Part 426

Geographic coordinates: 6 30 N, 9 30 W

Map references: Africa

Area: total area: 111,370 sq km land area: 96,320 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Tennessee

Land boundaries: total: 1,585 km border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km

Coastline: 579 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 200 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers

Terrain: mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 m

Natural resources: iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold

Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 3% meadows and pastures: 2% forest and woodland: 39% other: 55%

Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment: current issues: tropical rain forest subject to deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of rivers from the dumping of iron ore tailings and of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage natural hazards: dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March) international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

People ------

Population: 2,109,789 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 45% (male 475,138; female 470,970) 15-64 years: 52% (male 557,855; female 532,143) 65 years and over: 3% (male 35,544; female 38,139) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.13% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 42.72 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 11.95 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -9.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.) note: until the Ghanaian-led peace negotiations are successful, many Liberian refugees will be unable to return from exile

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female all ages: 1.03 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 108.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 58.59 years male: 56.05 years female: 61.22 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.23 children born/woman (1996 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 former slaves)

Religions: traditional 70%, Muslim 20%, Christian 10%

Languages: English 20% (official), Niger-Congo language group about 20 local languages come from this group