ⓘ Data source note: Clan count (33) is from the Maryland County Development Agenda (CDA), the official administrative record. Individual district clan breakdowns in the District Profiles below are from the 2022 LISGIS Enumeration Survey (field census). Towns/Villages figure (214) is from the 2022 LISGIS Enumeration Survey. All 7 districts have standalone survey entries.
For the full county profile, including year of establishment (1857), capital Harper, area, borders, flag, climate and complete county overview, see the Maryland County page. Maryland is the only county in Liberia that was once an independent republic, the Republic of Maryland (1854–1857), and joined Liberia on April 6, 1857.
Administrative Districts Population Overview
| Admin District | Male | Male % | Female | Female % | Total | % of County |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleebo/Sodoken | 42,249 | 49.5% | 43,038 | 50.5% | 85,287 | 49.4% |
| Harper | 26,752 | 50.4% | 26,339 | 49.6% | 53,091 | 30.8% |
| Karluway No.2 | 5,985 | 52.6% | 5,385 | 47.4% | 11,370 | 6.6% |
| Karluway No.1 | 3,845 | 52.0% | 3,546 | 48.0% | 7,391 | 4.3% |
| Nyorken | 3,375 | 50.7% | 3,283 | 49.3% | 6,658 | 3.9% |
| Whojah | 2,365 | 53.5% | 2,059 | 46.5% | 4,424 | 2.6% |
| Gwelekpoken | 2,296 | 52.6% | 2,070 | 47.4% | 4,366 | 2.5% |
| Total | 86,867 | 50.3% | 85,720 | 49.7% | 172,587 | 100.0% |
Source: 2022 Liberia Population and Housing Census, LISGIS Final Results, Table B: Population Distribution by County, Administrative District, and Sex. Published June 2023.
Population Distribution by Administrative District (2022)
Source: LISGIS 2022 Census. County total: 172,587. Pleebo/Sodoken and Harper together hold 80.2% of the county population.
District Profiles
Population figures (LISGIS, grey pill) are from the 2022 LISGIS Census, Table B, the official county district totals. Clans, towns/villages and enumerated population figures are from the 2022 LISGIS Enumeration Survey (field census). Maryland's most striking demographic feature is the extraordinary concentration in Pleebo/Sodoken District (49.4%) and Harper District (30.8%), together accounting for 80.2% of the county's total population. Pleebo/Sodoken is the only district with a female majority (50.5%); all six other districts have male majorities, led by Whojah at 53.5%.
The overwhelmingly dominant district, nearly half the county's entire population lives here. Home to Pleebo (also spelled Bleebo), Maryland County's largest city and primary commercial centre, located approximately 22 km from Harper. The district is the only one in Maryland with a female majority: 50.5% female / 49.5% male, reflecting Pleebo City's urban demographic stability. The district is split across all three electoral districts: ED 1 (Barraken and Pedebo amalgamated towns), ED 2 (14 amalgamated towns including Pleebo, Sodoken, Tambo, Wetchoken, Gbeken, Gbewein and others) and ED 3 (Gborlorbo amalgamated town).
| Clan | Towns / Villages | Male | Female | Pop. (Enumeration) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleebo/Gbolorbo | 11 | 12,952 | 13,111 | 26,063 |
| Gedetarbo | 21 | 3,956 | 3,859 | 7,815 |
| Twansiebo | 22 | 1,969 | 1,776 | 3,745 |
| Klebo | 11 | 1,631 | 1,464 | 3,095 |
| Gborlorbo | 14 | 1,376 | 1,129 | 2,505 |
| District Total | 79 | 21,884 | 21,339 | 43,223 |
Enumeration total: 43,223 across 5 clans and 79 towns/villages. Note: Bleebo City (pop. 11,865) is the largest single town in the enumeration dataset for Maryland County. Official LISGIS district total: 85,287.
5 Largest Towns:
Pleebo's dominance of Maryland County's population (its district holds 49.4% of county residents) reflects a pattern of urban concentration typical of secondary cities in post-war Liberia. Pleebo City is served by a mayor-council structure, the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) and Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC). Key institutions include Pleebo Central High School, Our Lady of Grace School, and Big F Line High School. The district's five-way split across all electoral districts is among the most complex boundary configurations in Liberia's district system. The Pleebo/Gbolorbo clan (11 towns, 26,063 enumerated) is by far the largest single clan unit in the district.
