Sinoe County
Sinoe is one of Liberia's 15 counties and it has 17 districts. Greenville is the county's capital. As of the 2022 Census, it had a population of 150,358, making it one of the least populous counties in Liberia. Sinoe has the third-largest area of all Liberia's counties; it has the second least-dense population after Gbarpolu County. The County was originally a colony in the name Mississippi-in-Africa, under auspices of a chapter of the American Colonization Society as it was created with slaves from Mississippi to Liberia.
There are seventeen districts in the county and it has lower tropical forests which has mid size hills composed of various valleys and water courses. Sapo National Park (, a National protected area, Sankwehn Proposed Reserve, occupying an area of, a National proposed reserve and LTPC Reforestation Project with an area of are the major plantation areas in the county.
The flag is a green cross on a white background with the flag of Liberia in the top-left corner.
History
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.Geography
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 to 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. Sinoe County has two community forests: Nitrian with an area of and Nimopho with an area of. It has the Sapo National Park is a National plantation area.Demographics
As of 2008 the county had a population of 102,391. With 54,767 males and 47,624 females, the sex ratio was 1.15:1, a marked increase from the 1.03:1 found at the 1994 census. The number of households during 2008 was 14,533 and the average size of the households was 6.4. The population was 3.10 per cent of the total population, while it was 2.90 per cent in 1994. The county had an area of 3,770 sq mi and the density per sq.mi was 27. The density during the 1984 census stood at 17. Liberia experienced civil war during various times and the total number of people displaced on account of wars as of 2008 in the county was 15,289. The number of people residing in urban areas was 17,519, with 9,053 males and 8,466 females. The total number of people in rural areas was 49,270, with 25,810 males and 23,460 females. The total fraction of people residing in urban areas was 17.11 per cent, while the remaining 048 per cent were living in rural areas. The number of people resettled as of 2008 was 32,832 while the number of people who were not resettled was 485. The number of literates above the age of ten as of 2008 was 23,907 while the number of illiterates was 34,812 making the literacy rate 40.71 per cent. The total number of literate males was 15,558 while the total number of literate females was 8,349.Economy
As of 2011, the area of rice plantation was, 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. 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.Infrastructure and energy
Sinoe County has become a major focus of national rural electrification efforts under the Light Up South-East Liberia Project, a €42 million initiative funded through the European Union's 11th European Development Fund. 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.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. 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.
Electricity generated from the solar and hydro facilities will be transmitted through a modern Gas Insulated Switchgear substation in Greenville. The existing Liberia Electricity Corporation substation in the city is planned to be renovated to house the GIS equipment, introducing new technology intended to improve reliability and reduce outages. When complete, the system is expected to provide cleaner and more dependable electricity to thousands of residents in Greenville and surrounding communities.
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. Project oversight is jointly provided by the Rural and Renewable Energy Agency and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning’s National Authorizing Office. The program is scheduled to continue over a two-year implementation window.
Although the initiative is regional in scope—with related works underway in Buchanan and Barclayville —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.