THE KPELLE OF LIBERIA

Fact Sheet

Population:

487,400 (CRWM)

Religion:

10% Christian

Churches Present:

	United Methodist		256 among the Bassa, Kpelle, and Mano peoples
	Lutheran			125 among the Kpelle and Lama
	Mid-Liberia Baptist

"Liberia is and has been for years the most heavily missionized country in West Africa and there is no need for more mission organizations or missionaries" (CRWM).

"The largest number of Christians are among the Kpelle . . ." (EB, 891).

Population Density

See 1971 Map; 65-195 persons/sq. mile (EB, 801)

[In Liberia] "There are more than 2,000 villages, the majority of which are closely concentrated in central Liberia, in the north west, and in the costal region near Monrovia. The predominantly forested regions of south-central and northern Liberia have remained sparsely populated" (EB).

Other Info

23% of all Liberians are native speakers of Kpelle (PC Globe).

EB=Encyclopedia Britanica CRWM=Larry Verderaa, "A Survey of for Christian and Reformed World Missions of Missions and Churches in West Africa," May 1991.