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Communications

Broadcast media [time series]

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 [time series]

.lr

Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]

8 (2010) country comparison to the world: 224

Internet users [time series]

20,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 193

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

5,900 (2010) country comparison to the world: 209

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

1.571 million (2010) country comparison to the world: 142

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]

-0.7% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 55

Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]

14.3% (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 67 14.183% (31 December 2009 est.)

Current account balance [time series]

-$692.5 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 121 -$541.1 million (2009 est.)

Debt - external [time series]

$1.66 billion (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 143 $3.2 billion (2005 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

38.2 (2007) country comparison to the world: 74

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

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.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

311.6 million kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 167

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - production [time series]

335 million kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 165

Exchange rates [time series]

Liberian dollars (LRD) per US dollar - NA (2007) 59.43 (2006) 53.098 (2005) 54.906 (2004) 59.379 (2003)

Exports [time series]

$207 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 179 $180 million (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

rubber, timber, iron, diamonds, cocoa, coffee

Exports - partners [time series]

South Africa 26.9%, US 18.1%, Spain 7.8%, Denmark 5.4%, Venezuela 4.8%, Malaysia 4.3% (2010)

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$974 million (2010 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]

$1.691 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 190 $1.608 billion (2009 est.) $1.537 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 76.9% industry: 5.4% services: 17.7% (2002 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]

$500 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 225 $400 (2009 est.) $400 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

5.1% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 69 4.6% (2009 est.) 7.1% (2008 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$726.7 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 181 $559 million (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

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

Imports - partners [time series]

South Korea 37.2%, China 26.3%, Singapore 17.3%, Japan 11.5% (2010)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

NA%

Industries [time series]

rubber processing, palm oil processing, timber, diamonds

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

7.3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 182 7.4% (2009 est.)

Labor force [time series]

1.372 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 133

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

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

Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]

$NA

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 198

Natural gas - exports [time series]

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 132

Natural gas - imports [time series]

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 144

Natural gas - production [time series]

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 207

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 157

Oil - consumption [time series]

4,500 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 172

Oil - exports [time series]

23 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 131

Oil - imports [time series]

4,552 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 160

Oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 192

Oil - proved reserves [time series]

0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 154

Population below poverty line [time series]

80% (2000 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]

$399.8 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 152 $372.5 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money [time series]

$398.6 million country comparison to the world: 179 $343.6 million

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad [time series]

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home [time series]

$NA

Stock of domestic credit [time series]

$1.334 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 146 $1.269 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money [time series]

$289 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 170 $260.1 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Taxes and other revenues [time series]

34.3% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 70

Unemployment rate [time series]

85% (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 197

Geography

Area [time series]

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

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly larger than Tennessee

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

579 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

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

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

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

Total water withdrawal (Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)) [time series]

total: 0.11 cu km/yr (27%/18%/55%) per capita: 34 cu m/yr (2000)

Geographic coordinates [time series]

6 30 N, 9 30 W

Geography - note [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

30 sq km (2008)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 1,585 km border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 3.43% permanent crops: 1.98% other: 94.59% (2005)

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Africa

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 200 nm

Natural hazards [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower

Terrain [time series]

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

Total renewable water resources [time series]

232 cu km (1987)

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

name: Monrovia geographic coordinates: 6 18 N, 10 48 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution [time series]

6 January 1986

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Liberia conventional short form: Liberia

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Linda THOMAS-GREENFIELD embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, P. O. Box 98, Mamba Point, 1000 Monrovia, 10 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [231] 7-705-4826 FAX: [231] 7-701-0370

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires William V. BULL chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 723-0437 FAX: [1] (202) 723-0436 consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch [time series]

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 16 January 2006) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) 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%

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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

Government type [time series]

republic

Independence [time series]

26 July 1847

International law organization participation [time series]

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation [time series]

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)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

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

National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 26 July (1847)

National symbol(s) [time series]

white star

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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]

Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

other: demobilized former military officers

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Introduction

Background [time series]

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.

