Map of Liberia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: With 28 ethnic groups and languages, Liberia is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world. For hundreds of years, the Mali and Songhai Empires claimed most of Liberia. Beginning in the 15th century, European traders began establishing outposts along the Liberian coast. Unlike its neighbors, however, Liberia did not fall under European colonial rule. In the early 19th century, the US began sending freed enslaved people and other people of color to Liberia to establish settlements. In 1847, these settlers declared independence from the US, writing their own constitution and establishing Africa’s first republic.


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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
Comparative: slightly larger than Virginia

Land boundaries
Total: 1,667 km
Border countries: (3) Guinea 590 km; Cote d'Ivoire 778 km; Sierra Leone 299 km

Coastline: 579 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 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
Highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,447 m
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 243 m

Natural resources: iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower

Land use
Agricultural land: 28.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 5.2% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 2.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 20.8% (2018 est.)
Forest: 44.6% (2018 est.)
Other: 27.3% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 30 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 80 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 50 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 232 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

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 as shown in this [link]: 5,506,280 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 2.37% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 50.9% (2016 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Liberian(s)
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%, Krahn 4%, Vai 4%, Mandingo 3.2%, Gbandi 3%, Mende 1.3%, Sapo 1.3%, other Liberian 1.7%, other African 1.4%, non-African 0.1% (2008 est.)

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 1.5% (2008 est.)

Demographic profile: Liberia’s high fertility rate of nearly 5 children per woman and large youth cohort - more than 60% of the population is under the age of 25 as of 2020 - will sustain a high dependency ratio for many years to come. Significant progress has been made in preventing child deaths, despite a lack of health care workers and infrastructure. Infant and child mortality have dropped nearly 70% since 1990; the annual reduction rate of about 5.4% is the highest in Africa.

Age structure
0-14 years: 42.69% (male 1,187,795/female 1,162,699)
15-64 years: 54.5% (male 1,486,582/female 1,514,163)
65 years and over: 2.82% (2023 est.) (male 75,258/female 79,783)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 79.7
Youth dependency ratio: 73.7
Elderly dependency ratio: 6
Potential support ratio: 16.7 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 19.7 years (2023 est.)
Male: 19.6 years
Female: 19.9 years

Population growth rate: 2.37% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 33 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 8.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution: more than half of the population lives in urban areas, with approximately one-third living within an 80-km radius of Monrovia as shown in this [link]

Urbanization
Urban population: 53.6% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 3.41% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 1.678 million MONROVIA (capital) (2023)

Environment
Current issues: tropical rain forest deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; hunting of endangered species for bushmeat; pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage; pollution of rivers from industrial run-off; burning and dumping of household waste
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 35.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 1.39 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 6.56 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 19.1 years (2019/20 est.)
Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Maternal mortality ratio: 652 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 56.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 61.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 50.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 61.3 years (2023 est.)
Male: 59.7 years
Female: 63 years

Total fertility rate: 4.03 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 24.9% (2019/20)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 96.2% of population
Improved rural: 70.6% of population
Improved total: 84% of population
Unimproved urban: 3.8% of population
Unimproved rural: 29.4% of population
Unimproved total: 16% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure: 9.5% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 0.05 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
Unimproved urban:

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
Animal contact diseases: rabies
Aerosolized dust or soil contact diseases: Lassa fever

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 9.9% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 3.12 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 0.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 2.28 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 8.2% (2020 est.)
Male: 14.3% (2020 est.)
Female: 2% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 10.9% (2019/20)

Education expenditures: 2.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 48.3%
Male: 62.7%
Female: 34.1% (2017)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 3.2% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 3.2%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 3.2%


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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 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: named after James MONROE (1758-1831), the fifth president of the United States and supporter of the colonization of Liberia by freed slaves; one of two national capitals named for a US president, the other is Washington, D.C.

