Liberia

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0

Radios

622,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

telephone and telegraph service via microwave radio relay network; main center is Monrovia; most telecommunications services inoperable due to insurgency domestic: NA international : satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones

less than 25,000 (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations

5 (1987 est.)

Televisions

51,000 (1992 est.)

Agriculture - products

rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber

Budget

revenues: $225 million expenditures: $285 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.)

Currency

1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$2.1 billion (1994 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economy - 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 and economic instability - including the stripping of resources by local warlords - threatens prospects for reconstruction as well as the repatriation of an estimated 750,000 Liberian refugees who have fled to neighboring countries. The continued political turmoil has prevented restoration of normal economic life, including the re-establishment of a strong central government with effective economic development programs.

Electricity - capacity

430,000 kW (1991)

Electricity - consumption per capita

384 kWh (1991 est.)

Electricity - production

1.05 billion kWh (1991)

Exchange rates

Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1 - 1.0000 (officially fixed rate since 1940); market exchange rate: Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1 - 50 (October 1995), 7 (January 1992); market rate floats against the US dollar

Exports

total value: $667 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: diamonds, iron ore, rubber, timber, coffee partners: US, EU, Netherlands, Singapore

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $2.4 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 30% industry: 36% services: 34%

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,100 (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

0% (1995 est.)

Imports

total value : $5.8 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: mineral fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods; rice and other foodstuffs partners: US, EU, Japan, China, Netherlands, ECOWAS, South Korea

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate - consumer price index

50% (1994 est.)

Labor force

total: 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

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total: 111,370 sq km land : 96,320 sq km water: 15,050 sq km

Area - comparative

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

Elevation extremes

lowest point : Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 m

Environment - current issues

tropical rain forest subject to deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of rivers from the dumping of iron ore tailings and of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage

Environment - international agreements

party to: Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

Geographic coordinates

6 30 N, 9 30 W

Irrigated land

20 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

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

Land use

arable land: 1% permanent crops: 3% permanent pastures: 59% forests and woodland: 18% other: 19% (1993 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 200 nm

Natural hazards

dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March)

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, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, Sinoe

Constitution

6 January 1986

Country name

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

Data code

LI

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission : Ambassador (vacant); Chief of Mission William MILAM embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, Monrovia mailing address: P. O. Box 100098, Mamba Point, Monrovia telephone: [231] 226-370

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Konah K. BLACKETT chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone : [1] (202) 723-0437 consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch

chief of state: Chairman of the Council of State Ruth PERRY (since NA August 1996); note - chairman of the Council of State is both the chief of state and head of government head of government : Chairman of the Council of State Ruth PERRY (since NA August 1996); note - chairman of the Council of State is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet selected by the leaders of the major factions in the civil war elections: last presidential election held 15 October 1985 (next to be held 19 July 1997); results - Samuel Kanyon DOE (NDPL) 50.9%, Jackson DOE (LAP) 26.4%, other 22.7% note : constitutional government ended in September 1990 when President Samuel Kanyon DOE was killed by rebel forces; civil war ensued and in August 1996 the Abuja II peace accord was signed by the major warring factions; a transitional coalition government under Ruth PERRY was formed in August 1996; presidential elections are scheduled for 19 July 1997

FAX

[231] 226-148

Flag description

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

Government type

republic

Independence

26 July 1847

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

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

unicameral Transitional Legislative Assembly, the members of which are appointed by the leaders of the major factions in the civil war note : the former bicameral legislature no longer exists and is unlikely to be reconstituted soon

National capital

Monrovia

National holiday

Independence Day, 26 July (1847)

Political parties and leaders

present conditions of civil strife and anarchy have rendered Liberia's political parties completely ineffectual; prior to the outbreak of warfare among armed factions the following political parties were prominent: National Democratic Party of Liberia or NDPL [Augustus CAINE, chairman]; Liberian Action Party or LAP [Emmanuel KOROMAH, chairman]; Unity Party or UP [Joseph KOFA, chairman]; United People's Party or UPP [Gabriel Baccus MATTHEWS, chairman]; National Patriotic Party or NPP [Charles Ghankay TAYLOR, chairman]; Liberian Peoples Party or LPP [Dusty WOLOKOLLIE, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders

the following armed factions, in accordance with the peace accord of August 1995, form the transitional government of Liberia: Armed Forces of Liberia or AFL (formerly a part of the national armed forces) [Lt. Gen. Hezekiah BOWEN, leader]; National Patriotic Front of Liberia or NPFL (initiated hostilities against Samuel DOE's government from Cote d' Ivoire in December 1989) [Charles Ghankay TAYLOR, leader]; Central Revolutionary Committee or CRC (dissident members of the NPFL in conflict with forces loyal to Charles Ghankay TAYLOR) [Thomas J. WOEWIYU, LEADER]; Liberia Peace Council or LPC (has opposed NPLF forces in southeastern Liberia) [Dr. George F. SAIGBE BOLEY, chairman; Octavius WALKER, secretary-general]; United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy or ULIMO (former supporters of Samuel DOE that have split on ethnic lines into two groups in conflict with each other: ULIMO-K [Alhaji G. V. KROMAH, leader] and ULIMO-J [Maj. Gen. Roosevelt JOHNSON, leader]); Lofa Defence Force or LDF (has fought the ULIMO forces in Lofa county) [Francois MASSAQUOI, leader]; note - the ULIMO-J forces are of the Krahn ethnic group and the ULIMO-K forces are of the Mandingo ethnic group

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$14 million (1993)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.9% (1993)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49 : 592,730 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: 316,906 (1997 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 45% (male 584,918; female 579,728) 15-64 years: 52% (male 689,376; female 657,029) 65 years and over : 3% (male 43,868; female 47,149) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

42.3 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

11.53 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

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)

Infant mortality rate

105.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

English 20% (official), about 20 tribal languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 59.02 years male : 56.43 years female: 61.69 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

definition : age 15 and over can read and write total population: 38.3% male : 53.9% female: 22.4% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun : Liberian(s) adjective: Liberian

Net migration rate

38.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.) note: until domestic peace is restored, many Liberian refugees will not return from exile

Population

2,602,068 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

6.92% (1997 est.)

Religions

traditional 70%, Muslim 20%, Christian 10%

Sex ratio

at birth : 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female total population : 1.03 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.16 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

increasingly a transshipment point for Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine for the European and US markets LIBYA

Airports

36 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 30 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m : 1 under 914 m: 28 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total : 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (1996 est.)

Highways

total: 10,300 km paved: 628 km unpaved : 9,672 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine

total : 1,616 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 60,081,452 GRT/99,395,792 DWT ships by type: barge carrier 3, bulk 418, cargo 121, chemical tanker 117, combination bulk 29, combination ore/oil 58, container 151, liquefied gas tanker 83, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 450, passenger 36, refrigerated cargo 68, roll-on/roll-off cargo 29, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier 40 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 56 countries among which are Germany 179, US 176, Norway 166, Japan 154, Greece 147, Hong Kong 120, China 45, UK 40, Monaco 39, and Cyprus 33 (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors

Buchanan, Greenville, Harper, Monrovia

Railways

total: 490 km (single track); note - three rail systems owned and operated by foreign steel and financial interests in conjunction with Liberian Government; one of these, the Lamco Railroad, closed in 1989 after iron ore production ceased; the other two have been shut down by the civil war standard gauge : 345 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 145 km 1.067-m gauge