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: 111,370 sq km
land: 96,320 sq km
water: 15,050 sq km

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: 3.95%
permanent crops: 2.28%
other: 93.77% (2001)

Irrigated land:

30 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:

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

Population:

3,482,211 (July 2005 est.)

Nationality :

noun: Liberian(s)
adjective: Liberian

Religions:

Indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%

Languages:

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

Country name:

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

Government type:

Republic

Capital:

Monrovia

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

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
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate;

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 (64 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court

Economy – overview:

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.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$2.593 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

8% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita:

Purchasing power parity - $700 (2005 est.)

GDP – composition by sector:

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

Labor force - by occupation:

Agriculture 70%, industry 8%, services 22% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:

85% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line:

80%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

15% (2003 est.)

Budget:

Revenues: $85.4 million
expenditures: $90.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.)

Agriculture - products:

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

Industries:

Rubber processing, palm oil processing, timber, diamonds

Electricity - production:

509.4 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:

Fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:

473.8 million kWh (2003)

Oil – consumption:

3,400 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil – imports:

NA (2001)

Exports:

$910 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports – partners:

Denmark 28.1%, Germany 18%, Poland 13.6%, US 8.5%, Greece 7.6%, Thailand 4.8% (2004)

Imports:

$4.839 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports – partners:

South Korea 38.8%, Japan 21.2%, Singapore 12.2%, Croatia 5.3%, Germany 4.2% (2004)

Debt – external:

$3.2 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid – recipient:

$94 million (1999)

Currency (code):

Liberian dollar (LRD)

Exchange rates:

Liberian dollars per US dollar – 55 (2005), 54.906 (2004), 59.379 (2003), 61.754 (2002), 48.583 (2001)

Fiscal year:

Calendar year