Grand Bassa County

Grand Bassa County
County

Flag

Location in Liberia
Coordinates: 6°15′N 9°45′W / 6.250°N 9.750°W / 6.250; -9.750
Country  Liberia
Capital Buchanan
Districts 8
Government
 • Superintendent Etweda Gbenyon Cooper
Area
 • Total 7,936 km2 (3,064 sq mi)
Population (2008)
 • Total 224,839
 • Density 28.3/km2 (73/sq mi)
Time zone GMT (UTC+0)

Grand Bassa is a county in the west-central portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has eight districts. Buchanan serves as the capital with the area of the county measuring 7,936 square kilometres (3,064 sq mi).[1] As of the 2008 Census, it had a population of 224,839, making it the fifth most populous county in Liberia.[1]

Grand Bassa's County Superintendent is Etweda Gbenyon Cooper, known as "Sugars".[2] The county is bordered by Margibi County to the northwest, Bong County to the north, Nimba County to the east, and Rivercess County to the south and east. The western part of Grand Bassa borders the Atlantic Ocean.

History

Among the county's notable residents were Stephen Allen Benson, Joseph James Cheeseman and Anthony Gardiner, Presidents of Liberia during the 19th century. The port of Buchanan was constructed by LAMCO to serve the export of iron ore carried through the railway from Nimba. The civil war destroyed the port, railway and the township built by LAMCO. In 2005, LAMCO's facilities were taken over by Arcelor-Mittal (AM), which has begun a gradual reconstruction. The once bustling port is now a ghost town, the only ray of hope being the arrival of Arcelor-Mittal and the consequent prospects of employment. Under terms of a 2005 agreement with the national government, AM will give $1 million each year to the county for iron ore exploitation,[3] though these terms were revised in 2007.[4]

Districts

Districts of Grand Bassa County include (2008 population):[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "2008 National Population and Housing Census: Preliminary Results" (PDF). Government of the Republic of Liberia. 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-14.
  2. ↑ "Grand Bassa Supt. rubbishes media report, LAC Manager dismisses report". The Analyst. February 26, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
  3. ↑ "Liberia: Mittal Steel Cruises Through Finally". The Analyst. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  4. ↑ "Better iron ore deal for Liberia". Mining Exploration News. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
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