Liberia 

Facts
Population: 3,195,931 (July 2007 est.).
Age structure: 0-14 years: 43.6% (male 698,382/female 695,409)
15-64 years: 53.6% (male 848,951/female 865,380)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 42,745/female 45,064) (2007 est.).
Population growth rate: 4.836% (2007 est.).
Birth rate: 43.75 births/1,000 population (2007 est.).
Death rate: 22.24 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.).
Net migration rate: 26.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.).
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.004 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.981 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.949 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2007 est.).
Infant mortality rate: total: 149.73 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 165.65 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 133.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.).
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 40.39 years
male: 38.93 years
female: 41.89 years (2007 est.).
Total fertility rate: 5.94 children born/woman (2007 est.).
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 5.9% (2003 est.).
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 100,000 (2003 est.).
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 7,200 (2003 est.).
Nationality: noun: Liberian(s)
adjective: Liberian.
Ethnic groups: indigenous African 95% (including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, Dei, Bella, Mandingo, and Mende), 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: Christian 40%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 40%.
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: 57.5%
male: 73.3%
female: 41.6% (2003 est.).
GDP (purchasing power parity): $2.821 billion (2006 est.).
GDP - real growth rate: 7.8% (2006 est.).
GDP - per capita (PPP): $900 (2006 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.).
Population below poverty line: 80% (2000).
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%.
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15% (2003 est.).
Unemployment rate: 85% (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.
Industrial production growth rate: NA%.
Electricity - production: 325 million kWh (2004).
Electricity - consumption: 302.3 million kWh (2004).
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004).
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004).
Exports: $910 million f.o.b. (2004 est.).
Exports - commodities: rubber, timber, iron, diamonds, cocoa, coffee.
Exports - partners: Belgium 40.7%, Spain 15.2%, US 8.9%, Malaysia 5.4%, Thailand 4.5%, Poland 4.5%, Germany 4.3% (2005).
Imports: $4.839 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.).
Imports - commodities: fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods; foodstuffs.
Imports - partners: South Korea 38.1%, Japan 21.2%, Singapore 14.3%, Croatia 4.7% (2005).
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 - 59.43 (2006), 53.098 (2005), 54.906 (2004), 59.379 (2003), 61.754 (2002).
Fiscal year: calendar year.
Statistics: C.I.A. World Factbook. Updated: July 20, 2007.
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 9 to 12 of 14 items.
Comment and analysis from Johannesburg, Paris, Oslo, Rome, Madrid, Nairobi, Accra, and Port-of-Spain
Chidi Amuta, writing for Lagos' independent Vanguard, argues that Nigerian President Olesegun Obasanjo's offer to grant Liberian President Charles Taylor asylum will be disasterous for Nigeria.
Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu argues that Liberia's Charles Taylor must stand trial for war crimes.
World Press Review correspondent Baba Doudou reports on Ivorian press response to the latest round of peace talks aimed at ending the civil war.