Liberia. Liberia: population, economy and political system Finance and credit

Population of the country (about 4.5 million people) varied in ethnic composition and includes more than 20 nationalities. In the north live the peoples of the Mande language subgroup - Kpelle, Loma, Mano, etc., in the south - the peoples of the Guinean subgroup (cru, grebo, raspberry, crane, gere). The descendants of the founders of Liberia - immigrants from the United States - now make up less than 1%. The majority of the population adheres to traditional local beliefs and traditional way of life. Main occupations - Agriculture, cultivation and harvesting of rubber, precious woods, fishing. There is also an industry, mainly mining (iron ores). Low taxes and economic policy open doors» led to the fact that the largest merchant fleet in the world sails under the Liberian flag (belonging, of course, to shipowners from other countries).

The largest city and capital of Liberia is Monrovia. (about 1 million inhabitants) founded in 1822. Another major city is Buchanan, a major port and center for rubber plantations.

Since 1821, settlements of liberated blacks began to appear on the territory of Liberia - immigrants from the United States, who united in 1839 and founded the state of Liberia. (1847) . Americo-Liberians occupied a dominant position in the state-administrative apparatus and economy of Liberia until 1980, when a coup d'etat took place in the country and representatives of other ethnic political groups came to power. In 1986, Liberia's transition to civilian rule was completed. In 1989, the National Patriotic Front began an armed struggle against government troops. With the help of inter-African peacekeeping forces, a transitional government was established in Liberia in 1990, but the struggle of the opposing factions continued. In 1993, an agreement was signed between them on a ceasefire, the establishment of a three-party transitional government and the holding of free elections.

Climate, flora and fauna

The climate of Liberia is subequatorial, hot and humid: average monthly temperatures do not fall below 23 ° C, precipitation occurs mainly in summer (up to 5000 mm on the coast and 1500-2000 mm inland).

About a third of the country's territory is covered with dense evergreen tropical rain forests, which, among others, grow red and rosewood trees, hevea, wine and oil palms. Closer to the border with Guinea, the forests turn into tall grass savannah with groves of umbrella acacias and baobabs. Mangrove forests grow along the coast.

The forests of Liberia are home to many different insects. (from termites to tsetse flies), snakes, monkeys. Buffaloes, antelopes, wild boars, leopards are found in the savannah. Coastal waters are rich in fish.

Story

The history of Liberia as a political entity begins with the arrival of the first black American settlers - Americo-Liberians, as they called themselves, in Africa - on the coast of which they founded a colony of "free people of color" in 1822 (free men of color) under the auspices of the American Colonial Society. By agreement with the leaders of local tribes, the settlers acquired territories of more than 13 thousand square meters. km - for goods with a total value of 50 US dollars.

In 1824, this colony was named Liberia, and its constitution was adopted. By 1828, settlers captured the entire coast of modern Liberia. (about 500 km long), and then also occupied parts of the coast of modern Sierra Leone and Cote d'Ivoire.

On July 26, 1847, American settlers declared the independence of the Republic of Liberia. The settlers perceived the continent from which their ancestors were taken into slavery as the "promised land", but did not seek to join the African community. Arriving in Africa, they called themselves Americans and, both the natives and the British colonial authorities of neighboring Sierra Leone, were considered Americans. Symbols of their state (flag, motto and seal), as well as the chosen form of government, reflected the American past of the Americo-Liberians.

Religion, customs and socio-cultural standards of the Americo-Liberians were based on the traditions of the pre-war American South. Mutual distrust and enmity between the "Americans" from the coast and the "indigenous" from the hinterland gave rise to ongoing attempts throughout the history of the country (quite successful) Americo-Liberian minority to dominate the local blacks, whom they considered barbarians and inferior people.

The founding of Liberia was sponsored by private American groups, mainly the American Colonization Society, but the country received informal support from the US government. Liberia's government was modeled after the American one, and was democratic in structure but not always in substance. After 1877, the True Whig Party monopolized power in the country, and all important positions were held by members of this party.

