Liberia

Republic of Liberia

republicIndependence 26 July 1847

Liberia as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 101 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

Position6 30 N, 9 30 W

Area111,370 sq km

LocationWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,

Populationas each edition published it

2.92 million July 1999 est. · 2.64m in 1990

Population growth% a year

4.92% 1999 est. · 3.37% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.1 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

59.88 years 1999 est. · 57.28 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.02 children per woman 1999 est. · 6.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

100.63 deaths per 1,000 live births 1999 est. · 126 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$1,000 1998 est. · $400 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.5% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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

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

17 fields

Land useshare of 111,370 sq km

arable land 1%permanent crops 3%permanent pastures 59%forests and woodland 18%other 19% (1993 est.)irrigated 20 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

111,370sq km

land: 96,320 sq kmwater: 15,050 sq kmslightly larger than Tennessee

Coastline

579km

territorial sea: 200 nm

Highest point

1,380m

Mount Wutevelowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Land boundaries

1,585km

border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km

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

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

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:: 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

People

15 fields

Population

2,923,725

(July 1999 est.)growth rate: 4.92% (1999 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1999 est.)

Birth

41.49Death

11.03Net migration

18.77

Net migration: note: evidence from UNHCR indicates Liberians are being repatriated

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1999 est.)59.88

57.2 · 62.64

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)38.3%

53.9% · 22.4%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write note: these figures are increasing because of the improving school system

Religions

traditional 70%Muslim 20%Christian 10%

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.)

Net migration rate

18.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.) note: evidence from UNHCR indicates Liberians are being repatriated

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.)

Infant mortality rate

100.63 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.02 children born/woman (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)

Languages

English 20% (official), about 20 tribal languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence

Government

Republic; President Charles Ghankay TAYLOR (since 2 August 1997); President Charles Ghankay TAYLOR (since 2 August 1997)

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

75.3%

-Charles Ghankay TAYLOR (NPP) 75.3%Ellen Johnson SIRLEAF (UP) 9.6%Alhaji KROMAH (ALCOP) 4%other 11.1%election last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held NA July 2001)

Legislature, 64 seatsone dot, one seat

-NPP 49UP 7ALCOP 3Alliance of Political Parties 2UPP 2LPP 1

Country name

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

Data code

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
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%

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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

TAYLOR]

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

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

Economy

A civil war in 1989-97 has destroyed much of | Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around | Monrovia.

30 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$1,000

purchasing power parity? · (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate

70%

Population below poverty line

80%

Debt--external

$2billion

(1997 est.)

GDP--composition by sector

agriculture 30%industry 36%services 34%

Electricity

fossil fuel 100%hydro 0% · nuclear 0% · other 0%

Electricity production

480 million (1996)Electricity consumption

480 million (1996)

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 macro- and micro-economic policies of the new government, including the encouragement of foreign investment.

GDP

purchasing power parity--$2.8 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate

NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

Labor force--by occupation

agriculture 70%

Budget

revenues:: $NA
expenditures:: $NA

Industries

rubber processing, palm oil processing, diamonds

Agriculture--products

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

Exports

$1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Exports--commodities

diamonds, iron ore, rubber, timber, coffee

Exports--partners

Belgium, Norway, Ukraine, Singapore (1997)

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)

Economic aid--recipient

$122.8 million (1995)

Currency

1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents

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

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Telephones

fewer than 25,000 (1998 est.)

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)

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

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

7 fields

Merchant marine, 1,651 ships by typeships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 59,804,012 GRT/96,650,752 DWT

barge carrier 4bulk 408cargo 106chemical tanker 176combination bulk 25combination ore/oil 50container 193liquefied gas tanker 89multifunction large-load carrier 2oil tanker 413passenger 37refrigerated cargo 69roll-on/roll-off cargo 19short-sea passenger 3specialized tanker 12vehicle carrier 45note: 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.)

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m

total: 43 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 5

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

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.)