The American University Washington, DC, Freys area Studen Published 1972 (This handbook supersedes DA Pam 550-38, July 1964) DA Pam 550-38 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office FOREWORD This volume is one of a series of handbooks prepared by Foreign Area Studies (FAS) of The American University, designed to be useful to military and other personnel who need a convenient compilation of basic facts about the social, economic, political, and military institutions and practices of various countries. The emphasis is on objective description of the nation's present society and the kinds of possible or probable changes that might be expected in the future. The handbook seeks to present as full and as balanced an integrated exposition as limitations on space and research time permit. It was compiled from information available in openly published material. An extensive bibliography is provided to permit recourse to other published sources for more detailed information. There has been no attempt to express any specific point of view or to make policy recommendations. The contents of the handbook represent the work of the authors and FAS and do not represent the official view of the United States government. An effort has been made to make the handbook as comprehensive as possible. It can be expected, however, that the material, interpretations, and conclusions are subject to modification in the light of new information and developments. Such corrections, additions, and suggestions for factual, interpretive, or other change as readers may have will be welcomed for use in future revisions. Comments may be addressed to: The Director Foreign Area Studies The American University 5010 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20016 PREFACE TO THE SECOND PRINTING The research on the original Area Handbook for Liberia was completed in July 1964. Since that time the country has experienced only minimal changes in its social, economic, and political structure. Some expansions in the fields of education, medical services, and related social services have occurred, but these innovations have not markedly altered the basic society, the form of government, or the general way of life for most Liberians. A decision was made in early 1971 to update the handbook by the preparation of a separate section entitled "Summary of Events: July 1964-September 1971," describing briefly the more significant developments during that period. The death of President Tubman in July 1971 occurred during the research and writing of the new updating section. Materials reflecting the actions of the new head of state during his first two months in office have been treated by the authors only as tentative indicators bearing on the social, political, and economic future of the country. The new Summary of Events was completed on September 30, 1971, by a research team composed of Gordon C. McDonald and Barbara Marvin under the chairmanship of Harold D. Nelson. Material for the section entitled "The Social Process" was contributed by Irving Kaplan, a co-author of the original handbook. James McLaughlin assisted with the preparation of the political section. Proper names and terms deemed essentially Liberian conform to observed patterns of usage in the country. A notable exception is the use in this handbook of the term Americo-Liberian to designate the country's coastal settlers from the Western Hemisphere and their descendants. Although the term has been officially disapproved in Liberia since the 1950s, its earlier acceptance and its continued use in most scholarly writing provide an expedient reference to a clearly discernible and significant group of Liberians for which no other short descriptive term is available. |