Jerome Crawford ( Photo courtesy of Jerome Crawford)

Reporter: Hi, Jerome! It’s great to have you back. We started with food last time, which you chose as your first way of introducing your country. Now, let’s take a step back and look at the bigger picture. For a first-time visitor, what really defines Liberia?

Jerome: Liberia is a small country that was founded in 1847 and is considered the oldest republic in Africa. People were already living there long before its founding, but the written history often focuses on the arrival of formerly enslaved people from the United States. These freed slaves settled in the region and established a government modeled on the American system. This influence is still visible today, even in the national flag, which closely resembles that of the United States.

Map of Liberia (Photo: britannica.com)

Reporter: Wow, that makes me even more curious about the ties between Liberia and the US.

Jerome: It’s a really interesting place, and a lot of people don’t know much about it. Liberia is so small that some people even mistake its flag for the American flag. It's the Lone Star of Liberia. But the similarities go much deeper than that. Its constitution is almost the same as the US Constitution, and even the Pledge of Allegiance is similar, which is quite fascinating. When Liberia was at its peak, despite being a small country it had significant influence because of strong leadership in those early years. Back then, people often referred to Liberia as “Little America.” In fact, some people from neighboring countries believed that if they wanted to go to the United States, they first had to come to Liberia, seeing it as a gateway to America.

Liberia's national flag (Photo: vectorstock.com)

Reporter:  Got it! Back to the basics - one question first-time visitors often ask: what’s the weather like in Liberia?

Jerome: We don’t have winter or spring — just the rainy season and the dry season, similar to Ho Chi Minh City. For about half of the year, you’ll see a lot of rainfall. In the past, the rainy season was more predictable, but now it’s no longer fixed. The rainy season can run anywhere from four to six months, depending on the year. Then there’s the dry season. During parts of it, temperatures can get very hot.

Reporter: So when is the best time of the year to visit Liberia?

Jerome: From around November to January, the weather starts to cool down. Temperatures are cooler through November, December, and January. We have a wind called the Harmattan that blows during this time, making the air cold and dry - not wet like rain, but dry cold. You can even feel it on your skin; everything gets very dry. Overall, though, the weather during this period is comfortable. It’s not hot, it’s not cold - it’s just cool, which is perfect. Then, at other times of the year, it can get extremely hot - so hot that you don’t even want to go outside.

Reporter: Thank you very much for the briefing, Jerome. And dear listeners, we hope today’s Culture Rendezvous has given you a clearer picture of Liberia. Jerome will be back in the next episode to share more about his country, especially its sports scene. Catch you then!