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 (at independence); latest drafted 19 October 1983, revision 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, 2020

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 George WEAH (since 22 January 2018); Vice President Jewel HOWARD-TAYLOR (since 22 January 2018); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President George WEAH (since 22 January 2018); Vice President Jewel HOWARD-TAYLOR (since 22 January 2018)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president, confirmed by the Senate
Elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 10 October 2023 with a run-off on 14 November 2023 (next to be held October 2,028)
Election results: Joseph BOAKAI elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - George WEAH (CDC) 43.8%, Joseph BOAKAI (UP) 43.4%, Edward APPLETON (GDM) 2.20%, Lusinee KAMARA (ALCOP) 1.96%, Alexander B. CUMMINGS, Jr. (CPP) 1.61%, Tiawan Saye GONGLOE (LPP) 1.44%, other 5.59%; percentage of vote in second round - Joseph BOAKAI 50.6%, George WEAH 49.4% note - presidential inauguration in January 2024

Legislative branch
Description:
Elections:

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 4 associate justices); 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:

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, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jeff Gongoer DOWANA (since 12 December 2022)
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 email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) Charges d'Affairs Catherine RODRIGUEZ (since 11 August 2023)
From the us embassy: 502 Benson Street, Monrovia
From the us mailing address: 8,800 Monrovia Place, Washington DC 20,521-8,800
From the us telephone: [231] 77-677-7,000
From the us FAX: [231] 77-677-7,370
From the us email address and website:

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/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: low-income West African economy; food scarcity, especially in rural areas; high poverty and inflation; bad recession prior to COVID-19 due to Ebola crisis; growing government debt; longest continuously operated rubber plantation; large informal economy

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 128.8% (2016 est.)
Government consumption: 16.7% (2016 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 19.5% (2016 est.)
Investment in inventories: 6.7% (2016 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 17.5% (2016 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -89.2% (2016 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 34% (2017 est.)
Industry: 13.8% (2017 est.)
Services: 52.2% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: cassava, sugar cane, oil palm fruit, rice, bananas, vegetables, plantains, rubber, taro, maize

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

Industrial production growth rate: 16.25% (2021 est.)

Labor force: 2.289 million (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 3.2% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 3.2%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 3.2%

Population below poverty line: 50.9% (2016 est.)

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 35.3 (2016 est.)

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

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $5 million (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $6 million (2019 est.)
Surplus  or deficit: -4.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 16.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt:

Revenue
From forest resources: 13.27% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:

Exports:
Partners: Guyana 32%, Poland 10%, Switzerland 8%, Japan 7%, China 5% (2019)
Commodities: gold, ships, iron, rubber, cocoa beans, palm oil (2021)

Imports:
Partners: China 41%, Japan 21%, South Korea 18% (2019)
Commodities: ships, refined petroleum, iron structures, boat propellers, centrifuges (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 4 million (2020)
Access electrification-total population: 29.8% (2021)
Access electrification-urban areas: 49.5% (2021)
Access electrification-rural areas: 8% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 196,000 kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 292 million kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 26 million kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 40.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 59.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 9,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 8,181 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 1.346 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 1.346 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 3.79 million Btu/person (2019 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 6,000 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2021 est.) less than 1
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 1.7 million (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 32 (2021 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media: 8 private and 1 government-owned TV station; satellite TV service available; 1 state-owned radio station; approximately 20 independent radio stations broadcasting in Monrovia, with approximately 80 more local stations operating in other areas; transmissions of 4 international (including the British Broadcasting Corporation and Radio France Internationale) broadcasters are available (2019)

Internet
Country code: .lr
Users total: 1.768 million (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 34% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 13,000 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.3 (2020 est.)


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Military expenditures:

Military and security forces: Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL): Army, Liberian Coast Guard, Air Wing; Ministry of Justice: Liberia National Police, Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (2023)
Note: the AFL Air Wing was previously disbanded in 2005 and has been under redevelopment since 2019; the Liberian National Police and the Liberian Drug Enforcement Agency are under the Ministry of Justice

Military service age and obligation: 18-35 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service; no conscription (2023)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: A8

Airports: 29 (2021)
With paved runways: 2
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
With unpaved runways: 27
With unpaved runways note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Heliports

Pipelines: 4 km oil (2013)

Railways
Total: 429 km (2008)
Standard gauge: 345 km (2008) 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 84 km (2008) 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

Roadways
Total: 10,600 km (2018)
Paved: 657 km (2018)
Unpaved: 9,943 km (2018)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 4,311 (2022)
By type: bulk carrier 1,673, container ship 962, general cargo 141, oil tanker 907, other 628

Ports and terminals
Major seaports: Buchanan, Monrovia


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Disputes international: none identified

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: not a significant transit country for illicit narcotics bound for the United States or Europe; not a key producer of illicit drugs; proximity to major drug transit routes contribute to trafficking cocaine and heroin, to and through Liberia and other West African countries; local drug use involves locally grown cannabis, heroin (mostly smoked), cocaine (snorted), and more recently kush (Cannabis Indic’s type flower), mixed with different substances including heroin or synthetic DMT