Do you know where is Liberia located? Liberia, the Land of the Free, is a tropical country in West Africa with an impressive coastline in the North Atlantic Ocean. For a time, the country was known as the "Pepper Coast" and later as the "Grain Coast". It is surrounded by Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast.
Liberia has an area of 111,369 km2 (43,000 sq mi), making it slightly larger than Bulgaria or slightly larger than the US state of Tennessee.
The Liberia population is about 5 million Liberia people (in 2021). Monrovia is the largest and capital of Liberia (named after James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States (1817-1825), not Marilyn Monroe). The country's largest cities are located along the coast, as are the port cities of Harper and Buchanan.
The Liberia languages used are English (official) and English Pidgin (Liberian English), as well as several indigenous languages.
Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world, with high unemployment (85%) and widespread corruption at almost all levels of government in Liberia. The country is recovering from a 14-year civil war that has left 250,000 people dead and many thousands fleeing the fighting. In 2014, the country also suffered from the worst Ebola epidemic in history.
What event led to the founding of the country of Liberia in 1822? Liberia did not have the smoothest paths. Founded by freed slaves, it can be said that the country was built on the dark pages of the history of the 18th and 19th centuries. But Liberia also meant a newfound liberation for the returning victims of the slave trade. It meant homesickness and a country that had to run the country itself. But growing from the seeds of colonialism in West Africa has never been easy, and today Liberia bears the scars of numerous Liberia civil wars, coups, political revolutions and power struggles, not to mention the disastrous Ebola outbreak in recent years.
Nevertheless, it seems that everything is back to normal here, and, of course, no one denies the absolute beauty that can be found on the shimmering golden stretches of the Atlantic coast, in the roaring surf spots and between the dense jungle with chimpanzees in the interior! Liberia nature is definitely amazing.
Let's explore the Instagrammable places of Liberia and marvel at the beauty of this unique country.
1. Capital Monrovia
What event led to the founding of the country of Liberia in 1822? Monrovia was founded on April 25, 1822, by members of the American Colonization Society (ACS), an organization formed to return former American slaves to Africa. The ACS first arrived on the Mesurado River in 1821. The original name of Monrovia is Christopolis. In 1824, it was renamed "Monrovia" in honor of James Monroe, who was then president of the United States, as well as a supporter of the American Colonization Society. The indigenous Liberia population of the surrounding areas of Monrovia felt that the city was built on stolen land, and already in 1822 began to attack it. These attacks continued sporadically until the mid-19th century. Hectic, boisterous, sleek and sophisticated (at least in its own, very West African style), Monrovia is home to more than a million Liberia people. The largest and Instagrammable city in the country, it is a place with great energy. Thundering bush taxis float along potted roads around the centre, while the bustling Broad Street Boulevard, nestled between the Mesurado River meanders and the Atlantic Ocean, is a picture of life. Expect pulsating beer bars and the vanishing remains of old 19th-century townhouses; visit the fascinating National Museum and trace the Liberia history coups and counter-coups, Liberia civil wars and political tropes at the eerily abandoned Ducor Hotel.
2. Sapo National Park
Liberia on the mapresembles one large national park. Undoubtedly, Liberia's most famous and Instagrammable national park duo comes in the form of Sapo National Park. This park is one of the best places to visit in Liberia. This 1,804-square-kilometer area in the Upper Guinean forest is said to have one of the highest mammalian biodiversity sites in the world. Brave people who decide to dive into the old forests will spy on dwarf hippos and Diana's white-tailed monkeys, crocodiles, leopards, nettle-footed otters and chimpanzees. There is also an interesting story to unravel: during the Liberia civil wars, dark episodes unfolded here, and even in the early noughties, there was a full-scale gold rush.
3. Robertsport Town
Where is Liberia located? In a surf paradise. The king of all surfing spots in Liberia (and there are many), Robertsport firmly positions itself at the forefront of the country's new tourist drive. Long-haired wave riders with wax in their hands now flock to join the troupes of surfers and get on the rotating Atlantic waves that serve up a buffet like Fisherman's Point, Cotton Trees and Cassava Point. Surf schools are also opening up to take aspiring travellers out on the waves, while others simply come hiking along the coastal stretches to see the beautiful achievements of Cape Mount Bay, as well as to see the signature wooden and stone churches that bloom on the shore.
