Liberia

Monrovia serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Liberia, positioned in Western Africa. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Gbarnga, Buchanan — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Monrovia, named for US President James Monroe, was founded in 1822 as a settlement for freed American slaves — creating West Africa's first independent republic (1847) whose Americo-Liberian elite minority ruled for 133 years over the indigenous majority, a social hierarchy that contributed to the 1980 coup and the subsequent civil wars that killed 250,000 people.

With a population of approximately 5.3M, Liberia is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The official language is English, which reflects the country's cultural heritage and connects it with a wide international community. Internationally, Liberia is reached via the dialling code +231. Liberians rebuilt their society after two civil wars (1989-96 and 1999-2003) that were among West Africa's most brutal, with child soldiers, mass displacement, and the complete destruction of state institutions — the post-conflict era producing Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first elected female head of state, whose Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 recognised reconstruction leadership in one of the world's most challenging governance environments.

Liberia spans 111,369 km², in the Western Africa subregion of Africa. Geographically centred around 6.5°N, 9.5°W, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Africa convention.

The official currency is the Liberian dollar ($), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Liberia's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.

Football holds a special place in the heart of Liberia's national identity. Football is Liberia's supreme sporting passion, and George Weah's Ballon d'Or in 1995 — the first and only for an African player — created a national hero whose political career (president since 2018) represents the direct translation of sporting celebrity into democratic political capital in one of the clearest examples of an athlete's symbolic status generating electoral support.

The highest point in Liberia is Mount Wuteve, rising to 1,440 metres above sea level. Sapo National Park in southeastern Liberia contains the largest remaining tropical rainforest in West Africa outside the Congo Basin — one of the last refuges of the West African pygmy hippopotamus, forest elephants, and chimpanzees in a forest whose canopy reaches 40 metres and whose biodiversity remains poorly documented due to the inaccessibility maintained by the absence of roads.