About Liberia

Liberia, Africa’s first and oldest modern republic, is a country on the West African coast with a population of approximately 5 million people. The US’s and Liberia’s histories are intertwined. To read more about this shared history, click here. Even Liberia’s capital of Monrovia is named after US president James Monroe. English is the official language with over 20 indigenous languages also spoken, representing the country’s ethnic and cultural diversity.

Political tensions and instability led to Liberia’s first (1989-1997) and second (1999-2003) civil wars and resulted in 250,000 deaths. National infrastructure and basic social services were severely damaged as a result of the conflicts. Liberia’s economy shrank by 90 percent with 83 percent of the population still living below the international poverty line.

A peace agreement in 2003 led to democratic elections and in 2005, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected president, making history as the first female president in Africa. In January 2024, Joseph Boakai was sworn in as the 26th president of Liberia after the general elections. The people of Liberia are working to rebuild their country after years of conflict.