Home to Harper City, the county capital, located on Cape Palmas at the southeastern tip of Liberia. Harper is the seat of Maryland County government and hosts the county's major national institutions: William V.S. Tubman University (WTU), Cape Palmas High School, J.J. Dossen High School, St. Stephen High School, and the Maryland County Technical and Vocational Educational Institute. Slight male majority: 50.4% male / 49.6% female. Covered entirely by Electoral District 1 (all amalgamated towns in Harper Administrative District + all city wards in Harper City + Barraken and Pedebo from Pleebo/Sodoken). 25 Voter Registration Centres.
| Clan | Towns / Villages | Male | Female | Pop. (Enumeration) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harper City | 1 | 9,666 | 9,556 | 19,222 |
| Cavalla | 10 | 2,128 | 1,822 | 3,950 |
| Rock Town | 7 | 1,786 | 1,375 | 3,161 |
| Whole Graway | 12 | 1,880 | 1,684 | 3,564 |
| Big Town | 3 | 2,735 | 2,683 | 5,418 |
| Fish Town | 3 | 1,039 | 939 | 1,978 |
| Half Graway | 4 | 357 | 374 | 731 |
| District Total | 40 | 19,591 | 18,433 | 38,024 |
Enumeration total: 38,024 across 7 clans and 40 towns/villages. Note: Harper City (pop. 19,222 in the enumeration, combining two entries) is the second-largest urban centre in the county. Official LISGIS district total: 53,091.
5 Largest Towns:
Harper City was established in the 1830s as the capital of the Maryland Colony and served as the capital of the independent Republic of Maryland from 1854 to 1857. Named after Robert Goodloe Harper, an American politician and ACS leader, it sits on a peninsula at Cape Palmas on the Atlantic coast. William V.S. Tubman University traces its origins to the William V.S. Tubman College of Technology, established in 1978 and elevated to full university status in 2009, making it one of Liberia's principal institutions of higher learning outside Monrovia. ED 1 Representative P. Mike Jurry (CDC) won re-election in 2023. Harper's 53,091 population makes it the second most populous district; together with Pleebo/Sodoken, the two coastal districts hold 80.2% of Maryland's population.
The largest of the five interior districts and the third most populous overall. Male majority: 52.6% male / 47.4% female. Covered by Electoral District 3. Karluway No.2 represents the second of two administrative districts carved from the Karluway township zone; the dual-district structure (No.1 and No.2) reflects population size and administrative governance needs. Together, Karluway No.1 and No.2 hold 18,761 residents (10.9% of county).
| Clan | Towns / Villages | Male | Female | Pop. (Enumeration) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wlebo | 8 | 2,708 | 2,289 | 4,997 |
| Benwen | 5 | 2,562 | 1,956 | 4,518 |
| Yederobo | 6 | 1,396 | 1,135 | 2,531 |
| Kanbo | 6 | 1,396 | 1,163 | 2,559 |
| Dediabo | 4 | 502 | 452 | 954 |
| Nyewraken | 2 | 865 | 735 | 1,600 |
| District Total | 31 | 9,429 | 7,730 | 17,159 |
Enumeration total: 17,159 across 6 clans and 31 towns/villages. The Wlebo clan (8 towns, 4,997 enumerated) is the largest single clan unit. Official LISGIS district total: 11,370.
5 Largest Towns:
Karluway No.2 is located in the interior-central zone of Maryland County, along the Karluway township corridor bordering River Gee County. The district's pronounced male majority (52.6%) likely reflects labour migration patterns in the remote interior. The dual Karluway district structure (No.1 and No.2) is unique in Maryland and reflects the geographic spread of the Karluway township zone across a large interior territory.
The smaller of the two Karluway districts. Male majority: 52.0% male / 48.0% female. Covered by Electoral District 3. Located in the interior-central zone of Maryland County. The Karluway designation covers communities along the Karluway township corridor bordering River Gee County.
| Clan | Towns / Villages | Male | Female | Pop. (Enumeration) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gedebo | 20 | 2,942 | 2,655 | 5,597 |
| Dorrobo | 6 | 695 | 563 | 1,258 |
| Nearobo | 3 | 588 | 502 | 1,090 |
| Gbea-ou | 2 | 276 | 273 | 549 |
| District Total | 31 | 4,501 | 3,993 | 8,494 |
Enumeration total: 8,494 across 4 clans and 31 towns/villages. The Gedebo clan (20 towns, 5,597 enumerated) dominates the district, accounting for 65.9% of the district's enumerated population. Official LISGIS district total: 7,391.