Three problems facing the Liberian authorities - territorial conflicts with neighboring colonial powers, Britain and France, hostilities between settlers and local residents, and the threat of financial insolvency - called into question the sovereignty of the country. Liberia retained its independence during the colonial partition of Africa, but in the late 19th and early 20th centuries lost a significant part of the territory it had previously captured, which was annexed by Britain and France. In 1911, Liberia's borders with the British and French colonies were officially established along the Mano and Cavalli rivers. Economic development at the end of the 19th century was held back by the lack of markets for Liberian goods and by debt obligations on a variety of loans, the payment of which drained the economy.

At the beginning of World War I, Liberia declared its neutrality, hoping to maintain trade relations with Germany, which by 1914 accounted for more than half of Liberia's foreign trade turnover. However, the blockade of sea trade routes established by the Entente countries deprived Liberia of this most important trading partner. Almost completely stopped the import of manufactured goods, there were serious difficulties with food.

In 1926, American corporations provided Liberia with a large loan of $5 million.

In the 1930s, Liberia was accused of complicity in the slave trade, as such it was considered allowing labor to be recruited into Liberian territory for plantations in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon; recruited workers were subjected to ill-treatment and were practically on the rights of slaves. The then President Charles King was forced to resign, and the UK even raised the issue of establishing guardianship over Liberia. The Commission of the League of Nations confirmed the main points of the accusations.

After the outbreak of World War II, Liberia again declared neutrality, but its territory was used to transfer American troops to North Africa. In 1944, Liberia officially declared war on Germany.

After the Second World War, the US provided loans to Liberia, and soon Liberia became a major exporter of rubber and iron ore. In 1971, President Tubman, who had served five terms in this post, died, his place was taken by William Tolbert, who had been vice president for 19 years. Continuing internal politics his predecessor, Tolbert maintained close ties with the United States, but at the same time sought to increase the role of Liberia in African affairs, opposed apartheid and improved relations with socialist countries. His economic reforms led to some positive effects, but corruption and poor governance offset them. In the 1970s, political opposition to Tolbert developed, and the deteriorating economic situation led to an increase in social tension. Rising prices led to numerous "rice riots", the largest occurred in April 1979, and then Tolbert ordered to open fire on the rebellious crowd, which eventually led to riots and a general strike.

On April 12, 1980, a coup took place in Liberia. Tolbert was killed, his associates were executed, the country was headed by Sergeant Samuel Doe, a representative of the Krahn tribe, and appropriated the rank of general. If at first the change of power was perceived positively by the citizens, then Dow's constant efforts to strengthen his power and the ongoing economic decline led to a drop in his popularity and a whole series of unsuccessful military coups. In 1985, Liberia returned to civilian rule, the election was won by Doe, who had previously given himself one year to meet the stated minimum age of 35 for president, and carried out extensive fraud; according to independent polls, the opposition candidate won with about 80% of the vote.

In 1989, a civil war broke out in the country. The forces of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia, led by Charles Taylor, crossed the border from Côte d'Ivoire and captured 90% of the country's territory in a year and a half of hostilities. An anarchist group led by Yedu Johnson broke away from him, fighting both against government troops and against Taylor. The Economic Community of West African countries sent a contingent of 3,000 people to Liberia. Johnson, under the pretext of negotiations, invited Doe to the UN mission, on the way the dictator was kidnapped and then brutally murdered - his arms were broken, his legs were amputated, castrated, his ear was cut off and forced to eat him, and then killed.

In the early 90s, a large-scale conflict took place in the country, in which several factions took part, divided along ethnic lines. Neighboring states were involved in the conflict, supporting various groups for various reasons; in particular, at the first stage of the war, Taylor was supported from among the countries of the region of Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire, and from states located at a considerable distance from the theater of operations, Togo and Libya. As a consequence, the countries-opponents of these states supported Taylor's opponents. For neighboring Sierra Leone, this resulted in the outbreak of civil war on its territory, to which Taylor made significant efforts, becoming the de facto founding father of the Revolutionary United Front. Military operations were carried out with great cruelty, torture was used en masse. According to the most conservative estimates, the war caused the passage of more than half a million refugees to neighboring countries. The result of the first round was the signing of a peace agreement and the presidential election in 1997, which Taylor won. The world community chose to ignore the electoral fraud and massive violence against the opposition.

