Period 1 Liberia

Liberia

By: Justin Samuel

Period 1

Click to hear the National Anthem

Map of Liberia

The contiguous countries are Sierra Leone, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire.Relative Location: West of Africa

Absolute Location: 6.3636˚N, 9.4659˚W

Liberia’s Map

Liberia’s FactsTotal Area Population People Per

Square MileClimate Zone

Average TemperatureJanuary/June

Annual Rainfall

Range of Elevation

43,000 sq. mile 111,370 sq. km²

4,128,572 82 Tropical, Humid and Hot

26˚C, 79˚F(January)27˚C, 81˚F(June)

170 cm70 inches (Northerns Uplands)

510 cm 200 inches(Coast)

0-1000 meters above sea level (Cape Mount)

60-150 meters on the land

The Wologizi Mountains reach a maximum of about 1,380 m

Landforms Water Groundcover Crops in Urban Areas Features Rural Areas

Peninsula, Rivers, Trees, Soil, 39.9% Rural 60.1% UrbanCape, Hills, Lakes, Rocks, Mud, 2/3 in the The urban life Mountains, Mouth of Shrubs, Swamp, rural areas increasedPlateau, Rivers Cropland, numerouslyValley, Grassland, over a periodCostal Tropical Forest, of time. When Plains Broadleaf the Liberian Evergreen Civil War took place, it destroyed everything. Now . their rebuilding.

Liberia’s FactsBirthrate Per 1000

Infant Mortality(per 1,000)

Doctors Per 100,000(people)

Literacy Rate

Gross National Income per capita

Life Expectancy

50(2000)

36.45(2012)

115.1(2000)92.1(2005)72.71(2012)77.08 (male)(2012)68.2(woman)(2012)

2 (1997-1998)

38%(1996-1998)57.5%(2003)55.9%(2004)72.3%(men)(2004)39.3(women)(2004)

$520(2011)$43 per month

50 years(2003)56.7 years(2011)55.1 years(male) (2011)58.1 years(female)(2011)

Liberia’s FactsCountry Examined

Currency/US $1

Natural Resources Trade Products

Official Languages

Liberia Liberian Dollar

Rubber, Timber, Iron, Diamonds, Cocoa, and Coffee

Aluminum Iron Ore

English

Sierra Leone Leone Diamonds Vehicles, Machinery, Cereals, Meat, Pharmaceutical Products

English

Côte d’Ivoire CFA France Aluminum Gold

Pineapples, Palm Oil, Fish, Bananas, Cocoa, Coffee, Cotton, Petroleum, Didier Drogba

French Askan Portuguese

Liberia’s FactsType of Government Economy/Economic System Educational System

Republic Market-based economy Unemployment rate 70%Poor countryRanked 147th in the world

Start school at age 6Elementary school starts from 1-6Middle school starts from 7-9Secondary school starts from 10-12 College or University starts from 13-16All schools starts from March-December1 teacher for 38 students

Foods Housing Activities Animals Clothing Tools

Beef Internal SoupJollof RiceMonrovian Collards and CabbageSweet Potato PoneGinger Beer

ConcreteSteelInsulation FoamWattleCement WoodMud Tile

Games, Festivals, Restaurants and Parks

Cow, Ox, Goat, Fish, Sheep, Pig, Chicken, and Cattle

Western StyleTraditional stylish pants and shirts for men.Women wear a “two piece”

Racks, Forks, Spoons, Knives, Baskets, Grinder, Shovel, Blender, Axe, and Saw

Interesting Facts

Motto: The love bought us hereLiberia means “Land of Free” in Latin

Liberia’s FactsMajor Religions

Major Ethnicities

Major Celebration

Major Sports

Specialty Foods

Crops Beliefs, Traditions, Customs, Special Clothing

Christianity(85.6%)Muslim(12.2%)Traditional(0.6%)Other(0.2%)None(1.4%)(2008)

Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Mindingo, Gbandi,Gola, Krahn, Vai, Bella, Kissi, and Loma

Weddings, Birthdays, Funerals, Christmas, Easter, New Years Day, Thanksgiving, Armed Forces Day, Independence Day, National Redemption Day, & Good Friday.

Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, Canoeing, Handball, Swimming, Cycling

Beef Internal SoupJollof RiceMonrovian Collards and CabbageSweet Potato PoneGinger Beer, Fufu, & Palava.

Cocoa, Coarse Grain, Nuts, Fiber, Fruits,Pineapple, Sugar Cane, Rice, Vegetables, Cassava, Palm Oil, Oil Seeds, Bananas, Plantain & Legumes

Beliefs consists of witches, ghosts and tall tales. Traditions consists of unique forms of dancing, handshakes, fairs, exhibits, foods and live music. Customs consists of dancing, songs, arts, and crafts. Clothing consists of Western style (jeans and a t-shirt). Men wear shot or long pants with a loose round-neck. Women wears a long shirt (lappa) and a loose top (bubba).

