ron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 2% permanent crops: 2% other: 96% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 30 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara
(December to March)

Environment - current issues: tropical rain forest deforestation;
soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of coastal waters from
oil residue and raw sewage

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change, Environmental Modification,
Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note: facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is
characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars;
the inland grassy plateau supports limited agriculture

People Liberia

Population: 3,288,198 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 43.3% (male 714,563; female 709,582) 15-64
years: 53.2% (male 854,324; female 894,753) 65 years and over: 3.5%
(male 57,925; female 57,051) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.91% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 45.95 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 16.05 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -10.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: by the end
of 1999, all Liberian refugees who had fled the domestic strife were
assumed to have returned (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
1.02 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 130.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 53.33 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 6.29 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 9% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 125,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 13,000 (2001 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 bel