1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Introduction
Background
The 1995 Abuja Peace Accords ended seven years of civil warfare in Liberia. More than 20,000 of the estimated 33,000 factional fighters gave up their arms to the Cease-Fire Monitoring Group of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOMOG). Free and open presidential and legislative elections were held 19 July 1997; former faction leader, Charles TAYLOR, and his National Patriotic Party won overwhelming victories. The years of civil strife coupled with the flight of most business people disrupted formal economic activity. A short-lived armed clash in September 1998 between government forces and supporters of factional leader Roosevelt JOHNSON and continuing uncertainty about the security situation have slowed the process of rebuilding the social and economic structure of the war-torn country. For two centuries the US has had uniquely close ties to Liberia and today is a major aid donor.
Geography
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 coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage
Environment--international agreements
party to: Desertification, 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
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 45% (male 656,101; female 649,389) 15-64 years: 52% (male 775,429; female 738,904) 65 years and over: 3% (male 50,126; female 53,776) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
41.49 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
11.03 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
indigenous African tribes 95% (including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, and Bella), Americo-Liberians 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the US who had been slaves)
Infant mortality rate
100.63 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 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: 59.88 years male: 57.2 years female: 62.64 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 38.3% male: 53.9% female: 22.4% (1995 est.) note: these figures are increasing because of the improving school system
Nationality
noun: Liberian(s) adjective: Liberian
Net migration rate
18.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.) note: evidence from UNHCR indicates Liberians are being repatriated
Population
2,923,725 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
4.92% (1999 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 (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
6.02 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
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
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Liberia conventional short form: Liberia
Data code
LI
Executive branch
chief of state: President Charles Ghankay TAYLOR (since 2 August 1997); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Charles Ghankay TAYLOR (since 2 August 1997); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (renewable); election last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held NA July 2001) election results: Charles Ghankay TAYLOR elected president; percent of vote--Charles Ghankay TAYLOR (NPP) 75.3%, Ellen Johnson SIRLEAF (UP) 9.6%, Alhaji KROMAH (ALCOP) 4%, other 11.1%
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, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Rachel DIGGS chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 consulate(s) general: New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Donald PETTERSON embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, Mamba Point, Monrovia mailing address: use embassy street address
Judicial branch
Supreme Court Political parties and leaders: TAYLOR]
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 the Senate (26 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (64 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate--last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held in NA 2001); House of Representatives--last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held in NA 2001) election results: Senate--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--NPP 21, UP 3, ALCOP 2; House of Representatives--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--NPP 49, UP 7, ALCOP 3, Alliance of Political Parties 2, UPP 2, LPP 1; note--the Alliance of Political Parties was a coalition of the LAP and the LUP
National holiday
Independence Day, 26 July (1847)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture--products
rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber
Budget
revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA
Currency
1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents
Debt--external
$2 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient
$122.8 million (1995)
Economy--overview
A civil war in 1989-97 has destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around Monrovia. Many businessmen have fled the country, taking capital and expertise with them. Some returned during 1997. Many will not return. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia had been a producer and exporter of basic products, while local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, had been small in scope. The democratically elected government, installed in August 1997, inherited massive international debts and currently relies on revenues from its maritime registry to provide the bulk of its foreign exchange earnings. The restoration of the infrastructure and the raising of incomes in this ravaged economy depends on the implementation of sound macroand micro-economic policies of the new government, including the encouragement of foreign investment.
Electricity--consumption
480 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
480 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1--1.0000 (officially fixed rate since 1940); market exchange rate: Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1--40 (December 1998), 50 (October 1995), 7 (January 1992); market rate floats against the US dollar
Exports
$1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Exports--commodities
diamonds, iron ore, rubber, timber, coffee
Exports--partners
Belgium, Norway, Ukraine, Singapore (1997)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity--$2.8 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 30% industry: 36% services: 34%
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$1,000 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$3.65 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Imports--commodities
fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods; rice and other foodstuffs
Imports--partners
South Korea, Japan, Italy, Singapore (1997)
Industrial production growth rate
0%
Industries
rubber processing, palm oil processing, diamonds
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
NA%
Labor force--by occupation
agriculture 70%
Population below poverty line
80%
Unemployment rate
70%
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 note: two of the FM radio stations are limited to a small area
Radios
675,000 (1995 est.); note--10,000 windup radios were distributed in the country prior to the 1997 election
Telephone system
telephone and telegraph service via microwave radio relay network; main center is Monrovia domestic: NA international: satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones
fewer than 25,000 (1998 est.)
Television broadcast stations
1 (in addition, there are four low-power repeaters; the station is located in Monrovia) (1997)
Televisions
56,000 (1995 est.)
Transportation
Airports
45 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 43 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 35 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 10,037 km (there is major deterioration on all highways due to lack of maintenance since the civil war began) paved: 603 km unpaved: 9,434 km (1996 est.) Ports and harbors: Buchanan, Greenville, Harper, Monrovia
Merchant marine
total: 1,651 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 59,804,012 GRT/96,650,752 DWT ships by type: barge carrier 4, bulk 408, cargo 106, chemical tanker 176, combination bulk 25, combination ore/oil 50, container 193, liquefied gas tanker 89, multifunction large-load carrier 2, oil tanker 413, passenger 37, refrigerated cargo 69, roll-on/roll-off cargo 19, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 12, vehicle carrier 45 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 54 countries among which are Germany 186, US 161, Norway 142, Greece 144, Japan 124, Hong Kong 100, China 53, UK 32, Singapore 39, and Monaco 38 (1998 est.)
Railways
total: 480 km (328 km single track); note--three rail systems owned and operated by foreign steel and financial interests in conjunction with the Liberian Government; one of these, the Lamco Railroad, closed in 1989 after iron ore production ceased; the other two were shut down by the civil war; large sections of the rail lines have been dismantled; approximately 60 km of railroad track was exported for scrap standard gauge: NA km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: NA km 1.067-m gauge
Military and Security
Military branches
Army, Air Force, Navy
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$1.4 million (1998)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
2% (1998)
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 667,032 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 356,825 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
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