Liberia

Government
Republic.

Geography
Lying on the Atlantic in the southern part of West Africa. Most of the country is a plateau covered by dense tropical forests, which thrive under an annual rainfall of about 160 in. a year.

Historical Background
Settlement of freed slaves from the US in what is today Liberia began in 1822; by 1847, the Americo-Liberians were able to establish a republic. William TUBMAN, president from 1944-71, did much to promote foreign investment and to bridge the economic, social, and political gaps between the descendents of the original settlers and the inhabitants of the interior. In 1980, a military coup led by Samuel DOE assassinated President William TOLBERT (1971-80) and ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule followed by a prolonged civil war, in which DOE himself was killed. In August 2003, a comprehensive peace agreement ended 14 years of intermittent fighting and prompted the resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR, who was exiled to Nigeria. After two years of rule by a transitional government, democratic elections in late 2005 brought President Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF to power. The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), which maintains a strong presence throughout the country, completed a disarmament program for former combatants in late 2004, but the security situation is still volatile and the process of rebuilding the social and economic structure of this war-torn country remains sluggish.

Name

Republic of Liberia

Capital

Monrovia

Government

Presidential republic -  President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf -  Vice President Joseph Boakai -  Chief Justice Johnnie Lewis

Area

Total 111,369 km2 (103rd) 43,000 sq mi          

Population

2009 estimate 3,955,000[1]  - 2008 census 3,476,608 (130th)     

GDP (PPP)

2009 estimate -  Total $1.556 billion[2] 

GDP (nominal)

2009 estimate - Total $876 million[2]

Currency

Liberian dollar1 (LRD)

Time zone

GMT - Summer (DST) not observed (UTC)