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Liberia

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Treemap of Liberian Exports (ships refer to ship registration not production)

The major crops are natural rubber, rice, cassava, bananas and palm oil. Timber is also a major export at $100 million annually, although much of this is the product of unsustainable habitat destruction, with Asian corporations criticised for their role. Although agricultural activity occurs in most rural locations, it is particularly concentrated in coastal plains (subsistence crops) and tropical forest (cash crops). The sector is very important for women as they are widely employed in it in comparison to the economy as a whole.

The mining industry of Liberia has witnessed a revival after the civil war which ended in 2003. Gold, diamonds, and iron ore form the core minerals of the mining sector with a new Mineral Development Policy and Mining Code being put in place to attract foreign investments. In 2013, the mineral sector accounted for 11% of GDP in the country and the World Bank has projected a further increase in the sector by 2017.

Transportation:

Transport in Liberia consist of railways, highways, seaports and airports.

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Railway Map of Liberia

Historically, three railways were built in Liberia to export ore from mines; they were damaged during civil war. In 2010, only the Bong mine railway was operational but the Lamco Railway was at least partially rebuilt by Arcelor Mittal and put back into service in 2011. There are no rail connections with other countries, although there has been a proposal to extend the Bong mine railway to serve a mine across the border in Guinea.

There are a total of 10,600 km (6,586 mi) of highways, of which 657 km (408 mi) are paved with 9,943 km (6,178 mi) being unpaved. There is major deterioration on all highways due to heavy rains and lack of maintenance.

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Road Map of Liberia

When construction and reconstruction of roads in Liberia is complete, the Trans–West African Coastal Highway will cross the country, connecting it to Freetown (Sierra Leone), Abidjan (Ivory Coast), and eventually to 11 other nations of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

There are seaports in:
Buchanan, Greenville, Harper, and Monrovia.

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Roberts International Airport

The main international airport in the country is Roberts International Airport.

Flag of Liberia:

The flag of Liberia or the Liberian flag bears a close resemblance to the flag of the United States, representing Liberia’s founding by a group of free people of color and formerly enslaved black people primarily from the United States.

The Liberian flag has similar red and white stripes, as well as a blue square with a white star in the canton. It was adopted on August 24, 1847.

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Flag of Liberia

The eleven stripes symbolize the signatories of the Liberian Declaration of Independence and the red and white symbolize courage and moral excellence. The white star represents the first independent republic in Africa, above the blue square representing the African continent. The Liberian flag is modeled after and resembles the United States flag because Liberia was founded, colonized, established, and controlled by free people of color and formerly enslaved black people from the United States and the Caribbean with the help and support of both the United States government and the American Colonization Society (ACS), a private organization dedicated to the removal of free people of color from across North America. Some time after the African Americans began arriving in Liberia in 1822, they came to be identified as “Americo-Liberians” in an effort to separate them from native groups and enslaved Africans rescued from illegal slaving ports and ships by the American navy.

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