Military

Manpower available for military service [time series]

males age 16-49: 815,826 females age 16-49: 828,484 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service [time series]

males age 16-49: 524,243 females age 16-49: 544,349 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually [time series]

male: 36,585 female: 38,516 (2010 est.)

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL): Army, Navy, Air Force

Military expenditures [time series]

1.3% of GDP (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 112

Military service age and obligation [time series]

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2010)

People and Society

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 44.3% (male 843,182/female 834,922) 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.)

Birth rate [time series]

37.25 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 20

Children under the age of 5 years underweight [time series]

20.4% (2007) country comparison to the world: 35

Death rate [time series]

10.62 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 45

Drinking water source [time series]

improved: urban: 79% of population rural: 51% of population total: 68% of population unimproved: urban: 21% of population rural: 49% of population total: 32% of population (2008)

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

2.7% of GDP (2008) country comparison to the world: 144

Ethnic groups [time series]

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)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

1.5% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 36

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

3,600 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 44

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

37,000 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 63

Health expenditure (Health expenditures) [time series]

3.9% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 167

Hospital bed density [time series]

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2009) country comparison to the world: 160

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 74.52 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 19 male: 78.96 deaths/1,000 live births female: 69.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 57 years country comparison to the world: 193 male: 55.44 years female: 58.6 years (2011 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 57.5% male: 73.3% female: 41.6% (2003 est.)

Major urban areas - population (Major cities - population) [time series]

MONROVIA (capital) 882,000 (2009)

Major infectious diseases [time series]

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)

Maternal mortality ratio (Maternal mortality rate) [time series]

990 deaths/100,000 live births (2008) country comparison to the world: 5

Median age [time series]

total: 18.3 years male: 18.2 years female: 18.3 years (2011 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Liberian(s) adjective: Liberian

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 95

Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]

0.014 physicians/1,000 population (2008) country comparison to the world: 191

Population [time series]

3,786,764 (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 130

Population growth rate [time series]

2.663% (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 20

Religions [time series]

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

Sanitation facility access [time series]

improved: urban: 25% of population rural: 4% of population total: 17% of population unimproved: urban: 75% of population rural: 96% of population total: 83% of population (2008)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]

total: 11 years male: 13 years female: 9 years (2000)

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/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.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.13 children born/woman (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 16

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) (Unemployment, youth ages 15-24) [time series]

total: 4.7% country comparison to the world: 123 male: 5.7% female: 3.7% (2007)

Urbanization [time series]

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

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

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

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons [time series]

refugees (country of origin): 12,600 (Cote d'Ivoire) IDPs: 13,000 (civil war from 1990-2004; IDP resettlement began in November 2004) (2007)

Trafficking in persons [time series]

current situation: Liberia is a source, transit, and destination country, principally for young women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; most trafficking victims originate from within the country's borders and are subjected to domestic servitude, forced begging, forced labor in street vending, on rubber plantations, and alluvial diamond sites, or sex trafficking; victims of cross-border trafficking come to Liberia from Sierra Leone, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, and Nigeria and are subjected to the same types of exploitation as internally trafficked victims tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - the government has not shown evidence of increased efforts to prosecute and to punish trafficking offenders and to protect trafficking victims; the Liberian Government has never convicted a trafficking offender using its 2005 anti-trafficking law; it reported conducting two investigations of trafficking cases during the year, but did not initiate any prosecutions or convict any traffickers; it also did not provide training to law enforcement officials or magistrates (2011)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

29 (2010) country comparison to the world: 115

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 27 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 14 (2010)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 2,512 country comparison to the world: 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)

Pipelines [time series]

oil 4 km

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

Buchanan, Monrovia

Railways [time series]

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 (2010)

Roadways [time series]

total: 10,600 km country comparison to the world: 135 paved: 657 km unpaved: 9,943 km (2000)