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| Liberia | Plants and Animal | Back to Top |
The trees of Liberia’s considerable tropical forests include cotton, fig, mahogany, ironwood, and various kinds of palms, as well as rubber trees. Large numbers of pygmy hippopotamus are found, as well as chimpanzee, elephant, buffalo, and monkey.
| Liberia | Communications | Back to Top |
Telephone and telegraph service via microwave radio relay network; main center is Monrovia
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
| Liberia | Culture | Back to Top |
orthodox and Western lifestyles coexist; orthodox values, customs, and norms determine the Western type considerably. In cities both Western and African music and dancing styles are in vogue, but in rural areas orthodox rhythms are favoured. Schools instruct students in the legends, traditions, songs, arts, and crafts of African culture, and the government promotes African culture through such agencies as the National Museum in Monrovia, the Tubman Center for African Culture in Robertsport, and the National Cultural Center in Kendeja, which exhibits architecture of the 16 ethnic groups of Liberia. Mask making is an artistic pursuit that is also related to the social structure of some ethnic groups. Music festivals, predominantly religious, are held in most communities. The University of Liberia has an arts and crafts centre. There are several libraries, including a children's library in Monrovia and a National Public Library.
Football is the most popular sport. An intercounty football competition is held for the annual championship. The University of Liberia and Cuttington University College hold annual sports competitions.Monrovia has five daily newspapers, including the Daily Observer, the largest and most prestigious. A few magazines are published annually. Officially, there is press freedom, but newspapers are banned occasionally for violating government policies on information.
| Liberia | Defence | Back to Top |
Military branches: Army, Air Force, Navy
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 715,753 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 385,460 (2001 est.)
| Liberia | International Disputes | Back to Top |
Large refugee population from civil war in Sierra Leone
| Liberia | Economy | Back to Top |
Civil war destroyed much of the economy of Liberia, particularly the infrastructure in and around Monrovia. Prior to the war the nation had promoted foreign investment in the development of its valuable natural resources, mainly rubber, iron ore, and timber; many investors have since departed. With 72 % of the labor force engaged in agriculture and forestry, the government had undertaken educational and vocational training programs to promote the development of other sectors. Those programs, too, were stopped by the war. In the late 1980s the annual budget showed revenues of $217 million and current and development expenditures of $248 million; by 1993 government income had been reduced to small revenues from registering merchant shipping. The principal port in Buchanan reopened in mid-1993, and the export of rubber and timber resumed.
The Liberian economy is predominantly agrarian, and raw materials, equipment, and consumer goods are imported. Production for export is carried out on a large scale through foreign investment in rubber, forestry, and mining. Foreign ships registering under a Liberian “flag of convenience” have made Liberia the world's foremost nation in registered shipping tonnage. Liberia nevertheless remains a primarily agricultural and underdeveloped nation. The distribution of wealth is uneven, the coastal districts receiving a greater share of economic benefits than the hinterland, after which the administrative centres are the next beneficiaries.
A civil war in 1989-96 destroyed much of Liberia's economy, particularly the infrastructure in and around Monrovia. Many businessmen fled the nation, taking capital and expertise with them. Some returned during 1997. Many will not return. valuablely 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 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 promotement of foreign investment. Recent growth has been from a low base, and continued growth will require major policy successes.
| Liberia | Education | Back to Top |
The Compulsory Education Act of 1912 provides for compulsory, free education for children between the ages of 6 and 16. government attempts to implement this law are hindered by a scarcity of educational facilities, and only 33 % of primary school-aged children were receiving education in 1996. Just 71 % of the population was literate in 2001. Higher education is provided by the University of Liberia (1862), in Monrovia, and several colleges.
| Liberia | Government | Back to Top |
Each of Liberia’s 18 political parties and each of Liberia’s 15 counties select one member, while civil society selects 7 members. On September 19, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1509, which establishes a peacekeeping operation under Chapter VII authority. In keeping with the UN Secretary General’s recommendations, it calls for a force of up to 15,000 peacekeepers, with 250 military observers and 160 staff officers, a robust police component of up to 1,115, and a remarkable civilian component and support staff.
Liberia has a bicameral legislature which consists of 64 representatives and 26 senators. The legislature, which was set up on a proportional representation basis after the 1997 special election, is controlled by President Taylor's National Patriotic Party. The administrator branch heavily determines the legislature. The judicial system is functional but considerablely manipulated by the administrator branch of government.
