The West African nation of Liberia is rich in many ways, yet Liberians remain largely impoverished, still stuck in the hell hole of the fourteen-year civil war that ended about nine years ago.
Fertile soil: "Portuguese explorers established contacts with Liberia as early as 1461 and named the area Grain Coast because of the abundance of grains of Malegueta Pepper." The nickname "Grain Coast" barely fits Liberia these days, though it should. Thanks to its tropical climate, Liberia is home to 40% West Africa's rainforest. The land receives an average of 170 inches of rainfall each year. Plants like rubber, sugar cane, mangoes, coconuts, palms, cocoa, coffee, bananas, plantains, avocados, yams, coco-yams, eggplants, pineapples, sweet potatoes, cassava, rice, peanuts, beans, among others, grow well on fertile Liberian terrain.
Rich in natural resources: Despite careless logging, timber still abounds in Liberia's rainforest. Some of the best quality iron ore, diamond and gold deposits are found in Liberia. Oil was recently discovered there, and Chevron has opened a regional office in Monrovia, getting ready to drill for petroleum off Liberia's Atlantic coast. Despite all this wealth, Liberia imports its staple food (rice); gold is very expensive in the jewelry stores of Monrovia; and gasoline is near $5 per gallon.
Rich in History: Settled in the early 1820s by former African slaves from the United States, Liberia became the first independent republic (July 26, 1847) on the African continent. Liberia's historical link to the United States, coupled with the of the American dollar as currency, should have our homeland prospering. But Liberia remains to struggle as America's stepchild that only smells but can't taste America's prosperity.
Crucial World War II partner: Without Liberian airstrips used by Allied war planes to refuel before confronting Axis forces in North Africa, the Allied forces would have probably not defeated Hitler's Germany on the North African battlefront during World War II.
Leader in African unity: Before the heads of 32 African governments signed the charter that formed the Organization of African Unity (OAU) on May 25, 1963, the initial discussions were held in Sanniquelle, Liberia. Along with President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Liberian president William Tubman, who hosted the first meeting, played a key role in birthing the OAU.
Secret contributor to the motor vehicle industry: How important are tires on cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, ATVs, etc? Like they say, everything is ridding on the tires. Well, for decades, tires on vehicles around the world were made from rubber plants grown and harvested on Liberian soil by the Firestone and BF Goodridge rubber plantations. Yet in nearly 100 years, not one vehicle tire has been manufactured on Liberian soil.
Numerous rivers: Farmington, St. Paul, St. John, Timbo, Cestos - any of these rivers can host a dam with a hydroelectric plant that can easily supply, not just all of Liberia, but a neighboring country or two with 24-hour electricity. Yet most Liberians sleep in darkness. Even the majority of residents in Monrovia, the capital city, at best exist on rationed electricity, unless they can afford to spend hundreds of dollars every month operating gasoline-powered generators.
Beautiful beaches: Every visitor to coastal Liberian cities and towns like Robertsport, Monrovia, Buchanan, Cestos City, Greenville, Sasstown, Grand Cess, Harper, Cape Palmas, among others, have wowed at the breathtaking beauty of the typical Liberian beach. Yet very little of this coastal paradise has been tapped for the tourists' dream it could be. It's a tourist heaven in waiting.
During a recent mission trip (March 2012) to Liberia, several of the eight of us short-term missionaries agreed on this: Though this small West African nation is a land of desperation, owing to the devastating barbaric war that ended 2003, yet for those who have the means and the international vision, Liberia offers some of the most profitable investment opportunities anywhere on planet earth right now.
Fertile soil: "Portuguese explorers established contacts with Liberia as early as 1461 and named the area Grain Coast because of the abundance of grains of Malegueta Pepper." The nickname "Grain Coast" barely fits Liberia these days, though it should. Thanks to its tropical climate, Liberia is home to 40% West Africa's rainforest. The land receives an average of 170 inches of rainfall each year. Plants like rubber, sugar cane, mangoes, coconuts, palms, cocoa, coffee, bananas, plantains, avocados, yams, coco-yams, eggplants, pineapples, sweet potatoes, cassava, rice, peanuts, beans, among others, grow well on fertile Liberian terrain.
Rich in natural resources: Despite careless logging, timber still abounds in Liberia's rainforest. Some of the best quality iron ore, diamond and gold deposits are found in Liberia. Oil was recently discovered there, and Chevron has opened a regional office in Monrovia, getting ready to drill for petroleum off Liberia's Atlantic coast. Despite all this wealth, Liberia imports its staple food (rice); gold is very expensive in the jewelry stores of Monrovia; and gasoline is near $5 per gallon.
Rich in History: Settled in the early 1820s by former African slaves from the United States, Liberia became the first independent republic (July 26, 1847) on the African continent. Liberia's historical link to the United States, coupled with the of the American dollar as currency, should have our homeland prospering. But Liberia remains to struggle as America's stepchild that only smells but can't taste America's prosperity.
Crucial World War II partner: Without Liberian airstrips used by Allied war planes to refuel before confronting Axis forces in North Africa, the Allied forces would have probably not defeated Hitler's Germany on the North African battlefront during World War II.
Leader in African unity: Before the heads of 32 African governments signed the charter that formed the Organization of African Unity (OAU) on May 25, 1963, the initial discussions were held in Sanniquelle, Liberia. Along with President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Liberian president William Tubman, who hosted the first meeting, played a key role in birthing the OAU.
Secret contributor to the motor vehicle industry: How important are tires on cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, ATVs, etc? Like they say, everything is ridding on the tires. Well, for decades, tires on vehicles around the world were made from rubber plants grown and harvested on Liberian soil by the Firestone and BF Goodridge rubber plantations. Yet in nearly 100 years, not one vehicle tire has been manufactured on Liberian soil.
Numerous rivers: Farmington, St. Paul, St. John, Timbo, Cestos - any of these rivers can host a dam with a hydroelectric plant that can easily supply, not just all of Liberia, but a neighboring country or two with 24-hour electricity. Yet most Liberians sleep in darkness. Even the majority of residents in Monrovia, the capital city, at best exist on rationed electricity, unless they can afford to spend hundreds of dollars every month operating gasoline-powered generators.
Beautiful beaches: Every visitor to coastal Liberian cities and towns like Robertsport, Monrovia, Buchanan, Cestos City, Greenville, Sasstown, Grand Cess, Harper, Cape Palmas, among others, have wowed at the breathtaking beauty of the typical Liberian beach. Yet very little of this coastal paradise has been tapped for the tourists' dream it could be. It's a tourist heaven in waiting.
During a recent mission trip (March 2012) to Liberia, several of the eight of us short-term missionaries agreed on this: Though this small West African nation is a land of desperation, owing to the devastating barbaric war that ended 2003, yet for those who have the means and the international vision, Liberia offers some of the most profitable investment opportunities anywhere on planet earth right now.
Sources: Conservapedia, SouthTravels.com, Wikipedia
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