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Communications

Airports [time series]

75 total, 58 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]

1,563 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 53,053,254 DWT/94,597,871 DWT; includes 18 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 156 cargo, 47 refrigerated cargo, 15 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 67 vehicle carrier, 74 container, 5 barge carrier, 450 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 104 chemical, 60 combination ore/oil, 44 liquefied gas, 6 specialized tanker, 485 bulk, 1 multifunction large-load carrier, 30 combination bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry; all ships are foreign owned; the top four owning flags are US 19%, Japan 17%, Hong Kong 12%, and Norway 10%; China owns at least 28 ships, Bulgaria owns 3, and Poland 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

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Armed Forces of Liberia (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Coast Guard, National Police Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$NA, 2.4% of GDP (1987)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 648,636; 346,349 fit for military service; no conscription

Economy

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

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

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $665 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $853 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $25 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $77 million

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]

$505 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--iron ore 61%, rubber 20%, timber 11%, coffee; partners--US, EC, Netherlands

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.6 billion (December 1990 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

$988 million, per capita $400; real growth rate 1.5% (1988)

Imports [time series]

$394 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.); 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); accounts for 22% of GDP

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]

Civil war during 1990 destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around Monrovia. Expatriate businessmen 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 fled to neighboring countries.

Unemployment rate [time series]

43% urban (1988)

Geography

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 Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation; Territorial sea: 200 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly larger than Tennessee

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]

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

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

Area (Total area) [time series]

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

Government

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 Peter J. de VOS; 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--interim President Dr. Amos SAWYER (since 15 November 1990); interim Vice President Ronald DIGGS (since 15 November 1990); note--this is an interim government appointed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that will be replaced after elections are held under a West African-brokered peace plan; rival rebel factions led by Prince Y. JOHNSON and Charles TAYLOR are challenging the Sawyer government's legitimacy while observing a tenuous cease fire; the former president, Gen. Dr. Samuel Kanyon DOE, was ousted and killed on 9 September 1990 in a coup led by Prince Y. JOHNSON 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

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, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 26 July (1847)

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18 President--last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held NA); 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; Senate--last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held NA); 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 NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(64 total) NDPL 51, LAP 8, UP 3, LUP 2

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

45 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

13 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

124 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

510,000, including 220,000 in the monetary economy; agriculture 70.5%, services 10.8%, industry and commerce 4.5%, other 14.2%; 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, 59 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

40% (male 50%, female 29%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

2 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

2% of labor force

Population [time series]

2,730,446 (July 1991), growth rate 3.4% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

traditional 70%, Muslim 20%, Christian 10%

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.5 children born/woman (1991)