Liberia

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 has 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.

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

• tropical rain forest subject to deforestation;
• soil erosion;
• loss of biodiversity;
• pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage

party to:

Desertification, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, 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

0-14 years:

43% (male 681,136; female 680,501)

15-64 years:

54% (male 826,751; female 867,402)

65 years and over:

3% (male 54,334; female 54,032) (2000 est.)

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 (2000 est.)

noun:

Liberian(s)

adjective:

Liberian

conventional long form:

Republic of Liberia

conventional short form:

Liberia

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%

• 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]

chief of mission:

Ambassador-designate William BULL

chancery:

5303 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011

telephone:

[1] (202) 723-0437

FAX:

[1] (202) 723-0436

consulate(s) general:

New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Bismarck MYRICK

embassy:

111 United Nations Drive, Mamba Point, Monrovia

mailing address:

use embassy street address

telephone:

[231] 226-370 through 226-382

FAX:

[231] 226-148, 226-147

• 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

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

revenues:

$NA

expenditures:

$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

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

• 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);
• market rate floats against the US dollar

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

total:

10,600 km (there is major deterioration on all highways due to heavy rains and lack of maintenance)

paved:

657 km

unpaved:

9,943 km (1996 est.)