Western Africa · Africa

Liberia

Discover Liberia - Africa's oldest republic, founded by freed American slaves, with lush rainforests, a unique cultural identity, and a resilient spirit.

Where Is Liberia?

Liberia is a country in Western Africa. Its capital is Monrovia.

Where Liberia isWestern Africa · Capital Monrovia

Capital Monrovia
Population 5.73M
Area 111,369 km²

Liberia is the oldest republic in Africa, founded in 1847 by freed American slaves who returned across the Atlantic to build a new nation. The capital, Monrovia, is the only African capital named after a U.S. president - James Monroe. The settlers modeled their constitution, flag, and government on the United States, creating a surreal cultural echo that persists to this day. The Liberian flag looks almost identical to the American one, just with a single star instead of fifty.

The country's history since then has been turbulent. Tensions between the Americo-Liberian settlers and indigenous groups shaped politics for over a century, and two devastating civil wars between 1989 and 2003 left the country shattered. But Liberia's recovery has been remarkable. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became Africa's first elected female head of state in 2006, and the country survived the 2014 Ebola epidemic that tested its fragile healthcare system to the limit. Today, Monrovia is slowly rebuilding, its beaches are beautiful, and the rainforests of the interior - home to pygmy hippos, forest elephants, and chimpanzees - remain among the most biodiverse in West Africa.

At a glance

Language

English (+ Kpelle, Bassa, Grebo)

Currency

Liberian Dollar (LRD)

Calling Code

+231

Drives On

Right

Internet

.lr

Timezone

GMT (UTC+0)

Script

Latin

Government

Presidential Republic

Independence

1847

By population

Largest cities in Liberia

Monrovia

Capital and only major city, a humid coastal metropolis named after U.S. President James Monroe, rebuilding from decades of civil war

1,500,000

Gbarnga

Second largest city in the interior, a commercial center in Bong County that served as a rebel capital during the civil wars

75,000

Buchanan

Port city on the Atlantic coast, Liberia's second major port and gateway to rubber and iron ore exports

50,000

Harper

Remote coastal town in the southeast with striking Antebellum-style architecture built by the original Americo-Liberian settlers

35,000

People

Famous people from Liberia

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Politics
First democratically elected female head of state in Africa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (2011) who led Liberia's post-war recovery
Leymah Gbowee
Activism
Nobel Peace Prize laureate (2011) who organized the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace, helping end the second civil war
George Weah
Sport
Only African footballer to win the Ballon d'Or (1995), FIFA World Player of the Year, who later became president of Liberia
Joseph Jenkins Roberts
Politics
First and seventh president of Liberia, born in Virginia to a free Black family, who declared Liberian independence in 1847

Food

Traditional cuisine of Liberia

Jollof Rice: Liberia's tomato-based rice dish, cooked with a distinctive smoky flavor from palm oil and local spices
Fufu and Palm Butter Soup: Pounded cassava served with rich palm nut cream soup loaded with meat, fish, or crab - Liberia's most iconic meal
Dumboy: Pounded cassava similar to fufu but with a slightly different texture, the staple starch of Liberian cooking
Check Rice: Rice cooked with leafy greens, often collard or cassava leaves, with smoked fish or meat for flavor

Nature

Nature and landmarks in Liberia

Sapo National ParkNational Park: Liberia's largest protected area and one of West Africa's most important rainforests, home to pygmy hippos, forest elephants, and chimpanzees
Mount NimbaMountain: Shared with Guinea and Ivory Coast, this UNESCO World Heritage peak reaches 1,752 meters with unique highland ecosystems
Lake PisoLake: Liberia's largest natural lake near the coast, a lagoon system important for fishing communities and bird life
Cestos RiverRiver: One of Liberia's major waterways flowing through pristine rainforest to the Atlantic, home to river dolphins and rich biodiversity

Sport

Sports in Liberia

Football: George Weah's Ballon d'Or in 1995 remains the proudest moment in Liberian sports - the Lone Star team continues to compete in African qualifiers
Basketball: Growing basketball culture with courts across Monrovia and Liberian-Americans bringing the sport back from the diaspora

Facts

Did you know?

Liberia and Ethiopia are the only two African countries never formally colonized by a European power
Monrovia is the only African capital city named after a U.S. president - James Monroe, who supported the colonization effort
The Liberian flag has one star and eleven stripes and was directly modeled on the American flag
George Weah is the only person in history to win the Ballon d'Or and later become a head of state
Liberia uses the U.S. dollar alongside its own currency and is one of only three countries to not adopt the metric system
The pygmy hippopotamus, one of the world's rarest mammals, is found in the wild almost exclusively in Liberia's forests

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