Nimba County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in northeastern

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

that shares borders with the

Republic of Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

in the East and the

Republic of Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

in the Northwest. Its capital city is

Sanniquellie Sanniquellie is a city and the capital of Nimba County and Sanniquellie-Mahn District, Liberia. It is located in the north-east of the country at coordinates 07°21'49" N 008°42'40" W. The average altitude of the city is 420 metres above the se ...

and its most populous city is

Ganta Ganta, also known as Gompa City, is a town approximately from Monrovia in Nimba County of northern Liberia. It is located just south of the Guinea border. It is the second-most populous city in Liberia, with an estimated population of 41,106 as o ...

. With the county's area measuring , Nimba is the largest of Liberia's 15 counties. The county has six statutory districts. As of the 2008 Census, it had a population of 462,026, making it the second most-populous county in Liberia. Named after

Mount Nimba Mount Richard-Molard, also known as Mount Nimba, is a mountain along the border of Ivory Coast and Guinea in West Africa. The highest peak for both countries and the Nimba Range is at . The mountain is a part of the Guinea Highlands, which stra ...

(Neinbaa Tohn in the Mahn (or Mano) language), which demarcates part of the Guinea-Côte d'Ivoire border, Nimba is also bordered by

Bong A bong (also known as a water pipe) is a filtration device generally used for smoking cannabis, tobacco, or other herbal substances. In the bong shown in the photo, the gas flows from the lower port on the left to the upper port on the right. ...

and Grand Bassa counties to the west,

Rivercess County Rivercess County is a county in the south-central portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that compose the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has six districts. Cesstos City serves as the capital ...

to the southwest, and

Grand Gedeh County Grand Gedeh is a county in the eastern portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that constitute the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has three districts. Zwedru (formerly Tchien) serves as the ca ...

to the southeast. The northern and northeastern parts of Nimba border the nation of

, while the northeast lies along the border of

Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

Government

Nimba County is one of fifteen counties of Liberia. During the nearly three-decade administration of William V.S. Tubman (1944–1971), the region now called Nimba County was one of three of Liberia's provinces: Western Province, Eastern Province, and Central Province. In the sixties, Tubman reorganized these provinces into counties. Central Province became what is known as Nimba County. Before the First Liberian Civil War broke out in 1989, the county had a population of over 310,000 people. The top executive in the counties is a County Superintendent, appointed by the president of the county. The current County Superintendent, D. Dorr Cooper, who is the chief administrative officer, was appointed by President

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (born Ellen Eugenia Johnson, 29 October 1938) is a Liberian politician who served as the 24th president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. Sirleaf was the first elected female head of state in Africa. Sirleaf was born in Monro ...

in 2017. He was re-appointed in 2018 by President

George Weah George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah (; born 1 October 1966) is a Liberian politician and former professional footballer who is the incumbent president of Liberia, in office since 2018. Prior to his election to the presidency, Weah served a ...

after a change in administrations.

National legislatures

The County is represented by two senators and by nine representatives in the bicameral Legislative Branch of Government. The two senators currently serving the citizens of Nimba County are

senior Senator United States senators are conventionally ranked by the length of their tenure in the Senate. The senator in each U.S. state with the longer time in office is known as the ''senior senator''; the other is the ''junior senator''. This convention ...

Prince Yormie Johnson Prince Yormie Johnson"Prince" is a common given name for men in Liberia, rather than a royal title. (born 6 July 1952) is a Liberian politician and the current Senior Senator from Nimba County. A former rebel leader, Johnson played a prominent ...

and junior Senator Thomas Semandahn Grupee.

Administrative Districts

According to the 2008 census, the 17 Administrative Districts in Nimba County have the following populations: * Boe & Quilla District (18,262) * Buu-Yao District (40,007) * Doe District (35,918) * Garr Bain District (61,225) * Gbehlay-Geh District (32,176) * Gbi & Doru District (8,131) * Gbor District (10,875) * Kparblee District (11,424) * Leewehpea-Mahn District (24,747) * Meinpea-Mahn District (24,157) * Sanniquellie-Mah District (25,370) * Twah River District (37,479) * Garr Bain District (37,479) * Wee-Gbehy-Mahn District (32,934) * Yarmein District (22,718) * Yarpea Mahn District (21,647) * Yarwein Mehnsonnoh District (25,584) * Zoe-Gbao District (29,372)

Electoral Districts

Iron ore

During the late 1950s,

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the fo ...

was found in "the Iron Mountain"

. In a joint venture among the Liberian Government, US

Bethlehem Steel The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was an American steelmaking company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. For most of the 20th century, it was one of the world's largest steel producing and shipbuilding companies. At the height of its succe ...