5 Largest Towns:
Karluway No.1 is the smaller counterpart to Karluway No.2 in the Karluway township zone. The Gedebo clan's 20 towns make it the most geographically dispersed clan unit in the district. Karloken (pop. 1,674) is by far the largest settlement, more than three times the size of the next-largest town. The district's male majority (52.0%) is consistent with interior labour-migration patterns seen across Maryland's five interior districts.
A mid-sized interior district. Near gender parity: 50.7% male / 49.3% female, the most balanced of the interior districts. Covered by Electoral District 3. Located in the northern interior of Maryland County in the corridor between the River Gee and Côte d'Ivoire borders.
| Clan | Towns / Villages | Male | Female | Pop. (Enumeration) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newenken | 4 | 1,760 | 1,422 | 3,182 |
| Farjah | 2 | 1,447 | 1,352 | 2,799 |
| Gbitofla-fla | 2 | 1,338 | 1,312 | 2,650 |
| Koyo | 3 | 774 | 652 | 1,426 |
| District Total | 11 | 5,319 | 4,738 | 10,057 |
Enumeration total: 10,057 across 4 clans and 11 towns/villages. Newenken clan (4 towns, 3,182 enumerated) is the largest single clan unit. Official LISGIS district total: 6,658.
5 Largest Towns:
Nyorken District is located in the northern interior of Maryland County, in the corridor between the River Gee County border and the Côte d'Ivoire frontier. The district's near gender parity (50.7% male / 49.3% female) makes it the most balanced of Maryland's five interior districts. Gbakliken (pop. 1,123) and Gbawiliken Cavalla (pop. 1,014) are the two largest settlements, together accounting for 41.5% of the district's enumerated population. The Newenken clan dominates with 4 towns and 3,182 enumerated residents.
Also written Worja in some sources. The district with the highest male proportion in Maryland County: 53.5% male / 46.5% female. Covered by Electoral District 3. Its pronounced male majority likely reflects labour migration patterns in the remote interior. Located in the northeastern part of Maryland County.
| Clan | Towns / Villages | Male | Female | Pop. (Enumeration) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dufu | 3 | 2,418 | 2,056 | 4,474 |
| Wuah | 1 | 931 | 821 | 1,752 |
| Ganijah | 3 | 758 | 719 | 1,477 |
| Fulu | 2 | 654 | 564 | 1,218 |
| District Total | 9 | 4,761 | 4,160 | 8,921 |
Enumeration total: 8,921 across 4 clans and 9 towns/villages. The Dufu clan (3 towns, 4,474 enumerated) is the dominant clan, accounting for 50.2% of the district's enumerated population. Official LISGIS district total: 4,424.
5 Largest Towns:
Whojah District has the highest male proportion (53.5%) of any district in Maryland County, reflecting its position as a remote interior district with significant male labour migration. Juluken # 1 (pop. 1,298) is the largest settlement, more than 1.5 times the size of the next-largest town. The Dufu clan dominates with 3 towns and 4,474 enumerated residents, half the district's total. The district is located in the northeastern part of Maryland County, close to the River Gee County boundary.
The smallest administrative district in Maryland County. Male majority: 52.6% male / 47.4% female. Covered by Electoral District 3. Gwelekpoken is the most remote of the interior districts, sitting in the northern zone of Maryland County close to the River Gee and Grand Kru county boundaries.
| Clan | Towns / Villages | Male | Female | Pop. (Enumeration) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Datiaken | 2 | 1,433 | 1,402 | 2,835 |
| Gbalaken | 4 | 1,786 | 1,578 | 3,364 |
| Sikliken | 4 | 1,729 | 1,324 | 3,053 |
| Wantoken | 3 | 422 | 386 | 808 |
| District Total | 13 | 5,370 | 4,690 | 10,060 |
Enumeration total: 10,060 across 4 clans and 13 towns/villages. The Gbalaken clan (4 towns, 3,364 enumerated) is the largest single clan unit. Official LISGIS district total: 4,366.
