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The history of rail transport in Liberia began shortly after World War II, when the Freeport of Monrovia was completed, with limited rail access. It had been developed by American military forces. In the early 1960s, three long distance railway lines were constructed in Liberia, mainly for the transport of iron ore from mines to port facilities. Of about in total length, they were the Mano River Railway, the Lamco Railway, and the Bong Mine Railway, respectively. All three of these lines were later closed down, due to the effects of the two Liberian Civil Wars (1989–1996 and 1999–2003). As of August 2010, only the Bong Mine Railway had been restored to operational condition. == Beginnings == In the 19th century, Liberia found it difficult to get foreign loans which made infrastructure projects almost impossible. Under the presidency of Edward James Roye, a plan was drawn up to find foreign capital to build a railway into the interior in 1871, but after Roye's assassination, the funds were directed elsewhere and the railway was never built. As early as the 1920s, the establishment of railways was envisaged as part of the economic development of Liberia's mineral resources. These railways would have been constructed by the British ''Liberian Development Company''. The national bankruptcy of Liberia and the intervention of the U.S. firm Firestone Tire & Rubber Company foiled these plans. During World War II, the United States began preparations for the exploitation of the iron ore deposits in Liberia. The main element of this investment process was the Freeport of Monrovia, which was opened in 1948 as the first deep sea port in the country with a rail connection. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「History of rail transport in Liberia」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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