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Countries can be peculiar. So much of who we are is tied to invisible, arbitrary lines drawn on maps. As Robert Anton Wilson famously put it, “every national border marks the place where two gangs of bandits got too exhausted to kill each other anymore and signed a treaty.” Is this accurate? Who knows. In this first entry of our series on the oddities of countries, we take a closer look at Liberia.
10. Liberia Was Established by Former American Slaveholders
Liberia was initially founded as an American colony by a mix of slave owners and abolitionists. Back in the progressive era of antebellum America, some slaveholders, seeing the writing on the wall for slavery, started to recognize its inevitable end.
Even with this realization, the idea of racial equality between blacks and whites was still unimaginable. While these slaveholders may have been progressive for their era, they still maintained ownership of other human beings.
The American Colonization Society (ACS) was created by both abolitionists and slave owners who believed that free blacks could never live harmoniously with whites in America. The ACS's solution? To relocate emancipated slaves to Liberia, where they could live independently.
After the ACS secured land in Liberia, the first group of settlers—former slaves—arrived in 1822. Unfortunately, they fell victim to deadly diseases in the swamps. As a result, it was actually the second wave of settlers who truly established the colony.
9. Liberia is Exceptionally Ethnically Diverse
Between the 12th and 16th centuries, various tribes fleeing the desertification of their homelands eventually settled in the region that would become Liberia. The convergence of these distinct groups naturally sparked the exchange of technological, political, and social ideas.
By the late 15th century, these tribes were engaging in a robust trade with West African communities ranging from Cap-Vert to the Gold Coast. Today, their descendants form the largest ethnic group in Liberia. The second largest, comprising only 5 percent of the population, consists of the descendants of freedmen who were resettled there. These individuals governed Liberia from its independence in 1847 until 1980.
The third group is even smaller. They are the descendants of "recaptives" or "Congos," individuals liberated by the British and US navies from slave ships in the 1800s. While there has been some mixing over time, the elite minority's power was largely preserved through the oligarchic system established by the American settlers.
Interestingly, Liberia’s constitution is modeled after the US Constitution. But it’s worth noting that both countries evolving into plutocracies with limited social mobility is purely coincidental.
8. Snails Might Help Prevent Another Ebola Crisis
The Ebola outbreak of 2014 led to a ban on bushmeat, although this law is frequently disregarded as Liberians—citizens of the eighth-poorest country in the world—struggle to feed themselves. With very little land suitable for livestock, monkeys are often hunted and consumed.
The giant African snail, a popular delicacy in West Africa, is commonly sold at roadside stalls, and a growing snail farming industry is emerging. Given their high protein content, countries like Liberia—whose population has doubled in the past two decades—could greatly benefit. Shifting cultural preferences from bushmeat to snails could prove to be one of the most effective measures in combating Ebola.
7. Their President Was The First African Leader to Be Convicted of War Crimes
Charles Taylor is, to say the least, a deeply unpleasant figure. In 2012, he was found guilty for his actions during the Sierra Leone conflict, where he used child soldiers, rape, and amputation as tools of war. However, Taylor was just as ruthless toward his own people. In order to maintain a fragile peace between Liberia’s ethnic groups, he was never prosecuted for his atrocities within the country.
After backing the 1980 coup that ended 133 years of rule by the descendants of freed slaves, Taylor swiftly embezzled $1 million from Liberia and fled to the US. Arrested for this crime, he escaped custody and found refuge with Muammar Gadhafi in Libya. Taylor claims the CIA assisted in his escape.
With Gadhafi’s support, Taylor toppled the very government he had helped install (the Samuel Doe regime). However, his own lieutenant betrayed him, forming a rival army, capturing President Doe, and ultimately torturing him to death.
This ignited a civil war that devolved into an ethnic conflict, claiming over 600,000 lives. Before the First Liberian Civil War concluded in 1997, Taylor took pleasure in drugging and brainwashing children to fight as his soldiers. These children, believing that wearing wedding dresses and blonde wigs would grant them immortality, fought for him. The scars of Taylor’s cruelty remain today, with former child soldiers trying to reintegrate into society alongside the survivors of horrific ethnic cleansing.
"History will be kind to me," Taylor remarked upon leaving office. "I have accepted this role as a sacrificial lamb."
6. The Wildlife in Liberia Doesn’t Exactly Welcome You
While Liberia is home to the undeniably cute pygmy hippopotamus, it stands out as an exception. The rest of the animals in Liberia are, to put it mildly, wild—think of a biker bar full of meth-fueled vampires. We’re reliably told that 90 percent of Liberia's snakes aren't venomous.
