Nimba County is in the north region of Liberia, sharing borders with Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea. The county capital is Sanniquellie. Nimba County is one of fifteen political subdivisions of Liberia. During William V.S. Tubman's administration (1944-1971), the region now called Nimba County was one of three of Liberia's Provinces - namely, Western Province, Eastern Province and Central Province. In the sixties, Tubman changed these provinces into counties. Central Province became what is known as Nimba County. Before the civil war of Liberia in (1989), it had a population of over 310,000 people. It is the second largest county in Liberia in terms of population. During the late 1960s iron ore was found in "the iron mountain" Mount Nimba. In a joint venture between the Liberian Government, US Bethlehem Steel Corp and the Swedish mining company Granges a huge project was set up, LAMCO (LIBERIAN American Co.). The project contributed to economic and social development in Liberia for 30 years. Corruption was minimal and political stability good. Liberia was amongst the most progressive countries in Africa during this period. History itself caught up with the past and ironically the usual tribal war mentality erupted in 1980 (see Liberia facts). Nimba county was devastated by the civil war that followed. The iron ore had been degrading in quality, and world prices plunged. The combination led to a dismantle of the LAMCO project. After the civil war (which lasted for more than a decade), Nimba is finally getting better. Schools built and financed by LAMCO, are receiving funding from aid organizations (mostly Swedish as Dujar). The Nimba hospital is barely open. The houses which were built by LAMCO are overgrown by the rain-forest.

The people of Nimba County

Nimba County is inhabited predominantly by two ethnic groups--the Mán speaking people and the Dán speaking people. The Mandingos or Malinky or Manding people, who were late arrivers in the region, make up the third group but are in smaller number than either one of the two major groups. The Mán and Dán people are very closely interrelated. They also share a common history that is tracable mythologically to a common father but different mothers.

In 2005, the very high price of iron ore is seeing a lot of interest in reopening the mines and rebuilding the standard gauge railway to the port of Buchanan.

Counties of Liberia

Comté de Nimba | Nimba County