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

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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 descendants 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 was killed. A period of relative peace in 1997 allowed for an election 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 was convicted by the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague for 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. She subsequently won reelection in 2011 and remains challenged to rebuild Liberia's economy particularly following the 2014-15 Ebola epidemic and to reconcile a nation still recovering from 14 years of fighting. The UN Security Council in September 2015 passed Resolution 2,239 which renewed the mandate for the UN Mission in Liberia for another year. In July 2016 the UN handed over peacekeeping responsibility to Liberia and reduced the UN troop presence which now serves a support role. Liberia is scheduled to hold presidential and legislative elections in October 2017. Constitutional term limits bar


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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
Land: 96,320 km²
Water: 15,049 km²
Rank: 105
Comparative: slightly larger than Tennessee

Land boundaries
Total: 1667 km
Border countries: (3) Guinea 590 km; Cote d'Ivoire 778 km; Sierra Leone 299 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
Mean elevation: 243 m
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m: highest point: Mount Wuteve 1447 m

Natural resources: iron ore timber diamonds gold hydropower

Land use
Agricultural land: 28.1%
Forest: 44.6%
Other: 27.3%

Irrigated land: 30 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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


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Population
Distribution: more than half of the population lives in urban areas with approximately one-third living within an 80-km radius of Monrovia: 4,689,021 (July 2017 est.)
Rank: 125
Growth rate: 2.5% (2017 est.)
Growth rate rank: 22
Below poverty line: 54.1% (2014 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: 43.82%
15-24 years: 19.56%
25-54 years: 30.33%
55-64 years: 3.43%
65 years and over: 2.86% (2017 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 83.2
Youth dependency ratio: 77.6
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.5
Potential support ratio: 18.1

Median age
Total: 17.8 years
Male: 17.5 years
Female: 18 years
Rank: 211

Population growth rate: 2.5% (2017 est.)
Rank: 22

Birth rate: 38.3 births/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 10

Death rate: 7.6 deaths/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 105

Net migration rate: -5.7 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 196

Population distribution: more than half of the population lives in urban areas with approximately one-third living within an 80-km radius of Monrovia

Urbanization
Urban population: 50.5% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3.24% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: MONROVIA (capital) 1.264 million (2015)

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
0-14 years: 1.02 male/female
15-24 years: 0.97 male/female
25-54 years: 0.99 male/female
55-64 years: 0.93 male/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male/female
Total population: 0.99 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth: 19.2 years
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 52.2 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 56.7 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 47.6 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 24

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 63.3 years
Male: 61.2 years
Female: 65.5 years
Rank: 195

Total fertility rate: 5.06 children born/woman (2017 est.)
Rank: 14

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 20.2% (2013)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.01 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density: 0.8 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.6% (2016 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 31
People living with hivaids: 43,000 (2016 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 60
Deaths: 2,800 (2016 est.)
Deaths rank: 45

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

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 9.9% (2016)
Rank: 141

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 15.3% (2013)
Rank: 28

Education expenditures: 2.8% of GDP (2012)
Rank: 144

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 47.6%
Male: 62.4%
Female: 32.8%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Liberia
Conventional short form: Liberia
Etymology: name derives from the Latin word 'liber' meaning 'free'; so named because the nation was created as a homeland for liberated African-American slaves

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Monrovia
Geographic coordinates: 6 18 N 10 48 W
Time difference: UTC 0

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
History: previous 1847 ; latest drafted 19 October 1983 revised version adopted by referendum 3 July 1984 effective 6 January 1986
Amendments: proposed by agreement of at least two-thirds of both National Assembly houses or by petition of at least 10,000 citizens; passage requires at least two-thirds majority approval of both houses and approval in a referendum by at least two-thirds majority of registered voters; amended 2011; note - a series of amendment proposals approved by the Constitution Review Conference in early 2015 are pending a referendum ahead of October 2017 elections

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
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Liberia
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 2 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF ; Vice President Joseph BOAKAI (since 16 January 2006); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF ; Vice President Joseph BOAKAI (since 16 January 2006)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president confirmed by the Senate
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 6-year term ; election last held on 10 October 2017 (run-off scheduled for 7 November 2017 has been halted pending a ruling on fraud allegations)
Election results: percent of vote in first round - George WEAH 38.4% Joseph BOAKAI (UP) 28.8% Charles BRUMSKINE (LP) 9.6% Prince JOHNSON (MDR) 8.2% Alexander B. CUMMINGS (ANC) 7.2% other 7.8%
Note: Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF is the first elected female head of state in Africa

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate
Elections: Senate - last held on 20 December 2014 ; House of Representatives - last held on 11 October 2011 (next to be held on 10 October 2017)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - CDC 29.8% UP 10.3% LP 11.5% NPP 6.1% PUP 4.9% ANC 4.2% NDC 1.3% other 7.6% independent 24.3%; seats by party - UP 4 CDC 2 LP 2 ANC 1 NDC 1 NPP 1 PUP 1 independent 3: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - UP 17.8% CDC 12.8% LP 9.2% NDC 5.7% LTP 4.5% NUDP 3.9% NPP 3.3% MPC 2.4% APD 2.1%LDP 1.0% NRP 0.8% other 16.8% independent 19.7%; seats by party - UP 24 CDC 11 LP 7 NUDP 6 NDC 5 APD 3 NPP 3 MPC 2 LDP 1 LTP 1 NRP 1 independent 9

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court ; note - the Supreme Court has jurisdiction for all constitutional cases
Judge selection and term of office: chief justice and associate justices appointed by the president of Liberia with consent of the Senate; judges can serve until age 70
Subordinate courts: judicial circuit courts; special courts including criminal civil labor traffic; magistrate and traditional or customary courts

