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| Liberia Practical Info |
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Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Liberia
conventional short form: Liberia
Data code: LI
Government type: republic
Capital: Monrovia
Independence: 26 July 1847
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
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador-designate William BULL
chancery: 5303 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: [1] (202) 723-0437
FAX: [1] (202) 723-0436
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bismarck MYRICK
embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, Mamba Point, Monrovia
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [231] 226-370 through 226-382
FAX: [231] 226-148, 226-147
Economy
Economy - overview: 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 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 depend on the implementation of sound macro- and micro-economic policies of the new government, including the encouragement of foreign investment.
Population below poverty line: 80%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1998 est.)
Industries: rubber processing, palm oil processing, diamonds
Agriculture - products: rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber
Currency: 1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents
Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 5,000 (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1995)
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 0, FM 6, shortwave 4 (1999)
Radios: 790,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (plus four low-power repeaters) (2000)
Televisions: 70,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
Transportation
Railways:
total: 490 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: 345 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 145 km 1.067-m gauge
Highways:
total: 10,600 km (there is major deterioration on all highways due to heavy rains and lack of maintenance)
paved: 657 km
unpaved: 9,943 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Buchanan, Greenville, Harper, Monrovia
Merchant marine:
total: 1,593 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 54,513,479 GRT/85,495,576 DWT
ships by type: barge carrier 3, bulk 360, cargo 109, chemical tanker 185, combination bulk 22, combination ore/oil 50, container 225, liquified gas 91, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 40, petroleum tanker 351, refrigerated cargo 76, roll-on/roll-off 16, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 15, vehicle carrier 46 (1999 est.)
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 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 43
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 35 (1999 est.) |
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