sing to rolling plateau and
low mountains in northeast

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 m

Natural resources:

iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 3.43%
permanent crops: 1.98%
other: 94.59% (2005)

Irrigated land:

30 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

232 cu km (1987)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.11 cu km/yr (27%/18%/55%)
per capita: 34 cu m/yr (2000)

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, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the
Sea, 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:

3,334,587 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 44% (male 734,375/female 731,287)
15-64 years: 53.3% (male 879,848/female 896,319)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 45,175/female 47,583) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 18 years
male: 17.8 years
female: 18.2 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

3.661% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

42.92 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

21.45 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

15.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 143.89 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 159.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 127.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 41.13 years
male: 39.85 years
female: 42.46 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

5.87 children born/woman (200