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Travel and Tourism in Liberia
Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Liberia.
Practical Information
Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.
- Travel Alert Status
- Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
- Time Difference
- UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Currency
- Liberian dollar (LRD)
- Climate
- Liberia is so situated in the Tropics as to be directly in the path of the seasonal winds. From May through November, the prevailing monsoon winds drop most of the nearly 200 inches of rain received annually in the capital city of Monrovia. From December through April, the red, dust-laden harmattan winds originating over the Sahara Desert prevail. The transition periods between the seasons are punctuated by violent thunderstorms and sudden torrential downpours. Temperatures average 81°F; humidity averages 82%. There is little variation over the course of the year. Precautions must be taken against mildew and rust caused by the heat, constant humidity, and the corrosive salt air of the coast.
- 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% (
- National Holiday
- Independence Day, 26 July (1847)
- Geographic Coordinates
- 6 30 N, 9 30 W
- Location
- Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone
- Airports
- 53
Health and Safety
Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.
Hospitals and medical facilities in Liberia are very poorly equipped and are incapable of providing many services. Emergency services comparable to those in the U.S. or Europe are non-existent, and the blood supply is unreliable and unsafe for transfusion. For serious medical problems, U.S. citizens in Liberia should consider traveling to the United States, Europe, or South Africa for treatment. Medicines are scarce, often beyond expiration dates, and generally unavailable in most areas.