Liberia

republicIndependence 26 July 1847

Liberia as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 67 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalMonrovia

Area111,370 km2

Populationas each edition published it

2.64 million July 1990 · 5.56m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.37% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.1 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 57.28 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.6 children per woman 1990 · 3.84 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

126 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 55.2 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $400 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.5% in 1993

Geography

11 fields

Land useshare of 111,370 km2

arable land 1%permanent crops 3%meadows and pastures 2%forest and woodland 39%other 55%includes NEGL% irrigated

Total area

111,370km2

land area: 96,320 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than Tennessee

Coastline

579km

Territorial sea: 200 nm

Land boundaries

1,585km total

Guinea 563 km, Ivory Coast 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km

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

Environment

West Africa's largest tropical rain forest, subject to deforestation

People

14 fields

Population

2,639,809

(July 1990), growth rate 3.4% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

45Death

14Net migration

Ethnic divisions

indigenous African tribes 95%descendants of repatriated slaves known as Americo-Liberians 5%including Kpelle; Bassa; Gio; Kru; Grebo; Mano; Krahn; Gola; Gbandi; Loma; Kissi; Vai; and Bella

Religion

traditional 70%Muslim 20%Christian 10%

Literacy

35%

Language

English (official);
more than 20 local languages of the Niger-Congo language group;
English used by about 20%

Labor force

510,000, including 220,000 in the monetary economy;
70.5% agriculture, 10.8% services, 4.5% industry and commerce, 14.2% other;
non-African foreigners hold about 95% of the top-level management and engineering jobs;
52% of population of working age

Government

Republic

16 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

50.9%

Samuel Kanyon Doe (NDPL) 50.9%Jackson Doe (LAP) 26.4%others 22.7%15 October 1985 (next to be held October 1991)

Senate, 26 seats, elected 15 October 1985one dot, one seat

NDPL 21LAP 3UP 1LUP 1

Administrative divisions

13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Jide, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, Rivercess, Sino

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

Judicial branch

People's Supreme Court Chief of State and Head of Government--President Gen. Dr. Samuel Kanyon DOE (since 12 April 1980); Vice President Harry F. MONIBA (since 6 January 1986)

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

Suffrage

universal at age 18 President--last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held October 1991);
results--Samuel Kanyon Doe (NDPL) 50.9%, Jackson Doe (LAP) 26.4%, others 22.7%;
Senate--last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held 15 October 1991);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(26 total) NDPL 21, LAP 3, UP 1, LUP 1;
House of Representatives--last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held October 1991);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(64 total) NDPL 51, LAP 8, UP 3, LUP 2

Member of

ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, Mano River Union, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

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 James K. BISHOP;
Embassy at 111 United Nations Drive, Monrovia (mailing address is P. O. Box 98, Monrovia, or APO New York 09155);
telephone [231] 222991 through 222994

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

Economy

In 1988 and 1989 the Liberian economy posted its best two years in a decade, thanks to a resurgence of the rubber industry and rapid growth in exports of forest products.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$988million

per capita $395; real growth rate 1.5% (1988)

Inflation, consumer prices

12%

(1989)

Unemployment rate

43%urban

(1988)

External debt

$1.7billion

(December 1989 est.)

Exports $550 million (f.o.b., 1989)commodities, where a share is given

iron ore

61%rubber

20%timber

11%

also coffee; partners--US, EC, Netherlands

Budget

Revenues

$242.1 millionExpenditures

$435.4 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $29.5 million (1989)

In 1988 and 1989 the Liberian economy posted its best two years in a decade, thanks to a resurgence of the rubber industry and rapid growth in exports of forest products. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia is a producer and exporter of basic products.

Local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, is small in scope. Liberia imports primarily machinery and parts, transportation equipment, petroleum products, and foodstuffs. Persistent budget deficits, the flight of capital, and deterioration of transport and other infrastructure continue to hold back economic progress.

Imports

$335 million (c.i.f., 1989);
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)

Electricity

400,000 kW capacity; 730 million kWh produced, 290 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

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

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

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $634 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $793 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $25 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $77 million

Communications

7 fields

Airports, 76 total, 60 usable

permanent-surface runways

2runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

1runways 1,220-2,439 m

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

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

Ports

Monrovia, Buchanan, Greenville, Harper (or Cape Palmas)

Merchant marine

1,379 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 48,655,666 DWT/ 90,005,898 DWT;
includes 11 passenger, 148 cargo, 26 refrigerated cargo, 18 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 42 vehicle carrier, 42 container, 4 barge carrier, 436 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 100 chemical, 63 combination ore/oil, 41 liquefied gas, 6 specialized tanker, 413 bulk, 2 multifunction large-load carrier, 26 combination bulk;
note--a flag of convenience registry;
all ships are foreign owned;
the top four owning flags are US 17%, Hong Kong 13%, Japan 10%, and Greece 10%;
China owns at least 20 ships and Vietnam owns 1