There is a Supreme Court, criminal courts, and appeals court and magistrate courts in the counties. There also are orthodox courts and lay courts in the counties. Trial by ordeal is practiced in variousparts of Liberia. The basic unit of local government is the Town Chief. There are clan chiefs, paramount chiefs, and district commissioners. Mayors are elected in principal cities in Liberia. The counties are governed by superintendents appointed by the president. There are 15 counties in Liberia.
| Liberia | History | Back to Top |
Portuguese explorers accomplished contacts with Liberia as early as 1461 and named the area Grain Coast because of the abundance of grains of Malegueta Pepper. In 1663 the British installed trading posts on the Grain Coast, but the Dutch destroyed these posts a year later. There were no further reports of European settlements along the Grain Coast until the reached of freed slaves in early 1800s. Liberia, which means "land of the free," was founded by freed slaves from the United States in 1820. These freed slaves, called Americo-Liberians, first arrived in Liberia and accomplished a settlement in Christopolis now Monrovia on February 6, 1820. This group of 86 immigrants formed the nucleus of the settler population of what became known as the Republic of Liberia.
On August 11, under intense U.S. and international pressure, President Taylor resigned office and departed into exile in Nigeria. This move paved the way for the deployment by ECOWAS of what became a 3,600-strong peacekeeping mission in Liberia (ECOMIL). Since then, the United States has provided limited direct military support and $26 million in logistical assistance to ECOMIL and another $40 million in humanitarian assistance to Liberia. On August 18, leaders from the Liberian Government, the rebels, political parties, and civil society signed a comprehensive peace agreement that laid the framework for constructing a 2-year National Transitional Government of Liberia, effective October 14. On August 21, they selected businessman Gyude Bryant as Chair and Wesley Johnson as Vice Chair of the National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL). Under the terms of the agreement the LURD, MODEL, and Government of Liberia each select 12 members of the 76-member Legislative Assembly (LA). The NTGL was inducted on October 14 and will serve until January 2006, when the winners of the scheduled October 2005 presidential and congressional elections take office.
| Liberia | Introduction | Back to Top |
Liberia, republic, western Africa, bounded on the north by Sierra Leone and Guinea, on the east by Côte d'Ivoire, and on the south and west by the Atlantic Ocean. An independent state since its establishment in 1847, Liberia has an area of 99,067 sq km (38,250 sq mi). The capital of Liberia is Monrovia.
Official Name -The Republic of Liberia| Liberia | Land | Back to Top |
N/A
| Liberia | Languages | Back to Top |
About 10 % of Liberia’s people are Christian, principally Protestant. Islam has made progress among the people of the interior, who have largely retained their animist religions. Altogether, about 70 % of the people follow orthodox religions and 20 % are Muslim. English is Liberia’s official language but is spoken by only about one-fifth of the people. The remainder speak various African languages which mainly belong to the Mande, West Atlantic, or Kwa linguistic groups.
| Lesotho | Life | Back to Top |
Malaria, tuberculosis, yaws, and leprosy are prevalent in Liberia. In 2001 average life expectancy at birth was 53 years for women and 50 years for men; the infant mortality rate was 132 per 1,000 live births. Some hospitals are operated by the central government, but no national social-welfare system exists.
| Liberia | organization | Back to Top |
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 (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO.
| Liberia | People | Back to Top |
The people of Liberia are classified into three major groups: the indigenous people, who are in the majority and who migrated from the western Sudan in the late Middle Ages; black immigrants from the United States-known historically as Americo-Liberians and the West Indies; and other black immigrants from neighbouring western African states who came during the anti-slave-trade campaign and European colonial rule. The Americo-Liberians are most closely associated with founding Liberia. Most of them migrated to Liberia between 1820 and 1865; continued migration has been intermittent. Americo-Liberians controlled the government until a military coup in 1980.
Liberia has a population (2001 estimate) of 3,225,837, giving the nation an overall population density of 33 persons per sq km. Civil war between 1989 and 1996 drove hundreds of thousands of Liberians into neighboring countries as refugees. An around 47 % of those remaining live in cities and towns. Before the war, a majority of the population was engaged in agriculture, and many maintained their orthodox ways of life.There are 16 ethnic groups that make up Liberia's indigenous population. The Kpelle in central and western Liberia is the largest ethnic group. Americo-Liberians who are descendants of freed slaves that arrived in Liberia early in 1821 make up an around 5% of the population.
