Liberia

American  

[lahy-beer-ee-uh] / laɪˈbɪər i ə /

noun

1. a republic in West Africa: founded in 1822 by freeborn and formerly enslaved Black people from the United States. About 43,000 sq. mi. (111,000 sq. km). Monrovia.

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Liberia British  

/ laɪˈbɪərɪə /

noun

1. a republic in W Africa, on the Atlantic: originated in 1822 as a home for freed Afro-American slaves, with land purchased by the American Colonization Society; republic declared in 1847; exports are predominantly rubber and iron ore. Official language: English. Religion: Christian majority, also animist. Currency: dollar. Capital: Monrovia. Pop: 3 989 703 (2013 est). Area: 111 400 sq km (43 000 sq miles)

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Liberia Cultural  

1. Republic in western Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone to the northwest, Guinea to the north, the Ivory Coast to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest.

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Discover More

The American Colonization Society began settlement of black Americans, most of them freed slaves, in 1822. Eventually, 15,000 blacks emigrated to Liberia.

A civil war that commenced in 1989 and that lasted until the mid-1990s claimed more than 150,000 lives.

Other Word Forms

• Liberian adjective
• anti-Liberian adjective
• pro-Liberian adjective
• trans-Liberian adjective

Etymology

Origin of Liberia

First recorded in 1825–30; from Latin līber “free” + -ia ( def. )

Example Sentences

When two American aid workers in Liberia contracted Ebola, bringing them home required a risky airborne rescue.

From The Wall Street Journal

The author also reveals the desperate conditions that beset Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, and the two Americans who were driven by their religious faith to serve the same missionary hospital.

From The Wall Street Journal

When two American aid workers in Liberia contracted Ebola, bringing them home required a risky airborne rescue.

From The Wall Street Journal

She said the ITF called on countries where the ships are flagged, such as Panama and Liberia, to issue guidance to shipowners and seafarers to organise their repatriation.

From Barron's

Panama, Liberia and the Marshall Islands are the most common FOC states, representing 46.5% of all merchant ships by weight, but Gambia has become a player in recent years.

From BBC