Liberia

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
- Drainage
- Soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
- Ethnic groups and languages
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
- Finance
- Trade
- Services
- Labour and taxation
- Transportation
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Local government
- Justice
- Political process
- Health and welfare
- Housing
- Education
Cultural life
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
History
- The early republic
- Outside intervention
- World War II and after
- Decades of strife
- Return to peace
  - 2011 elections
  - Sirleaf’s second term and the Ebola outbreak
  - 2017 elections
  - 2020 constitutional referendum and other developments under Weah
  - 2023 elections

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Map of Liberia in West Africa showing its national boundaries with Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Cote d'Ivoire, as well as major cities including Monrovia, Buchanan, Greenville, Harper, and others. The Atlantic Ocean borders Liberia to the south and west. An inset locator map shows Liberia's position on the continent.

Aerial view of Monrovia, Liberia, showing city buildings, roads, and coastline with dense green trees in the foreground and the Atlantic Ocean in the background.

Map highlighting Liberia in light brown on the west coast of Africa, with surrounding countries labeled, including Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Cote d'Ivoire. The capital city, Monrovia, is marked along the coast, and the Atlantic Ocean is shown to the south and west.

Map of Liberia highlighting its physical features, including major rivers, mountain ranges such as the Bong and Putu Ranges, Sapo National Park, and Mount Nimba on the border with Guinea. Neighboring countries Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Cote d'Ivoire are shown, along with the Atlantic coastline and Cape Palmas. An inset locator map indicates Liberia's position on the west coast of Africa.

Dense grove of tall oil palm trees (Elaeis genus) with thick green fronds and undergrowth, located in Nimba County, Liberia, West Africa.

A pygmy hippopotamus stands in shallow water among submerged logs, looking upward with its mouth slightly open in a forested area in Liberia, West Africa.

At a Glance

Liberia summary

Quizzes

Flags of all countries of the world. Flags of the world. National flags. Country flags. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery

The Country Quiz

7:023 Geography: Think of Something Big, globe showing Africa, Europe, and Eurasia

Which Country Is Larger By Area? Quiz

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Which Country Is Larger By Population? Quiz

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Which Country Is Larger? Quiz

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Guess the Country by Its Neighbors Quiz

Related Questions

How are Liberia’s president and National Assembly members elected?
How did Americo-Libericans influence Liberia’s government before 1980?
How did migration and employment shape Liberia’s settlement patterns?
How did the 2003 power-sharing agreement change Liberia’s government?
How did the civil war affect iron mining and hydroelectric power in Liberia?
How did the civil war damage Liberia’s health care system?
How did women participate in Liberia’s government after the 2005 election?
How do traditional and Western cultural practices coexist in Liberia?
How does slash-and-burn farming work in Liberia?
How is Liberia’s government structured under the 1986 constitution?
How long do members of Liberia’s House of Representatives serve?
How long do members of Liberia’s Senate serve?
How long is a Liberian president’s term in office?
How many seats are in Liberia’s Senate and House of Representatives?
What role did the National Transitional Government play in Liberia after the civil war?
When did Liberia proclaim its independence?
When did the United States formally recognize Liberia’s independence?
When was the territory officially named Liberia?
Where did the first group of formerly enslaved settlers from the United States land in 1822?
Which European powers had frontier disputes with Liberia during the early republic?
Which Liberian people created their own alphabet?
Which Liberian region has a large Muslim population?
Which Portuguese explorer reached the Liberian coast in 1461?
Which city serves as the capital of Liberia?
Which coastal landmarks were named by Portuguese explorers in Liberia?
Which country’s constitution influenced Liberia’s first constitution?
Which diseases have been major health problems in Liberia?
Which ethnic group forms the largest population group in Monrovia?
Which ethnic group is Liberia’s largest Mande-speaking group?
Which fish are commonly caught through Liberia’s deep-sea fishing industry?
Which forest products and minerals are important to Liberia’s economy?
Which goods does Liberia import from other countries?
Which groups make up Liberia’s population?
Which landforms make up Liberia’s coastal and inland terrain?
Which language families include Liberia’s indigenous ethnic groups?
Which languages are widely spoken in Liberia besides English?
Which major political parties are named in accounts of Liberia’s political process?
Who was Joseph Jenkins Roberts?
Who was Liberia’s first governor?
Why are roads a challenge for Liberia’s forestry industry?
Why did Liberia transfer some claimed hinterland territory to France in 1919?
Why do foreign ships register under Liberia’s flag of convenience?
Why has Monrovia become Liberia’s main political and economic center?
Why is Liberia historically notable among African countries?
Why was Edward J. Roye removed from Liberia’s presidency?
Why was the Liberian coast called the Grain Coast?
Why were Liberia’s 2005 elections historically important?
What is unique about Liberia’s history?
What was French West Africa?
When was the capital of French West Africa moved to Dakar?
What was the Scramble for Africa?
Which countries were part of French West Africa?
What happened to French West Africa after World War II?
Who founded the Mali empire and when?
What was Mali’s Mansa Mūsā known for during his reign?
How did the Mali empire maintain its wealth and power?
What led to the decline of the Mali empire?

Geography & Travel Countries of the World

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External Websites

PBS - Global Connections - Liberia
globalEDGE - Liberia: Introduction

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Liberia - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
Liberia - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Liberia

Also known as: Republic of Liberia

Written by

Abeodu Bowen Jones

Professor and Chairman, Department of History, University of Liberia, Monrovia. Representative of Liberia to the United Nations, 1981–85. Coeditor of The Official Papers of William V.S. Tubman, President...

Abeodu Bowen JonesAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 29, 2026 •History

Liberia, country along the coast of western Africa. Liberia’s terrain ranges from the low and sandy coastal plains to rolling hills and dissected plateau further inland. The country is home to a lush rainforest containing a rich diversity of flora and fauna. Liberia is the only Black state in Africa never subjected to colonial rule and is Africa’s oldest republic. It was established on land acquired for people who formerly had been enslaved in the...

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