World Facts Index
 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 faces war crimes charges in The Hague related to
his involvement in Sierra Leone's civil war. 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) maintains a
strong presence throughout the country, but the security situation is still
fragile and the process of rebuilding the social and economic structure of this
war-torn country will take many years.
Geography of Liberia
|
Location:
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Western Africa, bordering
the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone |
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Coordinates:
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6 30 N, 9 30 W |
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Area:
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total: 111,370 sq km
water: 15,050 sq km
land: 96,320 sq km |
|
Area comparative:
|
slightly larger than
Tennessee |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,585 km
border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra
Leone 306 km |
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Coastline:
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579 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 200
NM |
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Climate:
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tropical; hot, humid; dry
winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with
frequent heavy showers |
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Terrain:
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mostly flat to rolling
coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast |
|
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 m |
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Natural resources:
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iron ore, timber, diamonds,
gold, hydropower |
|
Natural hazards:
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dust-laden harmattan winds
blow from the Sahara (December to March) |
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Environment current issues:
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tropical rain forest
deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of coastal
waters from oil residue and raw sewage |
|
Geography - note:
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facing the Atlantic Ocean,
the coastline is characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and
river-deposited sandbars; the inland grassy plateau supports limited
agriculture
|
Population of Liberia
|
Population:
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3,334,587 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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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) |
|
Median age:
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18.1 years |
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Growth rate:
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4.91% |
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Infant mortality:
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155.76 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 39.65 years
male: 37.99 years
female: 41.35 years |
|
Fertility rate:
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6.02 children born/woman |
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Nationality:
|
noun: Liberian(s)
adjective: Liberian |
|
Ethnic groups:
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indigenous African tribes 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:
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indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%,
Muslim 20% |
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Languages:
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English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic
group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 57.5%
male: 73.3%
female: 41.6%
|
Government
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of
Liberia |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Monrovia |
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Administrative divisions:
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15 counties; Bomi, Bong, Gbarpolu, Grand
Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado,
Nimba, River Cess, River Gee, Sinoe |
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Independence:
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26 July 1847 |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 26 July (1847) |
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Constitution:
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6 January 1986 |
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Legal system:
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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 |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
|
Executive branch:
|
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). |
|
Legislative branch:
|
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)
note: the current six-year term for junior senators - those who received the second
most votes in the election - is mandated by the Liberian constitution to stagger Senate
elections and ensure continuity of government |
|
Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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] |
Economy
Civil war and government mismanagement destroyed much of Liberia's economy,
especially the infrastructure in and around the capital, Monrovia. Many
businesses fled the country, taking capital and expertise with them, but with
the conclusion of fighting and the installation of a democratically-elected
government in 2006, some have returned. 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 banker and administrator, has taken steps
to reduce corruption, build support from international donors, and encourage
private investment. Embargos on timber and diamond exports have been lifted,
opening new sources of revenue for the government. The reconstruction of
infrastructure and the raising of incomes in this ravaged economy will largely
depend on generous financial and technical assistance from donor countries and
foreign investment in key sectors, such as infrastructure and power
generation.
|
GDP:
|
$1.525 billion (2007 est.) |
|
GDP growth rate:
|
8% |
|
GDP per capita:
|
$1,000 |
|
GDP composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 76.9%
industry: 5.4%
services: 17.7% |
|
Inflation rate:
|
15% |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 70%, industry 8%, services 22% |
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Unemployment:
|
85% |
|
Electricity production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0%
nuclear: 0% |
|
Industries:
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rubber processing, palm oil processing,
timber, diamonds |
|
Agriculture:
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rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava
(tapioca), palm oil, sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber |
|
Exports:
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rubber, timber, iron, diamonds, cocoa,
coffee |
|
Export partners:
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Belgium 33.5%, Denmark 21.9%, Spain 9.4%, US 7.4% |
|
Imports:
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fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation
equipment, manufactured goods; foodstuffs |
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Import partners:
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South Korea 38.4%, Japan 20.8%, Singapore 14%, Croatia
4.6% |
|
Currency:
|
Liberian dollar (LRD) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |