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: Chairman of the Council of State Ruth PERRY (since NA
August 1996); note - chairman of the Council of State is both the
chief of state and head of government
head of government : Chairman of the Council of State Ruth PERRY
(since NA August 1996); note - chairman of the Council of State is
both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet selected by the leaders of the major factions in the
civil war
elections: last presidential election held 15 October 1985 (next to be
held 19 July 1997); results - Samuel Kanyon DOE (NDPL) 50.9%, Jackson
DOE (LAP) 26.4%, other 22.7%
note : constitutional government ended in September 1990 when
President Samuel Kanyon DOE was killed by rebel forces; civil war
ensued and in August 1996 the Abuja II peace accord was signed by the
major warring factions; a transitional coalition government under Ruth
PERRY was formed in August 1996; presidential elections are scheduled
for 19 July 1997
Legislative branch: unicameral Transitional Legislative Assembly, the
members of which are appointed by the leaders of the major factions in
the civil war
note : the former bicameral legislature no longer exists and is
unlikely to be reconstituted soon
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: present conditions of civil strife and
anarchy have rendered Liberia's political parties completely
ineffectual; prior to the outbreak of warfare among armed factions the
following political parties were prominent: National Democratic Party
of Liberia or NDPL [Augustus CAINE, chairman]; Liberian Action Party
or LAP [Emmanuel KOROMAH, chairman]; Unity Party or UP [Joseph KOFA,
chairman]; United People's Party or UPP [Gabriel Baccus MATTHEWS,
chairman]; National Patriotic Party or NPP [Charles Ghankay TAYLOR,
chairman]; Liberian Peoples Party or LPP [Dusty WOLOKOLLIE, chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders: the following armed factions,
in accordance with the peace accord of August 1995, form the
transitional government of Liberia: Armed Forces of Liberia or AFL
(formerly a part of the national armed forces) [Lt. Gen. Hezekiah
BOWEN, leader]; National Patriotic Front of Liberia or NPFL (initiated
hostilities against Samuel DOE's government from Cote d' Ivoire in
December 1989) [Charles Ghankay TAYLOR, leader]; Central Revolutionary
Committee or CRC (dissident members of the NPFL in conflict with
forces loyal to Charles Ghankay TAYLOR) [Thomas J. WOEWIYU, LEADER];
Liberia Peace Council or LPC (has opposed NPLF forces in southeastern
Liberia) [Dr. George F. SAIGBE BOLEY, chairman; Octavius WALKER,
secretary-general]; United Liberation Movement of Liberia for
Democracy or ULIMO (former supporters of Samuel DOE that have split on
ethnic lines into two groups in conflict with each other: ULIMO-K
[Alhaji G. V. KROMAH, leader] and ULIMO-J [Maj. Gen. Roosevelt
JOHNSON, leader]); Lofa Defence Force or LDF (has fought the ULIMO
forces in Lofa county) [Francois MASSAQUOI, leader]; note - the
ULIMO-J forces are of the Krahn ethnic group and the ULIMO-K forces
are of the Mandingo ethnic group
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, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Konah K. BLACKETT
chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone : [1] (202) 723-0437
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador (vacant); Chief of Mission William MILAM
embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, Monrovia
mailing address: P. O. Box 100098, Mamba Point, Monrovia
telephone: [231] 226-370
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
Economy
Economy - overview: Civil war since 1990 has destroyed much of
Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around
Monrovia. Businessmen have fled the country, taking capital and
expertise with them. 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.
Political and economic instability - including the stripping of
resources by local warlords - threatens prospects for reconstruction
as well as the repatriation of an estimated 750,000 Liberian refugees
who have fled to neighboring countries. The continued political
turmoil has prevented restoration of normal economic life, including
the re-establishment of a strong central government with effective
economic development programs.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $2.4 billion (1995 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 0% (1995 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,100 (1995 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 30%
industry: 36%
services: 34%
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 50% (1994 est.)
Labor force:
total: 510,000 including 220,000 in the monetary economy
by occupation: agriculture 70.5%, services 10.8%, industry and
commerce 4.5%, other 14.2%
note : non-African foreigners hold about 95% of the top-level
management and engineering jobs
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $225 million
expenditures: $285 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1994 est.)
Industries: rubber processing, food processing, construction
materials, furniture, palm oil processing, iron ore, diamonds
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - capacity: 430,000 kW (1991)
Electricity - production: 1.05 billion kWh (1991)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 384 kWh (1991 est.)
Agriculture - products: rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava
(tapioca), palm oil, sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber
Exports:
total value: $667 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: diamonds, iron ore, rubber, timber, coffee
partners: US, EU, Netherlands, Singapore
Imports:
total value : $5.8 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: mineral fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation
equipment, manufactured goods; rice and other foodstuffs
partners: US, EU, Japan, China, Netherlands, ECOWAS, South Korea
Debt - external: $2.1 billion (1994 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 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 - 50 (October 1995), 7 (January 1992); market rate floats
against the US dollar
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Liberia:Communications
Telephones: less than 25,000 (1991 est.)
Telephone system: telephone and telegraph service via microwave radio
relay network; main center is Monrovia; most telecommunications
services inoperable due to insurgency
domestic: NA
international : satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios: 622,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 5 (1987 est.)
Televisions: 51,000 (1992 est.)
@Liberia:Transportation
Railways:
total: 490 km (single track); note - three rail systems owned and
operated by foreign steel and financial interests in conjunction with
Liberian Government; one of these, the Lamco Railroad, closed in 1989
after iron ore production ceased; the other two have been shut down by
the civil war
standard gauge : 345 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 145 km 1.067-m gauge
Highways:
total: 10,300 km
paved: 628 km
unpaved : 9,672 km (1995 est.)
