page_title: Liberia
section_title: Cuisine
hierarchical_section_title: Liberia / Culture / Cuisine
caption_attribution_description: English: Beachside barbeque at Sinkor, Monrovia, Liberia.
context_page_description: Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Côte d’Ivoire to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south-southwest. It has a population of around 5 million and covers an area of 111,369 square kilometers. English is the official language, but over 20 indigenous languages are spoken, representing the numerous ethnic groups who make up more than 95% of the population. The country's capital and largest city is Monrovia.
  Liberia began as a settlement of the American Colonization Society, who believed black people would face better chances for freedom and prosperity in Africa than in the United States. The country declared its independence on July 26, 1847. The U.S. did not recognize Liberia's independence until February 5, 1862, during the American Civil War. Between January 7, 1822, and the American Civil War, more than 15,000 freed and free-born black people who faced legislated limits in the U.S., and 3,198 Afro-Caribbeans, were relocated to the settlement. The settlers carried their culture and tradition with them.
context_section_description: Liberian cuisine heavily incorporates rice, the country's staple food. Other ingredients include cassava, fish, bananas, citrus fruit, plantains, coconut, okra and sweet potatoes. Heavy stews spiced with habañero and scotch bonnet chilies  are popular and eaten with fufu. Liberia also has a tradition of baking imported from the United States that is unique in West Africa.
caption: A beachside barbecue at Sinkor, Monrovia, Liberia
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