Gbarnga

Gbarnga is the capital city of Bong County, Liberia, lying north east of Monrovia. During the First Liberian Civil War, it was the base for Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia. Cuttington College, a private, Episcopal-affiliated institution, is located near the town. Its campus was once home to the Africana Museum, which was destroyed during the civil war.

As of the 2008 census, Gbarnga has a population of 34,046. Of this, 16,080 were male and 17,966 female; it is the fourth-most populous urban area in Liberia.

Gbarnga is the hometown of Tamba Hali, a professional football player of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League in the United States.

The town is twinned with Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States.

Climate

Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as tropical monsoon (Am). Its climate is similar to the capital Monrovia, but less rainy and with cooler night temperatures.

References

Coordinates: 6°59′53″N 9°28′23″W / 6.998°N 9.473°W / 6.998; -9.473

Bong County

Bong is a county in the north-central portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has twelve districts. Gbarnga serves as the capital. The area of the county measures 8,772 square kilometres (3,387 sq mi). As of the 2008 Census, it had a population of 328,919, making it the third-most populous county in Liberia. The county was organized in 1964 and is important for its mining industry.

Named after Mount Bong in the southern portion of the county, it is bordered by Lofa and Gbarpolu counties to the north, Margibi and Montserrado counties to the west, Grand Bassa County to the south, and Nimba County to the east. The northeast part of Bong borders the nation of Guinea. In 2008, the County Superintendent was Ranney Jackson. Bong County’s flag is purple, signifying the dawn, and orange, signifying the County’s newness. The two geological instruments in the white field portion of the flag symbolize Bong County’s mining industry.