Li‧be‧ri‧a /laɪˈbɪəriə/
a country in West Africa on the Atlantic Ocean, next to Sierra Leone. Population: 3,334,587 (2008). Capital: Monrovia. The modern country of Liberia was established in 1822 as a place for black slaves from the southern US to go and settle after they had been made free. There was a civil war in Liberia from 1989 to 1997, and in 2003 President Charles Taylor was forced to leave the country. Officially, Liberia has the world's largest merchant navy (=ships used for business, not for military purposes). This is because many ships from all over the world are officially registered in Liberia, where the rules for ships, for example regarding safety standards, are less strict than in most other countries.
—Liberian noun, adjective:
a Liberian-registered oil tanker

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