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Background:
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In August
2003, a comprehensive peace agreement ended 14 years of
civil war and prompted the resignation of former
president Charles TAYLOR, who was exiled to Nigeria. The
National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL) -
composed of rebel, government, and civil society groups
- assumed control in October 2003. Chairman Gyude
BRYANT, who was given a two-year mandate to oversee
efforts to rebuild Liberia, heads the new government.
The United Nations 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.
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Location:
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Western
Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote
d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone |
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Geographic coordinates:
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6 30 N, 9
30 W |
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total:
111,370 sq km
land: 96,320 sq km
water: 15,050 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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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 |
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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 |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 3.95%
permanent crops: 2.28%
other: 93.77% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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30 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Environmental
Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
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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
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Population:
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3,482,211
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 43.6% (male 765,662/female 751,134)
15-64 years: 52.8% (male 896,206/female 940,985)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 64,547/female
63,677) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
18.06 years
male: 17.69 years
female: 18.42 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.64%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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44.22
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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17.87
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0
migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: at least 200,000 Liberian refugees are in
surrounding countries; the uncertain security situation
has hindered their ability to return (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
128.87 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 135.64 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 121.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 38.89 years
male: 37.03 years
female: 40.81 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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6.09
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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5.9%
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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100,000
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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7,200
(2003 est.) |
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Major infectious diseases:
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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 (2004) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Liberian(s)
adjective: Liberian |
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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) |
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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 |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 57.5%
male: 73.3%
female: 41.6% (2003 est.) |
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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, 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 |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: Chairman Gyude BRYANT (since 14 October
2003); note - this is an interim position until
presidential elections in 2005; the chairman is both the
chief of state and head of government
head of government: Chairman Gyude BRYANT (since
14 October 2003); note - this is an interim position
until presidential elections in 2005; the chairman is
both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president and
confirmed by the Senate; note - current cabinet
positions are divided among groups participating in the
Liberian peace process
elections: president elected by popular vote for
a six-year term (renewable); election last held 19 July
1997 (next to be held 11 October 2005)
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%; note - TAYLOR stepped
down in August 2003
note: a UN-brokered cease-fire among warring
factions and the Liberian government resulted in the
August 2003 resignation of former president Charles
TAYLOR; a jointly agreed upon replacement, Chairman
Gyude BRYANT, assumed office as head of the National
Transitional Government on 14 October 2003 |
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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 11 October 2005); House of Representatives -
last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held 11 October 2005)
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 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Alliance
of Political Parties (a coalition of LAP and LUP)
[leader NA]; All Liberia Coalition Party or ALCOP [Peter
KERBAY]; Liberian Action Party or LAP [C. Gyude BRYANT];
Liberian People's Party or LPP [Koffa NAGBE]; Liberia
Unification Party or LUP [leader NA]; National Patriotic
Party or NPP [Cyril ALLEN] - governing party; 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, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires
Aaron B. KOLLIE
chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC
20011
telephone: [1] (202) 723-0437
FAX: [1] (202) 723-0436
consulate(s) general: New York |
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
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Civil war
and government mismanagement have destroyed much of
Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and
around Monrovia, while continued international sanctions
on diamonds and timber exports will limit growth
prospects for the foreseeable future. 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. The departure of the
former president, Charles TAYLOR, to Nigeria in August
2003, the establishment of the all-inclusive
Transitional Government, and the arrival of a UN mission
are all necessary for the eventual end of the political
crisis, but thus far have done little to encourage
economic development. 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. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$2.903
billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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21.8%
(2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $900 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 76.9%
industry: 5.4%
services: 17.7% (2002 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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85% (2003
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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15% (2003
est.) |
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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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Agriculture - products:
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rubber,
coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), palm oil,
sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber |
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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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488.8
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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454.6
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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3,100
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Exports:
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$1.079
billion f.o.b. (2002 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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Denmark
29.5%, Germany 18.9%, Poland 14.3%, US 8.9%, Greece 8%
(2004) |
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Imports:
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$5.051
billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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fuels,
chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment,
manufactured goods; foodstuffs |
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Imports - partners:
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South
Korea 38.8%, Japan 21.2%, Singapore 12.2%, Croatia 5.3%,
Germany 4.2% (2004) |
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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 (code):
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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 - 54.906 (2004), 59.379 (2003),
61.754 (2002), 48.583 (2001), 40.953 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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7,000
(2001) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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2,000
(2001) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: the limited services available
are found almost exclusively in the capital Monrovia
domestic: fully automatic system with very low
density of .21 fixed mainlines per 100 persons; limited
wireless service available
international: country code - 231; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 0, FM
7, shortwave 2 (2001) |
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Radios:
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790,000
(1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (plus
four low-power repeaters) (2001) |
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Televisions:
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70,000
(1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.lr |
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Internet hosts:
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14 (2004)
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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2 (2001)
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Internet users:
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1,000
(2002) |
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Railways:
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total:
490 km
standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 145 km 1.067-m gauge
note: none of the railways are in operation
because of the civil war (2004) |
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Highways:
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total:
10,600 km
paved: 657 km
unpaved: 9,943 km (1999 est.) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Buchanan,
Monrovia |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
1,465 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 50,555,752
GRT/79,125,329 DWT
by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 275, cargo
91, chemical tanker 173, combination ore/oil 22,
container 388, liquefied gas 78, passenger 2,
passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 324, refrigerated
cargo 57, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 9,
vehicle carrier 35
foreign-owned: 1,392 (Argentina 8, Australia 2,
Austria 13, Bahamas 3, Brazil 6, British 1, Canada 2,
Chile 1, China 36, Croatia 7, Cyprus 1, Denmark 5,
France 3, Germany 511, Greece 149, Hong Kong 29, India
4, Indonesia 1, Isle of Man 5, Israel 7, Italy 12, Japan
106, Latvia 18, Monaco 10, Netherlands 18, Nigeria 1,
Norway 57, Pakistan 1, Poland 14, Romania 1, Russia 63,
Saudi Arabia 23, Singapore 29, Slovenia 1, South Korea
4, Sweden 12, Switzerland 10, Taiwan 54, Turkey 4,
Ukraine 7, UAE 10, United Kingdom 56, United States 84,
Uruguay 3) (2005) |
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Airports:
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53 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
2
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
51
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 38 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Armed
Forces of Liberia (AFL): Army, Navy, Air Force |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years
of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2001) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 659,795 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 360,373 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$1.5
million (2004) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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0.2%
(2004) |
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Disputes - international:
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although
Liberia's domestic fighting among disparate rebel
groups, warlords, and youth gangs was declared over in
2003, civil unrest persists, and in 2004, 133,000
Liberian refugees remained in Guinea, 72,000 in Cote
d'Ivoire, 67,000 in Sierra Leone, and 43,000 in Ghana;
Liberia, in turn, shelters refugees fleeing turmoil in
Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone; since 2003, the UN
Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) has maintained about 18,000
peacekeepers in Liberia; the Cote d'Ivoire Government
accuses Liberia of supporting Ivoirian rebels; UN
sanctions ban Liberia from exporting diamonds and timber
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Refugees and internally displaced persons:
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refugees (country of origin): 13,941 (Sierra Leone)
38,325 (Cote d'Ivoire)
IDPs: 500,000 (civil war from 1990-2004; IDP
resettlement began in November 2004) (2004) |
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Illicit drugs:
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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 |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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