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 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. She subsequently won reelection in 2011 in a second round vote that was boycotted by the opposition and remains challenged to build Liberia's economy and reconcile a nation still recovering from 14 years of fighting. The United Nations Security Council in September 2012 passed Resolution 2066 which calls for a reduction of UN troops in Liberia by half by 2015, bringing the troop total down to fewer than 4000, and challenging Liberia's security sector to fill the gaps.

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
 

Independence:

26 July 1847
 

National holiday:

Independence Day, 26 July (1847)
 

Constitution:

previous 1847 (at independence); latest drafted 19 October 1983, revised version adopted by referendum 3 July 1984, effective 6 January 1986; amended 2011 (2011)
 

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
 

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal
 

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF (since 16 January 2006); 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 (since 16 January 2006); Vice President Joseph BOAKAI (since 16 January 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate
(For more information visit the World Leaders website Opens in New Window)
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 reelected president; percent of vote in 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 2014); House of Representatives - last held on 11 October 2011 (next to be held in 2017)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UP 10, NPP 6, CDC 3, APD 2, NUDP 2, LDP 1, LP 1, NDC 1, NDPL 1, independents 3; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; 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, independents 9
 

Judicial branch:

highest court(s): 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:

Alliance for Peace and Democracy or APD [Marcus S. G. DAHN]
Alternative National Congress or ANC [Orishil GOULD]
Congress for Democratic Change or CDC [George WEAH]
Liberia Destiny Party or LDP [Nathaniel BARNES]
Liberty Party or LP [J. Fonati KOFFA]
Liberia Transformation Party or LTP [Julius SUKU]
Movement for Progressive Change or MPC [Simeon FREEMAN]
National Democratic Coalition or NDC [Dew MAYSON]
National Democratic Party of Liberia or NDPL [D. Nyandeh SIEH]
National Patriotic Party or NPP [Theophilus C. GOULD]
National Reformist Party or NRP [Maximillian T. W. DIABE]
National Union for Democratic Progress or NUDP [Victor BARNEY]
Unity Party or UP [Varney SHERMAN]
 

Political pressure groups and leaders:

other: demobilized former military officers
 

International organization participation:

ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), 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 Jeremiah Congbeh SULUNTEH (since 25 April 2012)
chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: [1] (202) 723-0437
FAX: [1] (202) 723-0436
consulate(s) general: New York
 

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Deborah R. MALAC (since 26 July 2012)
embassy: U.S. Embassy, P.O. Box 98, 502 Benson Street, Monrovia
mailing address: P.O. Box 98, Monrovia
telephone: [231] 77-677-7000
FAX: [231] 77-677-7370
 

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 symbol(s):

white star
 

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 would become the third president of Liberia

Economy - overview:
 
Liberia is a low income country that relies heavily on foreign assistance. 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 is richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, and iron ore and rubber have driven growth in recent years. Liberia is also reviving its raw timber sector and is encouraging oil exploration. President JOHNSON SIRLEAF, a Harvard-educated banker and administrator, has taken steps to reduce corruption, build support from international donors, and encourage private investment. Rebuilding infrastructure and raising incomes will depend on financial and technical assistance from donor countries and foreign investment in key sectors, such as infrastructure and power generation. The country achieved high growth during 2010-13 due to favorable world prices for its commodities. In the future, growth will depend on global commodity prices, on sustained foreign aid, trade, investment, and remittances, on the development of infrastructure and institutions, but mostly on maintaining political stability and security.
 

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$2.898 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184
$2.681 billion (2012 est.)
$2.475 billion (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars
 

GDP (official exchange rate):

$1.977 billion (2013 est.)
 

GDP - real growth rate:

8.1% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
8.3% (2012 est.)
7.9% (2011 est.)
 

