Some facts from the website www.infoplease.com.
President: Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (2006) George Weah (2018)
Land area: 37,189 sq mi (96,320 sq km); total area: 43,000 sq mi (111,370 sq km)
Population (2013 est.): 3,989,703 (growth rate: 2.609%); birth rate: 36.45/1000; infant mortality rate: 72.71/1000; life expectancy: 57.41
Capital and largest city (2009 est.):Monrovia, 882,000
Monetary unit: Liberian dollar
Languages: English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages few of which can be written or used in correspondence
Ethnicity/race: Kpelle 20.3%, Bassa 13.4%, Grebo 10%, Gio 8%, Mano 7.9%, Kru 6%, Lorma 5.1%, Kissi 4.8%, Gola 4.4%, other 20.1% (2008 Census)
Religions: Christian 85.6%, Muslim 12.2%, Traditional 0.6%, other 0.2%, none 1.4% (2008 Census)
National Holiday: Independence Day, July 26
Literacy rate: 60.8% (2010 est.)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2012 est.): $2.693 billion; per capita $700. Real growth rate: 9%. Inflation: 5.5%. Unemployment: 85% (2003 est.). Arable land: 3.43%. Agriculture: rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber. Labor force: 1.372 million (2007): agriculture 70%, industry 8%, services 22% (2000 est.). Industries: rubber processing, palm oil processing, timber, diamonds. Natural resources: iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower. Exports: $506.5 million (2012 est.): rubber, timber, iron, diamonds, cocoa, coffee. Imports: $785.3 million (2012 est.): fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods; foodstuffs. Major trading partners: Germany, U.S., South Korea, Japan, Cote d’Ivoire, China, Canada, Spain (2011).
Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 3,200 (2011); mobile cellular: 2.03 million (2011). Broadcast media: 3 private TV stations; satellite TV service available; 1 state-owned radio station; about 15 independent radio stations broadcasting in Monrovia, with another 25 local stations operating in other areas; transmissions of 2 international broadcasters are available (2007). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 7 (2012). Internet users: 20,000 (2009).
Transportation: Railways: total: 429 km; note: most sections of the railways were inoperable because of damage suffered during the civil wars from 1980 to 2003, but many are being rebuilt (2008). Highways: total: 10,600 km; paved: 657 km; unpaved: 9,943 km (2000 est.). Ports and harbors: Buchanan, Greenville, Harper, Monrovia. Airports: 29 (2012).
Here are two websites that give some history.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/liberia/essays/history/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/liberia/timeline/index.html