LIBERIA
The Republic of Liberia is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its west, Guinea to its north and Ivory Coast to its east. Liberia is the only African country that was never colonized by a European power. Liberia was founded in 1847 by free African Americans and ex-slaves from the United States. The capital city is Monrovia, which is named after James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States. Liberia is the world’s oldest republic and Africa’s first democratic republic. The country is rich in natural resources, with a tropical climate and diverse ecology. Liberia has a tropical rainforest climate with an average annual rainfall of over 4500 mm.
The country has a long coastline on the Atlantic Ocean, with some of the world’s best-surfing waves. Liberia also has large reserves of iron ore and timber. Liberia is a lower middle-income country with a GDP of US$1.8 billion in 2016. The country’s economy is primarily reliant on agriculture and mining. Liberia suffers from high levels of poverty and inequality.