That still leaves the venomous nose-horned viper, the western green mamba, and three types of cobra (one of which spits venom). Add to that a collection of venomous pythons, asps, boomslangs, and other snakes that lurk in grass, climb trees, or even swim. Frankly, we’re stunned that Liberia isn’t one enormous snake pit.
And of course, if the snakes don’t get you, there are countless other dangers lurking in Liberia—even for those trying to protect its wildlife. In April 2017, two rangers were killed by individuals living illegally in a Liberian rainforest.
The issue arises from the population's heavy reliance on bushmeat for protein, driving poaching activities. Frustrated mobs often attack forest rangers who are trying to safeguard endangered species in the rainforest. But the problems don’t end there. The bushmeat harvested by poachers could be carrying germs that might trigger an Ebola outbreak.
5. On the Verge of Ecological Collapse
In an ironic turn, Liberia is experiencing the negative impacts of global warming while contributing almost nothing to the factors causing climate change. As an underdeveloped nation, Liberia finds itself trapped in a paradox.
On one hand, the coastal areas are experiencing flooding due to a low-lying coastal plain and increased rainfall. As one of the world’s poorest countries, Liberia has limited resources to address this issue, despite the presence of a vast oil deposit that could be exploited.
The problem is that this deposit lies beneath the Upper Guinean tropical forest, which is a protected area. Despite legal protections, the forests are being stripped at a rate three times faster than the global average due to illegal logging activities.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Liberian farmers can no longer depend on the traditionally reliable weather patterns to guide their planting seasons. With the nation’s population rapidly increasing, the outlook for one of the most environmentally pristine regions on Earth appears increasingly grim, if not outright hopeless.
4. The Strangest Animal Calls Liberia Home
The long-tailed pangolin resides in Liberia, although humans are actively pushing it toward extinction, just like many other species. Pangolins are quirky yet oddly charming, making them favorites among hipsters and Japanese teenagers.
Unfortunately, these creatures are endangered, which has made them extremely valuable. As a result, the pangolin holds the title of the most trafficked animal on the planet. Despite resembling a honey badger in a snakeskin suit, Chinese traditional medicine promotes pangolins as a health remedy. Eating rare animals also symbolizes wealth.
In Liberia, the pangolin is protected from poaching, just like other bushmeat delicacies. However, the high value of these remarkable creatures makes the reward too tempting for many poachers. The scales of a pangolin alone can be worth $3,000 per kilogram ($1,363 per lb), while a factory worker might only earn $100 a month.
3. Liberia Boasts the Second-Largest Commercial Fleet of Ships in the World
Thanks to its hands-off approach to maritime regulations, Liberia has become the second-most popular country for ships to register under a flag of convenience, trailing only Panama. Around 12 percent of the world's ships carry Liberia’s flag.
The Liberian Registry boasts, "Liberia has earned international respect for its dedication to flagging the world’s safest and most secure vessels." However, the registry is actually run by a US-based company.
Despite the large number of ship owners benefiting from Liberia's relaxed maritime laws, the registration fees have had little impact on the people whose flag is flown on roughly 4,000 ships. It is suspected that Charles Taylor diverted some of the funds for nongovernmental projects.
Given that ship registration fees make up nearly 25 percent of Liberia's tax revenue, it seems unlikely the government would be eager to change its maritime regulations at the request of other nations. Although Liberia’s maritime laws expect ships to hire Liberian sailors, this rule is hardly enforced, particularly after the closure of the Merchant Marine Academy in 1992.
2. Liberia is home to the first African female president
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made history when she became Liberia's 24th president in 2006. Known as 'The Iron Lady,' she also received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011. While this achievement is a step forward for gender equality, Liberia’s laws against homosexuality remain intact, and Sirleaf has yet to repeal them, much to the disappointment of progressive advocates in the West.
In the political landscape of Liberia, it is evident that the nation is not yet prepared to embrace homosexuality as a mainstream aspect of sexual behavior. Pushing for this change could spell political disaster for Sirleaf. Given her status as Liberia's most esteemed president, such a move would be too costly for the country to bear.
1. Migration plays a crucial role in Liberia’s future
Liberia's population is expanding rapidly thanks to improved living conditions and a decade of peace, but many Liberians are still looking for opportunities abroad. A 2010 survey revealed that 11 percent of respondents received remittances from family or friends overseas. This number is likely to increase, given that 35 percent of the population is largely uneducated, and 27 percent of women earn less than $0.50 per day.
Investment from abroad, particularly in offshore oil exploration, is starting to develop, but the majority of wealth remains concentrated in Monrovia, Liberia's capital. For many rural Liberians, the idea of crossing into Guinea or Ivory Coast in pursuit of a better life is enticing. Emigration to places like Europe, Asia, and the United States is also on the rise.
