Liberia
Africa · Monrovia · LR
Liberia is the West African republic that the freed slaves of the Americas founded on the shores of the continent of their ancestors, the country that kept the unique heritage of the African-American founding fathers and the deep cultures of the indigenous peoples of the land. The country, which came into being in the first half of the nineteenth century and held the beacon of the black freedom in the colonial era, spreads the coastal capital of the Monrovia, the rainforests of the interior and the wild, undeveloped beaches of the Atlantic. The promise of the founding, the motto of the love of liberty that brought the founders across the ocean, lives on in the resilient, informal and endlessly friendly life of the modern republic, and the natural world of the country, with its chimpanzees and its forests, holds the wild heart of the land of the free.
Overview
Liberia is a country in Africa. Its capital is Monrovia and the international dialling code is +231. Languages commonly used in everyday life here include English. Local currency is the Liberian Dollar (LRD). We also list 1 city in Liberia: Monrovia.
The Capital of the Monrovia and the Statue of the Founder
The capital of the Monrovia, the coastal city of the peninsula of the Mesurado that the founding settlers of the country established and named for the president of the American republic, is the crowded, friendly heart of the nation, built around the harbour of the river mouth. The city still preserves the landmarks of the founding era, from the monuments and the statues of the founders and the old churches to the great buildings of the 1950s era of the country's prosperity, and the memorial of the president Tubman and the museum of the national history and the culture keep the memory of the republic. The beaches of the capital, the markets of the city and the everyday life of the crowded streets, with their taxis, their music and their laissez-faire commerce, give the visitor the vivid, deep and genuinely friendly pulse of the founding city of the free republic.
The Rainforest of the Sapo and the Wildlife of the Interior
The national park of the Sapo, the great protected rainforest of the interior of the south-east of the country, is the largest block of the primary rainforest of the whole of West Africa and the deep wild heart of the natural world of the republic. The forest of the park, dense, humid and nearly uninhabited, protects the chimpanzees, the pygmy hippos, the forest buffaloes, the duikers and the many monkeys of the frontier of the African forest, along with the rich avian life of the interior. The treks and the camping expeditions of the park, six days through the heart of the forest for the classic crossing, give the visitor the rare sustained immersion in the untracked rainforest of the continent, while the rivers and the cataracts of the park, with their hippos of the forest, complete the deep, wet, wild experience of the Sapo.
The Coast of the Roberts and the Turtles of the Shore
The coast of the country, the long, beautiful and largely undeveloped Atlantic shoreline of the republic, is the sunburned edge of the wild ocean world of the region, with the wide beaches of the golden sand, the lagoons and the coconut palms of the coastal belt. The beaches of the coast of the Robertsport and the fishing villages of the whole length of the shore, with their surf, their kitesurfing and the calm, friendly rhythm of the coastal life, are the great leisure destination of the country. The nesting of the sea turtles of the coast, the leatherbacks and the greens that crawl ashore in the season to lay their eggs in the dunes of the lagoon shores, is protected by the community conservation of the coastal villages, and the penguin-like shearwaters and the migrant seabirds of the season round out the extraordinary wildlife of the coast of the country.
The Cultures of the Interior and the Carvers of the Land
The peoples of the interior of the country, the many ethnic groups of the Kpelle, the Bassa, the Grebo, the Kru and the other forest cultures of the region, hold the rich, ancient civilizations of the hinterland of Liberia, with their sacred institutions, their initiation bush schools and their powerful arts. The carvers and the mask makers of the interior, the masters of the wood sculpture of the country, produce the extraordinary masks and figures of the secret societies, the symbols of the ritual power of the forest peoples, and the museums of the capital preserve the finest of the works. The daily life of the villages, with their rice farms, their palm wine and their dances, continues the deep traditions of the land, and the weavers, the potters and the herbalists maintain the living cultures of the country.
The Rice of the Wetlands and the Markets of the Country
The rice of the country, the great staple of the Republic, is the deep agricultural base of the whole nation, grown in the vast lowland fields of the coast and the interior that feed the country and give the rice trade its central rhythm. The daily culture of the republic is built around the sharing of the hill of rice, and the markets of the country, from the great central market of the capital to the weekly gatherings of the interior towns, run the long commerce of the rice and the accompaniments of the national cuisine. The trucks of the traders that connect the interior towns to the capital, and the market pepper, the cassava leaves, the fish and the palm oil complete the picture of the free and deeply African culinary heart of the Republic.
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- Capital
- Monrovia
- Currency
- Liberian Dollar (LRD)
- Languages
- English
- Calling code
- +231
- Internet TLD
- lr
Entry requirements
Check who can enter →See which passports travel visa-free or need a visa to enter Liberia.
Cities (1)
All cities →Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Liberia?
Monrovia is the capital of Liberia, and the country sits in Africa.
What currency is used in Liberia?
You pay with Liberian Dollar (LRD) in Liberia. Exchange rates move day to day, so check the current rate before you change money or use your card abroad.
Which languages do people speak in Liberia?
The languages we list for Liberia are English. A couple of greetings in the local language go a long way when you travel, even in cities where another language is widely used.
What is the international dialling code for Liberia?
The dialling code for Liberia is +231 — keep the plus sign when you save the number.
Which cities in Liberia do you cover?
Our guide lists 1 city for Liberia: Monrovia (capital).