Demographics of Liberia - Tribes of Liberia

Tribes of Liberia

Many consider the Gola to be earliest tribe to inhabit Liberia, but the Gola themselves claim they met the Dei ethnic group there when they arrived. The Dei ethnic group are a vanguard group of Bassa that settled Liberia in waves. The ethnic groups of Liberia can be divided into five major groups:

• Mel (Gola, Kissi)
• Kwa (Dei, Bassa, Kru, Krahn, Grebo)
• Mande-Fu (Kpelle, Gio, Mano, Loma)
• Mande-Tan (Vai, Mende, Mandingo)
• Repatriated (Americo-Liberians, Congo, Caribbean)

The Dei settled first, and were later joined by the Gola ethnic group before any of the other Bassa groups arrived. The chintus (a Bassa group) was later established north of the Dei.

The Gola ethnic group originated somewhere in central Africa. During the Empire of Ancient Ghana they were heavily involved in the land-surveying and judicial aspects of the empire.

The other ethnic groups that fall under the Mande-Tan, Mande-Fu were also members of Ancient Ghana. Because of the their influence in the judicial aspects of the Ghana, the Gola's social structure dominated through the Poro.

With the influx of Islam many groups adopted it while others resisted. The Golas fought three wars with pro-Islamic elements in a changing Ghana. These wars were known as the Kumba Wars. The Golas lost the third of these wars and were forced to retreat toward Sierra Leone. They were pursued by the Mende, Gbandi and Loma. Their battles with the Mende in Sierra Leone forced them to retreat yet again and settle finally in Liberia where they encountered the Dei.