Liberia

republicIndependence 26 July 1847

Liberia as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 116 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
LocationWestern Africa, bordering the North Pacific Ocean between Cote
1994

Every edition of Liberia

Populationas each edition published it
2.97 million July 1994 est. · 2.64m in 1990
Population growth% a year
3.33% 1994 est. · 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
6.36 children per woman 1994 est. · 6.6 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
113.3 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 126 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$800 1993 est. · $400 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
1.5% 1988 · 1.5% in 1993

Geography

Western Africa, bordering the North Pacific Ocean between Cote | d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone

22 fields
Land boundaries
1,585km
total · Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km
Irrigated land
20sq km
(1989 est.)

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Pacific Ocean between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

111,370 sq km

land area

96,320 sq km

comparative area

slightly larger than Tennessee

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

Natural resources

iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold

arable land

1%

permanent crops

3%

meadows and pastures

2%

forest and woodland

39%

other

55%

current issues

  • West Africa's largest tropical rain forest, subject to deforestation;
  • soil erosion;
  • loss of biodiversity

natural hazards

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

international agreements

  • party to - Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber;
  • signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

People

22 fields
Population
2,972,766
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 3.33% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
43.48Death
12.34Net migration
2.16

Religions

traditional 70%Muslim 20%Christian 10%
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

113.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

57.73 years

male

55.27 years

female

60.25 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.36 children born/woman (1994 est.)

noun

Liberian(s)

adjective

Liberian

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 repatriated slaves)

Languages

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

total population

40%

male

50%

female

29%

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; 52% of population of working age

Government

Republic

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conventional long form

Republic of Liberia

conventional short form

Liberia

Type

republic

Capital

Monrovia

Administrative divisions

13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa, 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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

chief of state and head of government

Chairman of the Council of State David KPOMAKPOR (since March 1994); election last held on 15 October 1985 (next scheduled to be held September 1994); 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

cabinet

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

note

  • a transitional coalition government was formed as part of a July 1993 Cotonou Peace Treaty negotiated under UN auspices by the leaders of the major factions in the civil war;
  • elections now scheduled for September 1994

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 there is no assurance that it will ever be reconstituted

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

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

Member of

ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO

chief of mission

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

chancery

5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011

telephone

(202) 723-0437 through 0440

consulate(s) general

New York

chief of mission

(vacant); Charge d' Affaires William P. TWADDELL

embassy

111 United Nations Drive, Monrovia

mailing address

P. O. Box 100098, Mamba Point, Monrovia, or APO AE 09813

telephone

[231] 222991 through 222994

FAX

[231] 223710

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 since 1990 has destroyed much of Liberia's economy, | especially the infrastructure in and around Monrovia.

26 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$800
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
1.5%
(1988)industrial production growth: growth rate NA% (1993-94); much industrial damage caused by factional warfare
Unemployment rate
43%urban
(1988)

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 political impasse between the interim government and rebel leader Charles Taylor has prevented restoration of normal economic life, including the re-establishment of a strong central government with effective economic development programs.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $2.3 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$242.1 million

expenditures

$435.4 million, including capital expenditures of $29.5 million (1989 est.)

Exports

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

commodities

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

partners

US, EC, Netherlands

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

External debt

$2.1 billion (September 1993 est.)

capacity

410,000 kW

production

750 million kWh

consumption per capita

275 kWh (1991)

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, goats;
  • not self-sufficient in food, imports 25% of rice consumption

Illicit drugs

increasingly a transshipment point for heroin and cocaine

recipient

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $665 million;
  • Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $870 million;
  • OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $25 million;
  • Communist countries (1970-89), $77 million

Currency

1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

  • Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1 - 1.00 (officially fixed rate since 1940);
  • unofficial parallel exchange rate of L$7 = US$1, January 1992 (unofficial rate floats against the US dollar)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

14 fields

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

total

10,087 km

paved

603 km

unpaved

gravel 5,171 km (includes 2323km of private roads of rubber and timber firms, open to the public); earth 4,313 km

Ports

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

Merchant marine

1,595 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 56,923,236 GRT/97,692,316 DWT, barge carrier 3, bulk 423, cargo 126, chemical 122, combination bulk 30, combination ore/oil 64, container 112, liquefied gas 67, oil tanker 468, passenger 32, refrigerated cargo 61, roll-on/roll-off cargo 19, short-sea passenger 2, specialized tanker 7, vehicle carrier 59

note

  • a flag of convenience registry;
  • all ships are foreign owned;
  • the top 4 owning flags are US 14%, Japan 13%, Norway 10%, and Hong Kong 8%

total

59

usable

41

with permanent-surface runways

2

with runways over 3,659 m

0

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

1

with runways 1,220-2,439 m

4

Telecommunications

  • telephone and telegraph service via radio relay network;
  • main center is Monrovia;
  • broadcast stations - 3 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV;
  • 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station;
  • most telecommunications services inoperable due to insurgency movement

Defense Forces

The ultimate structure of the Liberian military force will depend on | who is the victor in the ongoing civil war

3 fields

Branches

the ultimate structure of the Liberian military force will depend on who is the victor in the ongoing civil war

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 707,927; fit for military service 377,950

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Central Intelligence Agency. “Liberia.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/liberia/1994.

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