The incredible African country that's 'identical' to the US but one of the world's poorest
The country's constitution and flag-which look similar to the Red, White, and Blue but with only one star-were heavily inspired by the US.
A YouTuber who has been to every country on earth visited an African nation modelled on the United States, and was astounded by what he saw. Drew Binsky, a travel vlogger from the US, has built a massive profile on the platform documenting his experiences as he travels across the world.
His epic treks have taken him across the whole of Africa and its 54 countries, and he's produced numerous videos about his experiences across the continent. In one from from October 2019, Drew detailed what is was like to visit Liberia, a West African republic that borders Sierra Leone, Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire.
Liberia was founded by freeborn black people and emancipated enslaved people in the early 19th century.
A US organisation called the American Colonization Society (ACS) was key in the push to establish the settlement as part of a racist scheme to move black people out of America.
An estimated 15,000 freed Black Americans resettled in Liberia (or "Liberty") and built the country.
The settlement grew over time and gained independence in 1847.
And as Drew explains, American visitors to the country today may notice a few striking links and similarities with the US.
Since it became a sovereign country, "the society and political structure of Liberia has been modelled almost identically to the United States", he said.
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The country's constitution and flag - which looks similar to the Red, White, and Blue, but with only one star - took close inspiration from the US, as did its constitution.
He also notes that the capital city Monrovia is named after the US' fifth President James Monroe.
A local Drew spoke to said, "Weirdly we use miles and pounds", as is the case in the US, adding "other people think we're crazy".
The YouTuber also noted seeing "random touches" of American influence as he walked the streets of the capital, including American English accents, and pointed out that even car number plates look just like US state plates.
"To me, Liberia as a whole is fascinating and has such an interesting culture", Drew said.
However, unlike the US, which currently boasts the biggest economy in the world, Liberia’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita ranked as one of the lowest in the world as of 2021, according to the World Bank.
The international financial institution blamed the slow and stagnant GBP per capita on health crises, conflict, international prices volatility, and economic contraction, as well as high population growth.
Though following two decades of relative peace after the brutal Second Liberian Civil War more than half of the country's population is still living in poverty, according to the institution.
