Part 484

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 : (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: 226-370 FAX : 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