 17, 2006, the government of Liberia officially asked Nigeria to extradite former President Charles Taylor. On April 3, 2006, in Freetown (Sierra Leone), he appeared before the UN International War Crimes Tribunal in Sierra Leone. Taylor is charged with 17 counts (he is considered the main culprit of the civil war in Liberia, as well as the conflict in Sierra Leone) and faces life imprisonment.

Members of the Paris Club welcomed Liberia's determination to fight poverty and efforts to economic growth. The largest industrial the developed countries agreed to write off state debt Liberia, amounting to more than a billion dollars.
Lyubov Prokopenko

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