1996 Edition

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

Location

6 30 N, 9 30 W -- Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly larger than Tennessee

land area

96,320 sq km

total area

111,370 sq km

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

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

international agreements

party to - Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, 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

natural hazards

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

Geographic coordinates

6 30 N, 9 30 W

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

20 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

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

total

1,585 km

Land use

arable land

1%

forest and woodland

39%

meadows and pastures

2%

other

55%

permanent crops

3%

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 resources

iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold

Terrain

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

highest point

Mount Wuteve 1,380 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 45% (male 475,138; female 470,970) 15-64 years: 52% (male 557,855; female 532,143) 65 years and over: 3% (male 35,544; female 38,139) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

42.72 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

11.95 deaths/1,000 population (1996 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 former slaves)

Infant mortality rate

108.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

61.22 years (1996 est.)

male

56.05 years

total population

58.59 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

female

22.4%

male

53.9%

total population

38.3%

Nationality

adjective

Liberian

noun

Liberian(s)

Net migration rate

-9.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

note

until the Ghanaian-led peace negotiations are successful, many Liberian refugees will be unable to return from exile

Population

2,109,789 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

2.13% (1996 est.)

Religions

traditional 70%, Muslim 20%, Christian 10%

Sex ratio

all ages

1.03 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

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 fertility rate

6.23 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Monrovia

Constitution

6 January 1986

Data code

LI

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Konah K. BLACKETT

consulate(s) general

New York

telephone

[1] (202) 723-0437

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet was selected by the leaders of the major factions in the civil war

chief of state and head of government

Chairman of the Council of State Wilton SANKAWULO (since NA September 1995); president was to be elected for a six-year term by universal suffrage at the end of 1995; election last held 15 October 1985 (next to be held NA August 1996); 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 1995 the Abuja peace accord was signed by the major warring factions; a transitional coalition government under Wilton SANKAWULO was formed in September 1995; presidential elections are scheduled for August 1996

FAX

[231] 226-148

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

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 (observer), 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

Name of country

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), Joseph KOFA, chairman; United People's Party (UPP), Gabriel Baccus MATTHEWS, chairman; National Patriotic Party (NPP), Charles TAYLOR, chairman; Liberian Peoples Party (LPP), Dusty WOLOKOLLIE, chairman

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

republic

US diplomatic representation

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

Agriculture

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

Budget

expenditures

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

revenues

$225 million

Currency

1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $NA

Economic 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 continued political turmoil has prevented restoration of normal economic life, including the re-establishment of a strong central government with effective economic development programs. The economy deteriorated further in 1995.

Electricity

capacity

330,000 kW

consumption per capita

143 kWh (1993)

production

440 million kWh

Exchange rates

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

Exports

$530 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

commodities

iron ore 61%, rubber 20%, timber 11%, coffee

partners

US, EC, Netherlands, Singapore

External debt

$1.9 billion (1993 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $2.3 billion (1994 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

GDP per capita

$770 (1994 est.)

GDP real growth rate

0% (1994 est.)

Illicit drugs

increasingly a transshipment point for heroin and cocaine

Imports

NA (c.i.f., 1994 est.)

commodities

mineral fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods; rice and other foodstuffs

partners

US, EC, Japan, China, Netherlands, ECOWAS, South Korea

Industrial production growth rate

NA% (1993-94)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

50% (1994 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

Unemployment rate

NA%

Branches

NA; 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 - $14 million, 2.9% of GDP (1993)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

479,274

males fit for military service

256,200 (1996 est.)

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 movement

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.) Defense

Airports

total

39

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

1

with paved runways over 3 047 m

1

with paved runways under 914 m

29

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

2

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

6 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

600 km

total

10,029 km

unpaved

9,429 km (1987 est.)

Merchant marine

note

a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 59 countries among which are US 253, Japan 172, Norway 165, Germany 149, Greece 137, Hong Kong 114, UK 78, China 49, Monaco 41, and Cyprus 34 (1995 est.)

ships by type

barge carrier 2, bulk 411, cargo 121, chemical tanker 108, combination bulk 28, combination ore/oil 56, container 143, liquefied gas tanker 77, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 463, passenger 42, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 64, roll-on/roll-off cargo 23, short-sea passenger 4, specialized tanker 9, vehicle carrier 48

total

1,601 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 59,449,296 GRT/98,819,081 DWT

Ports

Buchanan, Greenville, Harper, Monrovia

Railways

narrow gauge

145 km 1.067-m gauge

standard gauge

345 km 1.435-m gauge

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