Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast, bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. It covers an area of 43,000 square miles (111,369 km2) and has a population of around 5.5 million. The official language is English, but over 20 indigenous languages are spoken, reflecting the country's ethnic and cultural diversity.
Map of Liberia
The Founding of Liberia
Liberia began in the early 19th century as a project of the American Colonization Society (ACS), which believed that black people would face better chances for freedom and prosperity in Africa than in the United States. Formed in 1816, the ACS was made up mostly of Quakers and slaveholders.
Between 1822 and the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, more than 15,000 freed and free-born African Americans, along with 3,198 Afro-Caribbeans, relocated to Liberia. These free African Americans and their descendants married within their community and came to identify as Americo-Liberians. Many were of mixed race and educated in American culture; they did not identify with the indigenous natives of the tribes they encountered.
Gradually developing an Americo-Liberian identity, the settlers carried their culture and tradition with them while colonizing the indigenous population. On July 26, 1847, the settlers issued a Declaration of Independence and promulgated a constitution. The leadership of the new nation consisted largely of the Americo-Liberians, who at the beginning established political and economic dominance in the coastal areas that the ACS had purchased; they maintained relations with the United States and contacts in developing these areas and the resulting trade.
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The Americo-Liberian settlers did not relate well to the indigenous peoples they encountered, especially those in communities of the more isolated areas. Believing themselves different from and culturally and educationally superior to the indigenous peoples, the Americo-Liberians developed as an elite minority that created and held on to political power.
By 1877, the True Whig Party was the country's most powerful political entity. It was made up primarily of Americo-Liberians, who maintained social, economic and political dominance well into the 20th century, repeating patterns of European colonists in other nations in Africa.
Liberia was the second African country to be formed in part by Africans in the diaspora returning to Africa. Liberia, was one of only two countries in Africa never to be colonized by a European power.
The return of freed African slaves from the U.S was at first facilitated by the American Colonization Society (ACS). The American Colonization Society founded in 1816 sponsored the first group of African "colonists" to West Africa in 1820.
As their population increased, the Americo-Liberian African immigrants began to identify themselves more independently, and demanded more and more autonomy from the American Colonization Society that governed Liberia. Soon after declaring its independence, Liberia was officially recognized by the United States, Haiti, and a number of European countries. This official recognition was important since it meant that the international community would respect Liberia as a sovereign country.
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Politically, the relationship between the Liberian government and the Americo-Liberians, on the one hand, and the indigenous population on the other hand were often strained. In an attempt to allow the indigenous population a voice in their own affairs, the Liberian government implemented a system of indirect rule in the rural areas.
Unease grew throughout the twentieth century regarding the government of the True Whig Party. Unlike most colonial regimes, the Liberian government was dedicated to developing a politically and economically viable independent African state -a state in which race was not a factor. However, the Americo-Liberians believed that their community alone was capable of realizing this important vision for Liberia. This meant that the vast majority of the Liberian population felt that they were politically disenfranchised and economically disadvantaged.
Liberia's Stand Against Apartheid
Liberia was the first African republic to gain independence and is Africa's oldest continuously independent country. Both Liberia and Ethiopia were spared from the European colonial Scramble for Africa.
In international affairs, Liberia was a founding member of the United Nations, a vocal critic of South African apartheid, a proponent of African independence from European colonial powers, and a supporter of Pan-Africanism.
On 4 November 1960, Ethiopia and Liberia, as former States Members of the League of Nations, instituted separate proceedings against South Africa in a case concerning the continued existence of the League of Nations Mandate for South West Africa and the duties and performance of South Africa as mandatory Power. The Court was requested to make declarations to the effect that South West Africa remained a territory under a Mandate, that South Africa had been in breach of its obligations under that Mandate, and that the Mandate and hence the mandatory authority were subject to the supervision of the United Nations.
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On 20 May 1961, the Court made an Order finding Ethiopia and Liberia to be in the same interest and joining the proceedings each had instituted. South Africa filed four preliminary objections to the Court’s jurisdiction. In a Judgment of 21 December 1962, the Court rejected these and upheld its jurisdiction.
By the casting vote of the President - the votes having been equally divided (7-7) - the Court found that Ethiopia and Liberia could not be considered to have established any legal right or interest appertaining to them in the subject-matter of their claims, and accordingly decided to reject those claims.
This case highlights Liberia's commitment to justice and equality on the African continent, even in the face of significant political and legal challenges.
Here's a summary of key differences between Sierra Leone and Liberia:
| Feature | Sierra Leone | Liberia |
|---|---|---|
| Formation | British colony for freed slaves | Independent republic founded by the American Colonization Society |
| Colonization | Colonized by Britain until 1961 | Never colonized by a European power |
| Relationship with Indigenous Population | Complex interactions; new language (Krio) developed | Dominated by Americo-Liberians, leading to political tensions |
In conclusion, Liberia stands as a unique nation in African history, shaped by the return of freed slaves and its advocacy for independence and equality.
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