Liberia

republicIndependence 26 July 1847

Liberia as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 64 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

2.73 million July 1991 · 2.64m in 1990

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

6.5 children per woman 1991 · 6.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

124 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 126 in 1990

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

9 fields

Total area

111,370km2

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

Land boundaries

1,585km total

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

Coastline

579 km Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation; 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

Land use

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

Environment

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

People

14 fields

Population

2,730,446

(July 1991), growth rate 3.4% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

45Death

13Net migration

Religion

traditional 70%Muslim 20%Christian 10%

Literacy

40%

(male 50%, female 29%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

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%

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;
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

Government

Republic

15 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

50.9%

Gen. Dr. Samuel Kanyon DOE (NDPL) 50.9%Jackson DOE (LAP) 26.4%other 22.7%15 October 1985 (next to be held NA)

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

People's Supreme Court Chief of State and Head of Government--interim President Dr. Amos SAWYER (since 15 November 1990); interim Vice President Ronald DIGGS (since 15 November 1990); 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 ousted and killed on 9 September 1990 in a coup led by Prince Y. JOHNSON 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 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, LUP 1; 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, LUP 2

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

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 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

Civil war during 1990 destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around Monrovia.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$988million

per capita $400; real growth rate 1.5% (1988)

Inflation, consumer prices

12%

(1989)

Unemployment rate

43%urban

(1988)

External debt

$1.6billion

(December 1990 est.)

Exports $505 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.)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)

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.

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

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

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $665 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $853 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $25 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $77 million

Communications

7 fields

Airports, 75 total, 58 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

1,563 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 53,053,254 DWT/94,597,871 DWT;
includes 18 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 156 cargo, 47 refrigerated cargo, 15 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 67 vehicle carrier, 74 container, 5 barge carrier, 450 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 104 chemical, 60 combination ore/oil, 44 liquefied gas, 6 specialized tanker, 485 bulk, 1 multifunction large-load carrier, 30 combination bulk;
note--a flag of convenience registry;
all ships are foreign owned;
the top four owning flags are US 19%, Japan 17%, Hong Kong 12%, and Norway 10%;
China owns at least 28 ships, Bulgaria owns 3, and Poland owns 1