Airports [time series]

76 total, 60 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

3 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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

Merchant marine [time series]

1,379 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 48,655,666 DWT/ 90,005,898 DWT; includes 11 passenger, 148 cargo, 26 refrigerated cargo, 18 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 42 vehicle carrier, 42 container, 4 barge carrier, 436 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 100 chemical, 63 combination ore/oil, 41 liquefied gas, 6 specialized tanker, 413 bulk, 2 multifunction large-load carrier, 26 combination bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry; all ships are foreign owned; the top four owning flags are US 17%, Hong Kong 13%, Japan 10%, and Greece 10%; China owns at least 20 ships and Vietnam owns 1

Ports [time series]

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

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

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

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

telephone and telegraph service via radio relay network; main center is Monrovia; 8,500 telephones; stations--3 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Armed Forces of Liberia, Liberia National Coast Guard

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

2.4% of GDP (1987)

Military manpower [time series]

males 15-49, 627,519; 335,063 fit for military service; no conscription

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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

Aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $634 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $793 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $25 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $77 million

Budget [time series]

revenues $242.1 million; expenditures $435.4 million, including capital expenditures of $29.5 million (1989)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Liberian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents

Electricity [time series]

400,000 kW capacity; 730 million kWh produced, 290 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1--1.00 (fixed rate since 1940); unofficial parallel exchange rate of L$2.5 = US$1, January 1989

Exports [time series]

$550 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--iron ore 61%, rubber 20%, timber 11%, coffee; partners--US, EC, Netherlands

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.7 billion (December 1989 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$988 million, per capita $395; real growth rate 1.5% (1988)

Imports [time series]

$335 million (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--rice, mineral fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, other foodstuffs; partners--US, EC, Japan, China, Netherlands, ECOWAS

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 1.5% in manufacturing (1987)

Industries [time series]

rubber processing, food processing, construction materials, furniture, palm oil processing, mining (iron ore, diamonds)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

12% (1989)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

In 1988 and 1989 the Liberian economy posted its best two years in a decade, thanks to a resurgence of the rubber industry and rapid growth in exports of forest products. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia is a producer and exporter of basic products. Local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, is small in scope. Liberia imports primarily machinery and parts, transportation equipment, petroleum products, and foodstuffs. Persistent budget deficits, the flight of capital, and deterioration of transport and other infrastructure continue to hold back economic progress.

Unemployment rate [time series]

43% urban (1988)

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

579 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly larger than Tennessee

Continental shelf [time series]

200 meters or to depth of exploitation;

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Land boundaries [time series]

1,585 km total; Guinea 563 km, Ivory Coast 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km

Land use [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold

Terrain [time series]

mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast

Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]

200 nm

Area (Total area) [time series]

111,370 km2; land area: 96,320 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Jide, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, Rivercess, Sino

Capital [time series]

Monrovia

Constitution [time series]

6 January 1986

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

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 James K. BISHOP; 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

Executive branch [time series]

president, vice president, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

26 July 1847

Judicial branch [time series]

People's Supreme Court Chief of State and Head of Government--President Gen. Dr. Samuel Kanyon DOE (since 12 April 1980); Vice President Harry F. MONIBA (since 6 January 1986)

Legal system [time series]

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 [time series]

bicameral National Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Liberia

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, Mano River Union, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 26 July (1847)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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 [time series]

universal at age 18 President--last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held October 1991); results--Samuel Kanyon Doe (NDPL) 50.9%, Jackson Doe (LAP) 26.4%, others 22.7%; Senate--last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held 15 October 1991); 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 October 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(64 total) NDPL 51, LAP 8, UP 3, LUP 2

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Birth rate [time series]

45 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

14 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

95% indigenous African tribes, including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, and Bella; 5% descendants of repatriated slaves known as Americo-Liberians

Infant mortality rate [time series]

126 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

510,000, including 220,000 in the monetary economy; 70.5% agriculture, 10.8% services, 4.5% industry and commerce, 14.2% other; non-African foreigners hold about 95% of the top-level management and engineering jobs; 52% of population of working age

Languages (Language) [time series]

English (official); more than 20 local languages of the Niger-Congo language group; English used by about 20%

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

54 years male, 58 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

35%

Nationality [time series]

noun--Liberian(s); adjective--Liberian

Net migration rate [time series]

2 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

2% of labor force

Population [time series]

2,639,809 (July 1990), growth rate 3.4% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

70% traditional, 20% Muslim, 10% Christian

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.6 children born/woman (1990)