After the elections, Taylor's opponents organized a small-scale insurrectionary war, several times they conducted incursions into the territory of Liberia from neighboring countries. In 2002, with the active help and support of Guinean President Lansana Conte, a large opposition movement, LURD, was created, which, after a year and a half military campaign, managed to overthrow Taylor and expel him from the country.

In the 2005 presidential election, famous football player George Weah was considered the favorite, who won the first round by a narrow margin, but Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a Harvard graduate and a former employee of the World Bank and many other international financial institutions, won the second round.

On August 6, 2014, a state of emergency was declared in Liberia due to Ebola. As of September 16, 2407 people were infected with the virus, and 1296 people died.

Economy

The main sectors of the Liberian economy are the cultivation of food crops, mainly rice and cassava, on small farms by indigenous Liberians, as well as the mining of iron ore and the production of natural rubber for export by foreign companies. Companies owned by foreign capital control almost all foreign trade, most of the wholesale trade and, together with Lebanese entrepreneurs, a significant part of the retail trade. Foreigners own the banking system and construction, railways and part of highways. The country is forced to import almost all manufactured goods, fuel and a significant part of food.

Before the start of the civil war in 1989, Liberia's national income per capita was estimated at $500. According to UN experts, in 1995 this figure rose to $1,124.

Liberia has a wide range of agricultural production types, from rainfed rice cultivation to indigenous Liberian consumptive farms (3/4 of the population is engaged in this) to the production of export crops on foreign-owned plantations employing wage workers. The benefits of wage labor led to an exodus of peasants from the subsistence sector to plantations, which led to a significant reduction in rice production, the shortage of which necessitated a sharp increase in its imports. Rice cultivation on irrigated lands has not brought the desired results. Cultivated throughout Liberia, cassava plays an important role in the diet of the population of the southern coast. For domestic consumption, crops, fruits and vegetables are grown. Thick oil is obtained from the fruits of the oil palm orange color used for cooking. Animal husbandry is very poorly developed due to the abundance of tse-tse flies and limited pastures.

The basis of export agriculture is the production of rubber. In the mid-1980s, its collection averaged 75 thousand tons per year. The production of rubber for export was established thanks to an agreement in 1926, under which the government of Liberia granted the American company Firestone a concession for a period of 99 years. Until the end of World War II, the company brought the largest income to the country. In the 1980s, the Firestone and B.F. Goodrich plantations were sold respectively to the Japanese and English companies. Until now, almost all rubber production in Liberia is concentrated there.

The oil palm tree, coffee tree, chocolate tree and piassava also provide export products. The timber of valuable tropical species is of great export importance.

Republic of Liberia, state in Zap. Africa. In 1822 G. The United States founded a colony of liberated American blacks on the lands acquired in Africa and named it from latin. liberal "free, independent". In 1847 G. Republic proclaimed.

Geographical names of the world: Toponymic dictionary. - M: AST. Pospelov E.M. 2001 .

