Map of Liberia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: 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.


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

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total area total: 111,370 km²
Land: 96,320 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Tennessee

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

Coastline: 579 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea:200 nm

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

Elevation

Natural resources: iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold

Land use
Arable land: 1%
Permanent crops: 3%
Meadows and pastures: 2%
Forest and woodland: 39%
Other: 55%

Irrigated land: 20 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 3,073,245 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 3.32% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: 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 former 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 profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 44% (female 674,155; male 680,952)
15-64 years: 52% (female 768,147; male 844,326)
65 years and over: 4% (female 55,575; male 50,090) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.32% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 43.08 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 12.05 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)
Note: if the Ghanaian-led peace negotiations, under way in 1995, are successful, many Liberian refugees may return from exile

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: tropical rain forest subject to deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of rivers from the dumping of iron ore tailings and of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage
Current issues natural hazards: dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March)
Current issues international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 110.6 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 58.17 years
Male: 55.67 years
Female: 60.75 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.3 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Total population: 40%
Male: 50%
Female: 29%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Liberia
Conventional short form: Liberia

Government 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

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state and head of government:Chairman of the Council of State David KPOMAKPOR (since March 1994); election last held on 15 October 1985; results - Gen. Dr. Samuel Kanyon DOE (NDPL) 50.9%, Jackson DOE (LAP) 26.4%, other 22.7%
Note: constitutional government ended in September 1990 when President Samuel Kanyon DOE was killed by rebel forces; civil war ensued and in July 1993 the Cotonou Peace Treaty was negotiated by the major warring factions under UN auspices; a transitional coalition government under David KROMAKPOR was formed in March 1994 but has been largely ineffective and unable to implement the provisions of the peace treaty; Ghanaian-led negotiations are now underway to seat a new interim government that would oversee elections proposed for late 1995
Cabinet: Cabinet; selected by the leaders of the major factions in the civil war

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

International organization participation: 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, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Konah K. BLACKETT
In the us chancery: 5,201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,011
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 723-0437
In the us consulates general: New York
From the us chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d' Affaires William P. TWADDELL
From the us embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, Monrovia
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 100,098, Mamba Point, Monrovia
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 symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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 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. The economy deteriorated further in 1994.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: $770 (1994 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture 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: NA% (1993-94; much industrial damage caused by factional warfare

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

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $242.1 million
Expenditures: $435.4 million, including capital expenditures of $29.5 million (1989 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $505 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.)
Commodoties: iron ore 61%, rubber 20%, timber 11%, coffee
Partners: US, EC, Netherlands

Imports: $394 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.)
Commodoties: mineral fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, rice and other foodstuffs
Partners: US, EC, Japan, China, Netherlands, ECOWAS

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $2.1 billion (September 1993 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1 - 1.00 (officially fixed rate since 1940; unofficial parallel exchange rate of US$1 - L$7 (January 1992), unofficial rate floats against the US dollar


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Electricity
Capacity: 330,000 kW
Production: 440 million kWh
Production consumption per capita: 143 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: NA telephones; telephone and telegraph service via radio relay network; main center is Monrovia; most telecommunications services inoperable due to insurgency movement
Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $30 million, 2% of GDP (1994)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 59
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 43
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2438 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 11

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 1,549 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 56,709,634 GRT/97,038,680 DWT
Ships by type: barge carrier 3, bulk 392, cargo 121, chemical tanker 114, combination bulk 33, combination ore/oil 57, container 124, liquefied gas tanker 75, oil tanker 459, passenger 32, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 58, roll-on/roll-off cargo 18, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 7, vehicle carrier 54
Note: a flag of convenience registry; includes 53 countries; the 10 major fleet flags are:United States 232 ships, Japan 190, Norway 166, Greece 125, Germany 125, United Kingdom 102, Hong Kong 95, China 45, Russia 41, and the Netherlands 34

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: increasingly a transshipment point for heroin and cocaine