Liberia Celebrates 172 Independence

On this day Liberia celebrates 172 independence.

The country was declared independent on July 26, 1847.

Liberia’s independence was brought by a young African American man from Virginia named Joseph Jenkins Roberts. The following year he became the first elected president of the new country. Roberts had moved there in 1829 at the age of twenty from Petersburg, Virginia. At that time, Liberia was a colony owned by a group of people in the United States.

Liberia, formally known as the Republic of Liberia is a nation located on the West African coast. In Latin, the name Liberia means ‘Land of the Free’. Sierra Leone borders Liberia to the west, Ivory Coast to the east, and Guinea to the north. It has a population of about 4.5 million people and more than 20 local languages are spoken, but English is the formal language.

In the entire African continent, Liberia is the only country that attained its independence without the use of a revolt. It is the continent’s first and oldest modern republic and it maintained its sovereignty during the European colonial period.

Liberia supported the U.S. during World War II, and in return, the United States invested in Liberia’s infrastructure so as to assist its war effort. This helped Liberia modernize and improve its air transportation facilities. Globally, Liberia was a founding member of the United Nations, the Organization of African Unity, and the League of Nations.

His Excellency the President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone is attending alongside his Wife and other West African leaders, including President Alpha Conde of Guinea and President Alassane Ouattara of the Ivory Coast.