Background

The founding of Liberia coincided with the slaves uprising in America in the 1700s/1800s. Three of the notable uprisings were Cato Rebellion of 1740, the Denmark Vesey Rebellion of 1822, and Nat Turner Rebellion of 1831. These uprisings led to the decision by States to purchase a place in Africa to relocate free slaves. The America Colonization Society(ACS) was founded on December 28, 1816 as a vehicle to implement that decision. In 1817, the States resolved to purchase a land in Africa for colonization.

On February 6, 1820, the ship "Elizabeth The Mayflower" departed New York, USA and arrived in Sierra Leone on March 9. On April 1, 1821, a representative of the settlers reached Bassa(Liberia), and commenced negotiations with the natives of the land. Following lengthy discussions, the "Ducor Contract" was signed, and the land was purchased for the ex-slaves.

The first batch of settlers arrived for settlement in Liberia on January 7, 1822 from their temporary settlement in Sierra Leone. The Settlers then organized themselves into a body polity. They constituted themselves into a commonwealth between 1839 - 1847. On July 26, 1847, the settlers adopted the constitution and declared Liberia an independent country. Mr. Joseph Jenkins Roberts was first President.

Since the founding of Liberia, the country has been under the rule of the settlers, also known as the "Congos". The 1847 constitution excluded the indigenous people or "country people" from the leadership of the country.

This exclusion by law continued for more than a century. However, when Williams V. S. Tubman become President of Liberia in 1944, the country people and women were allowed to vote; and in 1964, the rural provinces of the Country were raised to county status and given representation in the national Legislature, following resistance by the indigenous people to end what become known as taxation without representation in Liberia.

GEOGRAPHY Top of Page 

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, hydropower 
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: Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation 

PEOPLE          Top of Page 

Population: 2.7m (July 2001 est.) 
Age structure: 0-14 years: 43.21% (male 698,178; female 695,599) 
15-64 years: 53.34% (male 840,103; female 880,403) 
65 years and over: 3.45% (male 56,073; female 55,481) (2001 est.) 
Population growth rate: 2.4% (2001 est.) 
Birth rate: 46.55 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 
Death rate: 16.36 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 
Net migration rate: -11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 
Note: by the end of 1999, all Liberian refugees, who had fled the domestic strife, were assumed to have returned 
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 
65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female 
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.) 
Infant mortality rate: 132.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) 
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 51.41 years 
Male: 47.7 years 
Female: 48.2 years (2001 est.) 
Total fertility rate: 6.2 children born/woman (1999 est.) 
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 2.8% (1999 est.) 
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 39,000 (1999 est.) 
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 4,500 (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), Congo People 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean who had been slaves) 
Religions: indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20% 
Languages: English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group 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: 37% 
Male: 50% 
Female: 26% (1995 est.) 
Note: these figures are increasing because of the improving school system

GOVERNMENT     Top of Page 

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Liberia 
Conventional short form: Liberia 
Government type: republic 
Capital: Monrovia 
Administrative divisions: 15 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, Sinoe, Gbarpolu and River Gee 
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 ,customary and statutory 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 and confirmed by the Senate 
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (two terms only); election last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held NA July 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% 
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) 
Elections: Senate - last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held in NA 2006); House of Representatives - last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held in NA 2003) 

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 
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       Top of Page  

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. Recent growth has been from a low base, and continued growth will require major policy successes. 
GDP: purchasing power parity - $3.35 billion (2000 est.) 
GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2000 est.) 
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $200 (2000 est.) 
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 60% 

Industry: 10% 
Services: 30% (2000 est.) 
Population below poverty line: 76% 
Household income or consumption by percentage Share: lowest 10%: NA% 
Highest 10%: NA% 
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (2000 est.) 
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 70%, industry 8%, services 22% (1999 est.) 
Unemployment rate: 85% (formal sector)
Budget: revenues: $82.8m 
Expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA 
Industries: rubber processing, palm oil processing, diamonds, beverages
Industrial production growth rate: NA 
Electricity - production: 432 million kWh (1999) 
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% 
Hydro: 0% 
Nuclear: 0% 
Other: 0% (1999) 
Electricity - consumption: 401.8 million kWh (1999) 
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999) 
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999) 
Agriculture - products: rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber 
Exports: $70.05 million (f.o.b., 2002 est.) 
Exports - commodities: diamonds, iron ore, rubber, timber, coffee, cocoa 
Exports - partners: Belgium , Switzerland , US , France
Imports: $153.78 million (f.o.b., 2002 est.) 
Imports - commodities: fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods; rice and other foodstuffs 
Imports - partners: South Korea, Italy , Japan , Germany
Debt - external: $2.48bn(2001est) 
Economic aid - recipient: $228 million pledged (1998) 
Currency: Liberian dollar (LD$) 
Currency code: LD$ 
Exchange rates: Liberian dollars per US dollar - 40-50 ( 2001), 70.00 (2002), 41.9025 (1999), 41.5075 (1998), 1.0000 (officially fixed rate 1940-97); market exchange rate: Liberian dollars per US dollar - 40 (December 1998), 50 (October 1995) 
Note: until December 1997, rates were based on a fixed relationship with the US dollar; beginning in January 1998, rates are market determined 
Fiscal year: calendar year 

COMMUNICATIONS      Top of Page 

Telephones - main lines in use: 6,000 (1997) 
Telephones - mobile cellular: 7,000 (Estimated) 
Telephone system: general assessment: 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 country code: .lr 
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000) 
Internet users: 300 (2000) 

TRANSPORTATION      Top of Page 

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 
Paved: 657 km 
Unpaved: 9,943 km 
Note: (there is major deterioration on all highways due to heavy rains and lack of maintenance) (1996 est.) 
Waterways: none 
Ports and harbors: Buchanan, Greenville, Harper, Monrovia 
Merchant marine: total: 1,478 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 49,456,361 GRT/76,620,648 DWT 
Ships by type: barge carrier 3, bulk 324, cargo 97, chemical tanker 163, combination bulk 20, combination ore/oil 38, container 245, liquefied gas 97, multi-functional large-load carrier 4, passenger 24, petroleum tanker 310, refrigerated cargo 74, roll on/roll off 19, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 12, vehicle carrier 45 
Note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Argentina 8, Australia 1, Ashmore and Cartier Islands 1, Austria 5, Bermuda 5, Belgium 5, Burma 1, Brazil 8, Canada 1, China 28, Chile 7, Costa Rica 8, Cyprus 27, Denmark 4, Ecuador 1, Germany 117, Greece 83, Hong Kong 54, Croatia 9, Indonesia 2, India 8, Israel 1, Italy 8, Japan 85, South Korea 8, Latvia 15, Monaco 28, Mexico 6, Malaysia 1, Nigeria 1, Netherlands 7, Norway 86, Netherlands Antilles 1, NZ 1, Poland 2, Portugal 2, Philippines 1, Russia 22, Saudi Arabia 20, South Africa 1, Slovenia 1, Singapore 30, Spain 1, Sweden 8, Switzerland 23, UAE 5, Taiwan 10, UK 15, US 85, Uruguay 1, Vietnam 1 (2000 est.) 
Airports: 46 (2000 est.) 
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 
Over 3,047 m: 1 
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) 
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 44 
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 
914 to 1,523 m: 5 
Under 914 m: 36 (2000 est.)