Liberia is a country in Western Africa. Its capital is Monrovia.
Africa and its surrounding islands. The dot marks Monrovia; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapLiberia’s Atlantic coastal belt includes sandy shores, lagoons and mangrove wetlands. Inland, low plains rise toward rolling plateaus and northeastern hills. Numerous rivers cross this landscape on their way to the ocean.
The interior forms part of the Upper Guinean forest region. Sapo National Park protects an important tract of tropical forest, quite different from the more open and heavily settled coastal areas. River valleys connect these inland habitats with lowland environments.
Liberia is hot and humid, with a long wet season and a drier part of the year. Heavy rainfall is an important feature of the coastal climate.
Liberia has a humid tropical climate with a pronounced rainy season. Forests, river margins and coastal wetlands all depend on this water cycle. Heavy rainfall can quickly raise river levels and make unpaved routes difficult to use.
11 equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white; a five-pointed white star sits on a blue square in the upper-left corner
The Atlantic shoreline shows Liberia’s low coastal setting.
Photo: Bethel. Anthony Chisom · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
.jpg)
This historical photograph south of Zorzor shows forest reflected in a pond.
Photo: John Atherton · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
English is the official language. Liberian English and related everyday varieties differ in vocabulary and pronunciation from the formal English used in official documents.
Community languages include Kpelle, Bassa, Grebo, Gio, Mano, Kru languages and others.
Liberia was founded through settlements organized by the American Colonization Society on land already inhabited by African communities. Settler leaders declared a republic on 26 July 1847. Liberia was not a European colony; its political development was shaped by unequal relations between settlers and indigenous communities.
Iron ore, gold, rubber, agriculture and services contribute to the economy. Infrastructure rebuilding and access to electricity remain important after civil wars and the Ebola epidemic disrupted development.
mining (iron ore and gold), rubber processing, palm oil processing, diamonds
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1,466,676 | 1.467 |
| 1980 | 1,929,253 | 1.929 |
| 1990 | 2,223,667 | 2.224 |
| 2000 | 2,928,117 | 2.928 |
| 2010 | 4,058,890 | 4.059 |
| 2020 | 5,149,463 | 5.149 |
| 2025 | 5,731,206 | 5.731 |
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1,676,942,910 | 1.677 |
| 1991 | 1,438,394,192 | 1.438 |
| 1992 | 933,723,839 | 0.934 |
| 1993 | 625,824,712 | 0.626 |
| 1994 | 489,630,571 | 0.490 |
| 1995 | 468,741,927 | 0.469 |
| 1996 | 525,559,091 | 0.526 |
| 1997 | 1,084,122,317 | 1.084 |
| 1998 | 1,411,615,368 | 1.412 |
| 1999 | 1,718,520,972 | 1.719 |
| 2000 | 2,210,291,804 | 2.210 |
| 2001 | 2,274,838,397 | 2.275 |
| 2002 | 2,360,440,967 | 2.360 |
| 2003 | 1,648,882,905 | 1.649 |
| 2004 | 1,692,081,112 | 1.692 |
| 2005 | 1,781,443,511 | 1.781 |
| 2006 | 1,924,741,223 | 1.925 |
| 2007 | 2,108,270,598 | 2.108 |
| 2008 | 2,258,921,103 | 2.259 |
| 2009 | 2,378,656,131 | 2.379 |
| 2010 | 2,523,749,999 | 2.524 |
| 2011 | 2,730,716,886 | 2.731 |
| 2012 | 2,949,005,327 | 2.949 |
| 2013 | 3,205,193,908 | 3.205 |
| 2014 | 3,227,674,917 | 3.228 |
| 2015 | 3,227,075,700 | 3.227 |
| 2016 | 3,176,896,008 | 3.177 |
| 2017 | 3,254,893,759 | 3.255 |
| 2018 | 3,292,571,599 | 3.293 |
| 2019 | 3,211,334,058 | 3.211 |
| 2020 | 3,115,556,300 | 3.116 |
| 2021 | 3,270,920,146 | 3.271 |
| 2022 | 3,428,189,426 | 3.428 |
| 2023 | 3,588,757,485 | 3.589 |
| 2024 | 3,733,092,095 | 3.733 |
| 2025 | 3,920,364,940 | 3.920 |
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Presidential republic. Legislature has two chambers (a bicameral legislature). The president holds executive responsibilities; the legislature makes national laws.
Three questions about Liberia.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.
