What is "liberia"

African nation, begun as a resettlement project of freed American slaves in 1816 by the American Colonization Society, the name chosen by society member and U.S. senator Robert Goodloe Harper (1765-1825) from Latin liber "free" (see liberal).

Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. Liberia means "Land of the Free" in Latin. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its west, Guinea to its north and Ivory Coast to its east. It covers an area of and has a population of 4,503,000 people. English is the official language and over 20 indigenous languages are spoken, representing the numerous tribes who make up more than 95% of the population.

Forests on the coastline are composed mostly of salt-tolerant mangrove trees, while the more sparsely populated inland has forests opening onto a plateau of drier grasslands. The climate is equatorial, with significant rainfall during the May–October rainy season and harsh harmattan winds the remainder of the year. Liberia possesses about forty percent of the remaining Upper Guinean rainforest. It was an important producer of rubber in the early 20th century.

The Republic of Liberia, beginning as a settlement of the American Colonization Society (ACS), declared its independence on July 26, 1847. The United States did not recognize Liberia's independence until during the American Civil War on February 5, 1862. Between January 7, 1822 and the American Civil War, more than 15,000 freed and free-born Black Americans from United States and 3,198 Afro-Caribbeans relocated to the settlement. The Black American settlers carried their culture with them to Liberia. The Liberian constitution and flag were modeled after those of the United States. On January 3, 1848 Joseph Jenkins Roberts, a wealthy, free-born Black American from Virginia who settled in Liberia, was elected as Liberia's first president after the people proclaimed independence.

Liberia is the only African republic to have self-proclaimed independence without gaining independence through revolt from any other nation, being Africa's first and oldest republic. Liberia maintained and kept its independence during the European colonial era. During World War II, Liberia supported the United States war efforts against Germany and in turn the United States invested in considerable infrastructure in Liberia to help its war effort, which also aided the country in modernizing and improving its major air transportation facilities. In addition, President William Tubman encouraged economic changes. Internationally, Liberia was a founding member of The League of Nations, United Nations and the Organisation of African Unity. Political tensions from the rule of William R. Tolbert resulted in a military coup in 1980 that overthrew his leadership soon after his death, marking the beginning of years-long political instability. Five years of military rule by the People's Redemption Council and five years of civilian rule by the National Democratic Party of Liberia were followed by the First and Second Liberian Civil Wars. These resulted in the deaths and displacement of more than half a million people and devastated Liberia's economy. A peace agreement in 2003 led to democratic elections in 2005. Recovery proceeds but about 85% of the population live below the international poverty line.

Liberia's economic and political stability was threatened in the 2010s by an Ebola virus epidemic; it originated in Guinea in December 2013, entered Liberia in March 2014, and was declared officially ended on May 8, 2015.

Liberia is the first canton in the province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 1,436.47 km², and has a population of 67,463.

Prominent geologic features of Liberia include Cerro Cacao (Cacao Mountain) and Rincón de la Vieja. The latter is the center of the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park. The canton also includes the most visited portion of Santa Rosa National Park on its northwest border. The Río Salto delineates the southwestern border as far as the Río Tempisque, and the Tempisque forms the border on the southeast as far as the Bahía Naranjo (Orange Bay).

Besides hosting the provincial capital, Liberia Canton is the most populous of Guanacaste's nine cantons.

Liberia is a historic plantation house located at Manassas, Virginia. It was built about 1825, and is a two-story, five-bay, Federal style brick dwelling. It has parapet side gable roof and a molded brick cornice with a saw-tooth design. It has a single-pile, modified central passage plan. During the American Civil War, it was used as headquarters by both Confederate and Union forces. Both Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, in addition to other statesmen, visited Liberia during the War. The house was acquired by the City of Manassas on December 31, 1986, for use as a museum. The house is under restoration and is open for special events and tours by appointment.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.