The Country of Liberia :: Africa Profile Geography Anthropology Essays

The Country of LiberiaThis paper is about a small country on the west coast of Africa called Liberia.It is a country built with the wait on of The American Colonization Society. It wasestablished to place freed lightlessnesss in the days of slavery in the fall in States inthe 1800s. The government was modeled after the United States. Monrovia, thecapital and principal, port is named after a president of the united states,James Monroe. This country has historical moment for african Americans.As Africas oldest republic, established by former black American slaves,Liberia played and important role as a model for African colones pursuanceindependence.HISTORYLiberias tribal peoples migrated to the area between the 12th and 16thcenturies. The Portuguese arrived in 1461 and began a trade in ivory, pepper,and later in slaves. In 1820, the prototypal colonists arrived. Their successfulsettlement was named Monrovia in 1824. More colonists gradually arrived andestablished separate colonie s. In 1847 the colonies united and Liberia becamethe first independent republic in black Africa.The new nation faced many problems. Some of them were tribal wars, lowexports, and land claimed by other countries. Liberia was able to maintain itsindependence only with the help of the United States. Following World War II,the modern port, airport, hospitals, hydroelectric station, and other projects,all financed by the United States, were opened. There has been frequentmilitary conflicts and civil wars. In August 1990, forces from several Africancountries entered Liberia to try and stop the bloody civil wars. The fightingonly became worse and the Prospects of a negotiated settlement were dim.LAND AND RESOURCESLiberias straight blond coast is 350 miles long. It is broken bylagoons and mangrove swamps. It gives way to a low rolling plain about 20 mileswide. Further inland, foothills ranging in height from 600 to deoxyguanosine monophosphate feet highare found. They become mountains in the north and east. The highest point inthe country is Mt. Wutuvi which rises to 4,531 feet. Land area of the countryis 43,000 square miles.Liberias rivers are short and lessen parallel to one another from themountains to the ocean. The largest rivers are the St. Paul, St. John, andCavalla.Liberias tropical climate is hot and humid. The usual temperatureranges from 60 degrees to 87 degrees. Annual rainfall, as much as 177 inches atthe coast, gradually decreases inland to 96 inches. The rainy season occursbetween May and October. A dusty winter wind blows during December.There are 90 polar kind of usable wood in Liberias vast timberresources. Mineral resources include large deposits of iron ore, diamonds, and