People occupying central Liberia and part of Guinea.
Numbering about one million, the Kpelle speak a Mande language of the Niger-Congo languages . They form about one-fifth of the population of Liberia. They are primarily rice farmers; cash crops include peanuts, sugarcane, and kola nuts. They are known for their elaborate secret societies (Poro for men, Sande for women), which serve a variety of social and political functions.