5 Largest Towns:
Gwelekpoken is the smallest administrative district in Maryland County by LISGIS official population (4,366), yet its enumeration total (10,060) is the second-largest among the five interior districts, suggesting significant population in settlements that may not be fully captured in the official Table B aggregation. Dugboken (pop. 1,093) is the largest settlement. The district sits in the northern zone of Maryland County, close to the River Gee and Grand Kru county boundaries, making it the most remote of the interior districts. The Gbalaken clan (4 towns, 3,364) is the dominant clan unit.
Administrative Districts vs. Electoral Districts
Maryland operates two distinct district structures. Administrative Districts are used for governance and public administration; Electoral Districts are used for legislative representation. They do not share the same boundaries; Pleebo/Sodoken is uniquely split across all three electoral districts.
Headed by District Commissioners appointed by the President. Maryland has 15 Chiefdoms and 33 Clans (CDA). Pleebo/Sodoken is uniquely split across all 3 EDs. The two coastal districts (Pleebo/Sodoken + Harper) hold 80.2% of the county's population.
Each elects one Representative to the House of Representatives. Total: 67,600 registered voters (NEC, July 2023). ED 2 has a strong female voter majority (52.48% female) consistent with Pleebo City's urban demographics.
The full Registered Voter Population Overview by Electoral District (NEC, July 2023), including male/female split and Representatives, is county-level electoral data. See the complete breakdown on the Maryland County page, Electoral section.
Economy & Natural Resources by Administrative District
Because this data is broken down specifically by administrative district, it is presented here. For the broader county-level economic narrative, Maryland as a historic maritime republic, Grebo culture, Cape Palmas trade, see the Maryland County economy section.
| District | Key Economic Assets | Natural Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Pleebo/Sodoken | County's largest city (Pleebo); primary commercial centre; weekly market; LWSC/LEC services; rubber and palm oil trade | Rubber plantations; oil palm; agricultural land; Cavalla River trade corridor |
| Harper | County capital; William V.S. Tubman University; Cape Palmas port; government services; fishing; maritime trade | Atlantic fisheries; Cape Palmas lighthouse; coastal trade; agricultural land; St. Paul River watershed |
| Karluway No.2 | Subsistence agriculture; cross-border trade (River Gee corridor); interior farming | Agricultural land; forest products; timber; River Gee border corridor |
| Karluway No.1 | Subsistence agriculture; interior farming; Karluway township trade | Agricultural land; forest products; timber; River Gee border corridor |
| Nyorken | Subsistence agriculture; forest resources; cross-district trade | Agricultural land; forest products; Côte d'Ivoire border corridor |
| Whojah | Subsistence agriculture; forest resources; remote interior farming | Agricultural land; forest products; timber |
| Gwelekpoken | Subsistence agriculture; forest resources; remote interior farming | Agricultural land; forest products; timber; River Gee and Grand Kru border corridors |
Natural Resources of Maryland County
2022 Housing and Population Census: Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), Final Results, Table B: Population Distribution by County, Administrative District, and Sex (Maryland County, 7 districts). Published June 2023. lisgis.gov.lr
2022 LISGIS Village-Level Enumeration Survey, Maryland County: Clans, Towns/Villages, Population by Sex and Household Head. Source file: liberia_2022_pop_clans_villages_towns.xlsx, Sheet: Maryland. All 7 districts have standalone survey entries. Enumeration totals differ from LISGIS Table B official totals due to different geographic aggregation methods.
2008 National Population and Housing Census: LISGIS, Maryland County Total: 136,404
National Elections Commission (NEC), Republic of Liberia: Electoral Districts & Eligible Voter Registrants Summary Report, July 28, 2023. necliberia.org
Republic of Liberia: Ministry of Internal Affairs; Maryland County Development Agenda (CDA); National Archives of Liberia
LiberiaData.com: Districts Introduction | Maryland County
Wikipedia: Maryland County (Liberia); Maryland-1; Maryland-2; Maryland-3; Pleebo; Harper entries
People's Redemption Council Decree No. 87 (March 19, 1984): Grand Kru County creation from Maryland territory