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EMBASSY/CONSULATE ADDRESSES

Diplomatic Representation in US:
Ambassador: Charles A. MINOR
Embassy: 5201 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011
Telephone: (202) 723-0437
Fax: (202) 723-0436

Consulate(s) General are in:
New York
820 2nd Av.,
New York, NY 10017.
(212) 687-1025

US Diplomatic Representation:
Ambassador: Deborah Malac
Embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, Monrovia
Mailing Address: P. O. Box 100098, Mamba Point, Monrovia
Telephone: 011-231-77-054825
Fax: 231-77-010370.

Embassy and Consulate Web Sites for Liberia

U.S. Embassy Web Site in Liberia
Embassy of Liberia in Washington DC


FOREIGN RELATIONS

The United States established diplomatic relations with Liberia in 1864 following its independence from the American Colonization Society, an organization that resettled free African-Americans and freed slaves in Liberia. A 1980 coup ended the one-party rule that dated from independence in 1847. From 1989 to 2003, the country saw civil war, misrule, and rebellion. Elections held in 2005 and 2011 were declared free and fair.

U.S. assistance and engagement is critical to Liberia’s short-term stability and long-term development. National elections in 2011 drew broad participation from the electorate, and paved the way for a peaceful transition to the incumbent president's second administration. But opposition and unrest surrounding the elections showed that security, political, and social conditions remain fragile, and that the government must continue to make progress in building and solidifying confidence in public governance, re-energizing reforms, and fostering tangible improvements in the lives of average Liberians.

U.S. Assistance to Liberia

U.S. assistance seeks to focus on professionalizing Liberia’s military and civilian security forces; consolidating democratic progress; improving capacity, transparency, and accountability of governance institutions; promoting broad-based and environmentally sustainable economic growth; improving access to high-quality educational and health services; and responding to the problem of narcotics trafficking in West Africa, while helping Liberia build capacity to plan, implement, and sustain its own development efforts in each sector.

Bilateral Economic Relations

Liberia is eligible for preferential trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. The country's revenues come primarily from rubber exports and revenues from its maritime registry program. Liberia’s U.S.-owned and operated shipping and corporate registry is the world’s second-largest. U.S. exports to Liberia include agricultural products (with rice as the leading category), vehicles, machinery, optic and medical instruments, and textiles. The main imports from Liberia to the United States are rubber and allied products; other imports include wood, palm oil, and diamonds. The United States and Liberia have signed a trade and investment framework agreement.

Liberia's Membership in International Organizations

Liberia and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank. Liberia also is an observer to the World Trade Organization.

Bilateral Representation

The U.S. Ambassador to Liberia is Deborah Malac.  Other principal embassy officials are listed in the Department's Key Officers List.

Liberia maintains an embassy in the United States at 5201 16th Street, NW, Washington DC, 202-723-0437.

More information about Liberia is available from the Department of State and other sources, some of which are listed here:

Department of State Liberia Page
Department of State Key Officers List
CIA World Factbook Liberia Page
U.S. Embassy: Liberia
USAID Liberia Page
History of U.S. Relations With Liberia
Human Rights Reports
International Religious Freedom Reports
Trafficking in Persons Reports
Narcotics Control Reports
Investment Climate Statements
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Countries Page
U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics
Export.gov International Offices Page
Millennium Challenge Corporation
Office of Foreign Assets Control Sanctions Page
Library of Congress Country Studies
Travel and Business Information




TRAVEL ADVISORIES

To obtain the latest Travel Advisory Information for Liberia check the U.S. State Department Consular Information Sheet.


TRAVEL TIPS

Driving TBA
Currency (LRD) Liberian Dollar
Electrical 120 Volts
Telephones Country Code 231



Time: GMT.

Electricity: 110 volts AC, 60Hz.

Telephone: IDD service to some cities. Country code: 231 (no area codes). Outgoing international code: 00. The internal network in Monrovia is gradually being extended over the country.

Climate: Hot, tropical climate with little variation in temperature. The wet season runs from May to October. The dry Harmattan wind blows from December to March, making the coastal belt particularly arid.

Clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens are worn throughout the year, with waterproofing advised during the wet season.

Food & Drink: Liberia’s hotels, motels and restaurants serve a variety of American, European, Asian, Chinese, Lebanese and African dishes, as well as the more predictable fare of hotel dining rooms. Here, as well as in the smaller towns of the north and east, the visitor should enjoy sampling some of the more unusual West African foods in ‘cookhouses’ which serve rice with traditional Liberian dishes.
Liberia produces a lot of its own brands of alcoholic drink, which are readily available – some of the beers are excellent; wines and imported beverages are also available.

Shopping: Monrovia’s sidestreets are crowded with tailors selling brightly coloured tie-dyed and embroidered cloth which they will make up immediately into African or European styles. Monrovia offers the shopper elegant boutiques and shops as well as modern, air-conditioned supermarkets which compete with old-fashioned stores. Liberian handicrafts include carvings in sapwood, camwood, ebony and mahogany, stone items, soapstone carvings (such as fertility symbols from the Kissi), ritual masks, metal jewellery and figurines and reed dolls of the Loma. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1300 and 1500-1800.

Tipping: There is no need to tip taxi drivers, but other tips are normally around 10 per cent.

Currency: Liberian Dollar (L$) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of L$100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. US Dollar notes are in circulation in the following denominations: US$100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1.

Credit & debit cards: Not generally accepted.

Travellers cheques: These are generally not accepted.


CUSTOMS/DUTIES

Tobacco...............200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 250g tobacco

Liquor..................1 litre of spirits and 1 litre of wine

Perfume...............100g of perfume

Cameras...............No restrictions

Film......................Reasonable for personal use

Gifts......................Goods to the value of us$125

Currency...............No restrictions



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