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NAVIGATION
Republic of Liberia
GOVERNMENT
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Liberia
conventional short form: 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, Gparbolu, 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 |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Charles Ghankay TAYLOR (since 2 August 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Charles Ghankay TAYLOR (since 2 August 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (renewable); election last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held NA October 2003) election results: Charles Ghankay TAYLOR elected president; percent of vote - Charles Ghankay TAYLOR (NPP) 75.3%, Ellen Johnson SIRLEAF (UP) 9.6%, Alhaji KROMAH (ALCOP) 4%, other 11.1% |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (26 seats; 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 19 July 1997 (next to be held NA 2006); House of Representatives - last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held NA 2003) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPP 21, UP 3, ALCOP 2; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPP 49, UP 7, ALCOP 3, Alliance of Political Parties 2, UPP 2, LPP 1; note - the Alliance of Political Parties was a coalition of the LAP and the Liberia Unification Party or LUP |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court |
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Political parties and leaders:
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All Liberia Coalition Party or ALCOP [Peter KERBAY]; Free Democratic Party or FDP [George BORWAH]; Liberian Action Party or LAP [C. Gyude BRYANT]; Liberian National Union or LINU [Victor MOMOH]; Liberian People's Party or LPP [Koffa NAGBE]; National Democratic Party of Liberia or NDPL [Isaac D. DIKENAH]; National Patriotic Party or NPP [Cyril ALLEN] - governing party; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Weah A. WEAH]; Reformation Alliance Party or RAP [James THOMAS]; True Whig Party or TWP [Rudolph SHERMAN]; United People's Party or UPP [Wesley JOHNSON]; Unity Party or UP [Charles Clarke] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador William V. S. BULL
consulate(s) general: New York FAX: [1] (202) 723-0436 telephone: [1] (202) 723-0437 chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador John William BLANEY III
embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, P. O. Box 10-0098, Mamba Point, 1000 Monrovia, 10 Liberia mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [231] 226-370 through 226-380 FAX: [231] 226-148 |
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Flag description:
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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
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Economy - overview:
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A civil war in 1989-96 destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around Monrovia. Many businessmen fled the country, taking capital and expertise with them. Some returned; 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. The democratically elected government, installed in August 1997, inherited massive international debts and currently relies on revenues from its maritime registry and timber industry to provide the bulk of its foreign exchange earnings. The restoration of the infrastructure and the raising of incomes in this ravaged economy depend on the implementation of sound macro- and micro-economic policies of the new government, including the encouragement of foreign investment. Recent growth has been from a low base, and continued growth will require major policy successes and containment of armed rebellion. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $3.6 billion (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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5% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 60%
industry: 10% services: 30% (2001 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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80% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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8% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 70%, industry 8%, services 22% (2000 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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70% |
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Budget:
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revenues: $85.4 million
expenditures: $90.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
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Industries:
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rubber processing, palm oil processing, timber, diamonds |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA |
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Electricity - production:
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450 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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418.5 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Agriculture - products:
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rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber |
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Exports:
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$55 million f.o.b. (2000 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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rubber, timber, iron, diamonds, cocoa, coffee |
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Exports - partners:
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Belgium 38.5%, Germany 17.6%, Italy 6.0%, US 5.8% (2000) |
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Imports:
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$170 million f.o.b. (2000 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods; rice and other foodstuffs |
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Imports - partners:
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France 29.1%, South Korea 20.6%, Japan 15.8%, Singapore 8.4% (2000) |
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Debt - external:
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$2.1 billion (2000 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$94 million (1999) |
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Currency:
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Liberian dollar (LRD) |
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Currency code:
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LRD |
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Exchange rates:
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Liberian dollars per US dollar - 46.0400 (December 2001), 48.5833 (2001), 40.9525 (2000), 41.9025 (1999), 41.5075 (1998), 1.0000 (officially fixed rate 1940-97); market exchange rate: Liberian dollars per US dollar - 40 (December 1998), 50 (October 1995)
note: until December 1997, rates were based on a fixed relationship with the US dollar; beginning in January 1998, rates are market determined |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |