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  Liberia  
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 Geography
 People
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This page was last updated on 8 March, 2007


Map of Liberia



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Liberia Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
Settlement of freed slaves from the US in what is today Liberia began in 1822; by 1847, the Americo-Liberians were able to establish a republic. William TUBMAN, president from 1944-71, did much to promote foreign investment and to bridge the economic, social, and political gaps between the descendents of the original settlers and the inhabitants of the interior. In 1980, a military coup led by Samuel DOE ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule. In December 1989, Charles TAYLOR launched a rebellion against DOE's regime that led to a prolonged civil war in which DOE himself was killed. A period of relative peace in 1997 allowed for elections that brought TAYLOR to power, but major fighting resumed in 2000. An August 2003, peace agreement ended the war and prompted the resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR, who was exiled to Nigeria. After two years of rule by a transitional government, democratic elections in late 2005 brought President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF to power. The UN 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.
   Geography    Liberia Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
6 30 N, 9 30 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Africa
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 111,370 sq km
land: 96,320 sq km
water: 15,050 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1,585 km
border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
579 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 200 nm
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 3.43%
permanent crops: 1.98%
other: 94.59% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
30 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March)
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
tropical rain forest deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland grassy plateau supports limited agriculture
   People    Liberia Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3,042,004 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 43.1% (male 656,016/female 653,734)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 816,443/female 832,152)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 40,591/female 43,068) (2006 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 18.1 years
male: 18 years
female: 18.3 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
4.91% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
44.77 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
23.1 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
27.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: at least 238,500 Liberian refugees are in surrounding countries; the uncertain security situation has hindered their ability to return (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 155.76 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 171.96 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 139.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 39.65 years
male: 37.99 years
female: 41.35 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6.02 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5.9% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
100,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7,200 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
Definition Field Listing
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 (2007)
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Liberian(s)
adjective: Liberian
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
indigenous African 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)
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Christian 40%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 40%
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 57.5%
male: 73.3%
female: 41.6% (2003 est.)
   Government    Liberia Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Republic of Liberia
conventional short form: Liberia
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
republic
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
name: Monrovia
geographic coordinates: 6 18 N, 10 47 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
15 counties; Bomi, Bong, Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, River Gee, Sinoe
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
26 July 1847
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day, 26 July (1847)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
6 January 1986
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF (since 16 January 2006); note - the President is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF (since 16 January 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 November 2005 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF elected president; percent of vote, second round - Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF 59.6%, George WEAH 40.4%
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (30 seats - number of seats changed in 11 October 2005 elections; 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 11 October 2005 (next to be held in 2011); House of Representatives - last held 11 October 2005 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - COTOL 7, NPP 4, CDC 3, LP 3, UP 3, APD 3, other 7; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CDC 15, LP 9, UP 8, COTOL 8, APD 5, NPP 4, other 15
note: junior senators - those who received the second most votes in each county in the 11 October 2005 election - will only serve a six-year first term because the Liberian constitution mandates staggered Senate elections to ensure continuity of government; all senators will be eligible for nine-year terms thereafter
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Alliance for Peace and Democracy or APD [Togba-na TIPOTEH]; Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia or COTOL; Congress for Democratic Change or CDC [George WEAH]; Liberian Action Party or LAP [H. Varney SHERMAN]; Liberty Party or LP [Charles BRUMSKINE]; National Patriotic Party or NPP [Cyril ALLEN]; Unity Party or UP [Charles CLARKE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Demobilized former military officers
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, ITUC, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Charles A. MINOR
chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: [1] (202) 723-0437
FAX: [1] (202) 723-0436
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Donald E. BOOTH
embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, P. O. Box 10-0098, Mamba Point, 1000 Monrovia, 10
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [231] 226-370 through 226-380
FAX: [231] 226-148
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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
   Economy    Liberia Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
Civil war and government mismanagement have destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around Monrovia. 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. President JOHNSON SIRLEAF, a Harvard-trained economist, has taken steps to reduce corruption, build support from international donors, and encourage private investment. An embargo on timber exports has been lifted, opening a source of revenue for the government, but diamonds remain under UN sanctions. 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.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$2.911 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing
$902.9 million (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6.7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$1,000 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 76.9%
industry: 5.4%
services: 17.7% (2002 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 70%
industry: 8%
services: 22% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
85% (2003 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
80%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
15% (2003 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $85.4 million
expenditures: $90.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
rubber processing, palm oil processing, timber, diamonds
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
325 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
302.3 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3,500 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$910 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
rubber, timber, iron, diamonds, cocoa, coffee
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Belgium 40.7%, Spain 15.2%, US 8.9%, Malaysia 5.4%, Thailand 4.5%, Poland 4.5%, Germany 4.3% (2005)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$4.839 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods; foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
South Korea 38.1%, Japan 21.2%, Singapore 14.3%, Croatia 4.7% (2005)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$3.2 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$94 million (1999)
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
Liberian dollar (LRD)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
Liberian dollars per US dollar - 59.43 (2006), 53.098 (2005), 54.906 (2004), 59.379 (2003), 61.754 (2002)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Liberia Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6,900 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
160,000 (2005)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: the limited services available are found almost exclusively in the capital Monrovia
domestic: fully automatic system with very low density of .23 fixed main lines per 100 persons; limited wireless service available
international: country code - 231; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 0, FM 7, shortwave 2 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
1 (plus 4 repeaters) (2001)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.lr
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
8 (2006)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,000 (2002)
   Transportation    Liberia Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
53 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 51
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 38 (2006)
Railways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 490 km
standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 145 km 1.067-m gauge
note: railway is inoperable because of damage suffered during the civil war (2005)
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 10,600 km
paved: 657 km
unpaved: 9,943 km (1999)
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 1,687 ships (1000 GRT or over) 62,522,787 GRT/96,776,521 DWT
by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 322, cargo 83, chemical tanker 199, combination ore/oil 2, container 477, liquefied gas 75, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 397, refrigerated cargo 76, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier 35
foreign-owned: 1,611 (Argentina 7, Australia 2, Austria 13, Bahamas, The 1, Bermuda 1, Brazil 3, Canada 2, China 35, Croatia 7, Cyprus 3, Denmark 8, Estonia 1, France 3, Germany 587, Greece 267, Hong Kong 37, India 3, Indonesia 1, Isle of Man 5, Israel 5, Italy 16, Japan 102, South Korea 3, Kuwait 1, Latvia 14, Lebanon 2, Mexico 1, Monaco 10, Netherlands 29, Norway 38, Poland 14, Qatar 2, Russia 77, Saudi Arabia 24, Singapore 28, Slovenia 2, Sweden 8, Switzerland 7, Taiwan 69, Turkey 1, UAE 18, UK 41, Ukraine 16, Uruguay 3, US 93, unknown 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing
Buchanan, Monrovia
   Military    Liberia Top of Page
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL): Army, Navy, Air Force
Military service age and obligation:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)
Manpower available for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 575,384
females age 18-49: 588,780 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 267,430
females age 18-49: 286,231 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.3% (2006 est.)
   Transnational Issues    Liberia Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
although civil unrest continues to abate with the assistance of 18,000 UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) peacekeepers, as of January 2007, 22,000 Liberian refugees still remain in both Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire, 38,500 in Sierra Leone, and 39,690 in Ghana; Liberia, in turn, shelters 12,580 refugees fleeing turmoil in Cote d'Ivoire and 3,600 from Sierra Leone; despite the presence of over 9000 UN forces (UNOCI) in Cote d'Ivoire since 2004, ethnic conflict continues to spread into neighboring states who can no longer send their migrant workers to Ivorian cocoa plantations; UN sanctions ban Liberia from exporting diamonds and timber
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
Definition Field Listing
refugees (country of origin): 6,592 (Cote d'Ivoire)
IDPs: 13,000 (civil war from 1990-2004; IDP resettlement began in November 2004) (2006)
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing
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

This page was last updated on 8 March, 2007


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