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Liberia

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Friends of Liberia Meetings|

CURRENCY REGULATIONS: The U.S. dollar is readily accepted in Liberia. While the official rate of exchange is one U.S. dollar to one Liberian dollar, the street rate is substantially different, and it varies. In the past few months, the street rate has been 35-40 Liberian dollars to one U.S. dollar. The Central Bank of Liberia has recently issued new currency and all older Liberian currency such as the "Liberty" and the "JJ" is no longer legal tender. The use of traveler�s checks is subject to substantial fees, and few commercial establishments accept them. ATMs are unavailable, and credit/debit cards are not accepted anywhere in Liberia. Wire transfers through Western Union and some banks are available, but they are subject to substantial fees.|

Governments of West African countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia are carrying out so-called 'cordon sanitaire' tactics to combat Ebola outbreak, in which border is drawn around infected areas and no one is allowed out; such tactics, common in medieval era, have not been seen since early 1900s, when they were used to stop typhus from spreading west.|

The Liberia’s national flag is called “LONE STAR”. The eleven horizontal stripes represent the eleven signers of the declaration of independence and the constitution of the Republic of Liberia; the blue field symbolizes the continent of Africa; the five pointed white star depicts Liberia as the first “independent republic” on the continent of Africa; the red color designates “valor”; the white, “purity”; and the blue, “fidelity”. Although these representations are uniquely Liberian, the flag itself is a replica of “Old Glory”, the national flag of the United States.|

Peace Corps is temporarily withdrawing 340 volunteers from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone; says two volunteers have been isolated and are under observation after being exposed to a person who later died of the Ebola virus.|

Money was raised-with some indirect help from the federal government when (1819) Congress appropriated $100,000 for returning to Africa blacks illegally brought to the United States. In 1821 an agent, Eli Ayers, and Lt. R.F. Stockton of the U.S. Navy purchased land in Africa, where subsequently Jehudi Ashmun and Ralph R. Gurley laid the foundations of Liberia. More than 11,000 blacks were transported to Liberia before 1860.|

Ebola virus is adversely affecting economies of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone as their neighbors impose quarantines and close off borders in effort to prevent spread of disease; epidemic is latest setback for these West African nations, whose economies have already been weakened from decades of war and upheaval.|

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