1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
Coastline
579 km
Comparative area
slightly larger than Tennessee
Continental shelf
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Disputes
none
Environment
West Africa's largest tropical rain forest, subject to deforestation
Land area
96,320 km2
Land boundaries
1,585 km; Guinea 563 km, Ivory Coast 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km
Land use
arable land 1%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and woodland 39%; other 55%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Natural resources
iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold
Terrain
mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast
Territorial sea
200 nm
Total area
111,370 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
44 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
13 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
indigenous African tribes, including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, and Bella 95%; descendants of repatriated slaves known as Americo-Liberians 5%
Infant mortality rate
119 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
510,000, including 220,000 in the monetary economy; agriculture 70.5%, services 10.8%, industry and commerce 4.5%, other 14.2%; non-African foreigners hold about 95% of the top-level management and engineering jobs; 52% of population of working age
Languages
English (official); more than 20 local languages of the Niger-Congo language group; English used by about 20%
Life expectancy at birth
54 years male, 59 years female (1992)
Literacy
40% (male 50%, female 29%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun - Liberian(s); adjective - Liberian
Net migration rate
265 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
2% of labor force
Population
2,462,276 (July 1992), growth rate 29.6% (1992)
Religions
traditional 70%, Muslim 20%, Christian 10%
Total fertility rate
6.5 children born/woman (1992)
Government
Administrative divisions
13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa, Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, Sinoe
Capital
Monrovia
Chief of State and Head of Government
interim President Dr. Amos SAWYER (since 15 November 1990); Vice President, vacant (since August 1991); 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; rival rebel factions led by Prince Y. JOHNSON and Charles TAYLOR are challenging the SAWYER government's legitimacy while observing a tenuous cease-fire; the former president, Gen. Dr. Samuel Kanyon DOE, was killed on 9 September 1990 by Prince Y. JOHNSON
Constitution
6 January 1986
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Eugenia A. WORDSWORTH-STEVENSON; Chancery at 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011; telephone (202) 723-0437 through 0440; there is a Liberian Consulate General in New York US: Ambassador Peter J. de VOS; Embassy at 111 United Nations Drive, Monrovia (mailing address is P. O. Box 98, Monrovia, or APO AE 09813; telephone [231] 222991 through 222994; FAX (231) 223-710
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
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
Independence
26 July 1847
Judicial branch
People's 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
bicameral National Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
Long-form name
Republic of Liberia
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, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
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
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
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for about 40% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); principal products - rubber, timber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava, palm oil, sugarcane, bananas, sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in food, imports 25% of rice consumption
Budget
revenues $242.1 million; expenditures $435.4 million, including capital expenditures of $29.5 million (1989)
Currency
Liberian dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 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
GDP
exchange rate conversion - $988 million, per capita $400; real growth rate 1.5% (1988)
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)
Overview
Civil war during 1990 destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around Monrovia. Expatriate businessmen 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 fled to neighboring countries. In 1991, the political impasse between the interim government and the rebel leader Charles Taylor prevented restoration of normal economic life.
Unemployment rate
43% urban (1988)
Communications
Airports
66 total, 49 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
1 major transport aircraft
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
1,564 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 54,049,124 DWT/ 95,338,925 DWT; includes 19 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 145 cargo, 51 refrigerated cargo, 22 roll-on/roll-off, 62 vehicle carrier, 89 container, 4 barge carrier, 460 petroleum tanker, 105 chemical, 57 combination ore/oil, 50 liquefied gas, 6 specialized tanker, 465 bulk, 1 multifunction large-load carrier, 27 combination bulk; note - a flag of convenience registry; all ships are foreign owned; the top 4 owning flags are US 18%, Japan 16%, Hong Kong 10%, and Norway 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 stations; most telecommunications services inoperable due to insurgency movement
Military and Security
Branches
Monrovia-based Armed Forces of Liberia (Army only) along with a police force; rest of country controlled by the army of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) insurgent group
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 585,224; 312,420 fit for military service; no conscription