civil warfare in Liberia. More than 20,000 of the estimated 33,000
factional fighters gave up their arms to the Cease-Fire Monitoring
Group of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOMOG).
Free and open presidential and legislative elections were held 19
July 1997; former faction leader, Charles TAYLOR, and his National
Patriotic Party won overwhelming victories. The years of civil
strife coupled with the flight of most business people disrupted
formal economic activity. A short-lived armed clash in September
1998 between government forces and supporters of factional leader
Roosevelt JOHNSON and continuing uncertainty about the security
situation have slowed the process of rebuilding the social and
economic structure of the war-torn country. For two centuries the US
has had uniquely close ties to Liberia and today is a major aid
donor.
Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,
between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone
Geographic coordinates: 6 30 N, 9 30 W
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 111,370 sq km
land: 96,320 sq km
water: 15,050 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries:
total: 1,585 km
border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone
306 km
Coastline: 579 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool
to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
Terrain: mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling
plateau and low mountains in northeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 m
Natural resources: iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold
Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 3%
permanent pastures: 59%
forests and woodland: 18%
other: 19% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara
(December to March)
Environment--current issues: tropical rain forest subject to
deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of
coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Desertification, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine
Life Conservation
People
Population: 2,923,725 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 45% (male 656,101; female 649,389)
15-64 years: 52% (male 775,429; female 738,904)
65 years and over: 3% (male 50,126; female 53,776) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 4.92% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 41.49 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 11.03 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 18.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
note: evidence from UNHCR indicates Liberians are being repatriated
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 100.63 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 59.88 years
male: 57.2 years
female: 62.64 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.02 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Liberian(s)
adjective: Liberian
Ethnic groups: indigenous African tribes 95% (including Kpelle,
Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai,
and Bella), Americo-Liberians 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from
the US who had been slaves)
Religions: traditional 70%, Muslim 20%, Christian 10%
Languages: English 20% (official), about 20 tribal 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: 38.3%
male: 53.9%
female: 22.4% (1995 est.)
note: these figures are increasing because of the improving school
system
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Liberia
conventional short form: Liberia
Data code: LI
Government type: republic
Capital: Monrovia
Administrative divisions: 13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa,
Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland,
Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, 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 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
elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term
(renewable); election last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held NA
July 2001)
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%
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of the
Senate (26 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year
terms) and the House of Representatives (64 seats; members elected
by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate--last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held in NA
2001); House of Representatives--last held 19 July 1997 (next to be
held in NA 2001)
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 LUP
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
TAYLOR]
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA,
ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user),
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Rachel DIGGS
chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Donald
PETTERSON
embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, Mamba Point, Monrovia
mailing address: use embassy street address
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
Economy
Economy--overview: A civil war in 1989-97 has 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 returned during 1997. 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 to provide the bulk of its foreign exchange
earnings. The restoration of the infrastructure and the raising of
incomes in this ravaged economy depends on the implementation of
sound macro- and micro-economic policies of the new government,
including the encouragement of foreign investment.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$2.8 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: NA%
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$1,000 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 30%
industry: 36%
services: 34%
Population below poverty line: 80%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 70%
Unemployment rate: 70%
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA
Industries: rubber processing, palm oil processing, diamonds
Industrial production growth rate: 0%
Electricity--production: 480 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 480 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava
(tapioca), palm oil, sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber
Exports: $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Exports--commodities: diamonds, iron ore, rubber, timber, coffee
Exports--partners: Belgium, Norway, Ukraine, Singapore (1997)
Imports: $3.65 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Imports--commodities: fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation
equipment, manufactured goods; rice and other foodstuffs
Imports--partners: South Korea, Japan, Italy, Singapore (1997)
Debt--external: $2 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $122.8 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1--1.0000 (officially
fixed rate since 1940); market exchange rate: Liberian dollars (L$)
per US$1--40 (December 1998), 50 (October 1995), 7 (January 1992);
market rate floats against the US dollar
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: fewer than 25,000 (1998 est.)
