|RNature and climate:|N A coastal plain with swamps and lagoons covered by tropical rainforests. In the interior a highlandplateau at about 700 m.a.s.l. Highest peak, Nimba, reaches 1752 m.a.s.l. Most of it covered by rainforests, but in the north savannahs.
Average temperature 25°C throughout the year.
Percipitation between 1500 and 2500 mm.
|RPeople:|N 95% aboriginal Sudan-negroes of different tribes. The biggest are Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru and Grebo. 5% are descendants of repatriated slaves from North America, known as Americo-Liberians. The first of the released slaves arrived in 1822 and they and their descendants have dominated economy and politics since then.
|REconomy:|N 70% of the labour force is occupied in agriculture, 11% in services and 5% in industry and trade.
In the last decades agricultural production has not been able to feed the nation. Most production is selfsubsistence, apart from the big rubberplantations owned by big international companies.
Rubber accounts for 15% of the export revenues and other crops for export are coffee and cacao as well as palmoil.
Other important crops are rice, cassava, sugar and peanuts.
Forestry is important. Timber of ebony, mahogany and teak are exported.
Liberia have vast resources of iron ore, as well as diamonds and gold.
Most important industries are food processing and mining.
|RHistory:|N Liberia was uninhabited until the 12th century when people from the areas around immigrated. It was still isolated and was never incorporated in any of the empires of the region.
In 1461 Portuguese explorers reached the coast and were followed by traders from other European countries.
In 1822 the first freed slaves from the USA landed at the place that was later to become Monrovia, named after the US president William Monroe.
In 1838 the settlers organized the Commonwealth of Liberia and in 1847 this commonwealth declared independence and became the Republic of Liberia.
The freed American slaves has always been a minority, but have always dominated the political and economical life.
The tension between the descendents of the freed slaves and indigenous people in 1980 led to a military coup and since 1989 Liberia has been raged by civil war and guerilla actions. More than half of the population became refugees because of these fightings and thousands have been killed.
