Sinoe County

Long settled by indigenous peoples, this area became colonized by more than 300 freed African-American slaves from Prospect Hill Plantation, Mississippi in 1835. The colony was originally called Mississippi-in-Africa, under auspices of a chapter of the American Colonization Society. Greenville was named after Judge James Green and was established with the freed Black Americans of the society in 1838. Green was instrumental in bringing a group of slaves from the Mississippi Delta to Liberia. The town was a prominent exporter of rubber, lumber and agricultural products. It was destroyed during the First Liberian Civil War but has been rebuilt. There is boat connectivity from the town to Monrovia and Harper.^[4]

The county has lower tropical forests which has mid size hills composed of various valleys and water courses. These forests receive a very high rainfall ranging from 3,000 mm (120 in) to 4,100 mm (160 in) per year in two distinct seasons. It has evergreen forests. While in the uplands it is conducive for rice cultivation, the low-lying areas are conducive for yam, cocoa, plantains, potatoes, vegetables, rubber, coffee and sugarcane.^[5] Sinoe County has two community forests: Nitrian with an area of 958 ha (2,370 acres) and Nimopho with an area of 7,320 ha (18,100 acres). It has the Sapo National Park (180,436 ha (445,870 acres), a National protected area. Sankwehn Proposed Reserve, occupying an area of 80,348 ha (198,540 acres) is a National proposed reserve, while LTPC Reforestation Project with an area of 154.2 ha (381 acres)) is a National plantation area.^[6]

According to the 2022 Liberia Population and Housing Census, Sinoe County had a population of 151,149 people, accounting for about 2.9 per cent of Liberia’s total population.^[7] The county recorded a significant increase from the 104,932 people counted in the 2008 census.

The population consisted of approximately 79,362 males and 71,787 females in 2022, reflecting a slightly higher male population.^[8]

Sinoe County remains sparsely populated relative to its land area of about 3,914 square miles. In 2022 the county had a population density of roughly 39 persons per square mile, one of the lowest densities in Liberia.^[9]

Most residents live in rural areas, reflecting the county’s largely forested landscape and limited urban development. The county’s population represents one of the smallest shares of Liberia’s total population despite Sinoe being among the larger counties by land area.^[10]

As of 2011, the area of rice plantation was 8,300 ha (21,000 acres), which was 3.476 per cent of the total area of rice planted in the country. The total production stood at 8000 metric tonnes. As of 2011, the number of cassava plantation was 6080, which was 5 per cent of the total area of cassava planted in the country. The total production stood at 680 metric tonnes. The number of cocoa plantation was 680, which was 1.8 per cent of the total area of cassava planted in the country. The number of rubber plantation was 440, which was 0.7 per cent of the total area of cassava planted in the country. The number of coffee plantation was 110, which was 0.5 per cent of the total area of cassava planted in the country.^[11] As of 2008, the county had 2,761 paid employees, 18,650 self-employed people, 8,661 family workers, 5,162 people looking for work, 8,419 not working people, 9,030 people working in households, 22,388 students, 185 retired people, 901 incapacitated people, 1,329 part-time workers and 5,374 others, making the total working population of 82,860.^[12]

Sinoe County has become a major focus of national rural electrification efforts under the Light Up South-East Liberia (LUSE) Project, a €42 million initiative funded through the European Union's 11th European Development Fund (EDF).^[13] The program aims to expand access to modern electricity services across southeastern Liberia, including Sinoe, Grand Bassa, and Grand Kru Counties, and forms part of the Government of Liberia’s AAID-ARREST Agenda for inclusive development as well as the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.^[14]

On 16 June 2025, Greenville City welcomed the delivery of 24 truckloads of monopoles transported from Monrovia for use in new transmission and distribution lines.^[14] Excavation works have also begun in Murrayville Township, where a solar photovoltaic field is under construction as part of the county’s hybrid renewable energy system. In parallel, construction has commenced on a 2 MW run-of-the-river mini-hydropower plant on the Sinoe River Rapids, advancing a project whose feasibility was originally established by NIRAS A/S in a 2018–2019 study.^[15][16]

Electricity generated from the solar and hydro facilities will be transmitted through a modern Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) substation in Greenville. The existing Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) substation in the city is planned to be renovated to house the GIS equipment, introducing new technology intended to improve reliability and reduce outages.^[14] When complete, the system is expected to provide cleaner and more dependable electricity to thousands of residents in Greenville and surrounding communities.^[17]

The LUSE project is implemented by a consortium of contractors including MBH Power Limited, Constar-RCG France, Constar-Dolmen Construction, TCC-ASACO, and COLENCO Consulting Ltd., which serves as the Supervisor’s Representative.^[14] Project oversight is jointly provided by the Rural and Renewable Energy Agency (RREA) and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning’s National Authorizing Office (NAO/MFDP). The program is scheduled to continue over a two-year implementation window.^[14]

Although the initiative is regional in scope—with related works underway in Buchanan (Grand Bassa County) and Barclayville (Grand Kru County)—its Greenville-based hydropower and solar developments represent one of the most substantial energy infrastructure investments in Sinoe County in recent decades. Project stakeholders view these efforts as a major step toward alleviating chronic energy poverty in southeastern Liberia and supporting long-term social and economic development.^[14]

The districts of Sinoe County are: Bodae District, Bokon District, Butaw District, Dugbe River District, Greenville District, Jaedae District, Jaedepo District, Juarzon District, Kpayan District, Kulu Shaw Boe District, Plahn Nyarn District, Pynes Town District, Sanquin District 1, Sanquin District 2, Sanquin District 3, Seekon District and Wedjah District^[3] The Legislature of Liberia was modeled based on the Legislature of United States. It is bicameral in nature with a Senate and the House of Representatives. There are 13 counties in the country and based on the population, each county is defined to have at least two members, while the total number of members to the house including the Speaker being 64. Each member represents an electoral district and elected to a six-year term based on popular vote.^[18] There were 26 senators, two each for the 13 counties and they serve a nine-year term (30 senators, 15 counties and nine years from 2011). Senators are also elected based on plurality of votes. The Vice-President is the head of the Senate and he also acts as President in his absence.^[18]