*Liberia, People
Population:
2,874,881 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.37% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
43.9 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
12.38 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 115.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
57.28 years
male:
54.88 years
female:
59.76 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.42 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Liberian(s)
adjective:
Liberian
Ethnic divisions:
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)
Religions:
traditional 70%, Muslim 20%, Christian 10%
Languages:
English 20% (official), Niger-Congo language group about 20 local languages
come from this group
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population:
40%
male:
50%
female:
29%
Labor force:
510,000 including 220,000 in the monetary economy
by occupation:
agriculture 70.5%, services 10.8%, industry and commerce 4.5%, other 14.2%
note:
non-African foreigners hold about 95% of the top-level management and
engineering jobs; 52% of population of working age
*Liberia, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Liberia
conventional short form:
Liberia
Digraph:
LI
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
Independence:
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
National holiday:
Independence Day, 26 July (1847)
Political parties and leaders:
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
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Elections:
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, UPP 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, UPP 2
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
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
interim President Dr. Amos SAWYER (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; a rebel faction led by Charles TAYLOR is
challenging the SAWYER government's legitimacy; former president, Gen. Dr.
Samuel Kanyon DOE, was killed on 9 September 1990 by Prince Y. JOHNSON
*Liberia, Government
Member of:
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 representation in US: chief of mission:
Ambassador James TARPEH
chancery:
5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone:
(202) 723-0437 through 0440
consulate general:
New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador William H. TWADDELL
embassy:
111 United Nations Drive, Monrovia
mailing address:
P. O. Box 98, Monrovia, or APO AE 09813
telephone:
[231] 222991 through 222994
FAX:
(231) 223710
Flag:
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
*Liberia, 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.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $988 million (1988)
National product real growth rate:
1.5% (1988)
National product per capita:
$400 (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12% (1989)
Unemployment rate:
43% urban (1988)
Budget:
revenues $242.1 million; expenditures $435.4 million, including capital
expenditures of $29.5 million (1989)
Exports:
$505 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.)
commodities:
iron ore 61%, rubber 20%, timber 11%, coffee
partners:
US, EC, Netherlands
Imports:
$394 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.)
commodities:
rice, mineral fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, other
foodstuffs
partners:
US, EC, Japan, China, Netherlands, ECOWAS
External debt:
$1.6 billion (December 1990 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 1.5% in manufacturing (1987); accounts for 22% of GDP
Electricity:
410,000 kW capacity; 750 million kWh produced, 275 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
rubber processing, food processing, construction materials, furniture, palm
oil processing, mining (iron ore, diamonds)
Agriculture:
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
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $665 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $870 million; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $25 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $77
million
*Liberia, Economy
Currency:
1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1 - 1.00 (fixed rate since 1940); unofficial
parallel exchange rate of L$7 = US$1, January 1992
Fiscal year:
calendar year