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$700 (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 223
$700 (2012 est.)
$600 (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars
 

Gross national saving:

NA (2012 est.)
-36.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
 

GDP - composition, by end use:

household consumption: 125.6%
government consumption: 15.2%
investment in fixed capital: 25%
investment in inventories: 0%
exports of goods and services: 27.5%
imports of goods and services: -93.3%
(2011 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 (manioc, tapioca), palm oil, sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber
 

Industries:

mining (iron ore), rubber processing, palm oil processing, timber, diamonds
 

Industrial production growth rate:

NA%
 

Labor force:

1.372 million (2007)
country comparison to the world: 134
 

Labor force - by occupation:

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

Unemployment rate:

85% (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 201
 

Population below poverty line:

80% (2000 est.)
 

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.4%
highest 10%: 30.1% (2007)
 

Budget:

revenues: $465 million
expenditures: $521.7 million (2013 est.)
 

Taxes and other revenues:

23.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
 

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):

-2.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
 

Public debt:

3.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
0.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
 

Fiscal year:

calendar year
 

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

5.2% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
6.8% (2012 est.)
 

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

14% (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53
13.52% (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Stock of narrow money:

$419.4 million (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163
$408.2 million (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Stock of broad money:

$799.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
$591.3 million (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Stock of domestic credit:

$705.4 million (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
$521.9 million (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA
 

Current account balance:

-$742.4 million (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
-$918.8 million (2012 est.)
 

Exports:

$929.8 million (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
$774.8 million (2012 est.)
 

Exports - commodities:

rubber, timber, iron, diamonds, cocoa, coffee
 

Exports - partners:

China 24%, US 15.3%, Spain 11%, Algeria 6.5%, Thailand 4.5%, Malaysia 4.1%, France 4% (2012)
 

Imports:

$2.457 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155
$2.275 billion (2012 est.)
 

Imports - commodities:

fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods; foodstuffs
 

Imports - partners:

South Korea 26.7%, China 24.4%, Singapore 23.2%, Japan 16.1% (2012)
 

Debt - external:

$438.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
$349.2 million (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$4.241 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
$3.574 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$NA (31 December 2013 est.)
$NA (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Exchange rates:

Liberian dollars (LRD) per US dollar -
77.63 (2013 est.)
73.515 (2012 est.)
71.403 (2010 est.)

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

Geographic coordinates:

6 30 N, 9 30 W
 

Map references:

Africa
 

Area:

total: 111,369 sq km
country comparison to the world: 104
land: 96,320 sq km
water: 15,049 sq km
 

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than Tennessee
 

Land boundaries:

total: 1,585 km
border countries: 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
highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 m
Natural resources:

iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower
 

Land use:

arable land: 4.04%
permanent crops: 1.62%
other: 94.34% (2011)
 

Irrigated land:

21 sq km (2003)
 

Total renewable water resources:

232 cu km (2011)
 

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.13 cu km/yr (55%/37%/8%)
per capita: 43.66 cu m/yr (2005)
 

Natural hazards:

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

Environment - current issues:

tropical rain forest deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage
 

Environment - 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
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
 

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

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%, 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)
 

Population:

4,092,310 (July 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
 

Age structure:

0-14 years: 43.2% (male 891,002/female 876,655)
15-24 years: 17.9% (male 357,952/female 375,708)
25-54 years: 31.5% (male 642,835/female 646,104)
55-64 years: 4.3% (male 85,906/female 89,943)
65 years and over: 3% (male 62,475/female 63,730) (2014 est.)
population pyramid:  
 

Dependency ratios:

total dependency ratio: 83.9 %
youth dependency ratio: 78.4 %
elderly dependency ratio: 5.6 %
potential support ratio: 18 (2014 est.)
 

Median age:

total: 17.9 years
male: 17.7 years
female: 18.1 years (2014 est.)
 

Population growth rate:

2.52% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
 

Birth rate:

35.07 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 26
 

Death rate:

9.9 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
 

Net migration rate:

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
 

Urbanization:

urban population: 48.2% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 3.43% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
 

Major urban areas - population:

MONROVIA (capital) 750,000 (2011)
 

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)
 

Mother's mean age at first birth:

19
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2009 est.)
 

