a reduction to a
planned 1,500-man strength, but these plans have met with vociferous
resistance from the political opposition and from inside the LDF
(2008)

Transnational Issues
Lesotho

Disputes - international:

none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Liberia

Introduction
Liberia

Background:

Settlement of freed slaves from the US in what is today Liberia
began in 1822; by 1847, the Americo-Liberians were able to establish
a republic. William TUBMAN, president from 1944-71, did much to
promote foreign investment and to bridge the economic, social, and
political gaps between the descendents of the original settlers and
the inhabitants of the interior. In 1980, a military coup led by
Samuel DOE ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule. In December
1989, Charles TAYLOR launched a rebellion against DOE's regime that
led to a prolonged civil war in which DOE himself was killed. A
period of relative peace in 1997 allowed for elections that brought
TAYLOR to power, but major fighting resumed in 2000. An August 2003
peace agreement ended the war and prompted the resignation of former
president Charles TAYLOR, who faces war crimes charges in The Hague
related to his involvement in Sierra Leone's civil war. After two
years of rule by a transitional government, democratic elections in
late 2005 brought President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF to power. The UN
Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) maintains a strong presence throughout
the country, but the security situation is still fragile and the
process of rebuilding the social and economic structure of this
war-torn country will take many years.

Geography
Liberia

Location:

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote
d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone

Geographic coordinates:

6 30 N, 9 30 W

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 111,370 sq km
land: 96,320 sq km
water: 15,050 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than Tennessee

Land boundaries:

total: 1,585 km
border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone
306 km

Coastline:

579 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 200 nm

Climate:

tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold
nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers

Terrain:

mostly flat to rolling coastal plains ri