ABSTRACT
Liberia was founded as a settlement for North American ex-slaves. Liberia has been independent since then, but governed by the 'Americo-Liberians', descendants of former freed slaves who constitute less than 2 per cent of the population. Liberia has about 350 miles of coastline extending from the Ivory Coast in the east to Sierra Leone in the west. Liberia is in the dollar area and 80 per cent of her exports go to the United States. In 1945, Firestone produced 97 per cent of Liberia's exports by value, but since then other smaller plantations have been established and other products developed for export, including iron ore, fruit and a little cocoa and oil-palm produce. Other ore bodies are being developed in the Mano river district, in the Nimba Mountains and in the Bong hills, which should allow a total output of some 15 million tons a year after 1965, making Liberia one of the world's leading exporters.
