Liberia: Five things Trump should know and why they speak 'good English'
Founded by freed slaves
Liberia was founded by freed African-American slaves in 1822 before declaring independence in 1847. Thousands of black Americans and liberated Africans - rescued from transatlantic slave ships - settled in Liberia during the colonial era.Former US President Abraham Lincoln officially declared Liberia's independence in 1862 but the country retained a lot of US heritage and it remained in the American "sphere of influence" during the colonial period. Due to this integration, Liberian culture, landmarks, and institutions have a heavy African-American influence.Ten of Liberia's 26 presidents were born in the US.
The capital is named after a former US president
Liberia's capital, Monrovia, was named in honour of America's 5th President, James Monroe, who was a strong supporter of the American Colonization Society (ACS).The ACS was the organisation responsible for resettling freed African-Americans in West Africa - which eventually led to the founding of Liberia.Not surprisingly the early architecture of the city was largely influenced by American-style buildings.Many streets in Monrovia are named after colonial American figures, reflecting the city's founding and historical ties to the US.
Nearly identical flags
The flag of Liberia closely resembles the American flag. It features 11 alternating red and white stripes and a blue square with a single white star.The white star symbolises Liberia as the first independent republic in Africa.The US flag, in comparison, has 13 stripes representing the original 13 colonies and 50 stars, one for each state.The Liberian flag was designed by seven black women - all born in America.
Ex-president's son plays for US football team
Timothy Weah, the son of Liberia's former President George Weah, is an American professional soccer player who plays for Italian club Juventus as well as the US national team.The 25-year-old forward was born in the US but began his professional career with Paris St-Germain in France, where he won the Ligue 1 title before moving on loan to the Scottish team, Celtic.His father, George, is a Liberian football legend who won the Ballon d'Or in 1995 while playing for Juventus's Italian rivals AC Milan. He is the only African winner of this award - and went on to be elected president in 2018.
Former president won the Nobel Peace Prize
Liberia produced Africa's first elected female president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.She was elected in 2005, two years after the nation's bloody civil war ended, and served as president until 2018.Sirleaf has a strong American background as she studied at Madison Business College and later went to Harvard University where she graduated as an economist. She has received worldwide recognition and accolades for maintaining peace during her administration.Her story is pitted with remarkable feats of defiance and courage. In 2011, along with Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karmān, she won the Nobel Prize for Peace for her efforts to further women's rights.In 2016, Forbes listed her among the most powerful women in the world.
More about Liberia from the BBC:
Why Trump invited five African leaders to the White HouseLiberian president killed in coup gets state funeral after 45 yearsHow President Joseph Boakai hopes to rid Liberia of its problemsLiberia's war and peace: Lessons from 30 years' reporting
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
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