Internet country code [time series]

.lr

Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]

14 (2004)

Internet users [time series]

1,000 (2002)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 0, FM 7, shortwave 2 (2001)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: the limited services available are found almost exclusively in the capital Monrovia domestic: fully automatic system with very low density of .21 fixed mainlines per 100 persons; limited wireless service available international: country code - 231; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

7,000 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

2,000 (2001)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

1 (plus four low-power repeaters) (2001)

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $85.4 million expenditures: $90.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency (code)) [time series]

Liberian dollar (LRD)

Debt - external [time series]

$2.1 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]

$94 million (1999)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Civil war and government mismanagement have destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around Monrovia, while continued international sanctions on diamonds and timber exports will limit growth prospects for the foreseeable future. Many businessmen have fled the country, taking capital and expertise with them. Some have returned, but many will not. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia had been a producer and exporter of basic products - primarily raw timber and rubber. Local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, had been small in scope. The departure of the former president, Charles TAYLOR, to Nigeria in August 2003, the establishment of the all-inclusive Transitional Government, and the arrival of a UN mission are all necessary for the eventual end of the political crisis, but thus far have done little to encourage economic development. The reconstruction of infrastructure and the raising of incomes in this ravaged economy will largely depend on generous financial support and technical assistance from donor countries.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

454.6 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - production [time series]

488.8 million kWh (2002)

Exchange rates [time series]

Liberian dollars per US dollar - 54.906 (2004), 59.379 (2003), 61.754 (2002), 48.583 (2001), 40.953 (2000)

Exports [time series]

$1.079 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

rubber, timber, iron, diamonds, cocoa, coffee

Exports - partners [time series]

Denmark 29.5%, Germany 18.9%, Poland 14.3%, US 8.9%, Greece 8% (2004)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

$2.903 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 76.9% industry: 5.4% services: 17.7% (2002 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $900 (2004 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

21.8% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Imports [time series]

$5.051 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods; foodstuffs

Imports - partners [time series]

South Korea 38.8%, Japan 21.2%, Singapore 12.2%, Croatia 5.3%, Germany 4.2% (2004)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

NA

Industries [time series]

rubber processing, palm oil processing, timber, diamonds

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

15% (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture 70%, industry 8%, services 22% (2000 est.)

Oil - consumption [time series]

3,100 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - imports [time series]

NA

Oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

80%

Unemployment rate [time series]

85% (2003 est.)

Area [time series]

total: 111,370 sq km land: 96,320 sq km water: 15,050 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly larger than Tennessee

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

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

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

Environment - current issues [time series]

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

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

Geographic coordinates [time series]

6 30 N, 9 30 W

Geography - note [time series]

facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland grassy plateau supports limited agriculture

Irrigated land [time series]

30 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 1,585 km border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 3.95% permanent crops: 2.28% other: 93.77% (2001)

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Africa

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 200 nm

Natural hazards [time series]

dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March)

Natural resources [time series]

iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower

Terrain [time series]

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

Administrative divisions [time series]

15 counties; Bomi, Bong, Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, River Gee, Sinoe

Capital [time series]

Monrovia

Constitution [time series]

6 January 1986

Country name [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador John William BLANEY III embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, P. O. Box 10-0098, Mamba Point, 1000 Monrovia, 10 Liberia mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [231] 226-370 through 226-380 FAX: [231] 226-148

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Aaron B. KOLLIE chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 723-0437 FAX: [1] (202) 723-0436 consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: Chairman Gyude BRYANT (since 14 October 2003); note - this is an interim position until presidential elections in 2005; the chairman is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: Chairman Gyude BRYANT (since 14 October 2003); note - this is an interim position until presidential elections in 2005; the chairman is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate; note - current cabinet positions are divided among groups participating in the Liberian peace process elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (renewable); election last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held 11 October 2005) 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%; note - TAYLOR stepped down in August 2003 note: a UN-brokered cease-fire among warring factions and the Liberian government resulted in the August 2003 resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR; a jointly agreed upon replacement, Chairman Gyude BRYANT, assumed office as head of the National Transitional Government on 14 October 2003

Flag (Flag description) [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

Government type [time series]

republic

Independence [time series]

26 July 1847

International organization participation [time series]

ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

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 the Senate (26 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve nine-year terms) and the House of Representatives (64 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held 11 October 2005); House of Representatives - last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held 11 October 2005) 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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 26 July (1847)

