Travel warning is issued for traveling to Liberia. For more information please visit U.S. Department of State
Last Minute Tips Before you Travel to Liberia
- Time Zone: GMT/UTC 0
- Electricity: 120V, 60 Hz (bring an adapter/transformer for your hair drier, laptop, cellullar phone etc.)
- Currency: Liberian Dollar ($)
- Country Dialing Code: 231
Liberia
Location
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone
Capital
Monrovia
Population
3,482,211 (July 2005 est.)
Regions
15 counties; Bomi, Bong, Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, River Gee, Sinoe
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
Ethnic groups
indigenous African tribes 95% (including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, Dei, Bella, Mandingo, and Mende), Americo-Liberians 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the US who had been slaves), Congo People 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean who had been slaves)
Religions
indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%
Languages
English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence
Government type
republic
Background
In August 2003, a comprehensive peace agreement ended 14 years of civil war and prompted the resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR, who was exiled to Nigeria. After two years of rule by a transitional government, democratic elections in late 2005 brought President Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF to power. The legislative and presidential polls were broadly deemed free and fair despite fraud allegations from JOHNSON-SIRLEAF's rival George WEAH. The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), which maintains a strong presence throughout the country, completed a disarmament program for former combatants in late 2004, but the security situation is still volatile and the process of rebuilding the social and economic structure of this war-torn country remains sluggish.
Visitor's Impressions
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