liberia

Liberia

Years of civil strife have destroyed much of Liberia's economic infrastructure, made civil administration nearly impossible, and brought economic activity virtually to a halt. The deterioration of economic conditions has been greatly exacerbated by the flight of most business people with their expertise and capital. Civil order ended in 1990 when President Samuel Kanyon DOE was killed by rebel forces. The ensuing civil war persisted until August 1995 when the major factions signed the Abuja peace accord and, in September 1995, formed a transitional coalition government under Wilton SANKAWULO. The war was resumed in April 1996, when forces loyal to faction leaders Charles TAYLOR and Alhaji KROMAH attacked rival factions in Monrovia, further damaging the capital's already dilapidated infrastructure and causing panic among the remaining foreign residents, thousands of whom sought refuge in US facilities. Prospects for peace became extremely uncertain again. 

 
Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

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

Area

Land Boundaries

Total 1,585 km, Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km

Coastline

579 km

Maritime Claims

International Disputes

None

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
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 m

Natural Resources

Land Use

Irrigated Land

20 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment

PEOPLE

Population

2,109,789 (July 1996 est.)
3,073,245 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

45% (male 475,138; female 470,970) (July 1996 est.)
44% (male 680,952; female 674,155) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

52% (male 557,855; female 532,143) (July 1996 est.)
52% (male 844,326; female 768,147) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

3% (male 35,544; female 38,139) (July 1996 est.)
4% (male 50,090; female 55,575) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

2.13% (1996 est.)
3.32% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

42.72 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
43.08 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

11.95 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
12.05 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

-9.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Note: Until the Ghanaian-led peace negotiations are successful, many Liberian refugees will be unable to return from exile

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
all ages: 1.03 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

108.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
110.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total Fertility Rate

6.23 children born/woman (1996 est.)
6.3 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic Divisions

Religions

Languages

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

Literacy

Age 15 and over that can read and write (1995 est.)

Labor Force

510,000 including 220,000 in the monetary economy

By occupation:

Note: Non-African foreigners hold about 95% of the top-level management and engineering jobs

GOVERNMENT

Names

Digraph

LI

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

Note: Constitutional government ended in September 1990 when President Samuel Kanyon DOE was killed by rebel forces; civil war ensued and in August 1995 the Abuja peace accord was signed by the major warring factions; a transitional coalition government under Wilton SANKAWULO was formed in September 1995; presidential elections are scheduled for August 1996

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 be reconstituted very soon

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, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

National Anthem

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 U.S. flag

ECONOMY

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 continued political turmoil has prevented restoration of normal economic life, including the re-establishment of a strong central government with effective economic development programs. The economy deteriorated further in 1995.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $2.3 billion (1994 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

0% (1994 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$770 (1994 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

50% (1994 est.)

Unemployment Rate

NA

Budget

Exports

$530 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
$505 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.)

Commodities:

Partners:

Imports

$394 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.)

Commodities:

Partners:

External Debt

$1.9 billion (September 1993 est.)

Industrial Production

Growth rate NA (1993-94); much industrial damage caused by factional warfare

Electricity

Industries

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

Economic Aid

Currency

1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents

Exchange Rates

Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1 - 1.00 (officially fixed rate since 1940); market exchange rate of US$1 - L$50 (October 1995), L$7 (January 1992), market rate floats against the U.S. dollar

Fiscal Year

Calendar year

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

Highways

Ports

Buchanan, Greenville, Harper, Monrovia

Merchant Marine

Note: A flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 59 countries among which are United States 253 ships, Japan 172, Norway 165, Greece 137, Germany 149, United Kingdom 78, Hong Kong 114, China 49, Monaco 41, and Cyprus 34 (1995 est.)

Airports

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

Less than 25,000 telephones (1991 est.); telephone and telegraph service via radio relay network; main center is Monrovia; most telecommunications services inoperable due to insurgency movement

Radio

Television

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

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

Manpower Availability

Males age 15-49 479,274; males fit for military service 256,200 (1996 est.)

Defense Expenditures

Exchange rate conversion - $14 million, 2.9% of GDP (1993)

History
World Atlas

Last modified: 3 december 1997