Liberia

Overview

Liberia , in West Africa , is a wonderful place to immerse yourself in the local culture. Liberia has a thriving music scene, known as hip co, which blends hip hop with colloquial Liberian English. Artists like Takun J, Santos, Mr. Smith, Soul Smiter, and Nasseman are popular. In the dry season, especially, concerts are regularly held at venues across the country.

Established and formed by the American Colonization Society (ACS) — an organisation which supported the migration of emancipated slaves to Africa from the United States — in the 19th century, Liberia was the first country to proclaim its independence during the Scramble for Africa.

Liberia is a country with historical ties to the United States since it was founded by freed black slaves before the Underground Railroad , American Civil War era of the nineteenth century. The capital, Monrovia , was named after James Monroe. Liberia's flag closely resembles the American flag, reflecting the historical ties between the two countries.

Anthropological research shows the region of Liberia was inhabited at least as far back as the 12th century, perhaps earlier. Between 1461 and the late 17th century, Portuguese, Dutch and British traders had contacts and trading posts in Liberia. The Portuguese had named the area Costa da Pimenta, later translated as Grain Coast, because of the abundance of grains of melegueta pepper.

Sights and landscapes

There are plenty of beaches around Monrovia. Out towards the airport after ELWA junction is ELWA beach. Set inside a compound there is a marked safe swimming area, a clean beach and plenty of families at the weekends, though without facilities. Further on is Thinkers (pronounced Tinkers) with a food and drinks service, though the waves are a bit rough here, and it is not safe to walk up or down the beach too far. CE CE beach out the other way, over the bridge out to Hotel Africa is very well set up with palm umbrellas, drinks service and a buffet, and a well protected swimming area.

For an interesting day trip, Robertsport offers a glimpse of Liberia's cultural history as well as clean, beautiful beaches. A group of South Africans has set up a tent camp for those wishing to spend the night on the beach and the UN also offers accommodations on a first-come basis. Beware the strong tides.

Liberia is situated in West Africa , bordering the North Atlantic Ocean to the country's southwest. It lies between latitudes 4° and 9°N , and longitudes 7° and 12°W .

The landscape is characterized by mostly flat to rolling coastal plains that contain mangroves and swamps , which rise to a rolling plateau and low mountains in the northeast.

Liberia's watershed tends to move in a southwestern pattern toward the sea as new rains move down the forested plateau off the inland mountain range of Guinée Forestière , in Guinea . Cape Mount , near the border with Sierra Leone , receives the most precipitation in the nation.

Liberia's main northwestern boundary is traversed by the Mano River while its southeast limits are bounded by the Cavalla River . Liberia's three largest rivers are St. Paul , exiting near Monrovia , the river St. John , at Buchanan , and the Cestos River , all of which flow into the Atlantic. The Cavalla is the longest river in the nation at 320 miles (510 km).

The highest point wholly within Liberia is Mount Wuteve , at 4,724 feet (1,440 m) above sea level , in the northwestern Liberia range of the West Africa Mountains and the Guinea Highlands . Mount Nimba , near Yekepa , is higher, at 1,752 metres (5,748 ft) above sea level , but is not wholly within Liberia, as Nimba is located at the point where Liberia borders both Guinea and Ivory Coast . Nimba is thus the tallest mountain in those countries as well.

Experiences

Liberia has several nightclubs. While places like Deja Vu cater to a largely expat crowd, explore places more popular with locals. 146 on Carey Street features Liberian music, freestyle sessions, and live performances from Liberia's most popular musicians.

Culture and food

Eating Liberian food can be enjoyable and inexpensive. Liberian meals like palm butter, cassava leaf, potato greens, chock rice, and jollof's rice will barely leave a dent in your budget (US$2-3 with a non-alcoholic drink). Portions are usually enormous. Another popular local dish is fufu (fermented dough made from the cassava plant) and soup (the most common are goat soup and pepper soup). And for those who like to eat on the go, fruit and snacks can be bought from street vendors throughout Monrovia. Peanuts, fried plantain chips, roasted ears of corn or plantains, bananas, mangos, and other fruits cost L$5-20 (or US$0.10-0.30). Especially delicious are the various breads sold freshly baked in the morning. Some breads resemble banana bread, other breads are more like corn bread. All are delicious although somewhat oily.

Bagged water is sold on most street corners. While it is supposed to be filtered and safe, it is not guaranteed to be. Stick with bottled water to be sure. You can buy bottled water at any supermarket, restaurant, or at the Total gas stations.

Planning your route

By far the best way to travel, but helicopter flights are restricted to UN personnel. Poor weather in the rainy season often forces helicopters to return, especially from Voinjama.

There is no real train service. One track, which had belonged to a mine, has been opened for tourists. It travels to the Bong mines, a massive, defunct ore-mining and processing plant once German-run.

Travel guide text compiled and adapted from Wikivoyage article (contributors) and Wikipedia article (contributors). Sections were selected and reordered for this guide. Text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Check current arrangements with your travel consultant.