Statistical information Liberia 1996Liberia

Map of Liberia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Liberia in the World

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Liberia - Introduction 1996
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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. In April 1996, when forces loyal to faction leaders Charles Ghankay TAYLOR and Alhaji KROMAH attacked rival ethnic Krahn factions, the fighting further damaged Monrovia's dilapidated infrastructure. Fighting waned in late May 1996, allowing West African peacekeepers to regain control of Monrovia. The Abuja II peace accord was signed in August 1996 replacing the Chairman of the ruling Council of State, Wilton SANKAWULO, with Ruth PERRY.


Liberia - Geography 1996
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Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Côte d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

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

Land boundaries: Total 1,585 km, Guinea 563 km, Côte 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
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 m

Natural resources:
Iron ore
Timber
Diamonds
Gold

Land use

Land use
Arable land: 1%
Permanent crops: 3%
Permanent pastures: 2%
Forests 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


Liberia - People 1996
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Population:
2,109,789 (July 1996 est.)
3,073,245 (July 1995 est.)

Growth rate:
2.13% (1996 est.)
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

Age structure
0-14 years:
45% (male 475,138; female 470,970) (July 1996 est.)
44% (male 680,952; female 674,155) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 years:
52% (male 557,855; female 532,143) (July 1996 est.)
52% (male 844,326; female 768,147) (July 1995 est.)

65 years and over:
3% (male 35,544; female 38,139) (July 1996 est.)
4% (male 50,090; female 55,575) (July 1995 est.)


Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate:
2.13% (1996 est.)
3.32% (1995 est.)


Birth rate:
42.72 births/1000 population (1996 est.)
43.08 births/1000 population (1995 est.)


Death rate:
11.95 deaths/1000 population (1996 est.)
12.05 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)


Net migration rate: -9.48 migrant(s)/1000 population (1996 est.)
Note: Until the Ghanaian-led peace negotiations are successful, many Liberian refugees will be unable to 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)
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
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female
All ages:
1.03 male(s)/female (1996 est.) Infant Mortality Rate:108.1 deaths/1000 live births (1996 est.)
110.6 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)


Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 58.59 years (1996 est.), 58.17 years (1995 est.)
Male: 56.05 years (1996 est.), 55.67 years (1995 est.)
Female: 61.22 years (1996 est.), 60.75 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:
6.23 children born/woman (1996 est.)
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
Definition: age 15 and over that can read and write (1995 est.)
Total population: 38.3%
Male: 53.9%
Female: 22.4%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


Liberia - Government 1996
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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 Wilton SANKAWULO (since NA September 1995); president was to be elected for a six-year term by universal suffrage at the end of 1995; election last held 15 October 1985 (next to be held NA August 1996); results_Samuel Kanyon DOE (NDPL) 50.9%, Jackson DOE (LAP) 26.4%, other 22.7%
March 1994 September 1995: Chairman of the Council of State David KPOMAKPOR
Note: Constitutional government ended in September 1990 when President Samuel Kanyon DOE was killed by rebel forces; civil war ensued and in August 1995 the Abuja peace accord was signed by the major warring factions; a transitional coalition government under Wilton SANKAWULO was formed in September 1995; presidential elections are scheduled for August 1996
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, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

Flag descriptionflag of Liberia: 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 U.S. flag

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


Liberia - Economy 1996
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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 continued political turmoil 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 1995.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 0% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity_ $770 (1994 est.)

Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin

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: 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%
By occupation note: Non-African foreigners hold about 95% of the top-level management and engineering jobs
Labor force

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: $225 million (1994 est.), $242.1 million (1989 est.)
Expenditures: $285 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.), $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:
total value. $530 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
$505 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.)

Commodities:
Iron ore 61%
Rubber 20%
Timber 11%
Coffee

Partners:
U.S.
EU
Netherlands


Imports: total value:$394 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.)
Commodities:
Mineral fuels
Chemicals
Machinery
Transportation equipment
Rice and other foodstuffs

Partners:
U.S.
EU
Japan
China
Netherlands
ECOWAS
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $1.9 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; market exchange rate of US$1_L$50 (October 1995), L$7 (January 1992), market rate floats against the U.S. dollar


Liberia - Energy 1996
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Electricity
Capacity: 330,000 kW
Production: 440 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 143 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


Liberia - Communication 1996
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Telephones

Telephone system: Less than 25,000 telephones (1991 est.); telephone and telegraph service via radio relay network; main center is Monrovia; most telecommunications services inoperable due to insurgency movement
Domestic: NA
International: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


Liberia - Military 1996
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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $14 million, 2.9% of GDP (1993)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


Liberia - Transportation 1996
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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 39
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 29
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6 (1995 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 1,601 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 59,449,296 GRT/98,819,081 DWT
Ships by type: barge carrier 2, bulk 411, cargo 121, chemical tanker 108, combination bulk 28, combination ore/oil 56, container 143, liquefied gas tanker 77, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 463, passenger 42, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 64, roll-on/roll-off cargo 23, short-sea passenger 4, specialized tanker 9, vehicle carrier 48
Note: A flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 59 countries among which are United States 253 ships, Japan 172, Norway 165, Greece 137, Germany 149, United Kingdom 78, Hong Kong 114, China 49, Monaco 41, and Cyprus 34 (1995 est.)

Ports and terminals


Liberia - Transnational issues 1996
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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: Increasingly a transshipment point for heroin and cocaine


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