Telephone system: telephone and telegraph service via microwave
radio relay network; main center is Monrovia
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0
note: two of the FM radio stations are limited to a small area
Radios: 675,000 (1995 est.); note--10,000 windup radios were
distributed in the country prior to the 1997 election
Television broadcast stations: 1 (in addition, there are four
low-power repeaters; the station is located in Monrovia) (1997)
Televisions: 56,000 (1995 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 480 km (328 km single track); note--three rail systems owned
and operated by foreign steel and financial interests in conjunction
with the Liberian Government; one of these, the Lamco Railroad,
closed in 1989 after iron ore production ceased; the other two were
shut down by the civil war; large sections of the rail lines have
been dismantled; approximately 60 km of railroad track was exported
for scrap
standard gauge: NA km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: NA km 1.067-m gauge
Highways:
total: 10,037 km (there is major deterioration on all highways due
to lack of maintenance since the civil war began)
paved: 603 km
unpaved: 9,434 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Buchanan, Greenville, Harper, Monrovia
Merchant marine:
total: 1,651 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 59,804,012
GRT/96,650,752 DWT
ships by type: barge carrier 4, bulk 408, cargo 106, chemical tanker
176, combination bulk 25, combination ore/oil 50, container 193,
liquefied gas tanker 89, multifunction large-load carrier 2, oil
tanker 413, passenger 37, refrigerated cargo 69, roll-on/roll-off
cargo 19, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 12, vehicle
carrier 45
note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 54
countries among which are Germany 186, US 161, Norway 142, Greece
144, Japan 124, Hong Kong 100, China 53, UK 32, Singapore 39, and
Monaco 38 (1998 est.)
Airports: 45 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 43
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 35 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Air Force, Navy
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 667,032 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 356,825 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $1.4 million (1998)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 2% (1998)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: none
Illicit drugs: increasingly a transshipment point for Southeast
and Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine for the
European and US markets
======================================================================
@Libya
-----
Geography
Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea,
between Egypt and Tunisia
Geographic coordinates: 25 00 N, 17 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 1,759,540 sq km
land: 1,759,540 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundaries:
total: 4,383 km
border countries: Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,150 km,
Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km
Coastline: 1,770 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
note: Gulf of Sidra closing line--32 degrees 30 minutes north
Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior
Terrain: mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus,
depressions
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m
highest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, gypsum
Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 8%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 91% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 4,700 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind
lasting one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms
Environment--current issues: desertification; very limited natural
fresh water resources; the Great Manmade River Project, the largest
water development scheme in the world, is being built to bring water
from large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Desertification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the
Sea
People
Population: 4,992,838 (July 1999 est.)
note: includes 161,251 non-nationals (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 36% (male 930,661; female 891,046)
15-64 years: 60% (male 1,545,958; female 1,437,120)
65 years and over: 4% (male 93,726; female 94,327) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.4% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 27.33 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 3.35 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 28.15 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.73 years
male: 73.81 years
female: 77.74 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.79 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Libyan(s)
adjective: Libyan
Ethnic groups: Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians,
Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, Tunisians
Religions: Sunni Muslim 97%
Languages: Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in
the major cities
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 76.2%
male: 87.9%
female: 63% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
conventional short form: Libya
local long form: Al Jumahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah ash Shabiyah
al Ishtirakiyah
local short form: none
Data code: LY
Government type: Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory,
governed by the populace through local councils; in fact, a military
dictatorship
Capital: Tripoli
Administrative divisions: 25 municipalities (baladiyat,
singular--baladiyah); Ajdabiya, Al 'Aziziyah, Al Fatih, Al Jabal al
Akhdar, Al Jufrah, Al Khums, Al Kufrah, An Nuqat al Khams, Ash
Shati', Awbari, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Darnah, Ghadamis, Gharyan,
Misratah, Murzuq, Sabha, Sawfajjin, Surt, Tarabulus, Tarhunah,
Tubruq, Yafran, Zlitan
note: the 25 municipalities may have been replaced by 13 regions
Independence: 24 December 1951 (from Italy)
National holiday: Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)
Constitution: 11 December 1969, amended 2 March 1977
Legal system: based on Italian civil law system and Islamic law;
separate religious courts; no constitutional provision for judicial
review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: Revolutionary Leader Col. Muammar Abu Minyar
al-QADHAFI (since 1 September 1969); note--holds no official title,
but is de facto chief of state
head of government: Secretary of the General People's Committee
(Premier) Muhammad Ahmad al-MANQUSH (since NA January 1998)