Liberia

(Liberia"country of freedom"), the state in the West. Africa, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Pl. 111.4 thousand km², capital Monrovia . For a long time lived on the territory of L. African tribes who speak the Kwa language. In the second half of the XV century. The Portuguese landed on the coast, establishing a stronghold of the slave trade. IN early XIX V. Negroes freed from slavery from the United States were resettled on the territory of Latvia. The first settlement was named Monrovia (named after US President J. Monroe), which later became the basis of the state. From August 26 (National holiday) 1847 - Republic of Liberia , but a significant part of the territory was captured by Great Britain and France. The indigenous population until 1904 did not have the right to citizenship, until 1944 - the right to vote. Now the head of the state is the president, the legislative power is in the bicameral parliament (House of Representatives and Senate).
The coastal plain is poorly dissected, swampy in places; separated from the lagoons by a sand bar, which makes ships difficult. with separate mountains (up to 1381 m). The climate is subequatorial, hot and humid. There are many short, rapid flood rivers. They, with the exception of the river currents Saint Paul, non-navigable. 26% of the territory is covered with evergreen tropical forests with valuable tree species (red, rosewood, hevea, wine and oil palms, etc.). On SW. forests with falling leaves; in the extreme north, tall-grass savanna with acacia and baobab; on the coast - mangrove forests. National Sapo park, forest reserves.
Population approx. 3.2 million people (2001): Kru peoples of similar origin, as well as Kpelle, Mano, Loma, Vai, etc. Approx. 3% - American-Liberians (descendants of African slaves who returned from the USA), ch. arr. in Monrovia. Official English language. The majority of the population adheres to local traditional beliefs, 16% Muslims, 14% Christians (predominantly Protestants); city ​​dwellers 32% (1985). An agrarian country with a developed mining industry (in the village x-ve up to 70% of the active population). For export grown: hevea, cocoa, sugar. cane, palm (kernels) and tobacco; food crops: rice and cassava, bananas. Due to the lack of pastures and the widespread distribution of tsetse flies, living is possible only in the NE, in the savannah. Forestry (for export); extraction of iron ores (one of the world's largest exporters), diamonds and gold. Pishch. prom-st, pr-in railway. pellets and building materials; oil refinery, chemical, tab., furniture pr-tiya. Crafts: making yarn, fabrics, raffia, leather, fine woods. L. occupies a special place in the world court-ve. Thanks to low taxes and registration fees, the largest in the world is assigned to its ports. navy(ships owned by US, UK and Greek owners). Main ports: Monrovia, Buchanan, Greenville, Harper, Marshall. Cash unit - Liberian dollar.

Dictionary of modern geographical names. - Yekaterinburg: U-Factoria. Under the general editorship of Acad. V. M. Kotlyakova. 2006 .

Encyclopedia Around the World. 2008 .

LIBERIA

REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA
Country in West Africa. In the north it borders on Sierra Leone and Guinea, in the east - on Côte d'Ivoire. In the south and west it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The country's area is 99067 km2.
The population (according to 1998 estimates) is about 2,771,900 people, with an average population density of about 28 people per km2. Ethnic groups: Liberians (descendants of slaves from America) - 5%, local tribes (Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru and others) - 95%. Language: English (official), Mande, Kwa. Religion: Muslims - 20%, Christians - 10%, pagans - 70%. The capital is Monrovia (670,000 people). Largest cities: Buchanan, Harbel, Yekepa. State structure- civil republic. Head of State - Chairman of the State Council - U. Sankavulo. The currency is the Liberian dollar, although the American dollar has been in circulation in the country since 1943. Average life expectancy (for 1998): 54 years - men, 57 years - women. The birth rate (per 1,000 people) is 41.9. Mortality rate (per 1000 people) - 11.3.
Liberia was founded in 1822 by freed American Negro slaves. On July 26, 1847, the country became a republic, the constitution of which almost completely copied the US constitution. Liberia is a member of the UN and most of its specialized branches. Organization of African Unity.
The climate of the country is equatorial and humid. The two rainy seasons last from June to July and from October to November. The average January temperature is about 26°C; the average July temperature is about 24 ° C. The fauna is very widely represented in Liberia: pygmy hippos, chimpanzees, elephants, buffaloes.

Encyclopedia: cities and countries. 2008 .

