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Greenville

Portuguese influence

In 1462, two Portuguese ships captained by Captain Pedro de Sintra anchored near the Junk River along the coast of present-day Liberia. De Sintra’s visit marked the first European contact with the area now known as Liberia.

Later Portuguese visitors would map this coast and name countless towns, including “Grand Cess” and “New Sestros” (from the Portuguese “cesta” for the wicker baskets widely used for transporting produce in this region).