, and the Swedish mining company Gränges, a huge project was set up: LAMCO (Liberian American Company). The project contributed to economic and social development in Liberia for 30 years. It built the necessary infrastructure and operated mining, transporting ore by rail to the port of Buchanan, from where it was exported to other markets. Corruption was minimal and political stability improved. During this period, Liberia was classified among the most progressive countries in Africa. In 1980 civil war erupted between tribal factions. Nimba county was devastated by the

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

that followed. The iron ore had been degrading in quality, and world prices had plunged in this period. The combination led to a dismantling of the LAMCO project. Since the end of the Civil War (which lasted for more than a decade), there are discussions about renewing mining at Nimba is finally getting better.

Arcelor-Mittal ArcelorMittal S.A. is a Luxembourgian multinational steel manufacturing corporation headquartered in Luxembourg City. It was formed in 2006 from the takeover and merger of Arcelor by Indian-owned Mittal Steel. ArcelorMittal is the second larg ...

, a European-Indian steel business, is committed to reopening the iron mine at Nimba Mountain, outside the former company town of Yekepa. Hospitals and schools built and financed by LAMCO are now being run by ArcelorMittal. The houses which were built by LAMCO have partly been rehabilitated by ArcelorMittal, though many had been overtaken by rainforest development. BHP Billiton has engaged in an extraction agreement with the Government of Liberia to mine ore in Nimba. As such, they are active promoters of

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...

scholarship A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholarsh ...

and, for the most part, human resources.

Demographics

The main ethnic groups in Nimba County are the

Dan Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa **Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoi ...

, also known as Gio and the Mano. The

, commonly known as the Gio, live closer to the

Cote d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

border. In that French-speaking country, they are known as the Yacouba. The Mano live closer to the

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

border. There are also indigenous minority groups, such as Krahn, Gbi, and Doru. Small Kpelle and Bassa settlements are located near the borders of Bong County and Grand Bassa County, respectively. These are the historical indigenous peoples of Nimba County who have settled in towns and villages. Various ethnic groups from other parts of Liberia, such as the

Mandingo people The Mandinka or Malinke are a West African ethnic group primarily found in southern Mali, the Gambia and eastern Guinea. Numbering about 11 million, they are the largest subgroup of the Mandé peoples and one of the largest ethnic-linguistic gro ...

, have also settled here. They are indigenous people of Lofa County, Guinea, and the Cote d'Ivoire. Other tribal peoples include the Lorma from Lofa. Since the early 20th century, peoples from all parts of West Africa have settled in Nimba. The ethnic Dan (Gio) own and live in these areas: Gbehlay-Geh Statutory District, Zoe-Geh Statutory District, and Tappita Statutory District. The main towns are Karnplay City, Bahn City, Tappitta City, Baylehglay, Buutuo, Garplay, Toweh town, Graie, Gbloulay, et cetera. The Man (or Mano) ethnic groups own and live in Sanniquellie Mah Statutory District, Saclepea Mah Statutory District, and the Yahwin-Mehnsonnoh Statutory District. The main towns are Sanniquellie City, Ganta City, Saclepea City, Flumpa, Zekepa, Kanwin, Yekepa and others. The ethnic Krahn live along the Ivory Coast border in Kpeahbleee District. The main towns are Zoudru, Behwoaloa, Yourpea Old Town, Yourpea New Town, et cetera. The other ethnic indigenous groups, the Gbi and Doru, live along the border of Grand Bassa and Rivercess counties. Their main towns are Glann Town, Camp One, Kidka's Town, and Torkpor's Town. The Gio and the Mano ethnic group together are referred to as the Dan,and are closely related tribes. The Dan people also live in Cote D'Ivoire and Guinea. The Dan language is related to the Mande group of African languages.

has become the second-largest city in the country. Its population has grown as has its business class.

Healthcare

Access to quality healthcare in Nimba is lacking for many residents. As of 2008, the hospital in Yekepa built by LAMCO, is currently being run by

. In

, the County Referral Hospital is the George Way Harley Hospital. It is solely sponsored by the Ministry of Health, Nimba County. The county health officer is Dr. Collins S. Bowah, and the medical director of the County Referral Hospital is Dr. Lavela B. Kortimai, Jr. at Ganta. The Methodist Church runs a

private hospital A private hospital is a hospital not owned by the government, including for-profits and non-profits. Funding is by patients themselves ("self-pay"), by insurers, or by foreign embassies. Private hospitals are commonly part, albeit in varying deg ...

. E and J Hospital opened in 2016 in Ganta, Nimba County. In Saclepea, the Government of Liberia and Africare jointly operate Saclepea Comprehensive Health Center. There are 74 functional health facilities in Nimba County, of which there is one regional referral: Jackson F. Doe Hospital.

References

External links

Place name codes
* http://www.liberianobserver.com/node/9038 – Nimba/Grand Gedeh peace initiative * http://www.necliberia.org/pg_img/NImba_Electoral_Districts__Updated_Details.pdf {{Authority control Counties of Liberia 1964 establishments in Liberia