Liberia

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

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

noun:

Liberian(s)

adjective:

Liberian

total:

20.1 years (2025 est.)

male:

19.8 years

female:

20 years

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.87 male(s)/female

total population:

1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

55.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

61 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

50.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

61.6 years (2024 est.)

male:

59.9 years

female:

63.3 years

total:

3.12 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

2.28 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

6.4% (2025 est.)

male:

11.5% (2025 est.)

female:

1.5% (2025 est.)

women married by age 15:

5.8% (2020)

women married by age 18:

24.9% (2020)

men married by age 18:

8.4% (2020)

• tropical rainforest deforestation;
• soil erosion;
• loss of biodiversity;
• hunting of endangered species for bushmeat;
• pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage;
• pollution of rivers from industrial run-off;
• burning and dumping of household waste

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:

Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation

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

urban population:

53.6% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

3.41% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

564,500 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

7.9% (2022 est.)

municipal:

80.2 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

53.4 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

12.3 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Liberia

conventional short form:

Liberia

etymology:

name derives from the Latin word liber, meaning "free;" so named because the nation was created as a homeland for liberated African-American slaves

name:

Monrovia

geographic coordinates:

6 18 N, 10 48 W

time difference:

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

named after James MONROE (1758-1831), the fifth president of the United States and supporter of Liberia's colonization by freed slaves

history:

previous 1847 (at independence); latest drafted 19 October 1983, revision adopted by referendum 3 July 1984, effective 6 January 1986

amendment process:

• proposed by agreement of at least two thirds of both National Assembly houses or by petition of at least 10,000 citizens;
• passage requires at least two-thirds majority approval of both houses and approval in a referendum by at least two-thirds majority of registered voters

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Liberia

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

2 years

legislature name:

Legislature

legislative structure:

bicameral

chamber name:

House of Representatives

number of seats:

73 (all directly elected)

electoral system:

plurality/majority

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

6 years

most recent election date:

10/10/2023

parties elected and seats per party:

• Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) (25);
• Unity Party (UP) (11);
• Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) (6);
• Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) (4);
• Independents (19);
• Other (8)

percentage of women in chamber:

11%

expected date of next election:

October 2029

chamber name:

The Liberian Senate

number of seats:

30 (all directly elected)

electoral system:

plurality/majority

scope of elections:

partial renewal

term in office:

9 years

most recent election date:

10/10/2023

parties elected and seats per party:

• Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) (6);
• Unity Party (UP) (1);
• Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) (1);
• Liberia Restoration Party (LRP) (1);
• Independents (6)

percentage of women in chamber:

10%

expected date of next election:

October 2029

highest court(s):

Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 4 associate justices)

judge selection and term of office:

chief justice and associate justices appointed by the president of Liberia with consent of the Senate; judges can serve until age 70

subordinate courts:

• judicial circuit courts;
• special courts, including criminal, civil, labor, traffic;
• magistrate and traditional or customary courts

note: the Supreme Court has jurisdiction for all constitutional cases

• All Liberian Party or ALP
• Alliance for Peace and Democracy or APD
• Alternative National Congress or ANC
• Coalition for Democratic Change (includes CDC, NPP, and LPDP)
• Collaborating Political Parties or CPP (coalition includes ANC, LP; CPP dissolved in April 2024)
• Congress for Democratic Change or CDC
• Liberia Destiny Party or LDP
• Liberia National Union or LINU
• Liberia Transformation Party or LTP
• Liberian People Democratic Party or LPDP
• Liberian People's Party or LPP
• Liberian Restoration Party or LRP
• Liberty Party or LP
• Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction or MDR
• Movement for Economic Empowerment
• Movement for Progressive Change or MPC
• National Democratic Coalition or NDC
• National Democratic Party of Liberia or NDPL
• National Patriotic Party or NPP
• National Reformist Party or NRP
• National Union for Democratic Progress or NUDP
• People's Unification Party or PUP
• Unity Party or UP
• United People's Party
• Victory for Change Party or VCP

chief of mission:

Ambassador Al-Hassan CONTEH (since 24 July 2025)

chancery:

5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011

telephone:

[1] (202) 723-0437

FAX:

[1] (202) 723-0436

email address and website:

[email protected]; http://www.liberianembassyus.org/

consulate(s) general:

New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Joseph ZADROZNY (since August 2025)

embassy:

502 Benson Street, Monrovia

mailing address:

8800 Monrovia Place, Washington DC 20521-8800

telephone:

[231] 77-677-7000

FAX:

[231] 77-677-7370

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://lr.usembassy.gov/

description:

11 equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white; a five-pointed white star sits on a blue square in the upper-left corner

meaning:

• the stripes stand for the signatories of the Liberian Declaration of Independence, the blue square for the African mainland, and the star for the freedom granted to ex-slaves;
• the blue stands for liberty, justice, and fidelity;
• the white for purity, cleanliness, and guilelessness;
• the red for steadfastness, valor, and fervor

note: the design is based on the US flag

title:

"All Hail, Liberia, Hail!"

lyrics/music:

Daniel Bashiel WARNER/Olmstead LUCA

history:

lyrics adopted 1847, music adopted 1860; the anthem's author later became the third president of Liberia

• low-income West African economy;
• food scarcity, especially in rural areas;
• high poverty and inflation;
• bad recession prior to COVID-19 due to Ebola crisis;
• growing government debt;
• longest continuously operated rubber plantation;
• large informal economy

total:

2.1% (2024 est.)

male:

2.2% (2024 est.)

female:

2% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

lowest 10%:

2.9% (2016 est.)

highest 10%:

27.1% (2016 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

total subscriptions:

6,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:

(2022 est.) less than 1

• 8 private and 1 state-owned TV station;
• satellite TV service available;
• 1 state-owned radio station;
• about 20 independent radio stations broadcasting in Monrovia, with about 80 more local stations operating in other areas;
• transmissions of 4 international broadcasters are available (2019)

total:

15,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:

(2022 est.) less than 1

total:

429 km (2008)

standard gauge:

345 km (2008) 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge:

84 km (2008) 1.067-m gauge

note: most sections of the railways inoperable due to damage sustained during the civil wars from 1980 to 2003, but many are being rebuilt

total ports:

4 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

0

small:

1

very small:

3

ports with oil terminals:

3

key ports:

Buchanan, Cape Palmas, Greenville, Monrovia

Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL):

Army, Liberian Coast Guard

Ministry of Justice:

Liberia National Police, Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (2025)

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Liberia remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year;
• for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/liberia/