Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Liberia
conventional short form: Liberia
Government type:
republic
Capital:
Monrovia
Administrative divisions:
15 counties; Bomi, Bong, Gparbolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount,
Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba,
River Cess, River Gee, Sinoe
Independence:
26 July 1847
National holiday:
Independence Day, 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
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Gyude BRYANT (since 14 October 2003);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Gyude BRYANT (since 14 October 2003);
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
2005)
note:: a UN-brokered cease fire among waring factions and the
Liberian government resulted in the August 2003 resignation of
former president Charles TAYLOR; a jointly agreed upon replacement,
President Gyude BRYANT, assumed office as chairman of the National
Transitional Government on 14 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%; note - Taylor
stepped down in August 2003
Legislative branch:
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)
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
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 14 October 2003)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
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]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge D'Affaires Aaron B.
KOLLIE
chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
consulate(s) general: New York
FAX: [1] (202) 723-0436
telephone: [1] (202) 723-0437
Diplomatic representation from the US:
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
Flag description:
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