Ports and harbors: Buchanan, Greenville, Harper, Monrovia
Merchant marine:
total : 1,616 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 60,081,452
GRT/99,395,792 DWT
ships by type: barge carrier 3, bulk 418, cargo 121, chemical tanker
117, combination bulk 29, combination ore/oil 58, container 151,
liquefied gas tanker 83, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil
tanker 450, passenger 36, refrigerated cargo 68, roll-on/roll-off
cargo 29, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 11, vehicle
carrier 40
note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 56 countries
among which are Germany 179, US 176, Norway 166, Japan 154, Greece
147, Hong Kong 120, China 45, UK 40, Monaco 39, and Cyprus 33 (1996
est.)
Airports: 36 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 30
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m : 1
under 914 m: 28 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total : 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 4 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: NA; the ultimate structure of the Liberian military
force will depend on who is the victor in the ongoing civil war
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49 : 592,730 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 316,906 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $14 million (1993)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.9% (1993)
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
@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
@Libya:People
Population: 5,648,359 (July 1997 est.)
note: includes 305,959 non-nationals (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years : 48% (male 1,369,984; female 1,323,254)
15-64 years: 49% (male 1,422,043; female 1,358,013)
65 years and over: 3% (male 91,953; female 83,112) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.64% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 43.94 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 7.49 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth : 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.11 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 57.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 65.05 years
male : 62.84 years
female: 67.37 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.19 children born/woman (1997 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.)
@Libya: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
National capital: Tripoli
Administrative divisions: 25 municipalities (baladiyah, singular -
baladiyat); 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 1,500 communes
in 1992
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 Gen. 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) Abd al-Majid al-QA'UD (since 29 January 1994)
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: Abd al-Majid al-QA'UD 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, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
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. In 1990 per capita GDP was
the highest in Africa at $5,410, but subsequently GDP growth has
slowed on average and has fluctuated sharply in response to changes in
the world oil market. 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. Although 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 have not
yet had a major impact on the economy because Libya's oil revenues
generate sufficient foreign exchange to sustain imports of food,
consumer goods, and equipment for the oil industry and ongoing
development projects.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $34.5 billion (1995 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.2% (1995 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,570 (1995 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5%
industry : 55%
services: 40% (1996 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 25% (1995 est.)
Labor force:
total: 1 million (includes about 280,000 resident foreigners)
by occupation: industry 31%, services 27%, government 24%, agriculture
18%
note : 7.1% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national
(July 1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $13 billion
expenditures: $14.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1995 est.)
Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - capacity: 4.6 million kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 16.73 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 3,012 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus,
vegetables, peanuts; meat, eggs
Exports:
total value: $8.4 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas
partners: Italy, Germany, Spain, France, UK, Turkey, Greece, Egypt
Imports:
total value : $7.3 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured goods
partners: Italy, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Turkey, Tunisia, Eastern
Europe
Debt - external: $2.6 billion excluding military debt (1995 est.)
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 Libyan dinar (LD) = 1,000 dirhams
Exchange rates: Libyan dinars (LD) per US$1 - 0.3764 (January 1997),
0.3651 (1996), 0.3532 (1995), 0.3596 (1994), 0.3250 (1993), 0.3013
(1992)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Libya:Communications
Telephones: 370,000
Telephone system: modern telecommunications system
domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, tropospheric scatter,
and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean
and 1 Indian Ocean); planned Arabsat and Intersputnik satellite earth
stations; 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 0
Radios: 1 million (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 12 (1987 est.)
Televisions: 500,000 (1993 est.)
@Libya: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: 19,189 km
paved: 10,738 km
unpaved : 8,451 km (1987)
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 689,086 GRT/1,209,083
DWT
ships by type: cargo 9, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas tanker 2, oil
tanker 10, roll-on/roll-off cargo 4, short-sea passenger 4
note: Libya owns an additional 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
33,050 DWT operating under the registries of Algeria and Turkey (1996
est.)
Airports: 131 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 71
over 3,047 m : 24
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 22
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 14 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total : 60
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m : 39 (1996 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 : 1,211,700 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 721,592 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 59,216 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.4 billion (1994 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 6.1% (1994 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: maritime boundary dispute with Tunisia;
Libya claims about 19,400 sq km in northern Niger and part of
southeastern Algeria
______________________________________________________________________
LIECHTENSTEIN
@Liechtenstein:Geography
Location: Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland
Geographic coordinates: 47 10 N, 9 32 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total : 160 sq km
land: 160 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
total: 78 km
border countries: Austria 37 km, Switzerland 41 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain;
cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers
Terrain: mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Ruggleller Riet 430 m
highest point: Grauspitz 2,599 m
Natural resources: hydroelectric potential
Land use:
arable land : 25%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 38%
forests and woodland: 19%
other: 18% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international agreements:
party to : Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Law
of the Sea
Geography - note: along with Uzbekistan, one of the only two doubly
landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic variations
based on elevation
@Liechtenstein:People
Population: 31,389 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19% (male 3,032; female 2,909)
15-64 years: 70% (male 10,952; female 11,059)
65 years and over: 11% (male 1,410; female 2,027) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.02% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 13.03 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 7.33 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 4.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth : 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population : 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population : 77.82 years
male: 75.38 years
female: 80.36 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.62 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Liechtensteiner(s)
adjective: Liechtenstein