Liberia was traditionally famous for its hospitality and academic institutions, iron mining and rubber industry booms, and cultural skills and arts and craft works. But political upheavals beginning in the 1980s and the brutal 7-year civil war (1989-1996) brought about a steep decline in the living standards of the nation, including its education and infrastructure.
| Liberia | Politics | Back to Top |
All Liberia Coalition Party or ALCOP [Lusinee KAMARA]; Free Democratic Party or FDP [Roderick Nyennatee LEWIS, chairman]; Liberian Action Party or LAP [Cletus WOTORSON]; Liberian National Union or LINU [Henry MONIBA, chairman]; Liberian People's Party or LPP [Togba-Nah TIPOTEH, chairman]; National Democratic Party of Liberia or NDPL [Isaac DAKINAH]; National Patriotic Party or NPP [Charles Ghankay TAYLOR] - governing party; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Chea CHEAPOO, chairman]; Reformation Alliance Party or RAP [Henry Boimah FAHNBULLEH, chairman]; True Whig Party or TWP [Rudolph SHERMAN, chairman]; United People's Party or UPP [Gabriel Baccus MATTHEWS, chairman]; Unity Party or UP [Charles Clarke]
| Lesotho | Provinces | Back to Top |
13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, Sinoe
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| Liberia | Time | Back to Top |
| Liberia | Currency and General Information | Back to Top |
| Liberia Dollars | United States Dollars |
| 1.00 AFA | 1.00000 USD |
| 1.00000 LRD | 1 USD |
| Countries Currency Unit | USD/Unit | Units/USD | |
| DZD | Algeria Dinars | 0.0129554 | 77.1877 |
| USD | United States Dollars | 1.00000 | 1.00000 |
| ARS | Argentina Pesos | 0.341293 | 2.93004 |
| AUD | Australia Dollars | 0.533413 | 1.87472 |
| ATS | Austria Schillings ** | 0.0632609 | 15.8076 |
| BSD | Bahamas Dollars | 1.00000 | 1.00000 |
| BBD | Barbados Dollars | 0.502513 | 1.99000 |
| BEF | Belgium Francs ** | 0.0215788 | 46.3417 |
| BMD | Bermuda Dollars | 1.00000 | 1.00000 |
| BRL | Brazil Reals | 0.430318 | 2.32386 |
| GBP | United Kingdom Pounds | 1.42399 | 0.702251 |
| BGL | Bulgaria Leva | 0.447293 | 2.23567 |
| CAD | Canada Dollars | 0.627606 | 1.59336 |
| CLP | Chile Pesos | 0.00152392 | 656.202 |
| CNY | China Yuan Renminbi | 0.120813 | 8.27726 |
| CYP | Cyprus Pounds | 1.49883 | 0.667186 |
| CZK | Czech Republic Koruny | 0.0281883 | 35.4758 |
| DKK | Denmark Kroner | 0.117155 | 8.53568 |
| XCD | East Caribbean Dollars | 0.370370 | 2.70000 |
| EGP | Egypt Pounds | 0.217271 | 4.60255 |
| EUR | Euro | 0.870489 | 1.14878 |
| FJD | Fiji Dollars | 0.447227 | 2.23600 |
| FIM | Finland Markkaa ** | 0.146406 | 6.83034 |
| FRF | France Francs ** | 0.132705 | 7.53550 |
| DEM | Germany Deutsche Marks ** | 0.445074 | 2.24682 |
| XAU | Gold Ounces | 301.977 | 0.00331151 |
| GRD | Greece Drachmae ** | 0.00255463 | 391.447 |
| HKD | Hong Kong Dollars | 0.128215 | 7.79939 |
| HUF | Hungary Forint | 0.00358416 | 279.006 |
| ISK | Iceland Kronur | 0.00999868 | 100.013 |
| INR | India Rupees | 0.0205205 | 48.7319 |
| IDR | Indonesia Rupiahs | 0.000102055 | 9,798.61 |
| IEP | Ireland Pounds ** | 1.10529 | 0.904738 |
| ILS | Israel New Shekels | 0.212386 | 4.70841 |
| ITL | Italy Lire ** | 0.000449570 | 2,224.35 |
| JMD | Jamaica Dollars | 0.0210041 | 47.6099 |