cabinet: General People's Committee established by the General
People's Congress
elections: national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of
peoples' committees; head of government elected by the General
People's Congress; election last held NA (next to be held NA)
election results: Muhammad Ahmad al-MANQUSH elected head of
government; percent of General People's Congress vote--NA
Legislative branch: unicameral General People's Congress (NA
seats; members elected indirectly through a hierarchy of peoples'
committees)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: none
Political pressure groups and leaders: various Arab nationalist
movements with almost negligible memberships may be functioning
clandestinely, as well as some Islamic elements
International organization participation: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL,
AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO,
ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAU, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNITAR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US: Libya does not have an
embassy in the US
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US suspended all
embassy activities in Tripoli on 2 May 1980
Flag description: plain green; green is the traditional color of
Islam (the state religion)
Economy
Economy--overview: The socialist-oriented economy depends
primarily upon revenues from the oil sector, which contributes
practically all export earnings and about one-third of GDP. These
oil revenues and a small population give Libya one of the highest
per capita GDPs in Africa, but little of this income flows down to
the lower orders of society. Low oil prices in 1998 cut back revenue
sharply, and GDP growth fell by 1%. In this statist society, import
restrictions and inefficient resource allocations have led to
periodic shortages of basic goods and foodstuffs. The nonoil
manufacturing and construction sectors, which account for about 20%
of GDP, have expanded from processing mostly agricultural products
to include the production of petrochemicals, iron, steel, and
aluminum. Agriculture accounts for only 5% of GDP; it employs 18% of
the labor force. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely limit
farm output, and Libya imports about 75% of its food requirements.
The UN sanctions imposed in April 1992 do not have a major impact on
the economy although they have increased transaction and
transportation costs.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$38 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: -1% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$6,700 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 5%
industry: 55%
services: 40% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 24.2% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 1 million
Labor force--by occupation: industry 31%, services 27%, government
24%, agriculture 18%
Unemployment rate: 30% (1998 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $3.6 billion
expenditures: $5.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1998 est.)
Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, handicrafts,
cement
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity--production: 17 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 17 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus,
vegetables, peanuts; beef, eggs
Exports: $6.8 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Exports--commodities: crude oil, refined petroleum products,
natural gas
Exports--partners: Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Turkey, Greece,
Egypt
Imports: $6.9 billion (c.i.f., 1998 est.)
Imports--commodities: machinery, transport equipment, food,
manufactured goods
Imports--partners: Italy, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Turkey,
Tunisia, Eastern Europe
Debt--external: $4 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $8.4 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Libyan dinar (LD) = 1,000 dirhams
Exchange rates: Libyan dinars (LD) per US$1--0.3799 (November
1998), 0.3891 (1997), 0.3651 (1996), 0.3532 (1995), 0.3596 (1994);
official rate: 0.45 (December 1998)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 411,000 (1999 est.)
Telephone system: telecommunications system is being modernized;
cellular telephone system became operational in 1996
domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, cellular,
tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth
stations
international: satellite earth stations--4 Intelsat, NA Arabsat, and
NA Intersputnik; submarine cables to France and Italy; microwave
radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric scatter to Greece;
participant in Medarabtel
Radio broadcast stations: AM 17, FM 3, shortwave 3 (1998 est.)
Radios: 1 million (1998 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 12 (in addition, there is one
low-power repeater) (1997)
Televisions: 550,000 (1998 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
note: Libya has had no railroad in operation since 1965, all
previous systems having been dismantled; current plans are to
construct a 1.435-m standard gauge line from the Tunisian frontier
to Tripoli and Misratah, then inland to Sabha, center of a
mineral-rich area, but there has been no progress; other plans made
jointly with Egypt would establish a rail line from As Sallum,
Egypt, to Tobruk with completion set for mid-1994; no progress has
been reported
Highways:
total: 83,200 km
paved: 47,590 km
unpaved: 35,610 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: none
Pipelines: crude oil 4,383 km; petroleum products 443 km
(includes liquefied petroleum gas or LPG 256 km); natural gas 1,947
km
Ports and harbors: Al Khums, Banghazi, Darnah, Marsa al Burayqah,
Misratah, Ra's Lanuf, Tobruk, Tripoli, Zuwarah
Merchant marine:
total: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 588,928 GRT/989,662 DWT
ships by type: cargo 9, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas tanker 3,
oil tanker 9, roll-on/roll-off cargo 4, short-sea passenger 4 (1998
est.)
Airports: 143 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 60
over 3,047 m: 24
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 22
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 3 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 83
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 42
under 914 m: 19 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Command
Military manpower--military age: 17 years of age
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 1,372,261 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 816,186 (1999 est.)