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 assassinated President William TOLBERT (1971-80) and ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule followed by a prolonged civil war in which DOE himself was killed. In August 2003 a comprehensive peace agreement ended 14 years of intermittent fighting and prompted the resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR who was exiled to Nigeria. 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) which maintains a strong presence throughout the country completed a disarmament program for former combatants in late 2004 but the security situation is still volatile and the process of rebuilding the social and economic structure of this war-torn country remains sluggish.

Geographic coordinates: 6 30 N 9 30 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 111,370 km²
Land: 96,320 km²
Water: 15,050 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Tennessee

Land boundaries
Total: 1,585 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 1,380 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 (2003)

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

Population: 3,042,004 (July 2006 est.)
Growth rate: 4.91% (2006 est.)
Below poverty line: 80%

Nationality
Noun: Liberian
Adjective: Liberian

Ethnic groups: indigenous African 95% (including Kpelle Bassa Gio Kru Grebo Mano Krahn Gola Gbandi Loma Kissi Vai Dei Bella Mandingo and Mende) Americo-Liberians 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the US who had been slaves) Congo People 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean who had been slaves)

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

Religions: indigenous beliefs 40% Christian 40% Muslim 20%

Age structure
0-14 years: 43.1% (male 656,016/female 653,734)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 816,443/female 832,152)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 40,591/female 43,068) (2006 est.)

Median age
Total: 18.1 years
Male: 18 years
Female: 18.3 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 4.91% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 44.77 births/1000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 23.1 deaths/1000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate
Note: at least 238,500 Liberian refugees are in surrounding countries; the uncertain security situation has hindered their ability to return (2006 est.)

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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1 male/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male/female
Total population: 0.99 male/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 155.76 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 171.96 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 139.06 deaths/1000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 39.65 years
Male: 37.99 years
Female: 41.35 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.02 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 5.9% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 100,000 (2003 est.)
Deaths: 7,200 (2003 est.)

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 are high risks in some locations
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2005)

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

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

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Monrovia
Geographic coordinates: 6 18 N, 10 47 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

Independence: 26 July 1847

National holiday: Independence Day 26 July (1847)

Constitution: 6 January 1986

Legal system: dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American common law for the modern sector and customary law based on unwritten tribal practices for indigenous sector; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF (since 16 January 2006); note - the President is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF (since 6 January 2006); note - the President is both the chief of state and head of government
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); election last held 8 November 2005 (next to be held NA 2011)
Election results: Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF elected president; percent of vote, second round - Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF (UP) 59.6%, George WEAH (CDC) 40.4%
Note: a UN-brokered cease-fire among warring factions and the Liberian Government resulted in the August 2003 resignation of former president, Charles TAYLOR; a jointly agreed upon replacement, Chairman Gyude BRYANT, assumed office as head of the National Transitional Government on 14 October 2003; free elections were held 11 October 2005, with a runoff election between the two leading candidates on 8 November 2005

Legislative branch
Elections: Senate - last held 11 October 2005 (next to be held in 2014); House of Representatives - last held 11 October 2005 (next to be held NA 2011)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - COTOL 7, NPP 4, CDC 3, LP 3, UP 3, APD 3, other 7; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CDC 15, LP 9, UP 8, COTOL 8, APD 5, NPP 4, other 15
Note: the current six-year term for junior senators - those who received the second most votes in the election - is mandated by the Liberian constitution to stagger Senate elections and ensure continuity of government

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Peace and Democracy or APD [Togba-na TIPOTEH]; Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia or COTOL; Congress for Democratic Change or CDC [George WEAH]; Liberian Action Party or LAP [H. Varney SHERMAN]; Liberty Party or LP [Charles BRUMSKINE]; National Patriotic Party or NPP [Cyril ALLEN]; Unity Party or UP [Charles CLARKE]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU ECOWAS FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ITU NAM OPCW (signatory) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Charles A. MINOR
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 consulates general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Donald E. BOOTH
From the us embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, P. O. Box 10-0098, Mamba Point, 1000 Monrovia, 10
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [231] 226-370 through 226-380
From the us fax: [231] 226-148

Flag description: 11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a white five-pointed star on a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner; the design was based on the US flag

