LIBERIA

officially Republic of Liberia republic of western Africa. It is bounded by Sierra Leone on the northwest, by Guinea on the north, by Cte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) on the east, and by the Atlantic Ocean along its southwestern coast. The capital is Monrovia. Area 38,250 square miles (99,067 square km). Pop. (1992 est.) 2,781,000. officially Republic of Liberia republic of western Africa. It has an area of about 38,250 square miles (99,067 square kilometres). Liberia is bounded by Sierra Leone to the northwest, Guinea to the north, Cote d'Ivoire to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and west. Monrovia, a port, is the capital. Liberia is the only black state in Africa never subjected to colonial rule, and it is the oldest republic on the continent. In 1973 Liberia and Sierra Leone organized the Mano River Union for economic cooperation; Guinea joined in 1980. Additional reading An overview is found in Harold D. Nelson (ed.), Liberia, 3rd ed. (1985). Physical features are described in Willi Schulze, A New Geography of Liberia (1973). Afro-American 19th-century settlement patterns are analyzed by Tom W. Shick, Behold the Promised Land (1980). Economic and political studies include Christopher Clapham, Liberia and Sierra Leone (1976); and R.W. Clower et al., Growth Without Development (1966). D. Elwood Dunn and Svend E. Holsoe, Historical Dictionary of Liberia (1984), provides an introduction. J. Gus Liebenow, Liberia: The Evolution of Privilege (1969), is supplemented by his Liberia: The Quest for Democracy (1987). D. Elwood Dunn and S. Byron Tarr, Liberia (1988), traces the political development of modern Liberia. Abeodu Bowen Jones Svend E. Holsoe Administration and social conditions Government Liberia's government is patterned after that of the United States with the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Political parties were legalized in 1984 and civilian rule was established in 1986. However, considerable political unrest and violence precluded any stable leadership from power through the mid-1990s. The 1986 constitution provides for direct election by popular vote of the president for a six-year term. Members of the bicameral National Assembly, who serve six-year terms in the House of Representatives and nine-year terms in the Senate, are also elected directly. The constitution calls for a multiparty system. Major political parties include the National Democratic Party, the Unity Party, the Liberian Action Party, the Liberia Unification Party, and the United People's Party. The main opposition parties are the National Patriotic Front of Liberia and the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy. The Supreme Court is headed by a chief justice assisted by five associate justices, all of whom are appointed by the president. Each of the country's 11 counties and two territories is headed by a superintendent, who is the direct representative of the president and has a council. The mayor of the capital city of the county also has a council. The counties are divided into districts, chiefdoms, and clans administered by county commissioners and paramount and clan chiefs. The ethnic peoples are allowed, as far as possible, to govern themselves according to customary law. County Development Associations assist in the delivery and improvement of government services. Education Since 1939 education has been compulsory for children between the ages of six and 16 and is free at the primary and secondary levels. In 1974 Liberia became a full member of the West African Council in order to provide an international yardstick for measuring the quality of its education. The government provides for the education of teachers and sponsors the employment of foreign teachers. International aid has also enabled the government to expand the quality and availability of education. There are several vocational schools, including the Booker Washington Agricultural and Industrial Institute at Kakata, a government school. Advanced training is provided at the University of Liberia (1951) in Monrovia, at Cuttington University College (1889) in Suakoko (Episcopalian), and at the William V.S. Tubman College of Science and Technology (1978) in Harper. Several community colleges have also been established in the Monrovia area. The Monrovia Torrino Medical College trains paramedical students. Liberians who study abroad receive advanced training under a government foreign scholarship program and from donor agencies. Cultural life Traditional and Western lifestyles coexist; however, traditional values, customs, and norms influence the Western type considerably. In cities both Western and African music and dancing styles are in vogue, but in rural areas traditional rhythms are favoured. Schools instruct students in the legends, traditions, songs, arts, and crafts of African culture, and the government promotes African culture through such agencies as the National Museum in Monrovia, the Tubman Center for African Culture in Robertsport, and the National Cultural Center in Kendeja, which exhibits architecture of the 16 ethnic groups of Liberia. Mask making is an artistic pursuit that is also related to the social structure of some ethnic groups. Music festivals, predominantly religious, are held in most communities. The University of Liberia has an arts and crafts centre. There are several libraries, including a children's library in Monrovia and a National Public Library. Football (soccer) is the most popular sport. An intercounty football competition is held for the annual championship. The University of Liberia and Cuttington University College hold annual sports competitions. Monrovia has five daily newspapers, including the Daily Observer, the largest and most prestigious. A few magazines are published annually. Officially, there is press freedom, but newspapers are banned occasionally for violating government policies on information. There are four radio stations and one television station. International telecommunication services are available through direct satellite links between Liberia, the United States, Italy, and France. Abeodu Bowen Jones