Liberia

§1. Liberia Introduction

Background:
  Seven years of civil strife were brought to a close in 1996 when free and
  open presidential and legislative elections were held. President TAYLOR now
  holds strong executive power with no real political opposition. The years
  of fighting coupled with the flight of most businesses have disrupted
  formal economic activity. A still unsettled domestic security situation has
  slowed the process of rebuilding the social and economic structure of this
  war-torn country.

§2. Liberia Geography

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

Geographic coordinates:
  6 30 N, 9 30 W

Map references:
  Africa

Area:
  total: 111,370 kmē
  land: 96,320 kmē
  water: 15,050 kmē

Area - comparative:
  slightly larger than Tennessee

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

Coastline:
  579 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 200 NM

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

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

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

Natural resources:
  iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower

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

Irrigated land:
  20 kmē (1993 est.)

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

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

§3. Liberia People

Population:
  3,225,837 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 43.21% (male 698,178; female 695,599)
  15-64 years: 53.34% (male 840,103; female 880,403)
  65 years and over: 3.45% (male 56,073; female 55,481) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:
  1.92% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:
  46.55 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:
  16.36 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) note: by the end of 1999, all
    Liberian refugees, who had fled the domestic strife, were assumed to have
    returned

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  132.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 51.41 years male: 49.96 years
  female: 52.91 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  6.36 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  2.8% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  39,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  4,500 (1999 est.)

Nationality:
  noun: Liberian(s)
  adjective: Liberian

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), Congo
  People 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean who had been
  slaves)

Religions:
  indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%

Languages:
  English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can
  be written and are used in correspondence

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

§4. Liberia Government

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

Government type:
  republic

Capital:
  Monrovia

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

Independence:
  26 July 1847

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 26 July (1847)

Constitution:
  6 January 1986

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

Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal

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 and confirmed by the Senate
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term
    (renewable); election last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held NA July
    2003)
  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%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (26 seats; members
  elected by popular vote to serve nine-year terms) and the House of
  Representatives (64 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
  six-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held in NA 2006);
    House of Representatives - last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held in NA
    2003)
  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 Liberia Unification Party or
    LUP

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
  All Liberia Coalition Party or ALCOP [Lusinee KAMARA]; Liberian Action
  Party or LAP [Cletus WOTORSON]; Liberian National Union or LINU [Henry
  MONIBA, chairman]; Liberian People's Party or LPP [Togba-Nah TIPOTEH,
  chairman]; National Democratic Party of Liberia or NDPL [Isaac DAKINAH];
  National Patriotic Party or NPP [Charles Ghankay TAYLOR] - governing party;
  People's Progressive Party or PPP [Chea CHEAPOO, chairman]; Reformation
  Alliance Party or RAP [Henry Boimah FAHNBULLEH, chairman]; True Whig Party
  or TWP [Rudolph SHERMAN, chairman]; United People's Party or UPP [Gabriel
  Baccus MATTHEWS, chairman]; Unity Party or UP [Charles Clarke]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

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 William BULL chancery: 5201 16th Street NW,
    Washington, DC 20011
  telephone: [1] (202) 723-0437
  FAX: [1] (202) 723-0436
  consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Bismarck MYRICK embassy: 111 United Nations
    Drive, P. O. Box 10-0098, Mamba Point, Monrovia
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [231] 226-370 through 226-380
  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

§5. Liberia Economy

Economy - overview:
  A civil war in 1989-96 destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the
  infrastructure in and around Monrovia. Many businessmen 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 depend on the implementation
  of sound macro- and micro-economic policies of the new government,
  including the encouragement of foreign investment. Recent growth has been
  from a low base, and continued growth will require major policy successes.

GDP:
  purchasing power parity - $3.35 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  15% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita:
  purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 60% industry: 10%
  services: 30% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  80%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  5% (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 70%, industry 8%, services 22% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  70%

Budget:
  revenues: $NA
  expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Industries:
  rubber processing, palm oil processing, diamonds

Industrial production growth rate:
  NA

Electricity - production:
  432 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:
  fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0%
  nuclear: 0%
  other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption:
  401.8 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (1999)

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

Exports:
  $55 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  diamonds, iron ore, rubber, timber, coffee, cocoa

Exports - partners:
  Belgium 53%, Switzerland 9%, US 6%, France 4% (1999)

Imports:
  $170 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods;
  rice and other foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
  South Korea 30%, Italy 24%, Japan 15%, Germany 9% (1999)

Debt - external:
  $3 billion (1999 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $200 million pledged (1998)

Currency:
  Liberian dollar (LRD)

Currency code:
  LRD

Exchange rates:
  Liberian dollars per US dollar - 39.8100 (December 2000), 41.0483 (2000),
    41.9025 (1999), 41.5075 (1998), 1.0000 (officially fixed rate 1940-97);
    market exchange rate: Liberian dollars per US dollar - 40 (December
    1998), 50 (October 1995)
  note: until December 1997, rates were based on a fixed relationship with
    the US dollar; beginning in January 1998, rates are market determined

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Liberia Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  6,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  0 (1995)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: telephone and telegraph service via microwave radio
    relay network; main center is Monrovia
  domestic: NA
  international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 0, FM 6, shortwave 4 (1999)

Radios:
  790,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
  2 (plus four low-power repeaters) (2000)

Televisions:
  70,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
  .lr

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
  1 (2000)

Internet users:
  300 (2000)

§7. Liberia Transportation

Railways:
  total: 490 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: 345 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 145 km 1.067-m gauge

Highways:
  total: 10,600 km
  paved: 657 km
  unpaved: 9,943 km
  note: (there is major deterioration on all highways due to heavy rains and
    lack of maintenance) (1996 est.)

Waterways:
  none

Ports and harbors:
  Buchanan, Greenville, Harper, Monrovia

Merchant marine:
  total: 1,478 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 49,456,361 GRT/76,620,648
    DWT
  ships by type: barge carrier 3, bulk 324, cargo 97, chemical tanker 163,
    combination bulk 20, combination ore/oil 38, container 245, liquefied gas
    97, multi-functional large-load carrier 4, passenger 24, petroleum tanker
    310, refrigerated cargo 74, roll on/roll off 19, short-sea passenger 3,
    specialized tanker 12, vehicle carrier 45
  note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
    convenience: Argentina 8, Australia 1, Ashmore and Cartier Islands 1,
    Austria 5, Bermuda 5, Belgium 5, Burma 1, Brazil 8, Canada 1, China 28,
    Chile 7, Costa Rica 8, Cyprus 27, Denmark 4, Ecuador 1, Germany 117,
    Greece 83, Hong Kong 54, Croatia 9, Indonesia 2, India 8, Israel 1, Italy
    8, Japan 85, South Korea 8, Latvia 15, Monaco 28, Mexico 6, Malaysia 1,
    Nigeria 1, Netherlands 7, Norway 86, Netherlands Antilles 1, NZ 1, Poland
    2, Portugal 2, Philippines 1, Russia 22, Saudi Arabia 20, South Africa 1,
    Slovenia 1, Singapore 30, Spain 1, Sweden 8, Switzerland 23, UAE 5,
    Taiwan 10, UK 15, US 85, Uruguay 1, Vietnam 1 (2000 est.)

Airports:
  46 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 44 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 5
  under 914 m: 36 (2000 est.)

§8. Liberia Military

Military branches:
  Army, Air Force, Navy

Military manpower - availability:
  males age 15-49: 715,753 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
  males age 15-49: 385,460 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $1 million (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  2% (FY98)

§9. Liberia Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  large refugee population from civil war in Sierra Leone

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