Statistical information Liberia 1993

Liberia in the World
top of pageBackground: 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 Kenyon DOE was killed by rebel forces.
top of pageLocation: Western Africa, bordering the North Pacific Ocean between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone
Geographic coordinatesMap reference:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the WorldAreaTotal: 111,370 km²
Land: 96,320 km²
Land boundaries:
total 1,585 km, Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km,
Sierra Leone 306 km
Coastline: 579 km
Continental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitation
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Maritime claimsClimate: 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
ElevationNatural resources: iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold
Land useArable land: 1%
Permanent crops: 3%
Meadows and pastures: 2%
Forest and woodland: 39%
Other: 55%
Irrigated land: 20 km² (1989 est.) deforestation
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 2,874,881 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 3.37% (1993 est.)
NationalityNoun: Liberian(s)
Adjective: Liberian
Ethnic groups:
indigenous African tribes 95% (including Kpelle, Bassa,
Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, and Bella),
Americo-Liberians 5% (descendants of repatriated slaves)
Languages: English 20% (official), Niger-Congo language group about 20 local languages come from this group
Religions: traditional 70%, Muslim 20%, Christian 10%
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 3.37% (1993 est.)
Birth rate: 43.9 births/1000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate: 12.38 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.15 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentAir pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 115.9 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 57.28 years
Male: 54.88 years
Female: 59.76 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.42 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 40%
Male: 50%
Female: 29%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry name: conventional short form: Liberia
Government type: republic
Capital: Monrovia
Administrative divisions:
13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa, Cape
Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba,
River Cess, Sinoe
Dependent areasIndependence: 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
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch: People's Supreme Court
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation:
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, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador James TARPEH
In the us chancery: 5,201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,011
In the us telephone: (202) 723-0437 through 0440
In the us consulate general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador William H. TWADDELL
From the us embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, Monrovia
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 98, Monrovia, or APO AE 9,813
From the us telephone: 231 222,991 through 222,994
From the us fax: (231) 223,710
Flag description
: 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
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy 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 political impasse between the interim government and rebel leader Charles Taylor has prevented restoration of normal economic life, including the re-establishment of a strong central government with effective economic development programs.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 1.5% (1988)
Real gdp per capita: $400 (1988)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: 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
Industries: rubber processing, food processing, construction materials, furniture, palm oil processing, mining (iron ore, diamonds)
Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 1.5% in manufacturing (1987; accounts for 22% of GDP
Labor force: 510,000 including 220,000 in the monetary economy
By occupation agriculture: 70.5%
By occupation services: 10.8%
By occupation industry and commerce: 4.5%
By occupation other: 14.2%
Note:non-African foreigners hold about 95% of the top-level management and engineering jobs
52% of population of working age
Unemployment rate: 43% urban (1988)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $242.1 million; expenditures $435.4 million, including capital expenditures of $29.5 million (1989)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExportsCommodoties: iron ore 61%, rubber 20%, timber 11%, coffee
Partners: US, EC, Netherlands
Imports: $394 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.)
Commodoties: rice, mineral fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, other foodstuffs
Partners: US, EC, Japan, China, Netherlands, ECOWAS
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1 - 1.00 (fixed rate since 1940; unofficial parallel exchange rate of L$7 = US$1, January 1992
top of pageElectricityProduction: 410,000 kW capacity; 750 million kWh produced, 275 kWh per capita (1991)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 59
Usable: 41
With permanentsurface runways: 2
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 1
With runways 1220-2439 m: 4
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marine: 1,618 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 57,769,476 DWT/ 101,391,576 DWT; includes 20 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 132 cargo, 56 refrigerated cargo, 21 roll-on/roll-off, 58 vehicle carrier, 97 container, 3 barge carrier, 499 oil tanker, 108 chemical, 68 combination ore/oil, 62 liquefied gas, 6 specialized tanker, 456 bulk, 31 combination bulk; note - a
Ports and terminalsLiberia - Transnational issues 1993
top of pageDisputes international: none
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs