Map of Liberia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


Background: Settlement of freed slaves from the US in what is today Liberia began in 1822; by 1847 the Americo-Liberians were able to establish a republic. William TUBMAN president from 1944-71 did much to promote foreign investment and to bridge the economic social and political gaps between the descendents of the original settlers and the inhabitants of the interior. In 1980 a military coup led by Samuel DOE ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule. In December 1989 Charles TAYLOR launched a rebellion against DOE's regime that led to a prolonged civil war in which DOE himself was killed. A period of relative peace in 1997 allowed for elections that brought TAYLOR to power but major fighting resumed in 2000. An August 2003 peace agreement ended the war and prompted the resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR who faces war crimes charges in The Hague related to his involvement in Sierra Leone's civil war. After two years of rule by a transitional government democratic elections in late 2005 brought President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF to power. The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) maintains a strong presence throughout the country but the security situation is still fragile and the process of rebuilding the social and economic structure of this war-torn country continues.


top of page


Location: Western Africa bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone

Geographic coordinates: 6 30 N 9 30 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 111,369 km²
Rank: 104
Land: 96,320 km²
Water: 15,049 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Tennessee

Land boundaries
Total: 1585 km
Border countries: (3) Guinea 563 km; Cote d'Ivoire 716 km; Sierra Leone 306 km

Coastline: 579 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; hot humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers

Terrain: mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Wuteve 1380 m

Natural resources: iron ore timber diamonds gold hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 3.43%
Permanent crops: 1.98%
Other: 94.59% (2005)

Irrigated land: 30 km² (2008)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 232 km³ (1987)

Natural hazards: dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March)

Geography
Note: facing the Atlantic Ocean the coastline is characterized by lagoons mangrove swamps and river-deposited sandbars; the inland grassy plateau supports limited agriculture


top of page


Population: 3,786,764 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 130
Growth rate: 2.663% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 20
Below poverty line: 80% (2000 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Liberian
Adjective: Liberian

Ethnic groups: Kpelle 20.3% Bassa 13.4% Grebo 10% Gio 8% Mano 7.9% Kru 6% Lorma 5.1% Kissi 4.8% Gola 4.4% other 20.1% (2008 census)

Languages: English 20% (official) some 20 ethnic group languages few of which can be written or used in correspondence

Religions: Christian 85.6% Muslim 12.2% Traditional 0.6% other 0.2% none 1.4% (2008 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 44.3%
15-64 years: 52.7% (male 989,623/female 1,007,577)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 56,189/female 55,271) (2011 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 18.3 years
Male: 18.2 years
Female: 18.3 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.663% (2011 est.)
Rank: 20

Birth rate: 37.25 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 20

Death rate: 10.62 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 45

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 95

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 48% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: tropical rain forest deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Tropical Timber 83 Tropical Timber 94 Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification Marine Life Conservation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 74.52 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 19
Male: 78.96 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 69.95 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 57 years
Rank: 193
Male: 55.44 years
Female: 58.6 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.13 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 16

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.014 physicians/1000 population (2008)
Rank: 191

Hospital bed density: 0.7 beds/1000 population (2009)
Rank: 160

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.5% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 36
People living with hivaids: 37,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 63
Deaths: 3,600 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 44

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever
Animal contact disease: rabies (2009)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 20.4% (2007)
Rank: 35

Education expenditures: 2.7% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 144

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 57.5%
Male: 73.3%
Female: 41.6% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 11 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 9 years (2000)

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Liberia
Conventional short form: Liberia

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Monrovia
Geographic coordinates: 6 18 N 10 48 W
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 15 counties; Bomi Bong Gbarpolu Grand Bassa Grand Cape Mount Grand Gedeh Grand Kru Lofa Margibi Maryland Montserrado Nimba River Cess River Gee Sinoe

Dependent areas

Independence: 26 July 1847

National holiday: Independence Day 26 July (1847)

Constitution: 6 January 1986

Legal system: mixed legal system of common law (based on Anglo-American law) and customary law

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF ; note - the President is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF (since 16 January 2006)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held on 11 October and 8 November 2011 (next to be held in 2017)
Election results: Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF re-elected president; percent of vote second round - Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF 90.7% Winston TUBMAN 9.3%

Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (30 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve nine-year terms) and the House of Representatives (73 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
Elections: Senate - last held on 11 October 2011 (next to be held in 2020); House of Representatives - last held on 11 October 2011 (next to be held 1n 2017)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UP 10 NPP 6 CDC 3 ADP 2 NUDP 2 LDP 1 LP 1 NDC 1 NDP 1 independents 3 ; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UP 30 CDC 11 LP 7 NUDP 6 NDC 5 ADP 3 NPP3 MPC 2 LDP1 LTP 1 NRP 1 independents 9

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Peace and Democracy or APD [Togba-na TIPOTEH]; Congress for Democratic Change or CDC [George WEAH]; Liberty Party or LP [Charles BRUMSKINE]; National Patriotic Party or NPP [Roland MASSAQUOI]; Unity Party or UP [Varney SHERMAN]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU ECOWAS FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITU ITUC MIGA NAM OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires William V. BULL
In the us chancery: 5,201 16th Street NW Washington DC 20,011
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 723-0437
In the us fax: [1] (202) 723-0436
In the us consulate general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Linda THOMAS-GREENFIELD
From the us embassy: 111 United Nations Drive P. O. Box 98 Mamba Point 1000 Monrovia 10
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [231] 7-705-4,826
From the us fax: [231] 7-701-0370

Flag description: 11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a white five-pointed star appears on a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner; the stripes symbolize the signatories of the Liberian Declaration of Independence; the blue square represents the African mainland and the star represents the freedom granted to the ex-slaves; according to the constitution the blue color signifies liberty justice and fidelity the white color purity cleanliness and guilelessness and the red color steadfastness valor and fervor
Note: the design is based on the US flag

National symbols: white star

National anthem
Name: 'All Hail Liberia Hail!'
Lyricsmusic: Daniel Bashiel WARNER/Olmstead LUCA
Note: lyrics adopted 1847 music adopted 1860; the anthem's author would become the third president of Liberia

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: Liberia is a low income country heavily reliant on foreign assistance for revenue. Civil war and government mismanagement destroyed much of Liberia's economy especially the infrastructure in and around the capital Monrovia. Many businesses fled the country taking capital and expertise with them but with the conclusion of fighting and the installation of a democratically-elected government in 2006 several have returned. Liberia has the distinction of having the highest ratio of direct foreign investment to GDP in the world. Richly endowed with water mineral resources forests and a climate favorable to agriculture Liberia had been a producer and exporter of basic products primarily raw timber and rubber and is reviving those sectors. Local manufacturing mainly foreign owned had been small in scope. President JOHNSON SIRLEAF a Harvard-trained banker and administrator has taken steps to reduce corruption build support from international donors and encourage private investment. Embargos on timber and diamond exports have been lifted opening new sources of revenue for the government and Liberia shipped its first major timber exports to Europe in 2010. The country reached its Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative completion point in 2010 and nearly $5 billion of international debt was permanently eliminated. This new status will enable Liberia to establish a sovereign credit rating and issue bonds. Liberia's Paris Club creditors agreed to cancel Liberia's debt as well. Rebuilding infrastructure and raising incomes will depend on generous financial and technical assistance from donor countries and foreign investment in key sectors such as infrastructure and power generation.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 190
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 69

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 225
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 76.9%
Industry: 5.4%
Services: 17.7% (2002 est.)

Agriculture products: rubber coffee cocoa rice cassava (tapioca) palm oil sugarcane bananas; sheep goats; timber

Industries: rubber processing palm oil processing timber diamonds

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 1.372 million (2007)
Rank: 133
By occupation agriculture: 70%
By occupation industry: 8%
By occupation services: 22% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: 85% (2003 est.)
Rank: 197

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 80% (2000 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.4%
Highest 10: 30.1% (2007)

Distribution of family income gini index: 38.2 (2007)
Rank: 74

Budget
Revenues: $NA
Expenditures: $NA
Surplus or deficit: -0.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 55

Taxes and other revenues: 34.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 70

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 7.4% (2009 est.)
Rank: 182

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 14.183% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 67

Stock of narrow money: $260.1 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 170

Stock of broad money: $343.6 million
Rank: 179

Stock of domestic credit: $1.269 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 146

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$541.1 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 121

Exports: $180 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 179
Commodities: rubber timber iron diamonds cocoa coffee
Partners: South Africa 26.9% US 18.1% Spain 7.8% Denmark 5.4% Venezuela 4.8% Malaysia 4.3% (2010)

Imports: $559 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 181
Commodities: fuels chemicals machinery transportation equipment manufactured goods; foodstuffs
Partners: South Korea 37.2% China 26.3% Singapore 17.3% Japan 11.5% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $372.5 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 152

Debt external: $3.2 billion (2005 est.)
Rank: 143

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $NA

Exchange rates:


top of page


Electricity
Production: 335 million kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 165
Consumption: 311.6 million kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 167
Exports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 207
Consumption: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 198
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 132
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 144
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 157

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Main lines in use: 5,900 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 209
Mobile cellular: 1.571 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 142

Telephone system
General assessment: the limited services available are found almost exclusively in the capital Monrovia; fixed-line service stagnant and extremely limited; telephone coverage extended to a number of other towns and rural areas by four mobile-cellular network operators
Domestic: mobile-cellular subscription base growing and teledensity reached 25 per 100 persons in 2009
International: country code - 231; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)

Broadcast media: 3 private TV stations; satellite TV service is available; 1 state-owned radio station; about 15 independent radio stations broadcasting in Monrovia with another 25 local stations operating in other areas; transmissions of 2 international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet
Country code: .lr
Hosts: 8 (2010)
Hosts rank: 224
Users: 20,000 (2009)
Users rank: 193

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures: 1.3% of GDP (2006 est.)
Rank: 112

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2010)

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 29 (2010)
Rank: 115
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 27
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 14 (2010)

Heliports

Pipelines: oil 4 km

Railways
Total: 429 km
Rank: 115
Standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 84 km 1.067-m gauge
Note: most sections of the railways were inoperable because of damage suffered during the civil wars from 1980 to 2003 but many are being rebuilt (2010)

Roadways
Total: 10,600 km
Rank: 135
Paved: 657 km
Unpaved: 9,943 km (2000)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 2,512
Rank: 2
By type: barge carrier 3 bulk carrier 507 cargo 136 carrier 1 chemical tanker 232 combination ore/oil 6 container 875 liquefied gas 93 passenger 2 passenger/cargo 2 petroleum tanker 509 refrigerated cargo 109 roll on/roll off 2 specialized tanker 10 vehicle carrier 25
Foreign owned: 2,356 (Angola 1 Argentina 3 Australia 2 Belgium 1 Bermuda 4 Brazil 20 Canada 4 Chile 7 China 10 Croatia 2 Cyprus 7 Denmark 4 Finland 2 Germany 1049 Gibraltar 5 Greece 454 Hong Kong 47 India 1 Indonesia 4 Isle of Man 19 Israel 31 Italy 48 Japan 102 Latvia 9 Lebanon 1 Monaco 10 Netherlands 35 Nigeria 4 Norway 42 Poland 13 Qatar 5 Romania 3 Russia 108 Saudi Arabia 24 Singapore 27 Slovenia 5 South Korea 1 Sweden 10 Switzerland 17 Syria 1 Taiwan 88 Turkey 15 UAE 27 UK 25 Ukraine 16 Uruguay 1 US 39 Vietnam 3)
Note: this country allows large numbers of ships owned by foreign entities to be registered in its national shipping registry and to fly its flag; these ships operate under the laws of the flag state (2010)

Ports and terminals: Buchanan Monrovia


top of page


Disputes international: although civil unrest continues to abate with the assistance of 18,000 UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) peacekeepers as of January 2007 Liberian refugees still remain in Guinea Cote d'Ivoire Sierra Leone and Ghana; Liberia in turn shelters refugees fleeing turmoil in Cote d'Ivoire; despite the presence of over 9,000 UN forces (UNOCI) in Cote d'Ivoire since 2004 ethnic conflict continues to spread into neighboring states who can no longer send their migrant workers to Ivorian cocoa plantations; UN sanctions ban Liberia from exporting diamonds and timber

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 12,600 (Cote d'Ivoire)
Idps: 13,000 (civil war from 1990-2004; IDP resettlement began in November 2004) (2007)

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine for the European and US markets; corruption criminal activity arms-dealing and diamond trade provide significant potential for money laundering but the lack of well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a major money-laundering center