Liberia

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Liberia Then and Now

• An Overview of the Country

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The Geography of Africa
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Flag of Liberia
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Climate of Liberia

• The climate is tropical and humid, with little
  change in temperature throughout the year.
• Temperatures range between 60 F and 97 F most
  commonly around 80 F.
• On the coast the heat is tempered by an almost
  constant breeze.
• Yearly rainfall is as high as 200 in on the
  coast, decreasing to about 80 in. in areas
  farthest inland. There are distinct wet and dry
  seasons, most of the rainfall occurring between
  late April and mid-November.
• Average relative humidity in the coastal area is
  about 82 during the rainy season and 78 in the
  dry, but it may drop to 50 or lower between
  December and March, when the dust-laden harmattan
  blows from the Sahara.

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Geography of Liberia

• The landscape is characterized by mostly flat to
  rolling coastal plains that contain mangroves and
  swamps, which rise to a rolling plateau and low
  mountains in the northeast.
• Tropical rainforests cover the hills, while
  elephant grass and semi-deciduous forests make
  up the dominant vegetation in the northern
  sections.

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Economy of Liberia

• Liberia is one of the world's poorest countries,
  with a formal employment rate of only 15.
• Historically, the Liberian economy has depended
  heavily on foreign aid, foreign direct investment
  and exports of natural resources such as iron
  ore, rubber and timber.
• Following a peak in growth in 1979, the Liberian
  economy began a steady decline due to economic
  mismanagement following the 1980 coup.

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• This decline was accelerated by the outbreak of
  civil war in 1989 GDP was reduced by an
  estimated 90 between 1989 and 1995, one of the
  fastest declines in history.
• Current impediments to growth include a small
  domestic market, lack of adequate infrastructure,
  high transportation costs, poor trade links with
  neighboring countries and the high dollarization
  of the economy.

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History of Liberia

• Set up by the U.S. as a sovereign state for
  former African American Slaves
• (Sierra Leone was set up by Britain for the same
  reason.)

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Colonization

• 1821-1847
• Combination of purchase and conquest
• Declared its independence on July 26, 1847

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Americo-Liberian Rule

• 1847-1980
• Governed by small minority of African American
  colonists and their offspring
• Called Americo-Liberians considered the
  elite class (typically lighter skinned because
  of mixing of race with Europeans and Americans)
• Suppress the large indigenous majority of 95 of
  the population

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and

• Encouraged Protestant Christianity
• Attitude of superiority regarding European skin
  color and hair texture
• Created social and material facsimile of southern
  America which included architecture and clothing
  styles
• Racist caste system
• Some locals assimilated by marriage
• Some tribes learned Eng and attended Protestant
  Churches, and some didnt

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Uprisings and problems

• Over the years there were many native
  insurgencies, which were always stopped by the
  ruling government
• 1927 League of Nations admonished the Liberian
  Govt for systematically fostering and
  encouraging a policy of gross intimidation and
  suppression, in order to suppress the native,
  prevent him from realizing his powers and
  limitations and prevent him from asserting
  himself in any way whatever, for the benefit of
  the dominant and colonizing race, although
  originally the same African stock as themselves
  (President Charles King 1920-1930)

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WW II Era

• Many indigenous Liberians moved from the interior
  to the coast in search of jobs.
• 1942 Liberia signed Defense Pact which promised a
  steady supply of rubber to the U.S. and
  permitted use of the country as a military base
  for Allied Forces
• Germany had been an important trading partner,
  but Liberia sided with the Allies, so Germany
  withdrew business

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After the war

• After 1945, country received hundreds of millions
  of dollars in unrestricted foreign investments
  (largely from the U.S.)
• This destabilized the Liberian govt and led to
  embezzlement by govt officials.
• Growing economic disparity
• Increasing social tension

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Presidency of Tubman

• President from 1947 1971
• Father of Modern Liberia
• Prosperity and National Unity

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President Tolbert

• 1971-1980
• Continued the oppression
• Plans to raise the price of rice in 1979 led to
  riots in the streets
• Tolbert ordered troops to fire on demonstrators
  70 people killed
• Rioting got worse leading to a coup in April 1980

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Samuel Doe (1980-1989)

• Indigenous Liberians (Peoples Redemption
  Council) overtook the Americo-Liberian elite and
  put Samuel Doe in power.
• Tolbert and 26 supporters were murdered
• 10 days later, 13 cabinet members were publicly
  executed
• Many people supported Doe because he represented
  the majority in the country
• Good relations with U.S. and other countries

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The Reagan Years

• During the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan was a
  supporter of Does and funneled millions of
  dollars in trade into the country
• Direct financial aid from the U.S. increased
  from 20 million to 75 and then 95 million per
  year
• Doe overcame 7 coup attempts before 1985
• PRC members started to question Doe and out of
  fear of a coup he had them banned or arrested
• Does paranoia led to more problems

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Multi-party Republic

• Attempt to quiet the factions that complained
  about Does control
• Constitution drafted in 1983 approved in 1984
• 1985 Doe called an election
• 9 parties asked to participate, only 3 were
  permitted
• 50 of Does opponents were killed
• Doe won by 51 - heavily rigged election

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More Coup attempts

• Nov 1985 Thomas Quiwonkpa former 2nd in
  command attempted to seize power with 500
  allies. All were killed.
• Doe (from Krahn tribe) took office as president
  in Jan 1986
• Ordered attack on Gio and Mano tribes in the
  north who were supporters of the coup attempt.
• U.S. decreased support of country (many reasons)

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Late 1980s

• Charles Taylor organized people from Gio and Mano
  tribes in the north and led them to attack
• By 1990, Full-blown tribal warfare had broken
  out.
• First Liberian Civil War 1989-1996
• Thousands of Civilians were killed

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Charles Taylor and the NPFL

• Taylor was a member of Does government until
  1983 when he was accused of embezzlement and
  fired.
• He fled to the U.S. and was arrested in 1984 and
  jailed in Massachusettes.
• He escaped in 1985 and went back to Africa where
  he organized the opposition group of Gio and Mano
  tribes
• National Patriotic Front of Liberia

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Various controls

• Mid 1990, Taylors group controlled most of the
  country
• Yormie Johnson split off from the NPFL and formed
  the Independent National Front of Liberia
• Aug 1990 - ECOWOG Stepped in to provide stability
  and stop the fighting (Economic Community of West
  African States Monitoring Group)

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