4. Buchanan City
Instagrammable places, led by the seaside town of Buchanan, just a three-hour rumble taxi ride south of the capital of Liberia, Monrovia, is a perfect introduction to the coastal character of this part of West Africa. All the Liberia beaches are undeveloped to the T, with swaying palm trees and groups of local children playing in the shallow water. Many choose to camp here, while others will hit the city itself, looking for one of the few guesthouses lurking between the frenetic markets and streets. There are also a number of beach bars to enjoy, nestled between the crumbling bamboo huts along the shore.
5. Gbarnga City
Gbarnga may seem like just another of the sprawling, ramshackle cities that sprout from the sprawling mud plains and forests of inland Liberia, but this regional capital of Bong County has a little more Liberia history and heritage than most. On the one hand, it was where the infamous political and rebel leader Charles Taylor coordinated actions in various civil wars across the region in the 1980s and ' 90s. The city is also home to the more than 100-year-old Cuttington University, one of the most prestigious in the country. Add to that a couple of dramatic waterfalls and earthen guest houses, and Gbarnga is an Instagrammable place to visit away from the more popular coastal destinations.
6. Harbel Town
Visitors will find Harbel's industrial outpost sprawled on the meanders of the Farmington River, just a stone's throw from the Atlantic Coast, where Marshall and the monkey-dotted beaches of resort towns south of Monrovia are their home. Known primarily as the home of the world's largest natural rubber plantation, Harbel is engulfed by swaths of rubber forests, many of which bear the familiar brand name Bridgestone tyres. The town is also known as the location of Roberts International Airport, the main access point to the northwest of the country.
7. Gola National Forest
Gola National Forest is one of the places to visit in Liberia. Gola National Forest-the new name of Lofa Mano National Park: a large dash of pristine rainforest that sprawls along the country's northern border with Sierra Leone, will open up the Instagrammable Liberia nature from a new angle. One of the densest remaining patches of Upper Guinean forest in the region, the area has everything you would expect from true West African wildlife. Yes, you can expect green canopies and seemingly endless stretches of colossal tree trunks and branches, hidden fern fields where exotic dragonflies splash among the flowers, swaying chimpanzees, the rare pygmy hippos - the list goes on!
8. Bushrod Island
Bushrod Island got its name from one of the few American politicians who actually advocated the relocation of slaves to the continent back in the 1800s. But it's about as deep as Bushrod Washington's influence in this mangrove port city on the edge of the Atlantic. Today, the wharves and docks are lined with sweepstakes, the dilapidated slums of New Kru Town are sprawling near the shoreline, and there is inexhaustible energy of life everywhere. It's not the most convenient place to visit, obviously, but it's still an interesting look at working-class, modern-day Liberia.
9. Marshall Town
Tourists will really be able to get into the ocean for only two reasons.The first is that Marshall has many empty beaches, each surrounded by green pockets of palm and mangrove swamps, and is perfect for enjoying a truly intrepid camping experience on the Liberian coast. The second is a small and Instagrammable archipelago called Monkey Island. Here in the jungle lives a troupe of quarrelsome chimpanzees. They were rescued from research labs during the Civil War, and now they are especially fond of swinging in knots, teasing tourists, and catapulting fresh fruit from their branches on passing boats-remember that!
10. Zwedru City
With just 23,000 Liberia people making Zwedru their home and a whopping seven hours' drive separating it from the nation's capital on the coast, this remote county seat may not seem like the best Instagrammable place to add to this route through Liberia. However, in Zwedru, there are some interesting and Instagrammable features that you simply will not find more well-trodden areas in the West. For starters, it still retains something of an earthy, industrial vibe, thanks to its runaway logging ventures. And then there's unsurpassed access to the dense jungles of Upper Guinea, home to colourful tropical hummingbirds and ultra-rare plant species.
11. Kakata City
The terminus on the relatively well-functioning Monrovia-Kakata highway, which departs from the capital of Liberia and flows into the western wilds of Liberia, this small regional centre of Margibi County is where the bucolic heart of West Africa finally captures the scenery. They do this in the form of seemingly endless rubber plantations, and Kakata has made a name for herself (and a modest fortune) as one of the nation's trade and transport outposts. Come and see the dusty community churches and take a dip in the busy local Liberia markets that roam the streets throughout the week.
12. Greenville Town
One of the favourite gates of the aforementioned Sapo National Park (which is located between dense forests, just east of the city), Greenville is not a novelty for tourists. However, while most visitors simply stock up and go on a guided tour to see the chimpanzees and exotic rainforests of the reserve, those who linger will be able to see the intriguing remnants of the era of the relocation of Liberia - the city still bears the nickname of its namesake in Mississippi! There are also some interesting and Instagrammable villages to explore along the Sinoe River, as well as some truly unspoilt Liberia beaches along the coast to the west.