Political parties and leaders: Unity Party or UP [Varney SHERMAN]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Jeff Gongoer DOWANA (since 12 April 2017)
In the us chancery: 5,201 16th Street NW Washington DC 20,011
In the us telephone: [1] 723-0437
In the us FAX: [1] 723-0436
In the us consulate general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Christine A. ELDER
From the us embassy: U.S. Embassy 502 Benson Street Monrovia
From the us mailing address: P.O. Box 98 Monrovia
From the us telephone: [231] 77-677-7,000
From the us FAX: [231] 77-677-7,370

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 colors: red white blue

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

National heritage


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Economy overview:

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2016 dollars
Rank: 179

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 200

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2016 dollars
Rank: 226

Gross national saving:

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 128.8%
Government consumption: 16.7%
Investment in fixed capital: 19.5%
Investment in inventories: 6.7%
Exports of goods and services: 17.5%
Imports of goods and services: -89.2%

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 36%
Industry: 10.4%
Services: 53.5%

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

Industries: mining (iron ore and gold) rubber processing palm oil processing diamonds

Industrial production growth rate: -16% (2016 est.)
Rank: 200

Labor force: 1.632 million (2016 est.)
Rank: 128
By occupation agriculture: 70%
By occupation industry: 8%
By occupation services: 22%

Unemployment rate: 2.8% (2014 est.)
Rank: 27

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 54.1% (2014 est.)

Gini index

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

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 115

Budget
Revenues: $638.1 million
Expenditures: $719.5 million
Surplus or deficit: -3.9% of GDP (2016 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 136

Taxes and other revenues: 30.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
Rank: 78

Public debt:
Rank: 126

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 202

Central bank discount rate: 3.2% (2016)
Rank: 105

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 55

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 170

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 179

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 170

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance:
Rank: 92

Exports:
Rank: 188
Commodities: rubber timber iron diamonds cocoa coffee
Partners: Poland 18.5% Switzerland 9.7% UAE 9.4% Netherlands 8.9% Germany 6.1% US 5.9% South Africa 5% China 4.4% Ghana 4.2% (2016)

Imports:
Rank: 175
Commodities: fuels chemicals machinery transportation equipment manufactured goods; foodstuffs
Partners: South Korea 38.3% Singapore 18% China 15.9% Japan 10.9% (2016)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external:
Rank: 167

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 81

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 100

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 3,900,000
Access electrification total population: 10%
Access electrification urban areas: 17%
Access electrification rural areas: 3%
Production: 70.07 million kWh
Production note: according to a 2014 household survey only 4.5% of Liberians use Liberia Electricity Corporation power. 4.9% use a community generator 4.4% have their own generator 3.9% use vehicle batteries and 0.8% use other sources of electricity. 81.3% have no access to electricity. LEC accounts for roughly 70 million kWh of ouput. (2016 est.)
Production rank: 202
Consumption: 39 million kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 207
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 159
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 169
Installed generating capacity: 125,000 kW (2015 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 176
Generation sources fossil fuels: 63.3% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 119
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 129
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 36.7% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 57
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 193

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 160
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 153
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 150
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2017 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 157

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products production rank: 164
Products consumption: 6,600 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products consumption rank: 167
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products exports rank: 171
Products imports: 6,611 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products imports rank: 155

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Production rank: 160
Consumption: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 201
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 138
Imports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 147
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 es)
Proven reserves rank: 162

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 600,000 Mt (2013 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 178

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 8,000
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1
Fixed lines rank: 198
Mobile cellular total: 3,834,600
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 89
Mobile cellular rank: 136

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 approached 90 per 100 persons in 2016
International: country code - 231; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2015)

Broadcast media: 8 private and 1 government-owned TV station; satellite TV service available; 1 state-owned radio station; 19 independent radio stations broadcasting in Monrovia with another 77 local stations operating in other areas; transmissions of 4 international broadcasters are available (2017)

Internet
Country code: .lr
Users total: 314,717
Users percent of population: 7.3%
Users rank: 158

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 114

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: A8 (2016)

Airports: 29 (2013)
Rank: 117
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
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

Heliports

Pipelines: oil 4 km (2013)

Railways
Total: 429 km
Standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 84 km 1.067-m gauge
Note: most sections of the railways inoperable due to damage sustained during the civil wars from 1980 to 2003 but many are being rebuilt
Rank: 119

Roadways
Total: 10,600 km
Paved: 657 km
Unpaved: 9,943 km
Rank: 134

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 2,771
By type: barge carrier 5 bulk carrier 662 cargo 143 carrier 2 chemical tanker 248 combination ore/oil 8 container 937 liquefied gas 92 passenger 2 passenger/cargo 2 petroleum tanker 526 refrigerated cargo 102 roll on/roll off 5 specialized tanker 10 vehicle carrier 27
Foreign owned: 2,559 (2010)
Rank: 3

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Buchanan Monrovia


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Disputes international: as the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) continues to drawdown prior to the 1 March 2018 closure date the peacekeeping force is being reduced to 434 soldiers and two police units; some Liberian refugees still remain in Guinea Cote d'Ivoire Sierra Leone and Ghana; Liberia shelters almost 15,000 Ivoirian refugees as of May 2017; in 2017 Liberia's 3 refugee camps will be converted into 'settlements' and remaining Ivoirian refugees will be integrated into local communities

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 11,949 (Cote d'Ivoire) (2017)
IDPs: up to 23,000 (2014)

Illicit drugs
Rank: li>a href='../rankorder/rankorderguide.html'>Guide to Country Comparisons: 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