stures:
2%
forest and woodland:
39%
other:
55%
Irrigated land:
20 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
West Africa's largest tropical rain forest, subject to deforestation

*Liberia, People

Population:
2,874,881 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.37% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
43.9 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
12.38 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 115.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
57.28 years
male:
54.88 years
female:
59.76 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.42 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Liberian(s)
adjective:
Liberian
Ethnic divisions:
indigenous African tribes 95% (including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo,
Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, and Bella), Americo-Liberians
5% (descendants of repatriated slaves)
Religions:
traditional 70%, Muslim 20%, Christian 10%
Languages:
English 20% (official), Niger-Congo language group about 20 local languages
come from this group
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population:
40%
male:
50%
female:
29%
Labor force:
510,000 including 220,000 in the monetary economy
by occupation:
agriculture 70.5%, services 10.8%, industry and commerce 4.5%, other 14.2%
note:
non-African foreigners hold about 95% of the top-level management and
engineering jobs; 52% of population of working age

*Liberia, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Liberia
conventional short form:
Liberia
Digraph:
LI
Type:
republic
Capital:
Monrovia
Administrative divisions: 13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa, Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand
Kru,
Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, Sinoe
Independence:
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
National holiday:
Independence Day, 26 July (1847)
Political parties and leaders:
National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL), Augustus CAINE, chairman;
Liberian Action Party (LAP), Emmanuel KOROMAH, chairman; Unity Party (UP),
Carlos SMITH, chairman; United People's Party (UPP), Gabriel Bac