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Liberia:
Past and Present of Africa's
Oldest Republic

 

 

 

Cape Mesurado 1890

                             

 Blog-update August 25, 2008: Some thoughts on the 2008/2009 budget.

Trustee R.M. McGill 1846


The creation of Liberia (1822-1847)
 

In the beginning of the 19th century, groups of free-born blacks, freed slaves and mulattoes from the United States of America emigrated to the west coast of Africa. In 1847, 25 years after the first successful colonisation, they proclaimed an independent Republic, which they named Liberia. At that time they numbered about 3,000: men, women and children.  
(more) 

             
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PRESENT

Click on map to zoom in on
Encarta map of Liberia

Liberia Makes
History Again!

 

November 5, 2007
The Medal of Freedom
is the highest civil honor that a President of the United States can bestow.
America honored President Sirleaf as "a woman of courage, and a giver of hope."

President George W. Bush awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf during a ceremony Monday, Nov. 5, 2007, in the East Room. "When free elections returned to Liberia, the voters made history," said President Bush. "They chose her to be the first woman ever elected to lead a nation on the continent of Africa." White House photo by Eric Draper
Full storyvidcamera001.gif (233 bytes)
 
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf 1st  elected female African President
 

    
Charles Taylor 1st African Head of State on War Crimes Tribunal

Latest news:
Taylor's 5 billion dollars.

The Taylor trial proceedings are streamed over the internet, and can be seen at The Speical Court for Sierra Leone, Hague Link 1 and Hague Link 2

Former Liberian President Charles Taylor (front L) sits in the courtroom of the International Criminal Court before the hearing of witnesses in his trial in The Hague January 7, 2008.
Picture from The Analyst
 

Trial of Charles Taylor Blog
 
Gus Kouwenhoven Free: Insufficient evidence to convict conflict timber trader.
Liberia and the UN

Security Council resolution 1521
     (2003)
 

* Travel Ban list.
  Last updated May 21, 2008

Embargoes/sanctions
 

* Security Council extends arms embargo mandate until 20 December, 2008
June 20, 2008
* Security Council asks Ban to renew UN panel monitoring Liberia sanctions
June 18, 2008

UNMIL
 

Liberia and the international donor community
 
Governance and Economic
     Management Assistance
     Program (GEMAP)
Debt relief
     IMF, World Bank clear Liberia for
     debt relief
     March 19, 2008
Budgets New
     2005/2006 through 2008/2009
Poverty Reduction Strategy
     Paper (PRSP) New
     2008/2009 through 2010/2011
  

Liberia and Foreign Investments
 
Overview

 
Mittal Resumes Full Operation
in Bassa.

 
Senate approval of $1bn deal with Mittal paves the way for the rehabilitation of the iron ore sector!

 

Human Rights
 
United Nations
Report on the Human Rights Situation in Liberia May - October 2007
 
US Department of State
Liberia: Country Report on Human Rights Practices - 2007
 
Human Rights Watch 2006
 
United Nimba Citizen's Council 2003
 

 

Partly Sunny
The Weather in Monrovia

 

 

 

Publications quoted /
additional reading

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
National Symbols:
 

The flag
The seal
The anthem: text
The anthem: sound
  

 


Religion and superstition:

History  of ritutal killings in Liberia;
Ritual killings continue to be a plague.

But  not only  in Liberia.
Africa
 Update August 3, 2008
Asia
South America
 

 

 

Recommended  Reading

 


The Colony of Liberia before 1847
based on U.S. newspapers (1817-1847)


Images of 19th century colonists ('Americo- Liberians') and the stories behind them.
 


Liberia after 1847

Political History   

One dollar banknote Liberia 1862, signed by Vice-President Daniel Bashiel Warner.

 

 


Economic History

The original publication of the
"Open Door Policy of Liberia -
An Economic History of
Modern Liberia" (1983)
now as  pdf-file available.


The study covers the prelude,  introduction, growth and zenith of
foreign investments in Liberia.
   
After the Doe Administration and the civil war Liberia had to start from scratch. The lessons of the past should not be forgotten.
  • Volume 1 (460 pp.)
    Chapter 1: The Pepper Coast Before 1847
    Chapter 2: The origin of the Closed Door and Open Door Policies 1847 - 1947
    Chapter 3-10: Agriculture, Mining, Forestry (Firestone, Lamco etc.)
    Chapter 10-13: Analysis of impact (Fiscal contribution, transfer of technology, transport and communication)
    Chapter 13: The change from a subsistence economy into a developing economy 1900 - 1979
    Chapter 14: Conclusions and Recommandations
     

  • Volume 2  (234 pp.)
    (Annexes, Bibliography, Footnotes, Index)

*****

Foreign investments:

The subsistence economy:

President Tubman and Queen Juliana during a State visit to the Netherlands in 1956.

Liberia and the Netherlands:

 

Colony of Liberia coin issued 1833 American Colonization Society

 

 


Money

Monetary development 

The decision of President Edwin Barclay (1930-1944) to adopt the US dollar as the sole legal tender in Liberia
as from December 31, 1943 very clearly symbolizes the political orientation of the first African Republic as well as it's financial and economic dependence. (more)

 

1743 map by Professor Johann Matthias Haas (or Hasias), Heirs of Homann
   
The Colony of Maryland
(1831-41) became Maryland in Liberia (1841-57) which was admitted into the Republic of Liberia on February 28, 1857, ten years after the creation of the first African republic.
  

Maps Liberia

Colony of Liberia

Maryland in Liberia

 

Republic of Liberia

 

Monrovia

Robertsport

Territorial Changes and Urban Growth

8˝" solid brass ring known as 'waterspirit' or 'nitien', sometimes called Kru money. Weighs nearly 9 lbs.
Collected 1975 near Tchien, Grand Gedeh County
 

 

 


Culture

The peoples of Liberia
The first inhabitants of the region which is now known as Liberia may have been Pygmies, or persons of small size, still referred to in Liberia as 'Jinna'. (more) 

Ritual object or 'Kru money'? 
The origin of these objects is not known with certainty. They were used among the Kru and the Grebo in southeastern Liberia. They call them 'Dwin', 'tien' or 'nitien', meaning water spirits, or 'Gods of water'. (more)

Liberian Music
   

Songs of the African Coast: Liberian Café Music
 
 

ARTHUR ALBERTS: Songs of the African Coast: Cafe Music of LiberiaArthur Alberts recorded music throughout Africa and in 1950 released the landmark 78 rpm set Tribal, Folk and Cafe Music of West Africa. The music on this release included a mix of genres as well as detailed notes by leading academics. The recording showed the intricate connections between African and American music. Read more on the website of cdbaby.com and listen to all the tracks.
 

Liberia Land of Liberty with President Tubman
 
Tubman Goodtype Songs of Liberia by
Congress-Woman Malinda Jackson Parker

 


Bibliography

More sites on Liberia updated July 21, 2008



 19th century scenery at the Kru coast    


 
 
 
      

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