Liberia is the oldest independent state in West Africa, formed in 1847 by black settlers from the United States (cm. USA). The territory of Liberia stretches for 500 km along the Atlantic coast and occupies 111 thousand km. Official language- English. Administrative-territorial division: 13 counties. The population of the country (about 3.1 million people) is diverse in ethnic composition and includes more than 20 nationalities. In the north live the peoples of the Mande language subgroup - Kpelle, Loma, Mano, in the south - the peoples of the Guinean subgroup (Kru, Grebo, Malinke, Crane, Gere). The descendants of the founders of Liberia - immigrants from the United States - now make up less than 1%. The majority of the population adheres to traditional local beliefs and traditional way of life.
Natural conditions and climate
The coastal lowland plain, several tens of kilometers wide, is poorly dissected, swampy in places. The rivers are numerous: but they are short, rapids. Even the largest of them: Mano, Loffa, St. Paul, St. John, Sess, Cavalli - are unsuitable for navigation. As you move away from the coast, the plain becomes more hilly and passes into the Leono-Liberian Upland with separate mountains, the highest of which is Mount Nimba (1752 m). On the slopes of this mountain is the only reserve in Liberia, created to protect the rare local flora.
The climate of Liberia is subequatorial, hot and humid: average monthly temperatures do not fall below 23 ° C, precipitation falls mainly in summer (up to 5000 mm on the coast and 1500–2000 mm in the interior). About a third of the country's territory is covered with dense evergreen tropical rain forests, which, among others, grow red and rosewood trees, hevea, wine and oil palms. Closer to the border with Guinea (cm. Guinea) forests turn into tall-grass savannah with groves of umbrella acacias, baobabs. Mangrove forests grow along the coast. The forests of Liberia are home to many different insects (from termites to tsetse flies), snakes, monkeys. Buffaloes, antelopes, wild boars, leopards are found in the savannah. Coastal waters are rich in fish.
Economy
The main occupations are agriculture, cultivation and harvesting of rubber, precious woods, and fishing. There is also industry, mainly mining (iron ores). Low taxes and an economic "open door" policy have led to the fact that the largest merchant fleet in the world sails under the Liberian flag (owned, of course, by shipowners from other countries). The largest city is the capital of the country Monrovia (about 557 thousand inhabitants), founded in 1822. Another major city is Buchanan, a major port and center for rubber plantations.
Story
Since 1821, settlements of liberated blacks began to appear on the territory of Liberia - immigrants from the United States, who united in 1839 and founded the state of Liberia. (1847). Americo-Liberians occupied a dominant position in the state-administrative apparatus and economy of Liberia until 1980, when a coup d'etat took place in the country and representatives of other ethnic political groups came to power. In 1986, Liberia's transition to civilian rule was completed. In 1989, the National Patriotic Front began an armed struggle against government troops. With the help of inter-African peacekeeping forces, a transitional government was established in Liberia in 1990, but the struggle of the opposing factions continued. Only in 2003 was it possible to restore peace in the country.
Tourism
The main attraction of the country is its natural world. First of all, these are tropical forests and magnificent beaches on the Atlantic coast. The length of the coastline is 580 km, about 300 of which are sandy beaches. Most of them are in disrepair. Tourists are advised to choose Bernard Beach, Elva Beach, Kenema Beach, Kendahe Beach, Shuge Beach, Side Beach, Cooper Beach and Caesars Beach for vacation. From December to May, Liberia has excellent climatic conditions for diving. Fans of exotic fishing are advised to find cozy places near the Saint Paul and Mesurado rivers, as well as on Lake Piso, located 80 km from the capital. Naturalists will be interested in observing rare representatives of the local fauna: water deer and pygmy hippopotamus.
Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, was heavily damaged during the war, but there are several nightclubs, restaurants and bars in the Garley Street area. Also in the capital there is a golf club and numerous football fields. Since football is the national sport here, exciting matches are offered as entertainment. Firestone, the largest rubber plantation in the world, is located 50 km from the city.

See what "Liberia" is in other dictionaries:

Liberia. Leono Liberian Uplands. LIBERIA (Republic of Liberia) is a country in West Africa bordering the Atlantic Ocean. The area is 111.4 thousand km2. Population 2.8 million people, mainly kpelle, loma, kru, etc., about 2% ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

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The official name is the Republic of Liberia (Republic of Liberia).

