Many have never heard of Liberia let alone think about it at any time in our busy lives. Liberia is a small country in West Africa.
One of the poorest countries in the world, Liberia nonetheless has a rich history and abundant human resources that has inspired charity groups around the globe to take part in their plight. Here’s what you need to know about Liberia, her people, and the things that you can do to help.
The Liberian Environment
Liberia lies on the west coast of Africa, bordering Sierra Leone, Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire. It is home to 40% of whatever remains of the upper Guinean rainforest. Liberia’s climate is either blisteringly hot as it lies on the equator, or deluged with rain between May and October. Dry days throughout those months are rare indeed.
Next time you complain about your local weather, think about Liberia’s and you will surely change your tune.
Before the first civil war, agriculture was the mainstay of the Liberian family. The country’s farmers raised and traded rice, cassava and sugar cane. The leached out soil in Liberia is better adapted to tree-crop rather than field-crop agriculture, however. It produces goods such as coffee, palm oil, palm kernels, bananas, plantains and cocoa along with other miscellaneous fruits and vegetables.
Most Americans will know it best as the home to Firestone’s Harbel plantation, the biggest rubber plant in the world. The plantation was sold to Bridgestone in 1988.
Liberia’s Economy
Liberia’s history can be separated into pre-war and post-war eras. Here is where you need to start to understand what the country is all about. The First Liberian Civil War raged from 1989 to 1996 killing over 200,000 people. The Second Liberian Civil War took place between 1999 and 2003. This war ruined the economy by forcing the businesspeople to flee the country. While there is no war going on right now, these business owners and their businesses will never return.
To date, Liberia remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Their average employment rate is only 15%, although it remains unclear whether that includes those who live on subsistence farms outside of the cities. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has taken steps to encourage private investment in country, lifting embargoes on timber and diamond exports. Until their infrastructure is rebuilt, however, the country is struggling to keep their head above water.
One should note that while this information is somewhat suspect, since it is not readily verifiable, iron mining once comprised over half of Liberia’s export economy. While this is an unconfirmed report, it does shed some light on the economic climate of Liberia.
How You Can Help
Liberia is heavily dependent on foreign aid and its participation in worldly affairs. If helping Liberia is of interest to you, contact one of the many international charity organizations currently working in the country. Believe me, they will be delighted to immediately put you to useful work.
If you liked the above piece, you can go look at more comparable posts at Lord Neil Gibson or this Lord Neil Gibson Blog Post.
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