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Home  >  World  > Africa  > Liberia General Information Area: 97,754 sq km (37,743 sq miles). Population: 3,164,000 (2000). Population Density: 32.4 per sq km. Capital: Monrovia. Population: 421,000 (2000). GEOGRAPHY: Liberia borders Sierra Leone, Guinea Republic and Côte d’Ivoire. The Atlantic coastline to the west is 560km (348 miles) long, of which over half is sandy beach. Lying parallel to the shore are three distinct belts. The low coastal belt is well watered by shallow lagoons, tidal creeks and mangrove swamps, behind which rises a gently undulating plateau, 500-800m (1640-2625ft) high, partly covered with dense forests. Inland and to the north is the mountain region which includes Mount Nimba at 1752m (5748ft) and Waulo Mountain at 1400m (4593ft). About half the country’s population are rural dwellers. Government: Republic. Declared independence in 1847. Head of State and Government: President Charles Ghankay Taylor since 1997. Language: English is the official language. The main local languages are Bassa, Dan (Gio), Kpelleh, Kru, Lorma and Mano. There are 16 major languages and dialects. Religion: Officially a Christian state, with more than 30 denominations represented; Islam is practised in the north and traditional animist beliefs exist throughout the country. Time: GMT. Electricity: 110 volts AC, 60Hz. Communications:   Telephone IDD service to some cities. Country code: 231 (no area codes). Outgoing international code: 00. The internal network in Monrovia is gradually being extended over the country. Mobile telephone GSM 900 network operated by LonestarCell. Internet There are a few Internet cafes in Monrovia. ISPs include Afrlink (website: www.afrlink.com). Post Airmail to Europe takes up to one month. Press The Liberian press is in English; the main papers are The Daily Observer and the Inquirer. The Ministry of Tourism of Liberia also publishes a bi-annual tourist publication, Tourism in Liberia, which is available free of charge to visitors from the Ministry of Tourism (see Contact Addresses section). BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change. BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice): MHz 17.83 15.40 11.77 7.160 Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov): MHz 15.58 11.98 6.035 0.909 Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd. Terms and Conditions apply.