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

Alliance of Political Parties (a coalition of LAP and LUP) [leader NA]; All Liberia Coalition Party or ALCOP [Peter KERBAY]; Liberian Action Party or LAP [C. Gyude BRYANT]; Liberian People's Party or LPP [Koffa NAGBE]; Liberia Unification Party or LUP [leader NA]; National Patriotic Party or NPP [Cyril ALLEN] - governing party; United People's Party or UPP [Wesley JOHNSON]; Unity Party or UP [Charles CLARKE]

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

NA

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Background [time series]

In August 2003, a comprehensive peace agreement ended 14 years of civil war and prompted the resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR, who was exiled to Nigeria. The National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL) - composed of rebel, government, and civil society groups - assumed control in October 2003. Chairman Gyude BRYANT, who was given a two-year mandate to oversee efforts to rebuild Liberia, heads the new government. The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), which maintains a strong presence throughout the country, completed a disarmament program for former combatants in late 2004, but the security situation is still volatile and the process of rebuilding the social and economic structure of this war-torn country remains sluggish.

Manpower available for military service [time series]

males age 18-49: 659,795 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service [time series]

males age 18-49: 360,373 (2005 est.)

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL): Army, Navy, Air Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$1.5 million (2004)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

0.2% (2004)

Military service age and obligation [time series]

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 43.6% (male 765,662/female 751,134) 15-64 years: 52.8% (male 896,206/female 940,985) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 64,547/female 63,677) (2005 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

44.22 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate [time series]

17.87 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

indigenous African tribes 95% (including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, Dei, Bella, Mandingo, and Mende), Americo-Liberians 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the US who had been slaves), Congo People 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean who had been slaves)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

5.9% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

7,200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

100,000 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 128.87 deaths/1,000 live births male: 135.64 deaths/1,000 live births female: 121.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 38.89 years male: 37.03 years female: 40.81 years (2005 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 57.5% male: 73.3% female: 41.6% (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases [time series]

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2004)

Median age [time series]

total: 18.06 years male: 17.69 years female: 18.42 years (2005 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Liberian(s) adjective: Liberian

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: at least 200,000 Liberian refugees are in surrounding countries; the uncertain security situation has hindered their ability to return (2005 est.)

Population [time series]

3,482,211 (July 2005 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.64% (2005 est.)

Religions [time series]

indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 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 (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.09 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Disputes - international [time series]

although Liberia's domestic fighting among disparate rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs was declared over in 2003, civil unrest persists, and in 2004, 133,000 Liberian refugees remained in Guinea, 72,000 in Cote d'Ivoire, 67,000 in Sierra Leone, and 43,000 in Ghana; Liberia, in turn, shelters refugees fleeing turmoil in Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone; since 2003, the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) has maintained about 18,000 peacekeepers in Liberia; the Cote d'Ivoire Government accuses Liberia of supporting Ivoirian rebels; UN sanctions ban Liberia from exporting diamonds and timber

Illicit drugs [time series]

transshipment point for Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine for the European and US markets; corruption, criminal activity, arms-dealing, and diamond trade provide significant potential for money laundering, but the lack of well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a major money-laundering center

Refugees and internally displaced persons [time series]

refugees (country of origin): 13,941 (Sierra Leone) 38,325 (Cote d'Ivoire) IDPs: 500,000 (civil war from 1990-2004; IDP resettlement began in November 2004) (2004)

Airports [time series]

53 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 51 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 38 (2004 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 10,600 km paved: 657 km unpaved: 9,943 km (1999 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 1,465 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 50,555,752 GRT/79,125,329 DWT by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 275, cargo 91, chemical tanker 173, combination ore/oil 22, container 388, liquefied gas 78, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 324, refrigerated cargo 57, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 9, vehicle carrier 35 foreign-owned: 1,392 (Argentina 8, Australia 2, Austria 13, Bahamas 3, Brazil 6, British 1, Canada 2, Chile 1, China 36, Croatia 7, Cyprus 1, Denmark 5, France 3, Germany 511, Greece 149, Hong Kong 29, India 4, Indonesia 1, Isle of Man 5, Israel 7, Italy 12, Japan 106, Latvia 18, Monaco 10, Netherlands 18, Nigeria 1, Norway 57, Pakistan 1, Poland 14, Romania 1, Russia 63, Saudi Arabia 23, Singapore 29, Slovenia 1, South Korea 4, Sweden 12, Switzerland 10, Taiwan 54, Turkey 4, Ukraine 7, UAE 10, United Kingdom 56, United States 84, Uruguay 3) (2005)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Buchanan, Monrovia

Railways [time series]

total: 490 km standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 145 km 1.067-m gauge note: none of the railways are in operation because of the civil war (2004)