Liberia 
Facts
Population:
3,225,837 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
43.21% (male 698,178; female 695,599)
15-64 years:
53.34% (male 840,103; female 880,403)
65 years and over:
3.45% (male 56,073; female 55,481) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.92% (2001 est.)
Birth rate:
46.55 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate:
16.36 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate:
-11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
note:
by the end of 1999, all Liberian refugees, who had fled the domestic strife, were assumed to have returned
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
1.01 male(s)/female
total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
132.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
51.41 years
male:
49.96 years
female:
52.91 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.36 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.8% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
39,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
4,500 (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Liberian(s)
adjective:
Liberian
Ethnic groups:
indigenous African tribes 95% (including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, and Bella), 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)
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
Literacy:
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
38.3%
male:
53.9%
female:
22.4% (1995 est.)
note:
these figures are increasing because of the improving school system
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $3.35 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
15% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture:
60%
industry:
10%
services:
30% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line:
80%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%:
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5% (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 70%, industry 8%, services 22% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:
70%
Budget:
revenues:
$NA
expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries:
rubber processing, palm oil processing, diamonds
Industrial production growth rate:
NA
Electricity - production:
432 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro:
0%
nuclear:
0%
other:
0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption:
401.8 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products:
rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber
Exports:
$55 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities:
diamonds, iron ore, rubber, timber, coffee, cocoa
Exports - partners:
Belgium 53%, Switzerland 9%, US 6%, France 4% (1999)
Imports:
$170 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities:
fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods; rice and other foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
South Korea 30%, Italy 24%, Japan 15%, Germany 9% (1999)
Debt - external:
$3 billion (1999 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$200 million pledged (1998)
Currency:
Liberian dollar (LRD)
Currency code:
LRD
Exchange rates:
Liberian dollars per US dollar - 39.8100 (December 2000), 41.0483 (2000), 41.9025 (1999), 41.5075 (1998), 1.0000 (officially fixed rate 1940-97); market exchange rate: Liberian dollars per US dollar - 40 (December 1998), 50 (October 1995)
note:
until December 1997, rates were based on a fixed relationship with the US dollar; beginning in January 1998, rates are market determined
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Statistics: CIA World Factbook.
Press
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Displaying 1 to 7 of 8 items.
(Independent daily),
http://www.analystnewspaper.com/
Daily Observer
Monrovia
Inquirer, The
(Independent), Monrovia
(Independent, published in The Netherlands),
http://www.newdemocrat.org/
New Liberia
(Pro-government), Monrovia
(Independent), Monrovia
http://www.thenews.com.lr/
Newsbeat, The
(Pro-government), Monrovia
Liberia in the News
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Displaying 1 to 4 of 14 items.
Liberia's government wants to move away from relying on handouts—part of a turn toward development after years of stop-gap measures aimed at picking up the pieces from war.
Many Liberian refugees remain in a long-term, permanent camp in Ghana
It all began in 1787 when Britain set up the Province of Freedom in Sierra Leone, which became a haven for freed slaves from Britain, Jamaica, the United States, and Canada.
For leaders whose countries share similar problems, President Kabbah's and President Sirleaf's inaugural speeches show little resemblance. But where Kabbah's rings hollow, Sirleaf's shows signs of substance.
Americas 
