Gbarpolu County
Created in 2003 from territory previously known as Lower Lofa County, Gbarpolu is the newest of Liberia’s fifteen political sub-divisions.
The County seat of Bopolu City is famous as the home and final resting place of King Sao Boso of the Kingdom of Suehn-Bopolu, who resolved the conflict between the settlers of the Mississippi Colonization Society and the natives, paving the way for their co-existence in the coastal areas.
Bopolu also served as a stop along the route for the trans-Sahara trade. In spite of an illustrious history that far predates the arrival of the settlers from America, over the decades Bopolu and its environs slowly became an isolated and impoverished place.
The County’s flag consists of a gold background on which a centrally placed diamond is flanked on the right by a tree symbolizes the richness of its resources. Given these resources, Gbarpolu County is well placed to recover strongly from the long national crisis.
20 février 2023
The County was formed through the excision of two Statutory Districts, Bopolu and Gbarma, with five administrative districts – Gbarma and Kongba, and Bopolu, Belle and Bokomu respectively - from Lofa County, amalgamating them into six administrative districts - Bopolu, Gbarma, Kongba, Belle, Bokomu and Gou-Nwolala (the latter was excised from Bokomu District). The district seats are Bopolu City, which also serves as the County capital, Gbarma Town, Zuie Town, Belle Baloma, Gumgbeta and Palakwelleh respectively.
Most social services and infrastructure in Liberia have always been concentrated in Monrovia and a few coastal areas. The remainder of the country, including Gbarpolu County, has been largely neglected. The disparity in living standards between urban dwellers and those in the hinterland was a major cause of the civil conflict that took nearly a quarter of a million lives and left many homes and infrastructure destroyed. Gbarpolu County was one of the worst affected by the war.
There are various mineral resources in Gbarpolu County ; gold and diamonds are the most commonly exploited. Gold deposits are found in Henry’s Town, Weasua, and Belekpalamu, while diamond deposits are found in Tarkpoima, Sirleaf Town, Smith Camp, and other sites. Iron ore has been discovered, and unconfirmed reports point to the existence of potentially valuable lead, manganese, silver, fluorite, graphite and copper deposits.
Gbarpolu contains significant portions of the Upper Guinea Forest.
The Kpelle form the majority ethnic group, with Belle and Gola making the next two largest groups. Kpelle and Gola are the main dialects spoken in the County. Although predominantly Christian, the County has a significant Muslim population and relationships between the religious groups and integration of traditional norms have been largely harmonious.
À télécharger
Gbarpolu County Development Agenda
(PDF - Téléchargez la page au format PDF
