Capital

Liberia

name: Monrovia

geographic coordinates: 6 18 N, 10 48 W

time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: named after James MONROE (1758-1831), the fifth president of the United States and supporter of the colonization of Liberia by freed slaves; one of two national capitals named for a US president, the other is Washington, D.C.

Ruanda

name: Kigali

geographic coordinates: 1 57 S, 30 03 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: the city takes its name from nearby Mount Kigali; the name "Kigali" is composed of the Bantu prefix ki and the Rwandan gali meaning "broad" and likely refers to the broad, sprawling hill that has been dignified with the title of "mount"

Citizenship

Liberia

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Liberia

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 2 years

Ruanda

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Rwanda; if the father is stateless or unknown, the mother must be a citizen

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Legal system

Liberia

mixed legal system of common law, based on Anglo-American law, and customary law

Ruanda

mixed legal system of civil law, based on German and Belgian models, and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court

Suffrage

Liberia

18 years of age; universal

Ruanda

18 years of age; universal

Area

Liberia

total: 111,369 sq km

land: 96,320 sq km

water: 15,049 sq km

Ruanda

total: 26,338 sq km

land: 24,668 sq km

water: 1,670 sq km

Land use

Liberia

agricultural land: 28.1% (2018 est.)

arable land: 5.2% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 2.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 20.8% (2018 est.)

forest: 44.6% (2018 est.)

other: 27.3% (2018 est.)

Ruanda

agricultural land: 74.5% (2018 est.)

arable land: 47% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 10.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 17.4% (2018 est.)

forest: 18% (2018 est.)

other: 7.5% (2018 est.)

Location

Liberia

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone

Ruanda

Central Africa, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, north of Burundi

Age structure

Liberia

0-14 years: 42.69% (male 1,187,795/female 1,162,699)

15-64 years: 54.5% (male 1,486,582/female 1,514,163)

65 years and over: 2.82% (2023 est.) (male 75,258/female 79,783)

Ruanda

0-14 years: 37.95% (male 2,569,106/female 2,515,849)

15-64 years: 59.1% (male 3,844,259/female 4,075,978)

65 years and over: 2.95% (2023 est.) (male 158,647/female 236,702)

Birth rate

Liberia

33 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Ruanda

25.7 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Liberia

8.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Ruanda

5.8 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Liberia

English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages few of which can be written or used in correspondence

Ruanda

Kinyarwanda (official, universal Bantu vernacular) 93.2%, French (official) <0.1, English (official) <0.1, Swahili/Kiswahili (official, used in commercial centers) <0.1, more than one language, other 6.3%, unspecified 0.3% (2002 est.)

major-language sample(s):
Inkoranya nzimbuzi y'isi, isoko fatizo y'amakuru y'ibanze. (Kinyarwanda)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Liberia

total population: 61.3 years (2023 est.)

male: 59.7 years

female: 63 years

Ruanda

total population: 66.2 years (2023 est.)

male: 64.2 years

female: 68.2 years

Major urban areas - population

Liberia

1.678 million MONROVIA (capital) (2023)

Ruanda

1.248 million KIGALI (capital) (2023)

Median age

Liberia

total: 19.7 years (2023 est.)

male: 19.6 years

female: 19.9 years

Ruanda

total: 20.5 years (2023 est.)

male: 19.8 years

female: 21.2 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Liberia

19.1 years (2019/20 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Ruanda

23 years (2019/20 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Net migration rate

Liberia

-0.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Ruanda

-3.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Liberia

more than half of the population lives in urban areas, with approximately one-third living within an 80-km radius of Monrovia as shown in this population distribution map

Ruanda

one of Africa's most densely populated countries; large concentrations tend to be in the central regions and along the shore of Lake Kivu in the west as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

Liberia

2.37% (2023 est.)

Ruanda

1.68% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Liberia

4.03 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Ruanda

3.23 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Liberia

urban population: 53.6% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 3.41% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Ruanda

urban population: 17.9% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 3.07% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Liberia

2.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

Ruanda

3.8% of GDP (2021 est.)

Ruanda

total: 11 years

male: 11 years

female: 11 years (2019)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Liberia

-4.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Ruanda

-4.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Liberia

16.25% (2021 est.)

Ruanda

13.4% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Liberia

2.289 million (2021 est.)

Ruanda

6.776 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Liberia

50.9% (2016 est.)

Ruanda

38.2% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate

Liberia

4.09% (2021 est.)

3.98% (2020 est.)

3.02% (2019 est.)

Ruanda

1.61% (2021 est.)

1.49% (2020 est.)

1.1% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Liberia

34.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

28.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

Ruanda

40.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

37.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Liberia

23.56% (2018 est.)

12.42% (2017 est.)

Ruanda

-0.39% (2021 est.)

9.85% (2020 est.)

3.35% (2019 est.)

Exports

Liberia

$554.013 million (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$527.345 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$429.592 million (2017 est.)

Ruanda

$2.11 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$1.929 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$2.255 billion (2019 est.)

Exports - partners

Liberia

Guyana 32%, Poland 10%, Switzerland 8%, Japan 7%, China 5% (2019)

Ruanda

United Arab Emirates 35%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 28%, Uganda 5% (2019)

Imports

Liberia

$1.244 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$1.245 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$1.232 billion (2017 est.)

Ruanda

$3.856 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$3.578 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$3.737 billion (2019 est.)

Imports - partners

Liberia

China 41%, Japan 21%, South Korea 18% (2019)

Ruanda

China 17%, Kenya 10%, Tanzania 9%, United Arab Emirates 9%, India 7%, Saudi Arabia 5% (2019)

Airports

Liberia

29 (2021)

Ruanda

7 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Liberia

total: 13,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.3 (2020 est.)

Ruanda

total: 17,685 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.1 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Liberia

total: 1.768 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 34% (2021 est.)

Ruanda

total: 3.9 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 30% (2021 est.)

Railways

Liberia

total: 429 km (2008)

standard gauge: 345 km (2008) 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge: 84 km (2008) 1.067-m gauge

note: most sections of the railways inoperable due to damage sustained during the civil wars from 1980 to 2003, but many are being rebuilt

Roadways

Liberia

total: 10,600 km (2018)

paved: 657 km (2018)

unpaved: 9,943 km (2018)

Ruanda

total: 4,700 km (2012)

paved: 1,207 km (2012)

unpaved: 3,493 km (2012)

Telephones - fixed lines

Liberia

total subscriptions: 6,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2021 est.) less than 1

Ruanda

total subscriptions: 11,893 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2021 est.) less than 1

Telephones - mobile cellular

Liberia

total subscriptions: 1.7 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 32 (2021 est.)

Ruanda

total subscriptions: 10,902,989 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 81 (2021 est.)

Ruanda

90 km (2022) (Lake Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft)

Disputes - international

Liberia

Liberia-Guinea: none identified

Liberia-Sierra Leone: none identified

Ruanda

Rwanda-Burundi: Burundi's Ngozi province and Rwanda's Butare province dispute the two-kilometer-square hilly farmed area of Sabanerwa in the Rukurazi Valley where the Akanyaru/Kanyaru River shifted its course southward after heavy rains in 1965 around Kibinga Hill in Rwanda's Butare Province

Rwanda-Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): the 2005 DRC and Rwanda border verification mechanism to stem rebel actions on both sides of the border remains in place

Rwanda-Uganda: a joint technical committee established in 2007 to demarcate sections of the border