Editing Demographics of Liberia (section)

===Indigenous===
The indigenous ethnic groups of Liberia can be linguistically divided into three groups who speak;

* The isolate [[Gola language]] and the
* [[Mel languages]] (particularly [[Kissi people|Kissi]]) in the east and
* [[Kru languages]] (particularly [[Bassa people (Liberia)|Bassa]]) in the southeast

to which must be added the immigrant communities;

* Mande-Fu ([[Kpelle people|Kpelle]], Gio, Mano, [[Loma people|Loma]])
* Mande-Tan ([[Vai people|Vai]], [[Mende people|Mende]], [[Mandinka people|Mandingo]])
* Repatriated (Americo-Liberians, Congo, Caribbean)

The Gola ethnic group originated somewhere in central Africa.  During the Empire of Ancient Ghana they were involved in the land-surveying and jurisprudence of the empire.

The other ethnic groups that fall under the Mande-Tan, Mande-Fu were also members of Ancient Ghana.  Because of their influence in the judicial aspects of the Ghana, the Gola's social structure dominated through the Poro.

With the influx of Islam many groups adopted it while others resisted. The Golas fought three wars with pro-Islamic elements in a changing Ghana. These wars were known as the Kumba Wars. The Golas lost the third of these wars and were forced to retreat toward Sierra Leone.  They were pursued by the Mende, Gbandi and Loma. Their battles with the Mende in Sierra Leone forced them to retreat yet again and settle finally in Liberia where they encountered the Dei.