| JPY | Japan Yen | 0.00754183 | 132.594 |
| JOD | Jordan Dinars | 1.41057 | 0.708931 |
| LBP | Lebanon Pounds | 0.000660937 | 1,513.00 |
| LUF | Luxembourg Francs ** | 0.0215788 | 46.3417 |
| MYR | Malaysia Ringgits | 0.263330 | 3.79751 |
| MXN | Mexico Pesos | 0.111007 | 9.00848 |
| NZD | New Zealand Dollars | 0.440474 | 2.27028 |
| NOK | Norway Kroner | 0.113022 | 8.84780 |
| NLG | Netherlands Guilders ** | 0.395011 | 2.53158 |
| PKR | Pakistan Rupees | 0.0166945 | 59.9000 |
| PHP | Philippines Pesos | 0.0196386 | 50.9202 |
| XPT | Platinum Ounces | 510.962 | 0.00195709 |
| PLN | Poland Zlotych | 0.243488 | 4.10699 |
| PTE | Portugal Escudos ** | 0.00434198 | 230.310 |
| ROL | Romania Lei | 0.0000303433 | 32,956.21 |
| RUR | Russia Rubles | 0.0321342 | 31.1195 |
| SAR | Saudi Arabia Riyals | 0.266668 | 3.74998 |
| XAG | Silver Ounces | 4.65692 | 0.214734 |
| SGD | Singapore Dollars | 0.542540 | 1.84318 |
| SKK | Slovakia Koruny | 0.0208441 | 47.9751 |
| ZAR | South Africa Rand | 0.0883340 | 11.3207 |
| KRW | South Korea Won | 0.000759354 | 1,316.91 |
| ESP | Spain Pesetas ** | 0.00523174 | 191.141 |
| XDR | IMF Special Drawing Rights | 1.24862 | 0.800882 |
| SDD | Sudan Dinars | 0.00384615 | 260.000 |
| SEK | Sweden Kronor | 0.0964189 | 10.3714 |
| CHF | Switzerland Francs | 0.593789 | 1.68410 |
| TWD | Taiwan New Dollars | 0.0286531 | 34.9002 |
| THB | Thailand Baht | 0.0230087 | 43.4619 |
| TTD | Trinidad and Tobago Dollars | 0.163399 | 6.12000 |
| TRL | Turkey Liras | 0.000000763622 | 1,309,549.07 |
| VEB | Venezuela Bolivares | 0.00108696 | 920.000 |
| ZMK | Zambia Kwacha | 0.000239866 | 4,169.00 |
| Liberia : Geographic coordinates | 6 30 N, 9 30 W |
| Liberia : Population growth rate | 1.92% |
| Liberia : Birth rate | 46.55 births/1,000 population |
| Liberia : Death rate | 16.36 deaths/1,000 population |
| Liberia : People living with HIV/AIDS | 39,000 |
| Liberia : Independence | 26 July 1847 |
| Liberia : National holiday | Independence Day, 26 July |
| Liberia : Constitution | 6 January 1986 |
| Liberia : GDP | purchasing power parity - $3.35 billion |
| Liberia : GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,100 |
| Liberia : Electricity - consumption | 401.8 million kWh |
| Liberia : Exports | $55 million diamonds, iron ore, rubber, timber, coffee, cocoa |
| Liberia : Imports | $170 million fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods |
| Liberia : Telephones | 6,000 |
| Liberia : Mobile cellular | N/A |
| Liberia : Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 6, shortwave 4 |
| Liberia : Radios | 790,000 |
| Liberia : Television broadcast stations | 2 |
| Liberia : Televisions | 70,000 |
| Liberia : Internet country code | .lr |
| Liberia : Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 |
| Liberia : Internet users | 300 |
| Liberia : Railways | 490 km |
| Liberia : Highways | 10,600 km |
| Liberia : Waterways | N/A |
| Liberia : Pipelines | N/A |
| Liberia : Ports and harbors | Buchanan, Greenville, Harper, Monrovia |
| Liberia : Merchant marine | 1,478 ships |
| Liberia : Airports | 46 |
| Liberia : Heliports | N/A |
| Liberia : Military branches | Army, Air Force, Navy |
| Liberia : Military expenditures | $1 million |