Formal name: Republic of Liberia
Short form: Liberia
Term for citizens: Liberians
Capital: Monrovia
Independence: 26 July 1847
Flag Description: six red stripes alternating with five white stripes, in upper-left hand corner, large white star superimposed on blue square field
Area: 111,370 sq km (total) 96,320 sq km (land) slightly larger than Tennessee
Population density: 72/sq mi.
Population: 3,073,245 (July 1995 est.)
Birth rate: 43.08 deaths/ 1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 12.05 deaths/ 1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 110.6 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.3 children born/woman (1995 est.)
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
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) 40%
