New president in Liberia

On January 22, George Weah was sworn in as President of Liberia. He used to be a professional soccer player, and got into politics after he retired from playing soccer. He is regarded as one of Africa’s best soccer players. Weah won one of soccer’s most prestigious awards, the Ballon d’Or, in 1995 and was also named FIFA World Player of the Year. He was born into a poor family, and was raised in a slum of Monrovia, the capital of Liberia.

The land Liberia is on was once owned by a group of people in the United States in the early 1800s. Freed African American and Caribbean slaves were sent there to live, and hence the name “Liberia” (from liberty, meaning freedom). Monrovia is named after an American president, James Monroe. The flag of Liberia has some similarities with the flag of the United States.

Image Credits: for Weah’s image