Maternal mortality rate:

770 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 8
 

Infant mortality rate:

total: 69.19 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 15
male: 73.46 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 64.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)
 

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 58.21 years
country comparison to the world: 199
male: 56.56 years
female: 59.9 years (2014 est.)
 

Total fertility rate:

4.81 children born/woman (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21
 

Contraceptive prevalence rate:

11.4% (2007)
 

Health expenditures:

19.5% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 1
 

Physicians density:

0.01 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
 

Hospital bed density:

0.8 beds/1,000 population (2010)
 

Drinking water source:

improved: 
urban: 86.8% of population
rural: 63% of population
total: 74.6% of population
unimproved: 
urban: 13.2% of population
rural: 37% of population
total: 25.4% of population (2012 est.)
 

Sanitation facility access:

improved: 
urban: 28.4% of population
rural: 5.9% of population
total: 16.8% of population
unimproved: 
urban: 71.6% of population
rural: 94.1% of population
total: 83.2% of population (2012 est.)
 

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.9% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
 

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

21,800 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
 

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

1,700 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
 

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 (2013)
 

Obesity - adult prevalence rate:

4.8% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 161
 

Children under the age of 5 years underweight:

20.4% (2007)
country comparison to the world: 29
 

Education expenditures:

2.8% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 144
 

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 60.8%
male: 64.8%
female: 56.8% (2010 est.)
 

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 11 years
male: 12 years
female: 9 years (2000)
 

Child labor - children ages 5-14:

total number: 177,160
percentage: 21 % (2007 est.)
 

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:

total: 5.1%
country comparison to the world: 137
male: 3.4%
female: 6.6% (2010)

Telephones - main lines in use:
 
3,200 (2011)
country comparison to the world: 213
 

Telephones - mobile cellular:

2.394 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 138
 

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 50 per 100 persons in 2011
international: country code - 231; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2010)
 

Broadcast media:

3 private TV stations; satellite TV service 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
 

Internet hosts:

7 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 228
 

Internet users:

20,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 194

Airports:
 
29 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 117
 

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)
 

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 
14 (2013)
 

Pipelines:

oil 4 km (2013)
 

Railways:

total: 429 km
country comparison to the world: 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 (2008)
 

Roadways:

total: 10,600 km
country comparison to the world: 134
paved: 657 km
unpaved: 9,943 km (2000)
 

Merchant marine:

total: 2,771
country comparison to the world: 2
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: 2,581 (Angola 1, Argentina 1, Australia 1, Belgium 1, Bermuda 4, Brazil 20, Canada 2, Chile 9, China 4, Croatia 1, Cyprus 9, Denmark 8, Egypt 3, Germany 1185, Gibraltar 5, Greece 505, Hong Kong 48, India 8, Indonesia 4, Israel 34, Italy 47, Japan 110, Latvia 5, Lebanon 1, Monaco 8, Netherlands 31, Nigeria 4, Norway 38, Poland 13, Qatar 5, Romania 3, Russia 109, Saudi Arabia 20, Singapore 22, Slovenia 7, South Korea 2, Sweden 12, Switzerland 25, Syria 1, Taiwan 94, Turkey 16, UAE 37, UK 32, UK 22, Ukraine 10, Uruguay 1, US 53) (2010)
 

Ports and terminals:

major seaport(s): Buchanan, Monrovia

Electricity - production:
 
335 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168
 

Electricity - consumption:

311.6 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
 

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
 

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
 

Electricity - installed generating capacity:

197,000 kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
 

Electricity - from fossil fuels:

100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
 

Electricity - from nuclear fuels:

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
 

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179
 

Electricity - from other renewable sources:

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
 

Crude oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188
 

Crude oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
 

Crude oil - imports:

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 209
 

Crude oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155
 

Refined petroleum products - production:

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
 

Refined petroleum products - consumption:

3,533 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
 

Refined petroleum products - exports:

23 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
 

Refined petroleum products - imports:

3,673 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
 

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155
 

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
 

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
 

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
 

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
 

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:

588,000 Mt (2011 est.)