Economy overview: Civil war and government mismanagement have destroyed much of Liberia's economy especially the infrastructure in and around Monrovia while continued international sanctions on diamonds and timber exports will limit growth prospects for the foreseeable future. Many businessmen have fled the country taking capital and expertise with them. Some have returned but many will not. 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. Local manufacturing mainly foreign owned had been small in scope. The departure of the former president Charles TAYLOR to Nigeria in August 2003 the establishment of the all-inclusive Transitional Government and the arrival of a UN mission have helped defuse the political crisis but have done little to encourage economic development. Wealthy international donors who are ready to assist reconstruction efforts are withholding funding until Liberia's National Assembly signs onto a Governance and Economic Management Action Plan (GEMAP). The Plan was created in October 2005 by the International Contact Group for Liberia to help ensure transparent revenue collection and allocation - something that was lacking under the Transitional Government and that has limited Liberia's economic recovery. The reconstruction of infrastructure and the raising of incomes in this ravaged economy will largely depend on generous financial support and technical assistance from donor countries.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $2.643 billion (2005 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 9.8% (2005 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $900 (2005 est.)

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
By occupation agriculture: 70%
By occupation industry: 8%
By occupation services: 22% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: 85% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line: 80%

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

Budget
Revenues: $85.4 million
Expenditures: $90.5 million; including capital expenditures of $N/A (2000 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 15% (2003 est.)

Exports: $910 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: rubber timber iron diamonds cocoa coffee
Partners: Belgium 41.4% Spain 11.6% US 9.1% Malaysia 5.5% Thailand 4.6% Poland 4.6% Germany 4.4% (2005)

Imports: $4.839 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: fuels chemicals machinery transportation equipment manufactured goods; foodstuffs
Partners: South Korea 37.9% Japan 21.1% Singapore 14.2% Croatia 4.7% (2005)

Debt external: $3.2 billion (2005 est.)

Exchange rates: Liberian dollars per US dollar - NA (2005) 54.906 (2004) 59.379 (2003) 61.754 (2002) 48.583 (2001)

Electricity
Production: 509.4 million kWh (2003)
Consumption: 473.8 million kWh (2003)
Exports: 0 kWh (2003)
Imports: 0 kWh (2003)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2003 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2003 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 6,900 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 160,000 (2005)

Telephone system
General assessment: the limited services available are found almost exclusively in the capital Monrovia
Domestic: fully automatic system with very low density of .23 fixed main lines per 100 persons; limited wireless service available
International: country code - 231; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Internet
Country code: .lr
Hosts: 8 (2006)
Users: 1000 (2002)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 7.5% (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)

Airports: 53 (2006)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2006)
With unpaved runways total: 51
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 38 (2006)

Railways
Total: 490 km
Standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 145 km 1.067-m gauge
Note: railway is inoperable because of damage suffered during the civil war (2005)

Roadways
Total: 10,600 km
Paved: 657 km
Unpaved: 9,943 km (1999)

Merchant marine
Total: 1,687 ships (1000 GRT or over) 62,522,787 GRT/96,776,521 DWT
By type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 322, cargo 83, chemical tanker 199, combination ore/oil 2, container 477, liquefied gas 75, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 397, refrigerated cargo 76, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier 35
Foreign owned: 1,611 (Argentina 7, Australia 2, Austria 13, Bahamas, The 1, Bermuda 1, Brazil 3, Canada 2, China 35, Croatia 7, Cyprus 3, Denmark 8, Estonia 1, France 3, Germany 587, Greece 267, Hong Kong 37, India 3, Indonesia 1, Isle of Man 5, Israel 5, Italy 16, Japan 102, South Korea 3, Kuwait 1, Latvia 14, Lebanon 2, Mexico 1, Monaco 10, Netherlands 29, Norway 38, Poland 14, Qatar 2, Russia 77, Saudi Arabia 24, Singapore 28, Slovenia 2, Sweden 8, Switzerland 7, Taiwan 69, Turkey 1, UAE 18, UK 41, Ukraine 16, Uruguay 3, US 93, unknown 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals: Buchanan Monrovia

Disputes international: although Liberia's domestic fighting among disparate rebel groups warlords and youth gangs was declared over in 2003 civil unrest persists and in 2004 133,000 Liberian refugees remained in Guinea 72,000 in Cote d'Ivoire 67,000 in Sierra Leone and 43,000 in Ghana; Liberia in turn shelters refugees fleeing turmoil in Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone; since 2003 the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) has maintained about 18,000 peacekeepers in Liberia; the Cote d'Ivoire Government accuses Liberia of supporting Ivoirian rebels; UN sanctions ban Liberia from exporting diamonds and timber

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 13,941 (Sierra Leone) 12,408 (Cote d'Ivoire)
Idps: 464,000 (civil war from 1990-2004; IDP resettlement began in November 2004) (2005)

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