Republic of Liberia: why the flag of this African country looks like the flag of the USA

It is no coincidence that the flag of Liberia, a small African country, is so similar to the US flag. These two states, located on opposite sides of the Atlantic, are closely connected with each other by events of almost 200 years ago.

Liberia, as a separate state entity, appeared on the map of Africa in 1824. But it arose on the initiative of the United States, or rather an American organization called the American Colonization Society. With the direct material support of this society, ships with migrants began to arrive on the west coast of the African continent. These were liberated American slaves whose ancestors were forcibly brought from Africa to work on plantations. By the time the United States introduced an official ban on the import of slaves, more than 600,000 Africans were brought into the country, the operation of which largely ensured the economic well-being of the United States.

But over time, African slaves and their descendants began to pose a threat to the country's internal stability. In the USA, free blacks began to appear, who did not find their place in the country's existing social system at that time. Just it was decided to resettle them back to Africa, creating a colony there and calling it the beautiful word Liberia, which means "land of freedom." Several thousand free blacks were resettled in Liberia, and the newly formed colony grew and flourished. And in 1847, the country, led by American immigrants, declared its independence.

At the same time, historians note that, despite the fact that American Negroes called Liberia the promised land, they were not so kind to the indigenous people. Returning to their native land, former slaves considered themselves higher in status and behaved accordingly. Such a contrast gave rise to a lot of social and political problems immediately after the emergence of a young state, whose motto was love of freedom.

Modern Liberia, like most African countries, is experiencing many social and economic problems associated with military conflicts within the country. According to many indicators, Liberia is one of the poorest in the world, but more than 1000 ships sail under the flag of this country. Do not rush to be surprised - Liberia does not own all this fleet. Low tax payments during registration and the imperfection of the international legal system in the field of the regime of seaports have led to the fact that it has become more profitable for many countries to register their vessels under the flags of Panama and Liberia than under their own. In addition to income from leasing its flag, the state treasury is replenished by agriculture, as well as the extraction of iron ore and diamonds.

Watch the video: The History and Meaning Behind the Liberian Flag (May 2024).