Located in the western part of Africa. The area is 111.4 thousand km2, the population is 3.3 million people. (2002). Official language- English. The capital is Monrovia (1.3 million people, 2000). Public holiday - Independence Day July 26 (since 1847). The monetary unit is the Liberian dollar (equal to 100 cents).

Member ok. 40 international organizations, incl. the UN (since 1945), a number of its specialized organizations, the AU, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Group of African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, etc.

Sights of Liberia

Geography of Liberia

It is located between 10°50′ and 13°18′ East longitude and 6°50′ and 10° North latitude. It borders Sierra Leone and Guinea to the north, and Côte d'Ivoire to the east. In the southwest it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The coastline is flat (579 km), in some places indented by lagoons, mangrove swamps, river estuaries. The coastal plain gradually rises and passes into the Leono-Liberian Upland. Peaks: Mt. Nimba (1752 m) at the junction of the borders with Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire and Mt. Vuteve (1380 m) - in the north. The bowels are rich in iron ore, diamonds and gold.

Red-yellow lateritic soils predominate. The climate is tropical, hot and humid. The average annual precipitation on the coast reaches 5000 mm, in the interior - 1500-2000 mm.

The maximum precipitation falls in the "rainy season" (May-October) and the minimum - in the "dry season" (November-April). The average monthly temperature does not fall below +23°C.

OK. 1/3 of the country's territory is occupied by humid evergreen tropical forests (mahogany, rosewood, hevea, various types of palm trees, pandaus), which, to the border with Guinea, turn into tall grass savannah (umbrella acacia, baobab).

Many different animals live in Liberia (elephants, antelopes, monkeys, buffaloes, leopards, wild pigs, snakes, crocodiles). A significant area is covered by the habitat of the tsetse fly.

An extensive network of rivers. The largest of them are: Mano, Loffa, Saint Paul, Saint John, Sess and Cavalli.

Population of Liberia

According to an estimate for 2002, the population growth is 2.54%, the birth rate is 45.95%, the death rate is 16.05%, and the infant mortality rate is 130.21 people. per 1000 newborns. Life expectancy 51.8 years, incl. women 53.33 and men 50.33 years. Age structure of the population: 0-14 years 43.3%, 15-64 years 53.2%, 65 and over 3.5%. Liberians are somewhat dominated by women, who are 2% more than men. 45% of the population lives in cities.

By ethnic composition, 95% are indigenous Africans representing the Mande, Kwa and Mel language groups and belonging to 16-20 local tribes (Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gban-di, Loma, Kissi, Wai , dei, bella, mandingo, mende), 2.5% - Americo-Liberians (descendants of immigrants from the United States), 2.5% - descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean. Languages ​​- English, as spoken by up to 20 local languages, many of which do not have a written language.

OK. 40% of the population are adherents of local religious beliefs, 40% are Christians and 20% are Muslims.

History of Liberia

Liberia is a unique state founded by free black US citizens who returned to Africa, former slaves. On January 7, 1822, the first group of settlers landed here; on July 26, 1847, the country was proclaimed a republic. Although for all the years of its existence, only approx. 10 thousand American blacks, more than 100 years the leading political and economic positions in the country were occupied by Americo-Liberians.

In con. 1970s economic difficulties associated with the decline in the world markets for rubber and iron ore, brought to power representatives of indigenous ethnic groups. In 1980, Sergeant S. Doe led a military coup, and in 1986 became President of Liberia. However, neither the removal of the Americo-Liberians from power nor the transition to civilian rule changed the plight of the population. To con. 1980s inter-ethnic relations also sharply escalated, which resulted in the internecine war of 1989-96, which claimed the lives of more than 10 thousand Liberians.

The entry into Liberia of inter-African forces under the auspices of ECOWAS, their peacekeeping activities led to the end in 1996 of active hostilities. In 1997, general elections were held in the country, which brought victory to the rebel leader Ch. Taylor, who became president.

