Liberia

Airports

total: 59 usable: 41 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 4

Highways

10,087 km total; 603 km bituminous treated, 2,848 km all weather, 4,313 km dry weather; there are also 2,323 km of private, laterite-surfaced roads open to public use, owned by rubber and timber companies

Merchant marine

1,618 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 57,769,476 DWT/ 101,391,576 DWT; includes 20 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 132 cargo, 56 refrigerated cargo, 21 roll-on/roll-off, 58 vehicle carrier, 97 container, 3 barge carrier, 499 oil tanker, 108 chemical, 68 combination ore/oil, 62 liquefied gas, 6 specialized tanker, 456 bulk, 31 combination bulk; note - a flag of convenience registry; all ships are foreign owned; the top 4 owning flags are US 16%, Japan 14%, Norway 11%, and Hong Kong 9%

Ports

Monrovia, Buchanan, Greenville, Harper (or Cape Palmas)

Railroads

480 km total; 328 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 152 km 1.067-meter narrow gauge; all lines single track; rail systems owned and operated by foreign steel and financial interests in conjunction with Liberian Government

Telecommunications

telephone and telegraph service via radio relay network; main center is Monrovia; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station; most telecommunications services inoperable due to insurgency movement

Branches

the ultimate structure of the Liberian military force will depend on who is the victor in the ongoing civil war

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 684,681; fit for military service 365,518 (1993 est.)

Agriculture

accounts for about 40% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); principal products - rubber, timber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava, palm oil, sugarcane, bananas, sheep, goats; not self-sufficient in food, imports 25% of rice consumption

Budget

revenues $242.1 million; expenditures $435.4 million, including capital expenditures of $29.5 million (1989)

Currency

1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $665 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $870 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $25 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $77 million

Electricity

410,000 kW capacity; 750 million kWh produced, 275 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates

Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1 - 1.00 (fixed rate since 1940); unofficial parallel exchange rate of L$7 = US$1, January 1992

Exports

$505 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.) commodities: iron ore 61%, rubber 20%, timber 11%, coffee partners: US, EC, Netherlands

External debt

$1.6 billion (December 1990 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Imports

$394 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.) commodities: rice, mineral fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, other foodstuffs partners: US, EC, Japan, China, Netherlands, ECOWAS

Industrial production

growth rate 1.5% in manufacturing (1987); accounts for 22% of GDP

Industries

rubber processing, food processing, construction materials, furniture, palm oil processing, mining (iron ore, diamonds)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

12% (1989)

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $988 million (1988)

National product per capita

$400 (1988)

National product real growth rate

1.5% (1988)

Overview

Civil war since 1990 has destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around Monrovia. Businessmen have fled the country, taking capital and expertise with them. Many will not return. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia had been a producer and exporter of basic products, while local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, had been small in scope. Political instability threatens prospects for economic reconstruction and repatriation of some 750,000 Liberian refugees who have fled to neighboring countries. The political impasse between the interim government and rebel leader Charles Taylor has prevented restoration of normal economic life, including the re-establishment of a strong central government with effective economic development programs.

Unemployment rate

43% urban (1988)

Area

total area: 111,370 km2 land area: 96,320 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than Tennessee

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers

Coastline

579 km

Environment

West Africa's largest tropical rain forest, subject to deforestation

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

20 km2 (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

total 1,585 km, Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km

Land use

arable land: 1% permanent crops: 3% meadows and pastures: 2% forest and woodland: 39% other: 55%

Location

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

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

continental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitation territorial sea: 200 nm

Natural resources

iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold

Terrain

mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast

Administrative divisions

13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa, Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, Sinoe

Capital

Monrovia

Constitution

6 January 1986

Digraph

LI

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador James TARPEH chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: (202) 723-0437 through 0440 consulate general: New York

Elections

President: last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held NA); results - Gen. Dr. Samuel Kanyon DOE (NDPL) 50.9%, Jackson DOE (LAP) 26.4%, other 22.7%; note - President Doe was killed by rebel forces on 9 September 1990 Senate: last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (26 total) NDPL 21, LAP 3, UP 1, UPP 1 House of Representatives: last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (64 total) NDPL 51, LAP 8, UP 3, UPP 2

Executive branch

president, vice president, Cabinet

Flag

11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a white five-pointed star on a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner; the design was based on the US flag

Independence

26 July 1847

Judicial branch

People's Supreme Court

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government: interim President Dr. Amos SAWYER (since 15 November 1990) note: this is an interim government appointed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that will be replaced after elections are held under a West African-brokered peace plan; a rebel faction led by Charles TAYLOR is challenging the SAWYER government's legitimacy; former president, Gen. Dr. Samuel Kanyon DOE, was killed on 9 September 1990 by Prince Y. JOHNSON

Legal system

dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American common law for the modern sector and customary law based on unwritten tribal practices for indigenous sector

Legislative branch

bicameral National Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives

Member of

ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Names

conventional long form: Republic of Liberia conventional short form: Liberia

National holiday

Independence Day, 26 July (1847)

Political parties and leaders

National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL), Augustus CAINE, chairman; Liberian Action Party (LAP), Emmanuel KOROMAH, chairman; Unity Party (UP), Carlos SMITH, chairman; United People's Party (UPP), Gabriel Baccus MATTHEWS, chairman

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador William H. TWADDELL embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, Monrovia mailing address: P. O. Box 98, Monrovia, or APO AE 09813 telephone: [231] 222991 through 222994 FAX: (231) 223710

Birth rate

43.9 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate

12.38 deaths/1,000 population (1993 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 repatriated slaves)

Infant mortality rate

115.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force

510,000 including 220,000 in the monetary economy by occupation: agriculture 70.5%, services 10.8%, industry and commerce 4.5%, other 14.2% note: non-African foreigners hold about 95% of the top-level management and engineering jobs; 52% of population of working age

Languages

English 20% (official), Niger-Congo language group about 20 local languages come from this group

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 57.28 years male: 54.88 years female: 59.76 years (1993 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 40% male: 50% female: 29%

Nationality

noun: Liberian(s) adjective: Liberian

Net migration rate

2.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population

2,874,881 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate

3.37% (1993 est.)

Religions

traditional 70%, Muslim 20%, Christian 10%

Total fertility rate

6.42 children born/woman (1993 est.)