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Liberia Facts & Worksheets

Officially known as the Republic of Liberia, a country on the West African coast, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ivory Coast, and Atlantic Ocean.

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Officially known as the Republic of Liberia, a country on the West African coast, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ivory Coast, and Atlantic Ocean.

See the fact file below for more information on the Liberia or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Liberia worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

HISTORY

  • The Portuguese sailor, Pedro de Sintra, who reached the Liberian coast in 1461 was the first one who gave knowledge of West Africa to the outside world.
  • The area of West Africa became known as the Grain Coast because of the grains of Melegueta pepper.
  • Melegueta peppers were the principal item of trade during that time and were treated as valuable as gold.
  • In the beginning of the 19th century, the Grain Coast was declared as a suitable home for freed American slaves.
  • The first American freed slaves, headed by the American Colonization Society, landed in 1822 on Providence Island at the mouth of the Mesurado River.
  • Jehudi Ashmun, who followed shortly, became the founder of Liberia.
  • In 1839, Thomas Buchanan was appointed as the first governor of Liberia.
  • In 1841, Buchanan died and was succeeded by Joseph Jenkins Roberts, the colony’s first black governor.
  • In 1847, Roberts proclaimed Liberia as an independent republic.
  • The early days of Liberia were constantly involved in troubles with the French on the Ivory Coast and the British at Sierra Leone.
  • To end the frontier disputes, the Liberian government formed treaties with Great Britain in 1885, and with France in 1892.
  • In 1904, President Arthur Barclay initiated a policy of direct cooperation with the tribes.
  • During World War II, the rubber plantation of Liberia was the only source of natural latex rubber available to the Allies.
  • In 1942, Liberia signed a defense agreement with the United States.
  • In 1943, William V.S. Tubman was elected to his first term as president.
  • In January 1944, Liberia declared war against Germany and Japan.
  • In December 1960, Liberia became a member of the United Nations Security Council.
  • In 1963, Liberia became part of the Organization of African Unity or the African Union.
  • In January 1986, Samuel K. Doe was elected as the first president of the second republic.
  • A civil war between the Krahn and the Gio and Mano peoples erupted in 1990 which lasted for seven years until 1996.
  • In 1997, Charles Taylor took on the presidential role.
  • The country’s economy went down under Taylor’s leadership, and rebellions started appearing killing thousands of people.
  • In 2005, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became the president of Liberia.
  • The 2011 presidential election between Johnson Sirleaf and Winston Tubman became controversial when Johnson Sirleaf received a Nobel Peace Prize award so close to the election day.
  • After Sirleaf’s terms, Joseph Boakai and Weah faced each other for the 2017 presidential elections.
  • On December 26, 2017, Weah was declared the winner.
  • Weah’s election as the president marked the first time since 1944 that the power in Liberia was transferred between two democratically elected leaders.

GEOGRAPHY

  • Liberia is the only black state in Africa that was never subjected to colonial rule.
  • Liberia is Africa’s oldest republic.
  • Liberia’s capital is Monrovia.
  • Liberia is bounded by Sierra Leone to the northwest.
  • Liberia is also bounded by Guinea to the north.
  • Liberia is bounded by Côte d’Ivoire to the east.
  • Liberia is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the south and the west.
  • The climate in Liberia is warm and humid.
  • Liberia has a year-round evergreen vegetation.

ECONOMY

  • Liberia’s economy revolves mainly around agriculture and raw materials.
  • Rubber is Liberia’s most valuable commercial crop, with coffee and cacao following closely behind.
  • Liberia’s status as a flag of convenience caused it to have the second-largest maritime registry in the world, closely behind Panama.
  • Liberia is rich in natural resources such as iron ore, diamonds, gold, lead, manganese, graphite, cyanite, and barite.
  • Deep-sea fishing is also one of their main sectors. Catches include mackerel, barracuda, and red snapper.

CULTURE

  • Liberia has a rich history with regards to textile art and quilting.
  • Martha Ann Ricks, a famous Liberian quilter, presented a quilt featuring the Liberian coffee tree to Queen Victoria in 1892.
  • Liberia’s customary law allows men to have up to four wives.
  • Liberia’s cuisine heavily incorporates rice, which is considered the country’s staple food.
  • Some other food ingredients include cassava, fish, bananas, citrus fruits, plantains, coconut, okra, and sweet potatoes.

OTHER FACTS

  • Liberia’s flag represents the founding of a group of freed American slaves by having close resemblance to the flag of the United States.
  • The Liberian flag was adopted on August 24, 1847.
  • Most Liberians speak English.
  • Liberia has Africa’s cleanest cities.
  • Liberia is the home for weird animals like the long-tailed pangolin.
  • Pangolins, however, are endangered animals. In Liberia, poaching of pangolins has been banned, like all other bushmeat delicacies.

Liberia Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Liberia across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Liberia worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Republic of Liberia which is a country on the West African coast, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ivory Coast, and Atlantic Ocean.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Liberia Facts
  • More On Liberia
  • Test Yourself!
  • History Time
  • The Pangolin
  • Look For Them
  • The Borders
  • Label Them
  • Let’s Play
  • Visit Liberia
  • Draw Your Own

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Link will appear as Liberia Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, April 13, 2020

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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