Introduction
Background
Freed slaves from the US began being settled in what is today Liberia in 1822. By 1847, the Americo-Liberians were able to establish a republic. A military coup in 1980 ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule followed by a civil war. A 2003 peace agreement ended the war, and elections were held in 2005.
Geography
Area
total : 111,369 sq km
land: 96,320 sq km
water: 15,049 sq km
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
Natural resources
iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower
People and Society
Population
total: 5,437,249
Ethnic groups
Kpelle 20.2%, Bassa 13.6%, Grebo 9.9%, Gio 7.9%, Mano 7.2%, Kru 5.5%, Lorma 4.8%, Krahn 4.5%, Kissi, 4.3%, Mandingo 4.2%, Vai 3.8%, Gola 3.8%, Gbandi 2.9%, Mende 1.7%, Sapo 1%, Belle 0.7%, Dey 0.3%, other Liberian ethnic group 0.4%, other African 3%, non-African 0.2% (2022 est.)
Languages
English 20% (official) and 27 indigenous languages, including Liberian English (encompassing several varieties of English spoken by Liberians)
Religions
Christian 84.9%, Muslim 12%, Traditional 0.5%, other 0.1%, none 2.6% (2022 est.)
Population growth rate
2.32% (2024 est.)
Government
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
name: Monrovia
Executive branch
chief of state: President Joseph BOAKAI (since 22 January 2024)
head of government: President Joseph BOAKAI (since 22 January 2024)
Legislative branch
description: bicameral National Assembly consists of:
The Liberian Senate (30 seats; members directly elected in 15 2-seat districts by simple majority vote to serve 9-year staggered terms; each district elects 1 senator and elects the second senator 3 years later, followed by a 6-year hiatus, after which the first Senate seat is up for election)
House of Representatives (73 seats; members directly elected in single-seat districts by simple majority vote to serve 6-year terms; eligible for a second term)
Economy
Economic 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)
$8.884 billion (2023 est.)
$8.484 billion (2022 est.)
$8.095 billion (2021 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$1,600 (2023 est.)
$1,600 (2022 est.)
$1,600 (2021 est.)
Agricultural products
cassava, rice, sugarcane, oil palm fruit, bananas, rubber, vegetables, plantains, taro, maize (2022)
Industries
mining (iron ore and gold), rubber processing, palm oil processing, diamonds
Exports
$1.22 billion (2022 est.)
$1.041 billion (2021 est.)
$731.658 million (2020 est.)
Exports - partners
Switzerland 28%, France 8%, Germany 8%, UK 8%, Poland 6% (2022)
Exports - commodities
gold, ships, iron ore, rubber, refined petroleum (2022)
Imports
$1.961 billion (2022 est.)
$1.739 billion (2021 est.)
$1.371 billion (2020 est.)
Imports - partners
China 42%, South Korea 23%, Japan 15%, Germany 5%, Brazil 3% (2022)
Imports - commodities
ships, refined petroleum, additive manufacturing machines, centrifuges, rice (2022)
Exchange rates
Liberian dollars (LRD) per US dollar -
Page last updated: Wednesday, July 24, 2024
