Liberia – 149th Country

Liberia – 149th Country. To see where I have been so far, check out my map as I count down the final 93 countries on the road to all 193 UN countries. Liberia is my 149^th country.

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Liberia shares some commonalities with its West African neighbor. While Liberia was populated with indigenous people, in the early 19^th century, some freed African American slaves returned to the African continent to make their home in Liberia. In 1847, Liberia declared its independence, making it the first independent nation on the continent. The official language is English and nearly 90% of the nation practices Christianity. The capital, Monrovia, is named in honor of US President Monroe, a supporter of Liberia. And you will note, the Liberian flag looks quite similar to the US flag, red, white, and blue.

Another border crossing from Sierra Leone, which was both time consuming and somewhat costly in bribes. Highlights of my visit was an impromptu visit to West Point, a lower income, dense neighborhood on the water in Monrovia and playing golf with the General Counsel of Firestone Tire on their private course while sipping beers. But my most unforgettable memory was having my phone stolen at the opening game at the Liberian Basketball Association and the shocking recovery of said stolen phone.