Print Article
BookMark Article
10 newest articles RSS
Liberia Needs Your Help
Author : Neil Gibson
Submitted : 2011-12-21 05:28:00 Word Count : 573 Popularity: 1
Tags: lord neil gibson, liberia, charity, africa, foreign aid
Liberia is a small country in West Africa that 99% of the earth's population never gives a thought to as they whirl about in their daily lives. Some have never even heard of the country.
It is one of the poorest nations on the face of the earth but boasts a rich history and an abundance of humanity that is the inspiration of charity groups from every continent on the globe. You should learn more about this small and little known country and how you too can lend them a much-needed hand.
The Environment of Liberia
Liberia is located on the western coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire, and is home to 40% of the remaining Upper Guinean rainforest. The climate is blisteringly hot and equatorial, with a significant rainy season between May and October where it is rare to see a dry day.
I will think again the next time I complain about the weather at home. I thought the snow in New York was bad.
Before the civil war in Liberia, the country was largely agrarian. The farmers would grow and trade rice, cassava and sugarcane. The leached soil means Liberia is more successfully adaptable to tree-crop rather than field-crop agriculture. The country produces such crops as coffee, palm oil, palm kernels, bananas, plantains and cocoa, along with various other fruits and vegetables.
Americans may know it as the home to the Harbel plantation, once belonging to Firestone and since 1988, Bridgestone. No matter who owns it, Harbel is the largest rubber plantation in the world.
Liberia's Economy
Liberia's history can be separated into pre-war and post-war eras. Here is where you need to start to understand what the country is all about. The First Liberian Civil War raged from 1989 to 1996 killing over 200,000 people. The Second Liberian Civil War took place between 1999 and 2003. This war ruined the economy by forcing the businesspeople to flee the country. While there is no war going on right now, these business owners and their businesses will never return.
As mentioned earlier, Liberia is one of the most impoverished countries in the world. The unemployment rate is 85%, which may or may not include those people living on rural subsistence farms. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has attempted to encourage private investment in the country by lifting embargoes on timber and diamond exports. The country is struggling nonetheless and is desperately trying to rebuild their wrecked infrastructure.
It's interesting to note that while it's not information widely available, one source suggests that iron mining once accounted for more than half of Liberia's export earnings. This is unconfirmed, but worth mentioning in a discussion of the Liberian economic climate.
How You Can Help
It is no secret that Liberia relies heavily on foreign aid and international cooperation. If you are interested in doing what you can to help Liberia's people, contact one of the many charitable associations currently working within the country. I assure you, you and your resources will instantly be put to very good use.
Author's Resource Box
For those who were interested in the above article, you can go check out other comparable content at Lord Neil Gibson or this Neil Gibson Website.
Article Source:
Articles Alive