However, sluggish clashes between government forces and the opposition continued. Despite being ok. 1/2 of the population of Liberia continued to maintain refugee status, and the economy undermined by hostilities was not restored, ruling circles Liberia continued to escalate tension in the region, supporting with weapons and material separate military-political groups in neighboring Sierra Leone. In March 2003, the Special UN Tribunal for Sierra Leone charged Taylor with war crimes. Opposition militias entered Monrovia. In June, a ceasefire agreement between the government and the rebels was signed and entered into force.

State structure and political system of Liberia

Liberia is a republic. The Constitution is in force in 1986 (as amended in 1988).
Administratively, Liberia is divided into 15 counties: Bo-mi, Bong, Gparbolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Kess, River Gii , Sino. Most big cities: Monrovia, Buchanan, Greenville, Ganta, Grand Cess, Duabo, Kakata, Ma no River, Marshall, Njebele, Robertsport, Sag Leipie, Tappita, Harper, Chien. Public administration Liberia is exercised by three branches of government: legislative, executive and judicial. The highest legislative body is the bicameral National Assembly, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The supreme body of executive power is the president, who is the head of state and head of government, commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. Government ministers are appointed by the President and then confirmed by the Senate.

Among the prominent political leaders Liberia:

William Wakanarat Shadrach Tubman - President of Liberia (1944-71), reformer, initiator of the "unification policy" aimed at uniting Americo-Liberians and the country's indigenous people into one people - Liberians, conductor of the "open door" policy that encouraged foreign investment, champion the active inclusion of Liberia in the Commonwealth of African Peoples;

William R. Tolbert - President of Liberia (1971-80), initiator of a number of development programs, incl. "reliance on own forces”, liberalization of the economy, reduction of dependence on foreign aid.

There is a multi-party system. In addition to the ruling National Patriot Party, which has 21 seats in the Senate and 49 in the House of Representatives, the All-Liberian Coalition Party, the Liberian National Union, the People's Party of Liberia, the National Democratic Party of Liberia, the People's Democratic Party of Liberia, the True Whig Party, the Party unity, the United People's Party and a number of other parties.

Trade unions are united in the Liberian Federation of Trade Unions.

population armed forces 14 thousand soldiers and officers (1999).

Economy of Liberia

Liberia is an underdeveloped country with agrarian and raw material specialization, which occupies one of the leading places in the world in the production and export of natural rubber and iron ore. A significant source of income for the country is the provision of a "flag of convenience" to foreign ships. The economy is dominated by foreign capital. The industrial infrastructure was undermined by the civil war of 1989-96, predetermining the outflow of foreign capital from the country.

GDP 3.6 billion USD, i.e. OK. $1,100 per capita (2001). However, ok. 80% of the population is below the poverty line. The GDP growth rate of 5%, inflation of 8% (2001) testify to the post-war revival of the country's economy.

In the sectoral structure of the economy, agriculture accounts for 60% of GDP (2001) and the vast majority of the economically active population - 70% (2000) is employed in agricultural production. For industry, these figures are 10 and 8%, respectively, for the service sector - 30 and 22%.

Liberia's agriculture has been hard hit by the fighting, with a sharp decline in food crops, especially rice and cassava, leaving the population dependent on food imports, especially cereals. The war also undermined the production of commercial (export) crops: rubber, cocoa, coffee, oil palm products. Along with the outflow of the capital of foreign companies from the country, there is a redistribution of their investments in the production of export crops, as well as the overflow of foreign capital into the extraction of iron ore, diamonds, etc. Nevertheless, the American company Firestone, despite the sale in con. 1980s of its Liberian rubber operation of the Japanese company, continues to occupy a prominent position in the industry, retaining control of the hevea plantations.

Due to the spread of the tsetse fly, animal husbandry is poorly developed - the herd is represented by a small number of cattle, goats and sheep, as well as pigs.

The mining industries associated with the production of iron ore and diamonds are developed. However, the future of the industry depends on the stabilization of the political situation in the country.

The main type of transport is automobile, the length of roads is 10.6 thousand km, incl. 657 km of paved roads and 9943 km of unpaved roads (1996).