% of peoplewith phones

TV’s per person

Computers per person

Vehicles per person

InternetUsers %

Jobs

45%(2011)

70,000 (2011)

3,080(2011)

12,000 cars & 35,950 trucks (2003)

20,000(2009)

ForestryMiningAgriculture

Liberian Art

History of Liberia1822 – First settlement of freed slaves from the United States established in what is now Liberia.1847 – Liberia becomes independent republic.1944 – William Tubman becomes president. He stays in that post until his death in 1971, promoting foreign investment and trying to bridge the divide between descendants of the former U.S. slaves and native Liberians..December 1989 – Charles Taylor launches a rebellion that leads to civil warSeptember 1990 – Doe captured and executed.1997 – Charles Taylor elected president.August 2003 – Peace deal ends the civil war. Taylor resigns and is charged with war crimes by The Hague for his role in Sierra Leone's civil war. A transitional government takes over.November 2005 – Economist Ellen Johnson Sirleaf elected president, becoming the first elected female head of state.April 2007 – The United Nations lifts an embargo on Liberian diamonds that had been in place to prevent proceeds from funding the civil war in Sierra Leone.February 2009 – President Sirleaf apologizes before the country's Truth and Reconciliation Commission for supporting Taylor. October 2011 – President Sirleaf wins Nobel Peace Prize for her struggle to promote women's rights. Fellow presidential candidate Winston Tubman tells the French news agency Mrs. Sirleaf is undeserving of the prize because she “committed violence.” Tubman also says giving her the award days before the country's election is unacceptable.November 10, 2011 – President Sirleaf wins second term in presidential runoff boycotted by opposition candidate Tubman, who alleged fraud.2012 February - Energy companies report discovery of oil off the coasts of Liberia and Sierra Leone. Work continues to estimate their size.2012 March - George Boley, the former leader of the rebel Liberial Peace Council, is deported to Liberia from the US over his role in the civil war in the 1990s.2012 April - Ex-president Charles Taylor is found guilty of war crimes for aiding and directing rebels in Sierra Leone. He is sentenced to 50 years in jail. 2012 June - Liberia closes its border with Ivory Coast after seven UN peacekeepers are killed on the Ivorian side, by attackers allegedly based in Liberia.

Problems in LiberiaThe problem in Liberia is that they are poor. Moreover, they are ranked 147th in the world. Also, they have a low GNI with a budget of $552. This problem leads from the lack education because for every one teacher there is about 38 students. Therefore, no great education can cause people without any job. So, without a job the families can’t make money and can’t feed their children. In addition, Liberia has a low life expectancy and a very small amount doctors. Lastly, they are recovering from the Liberian Civil War.

Solutions to the ProblemSome solutions may include:

Loan Money From Other CountriesPros: Helps the poor and homeless peopleCons: Not many countries will loan money Liberia may ask their contiguous countries to loan money Educational HelpPros: Increases knowledgeCons: Needs great teachers and materialsLiberia would like to ask if Equatorial Guinea will trade 200 teachers for 12 carats of diamonds ($39,600)

Provide Housing (shelter)Pros: Improve quality of life for the needy and homeless peopleCons: Lots of money to buildLiberia may ask professional builders to build houses from their contiguous countries

Increase Job OpportunitiesPros: People can get money Cons: Competition for jobsLiberia may ask their contiguous countries to create businesses in Liberia for employment

Final SolutionMy final decision was the Educational Help. I chose this decision because if you have knowledge you can apply for jobs and earn money to support your family. In order to receive educational help, I traded with Equatorial Guinea for 200 teachers in exchange of 12 carats of diamonds which is worth $39,600. I would like to ask the world to help provide shelter and money for the poor. For example, The ACCESS Agency can provide shelter and Goodwill Agency can donate money to the poor.

Agreement with Equatorial Guinea

Liberia would be interested in trading 12 carats of diamonds for 200 teachers. The trade is reasonable because for 12 carats of diamonds the money value is $39,600. Equatorial Guinea is ranked #1 in Africa in education. Therefore, we would like to use well-trained teachers from your country to help improve our educational system. W would like to invest in our children so that they can become future leaders to promote economic growth, and world peace. Having educated generation will benefit both Liberia and Equatorial Guinea. Liberia would like to have business with Equatorial Guinea for 2 years. If it is not sufficient, the contract could be extended. Thank you for your business

Works Citedhttp://online.culturegrams.com/

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

http://www.mapsofworld.com/liberia/facts.html

http://www.worldatlas.com/