Total length railways 490 km, incl. 328 km with one track. 345 km have standard (1435 mm) and 145 km - narrow (1067 mm) gauge (2001).

Liberia has ports in Monrovia, Buchan, Greenville, Harper. In 2002, the country's merchant fleet consisted of 1513 ships with a displacement of 1000 tons and more, incl. 1,425 foreign ships using the Liberian flag as "convenient", incl. from Germany - 437, from Greece - 154, from the USA - 113, from Norway - 103, from Japan - 90, from Russia - 66, from Monaco - 56. The total displacement of the fleet is 51,912.2 thousand tons.

There are 47 airfields in the country, two of them have a paved runway (2001).

There are 7 ultra-shortwave and 2 shortwave radio stations, a television station and 4 low-power repeaters (2001), 790 thousand radio receivers and 70 thousand TV sets are in use (1997), there are 6.7 thousand telephone lines (2000), 2 Internet providers (2001) and 500 Internet Users (2000).

Liberia operates approx. 10 banks. At the head of the banking system is the Central Bank of Liberia. Liberia's external debt is $3.5 billion (2003).

The state budget was (2000): revenues 85.4 million, expenditures 90.5 million US dollars.

Foreign trade is of the utmost importance to Liberia. Through its channels, in exchange for rubber, valuable wood, iron ore, diamonds, cocoa and coffee, the country receives machinery, equipment and vehicles, fuel, manufactured goods, food, especially rice.

Science and culture of Liberia

38.3% of adult Liberians can read and write, incl. 53.9% male and 22.4% female (1995 est.). Liberia has three higher educational institutions: State University Liberia, Anglican Cuttington University College and Catholic College of Our Lady of Fatima.

Geographic location and nature

State in West Africa. In the east it borders on Côte d'Ivoire (the length of the border is 716 km), in the north - on Guinea (563 km) and Sierra Leone (306 km). In the south and west, the country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. The total length of the border is 1,585 km , the length of the coastline - 579 km. The total area of ​​​​the country is 111,370 km 2 (land area - 96,320 km 2). The country is dominated by low plains. In the north is the Leono-Liberian Upland with the most high point countries - Mount Nimba (1752m). The main rivers are Mano, Loffa, St. Paul, St. John. From natural resources- iron ore, diamonds, gold, timber. About a quarter of the country's territory is covered with evergreen tropical forests with valuable species of wood.

Population

The population is 3 073 245 people (1995), the average population density is about 28 people per km 2. The main ethnic groups are Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Mano, about 5% of the population are Liberians, descendants of African slaves from the United States. The official language is English, local dialects are also common among the inhabitants. The majority of the population adheres to traditional pagan beliefs, 16% - Muslims, 14% - Christians. Birth rate - 43.08 newborns per 1,000 people (1995). Mortality - 12.05 deaths per 1,000 people (infant mortality rate - 110.6 deaths per 1,000 newborns). Average life expectancy: men - 55 years, women - 61 years (1995).

The climate of the country is subequatorial, hot and humid. Up to 5,000 mm of precipitation falls on the coast, 1,500 - 2,000 mm in the interior; the winter months are usually comparatively dry. Average temperatures throughout the country are not lower than 24°C.

Vegetable world

About 1/3 of the territory is occupied by tropical rainforests with valuable tree species: red and rosewood, hevea, wine and oil palms. In the savanna - a dense grass cover, umbrella acacias and baobabs.

Animal world

The fauna is widely represented by monkeys and snakes, there are buffaloes, antelopes, wild boars, leopards. Coastal waters are rich in fish.

State structure, political parties

Full name - Republic of Liberia. The state structure is a republic. The country consists of 13 counties. The capital is Monrovia. Liberia achieved its independence on July 26, 1847 (national holiday - Independence Day). The country has a dual system of legislation based on American common law and common law based on tribal laws. All executive and legislative power belongs to the Council of State, headed by its chairman. The largest political parties are the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO).

Economy, transport communications

Prior to the outbreak of the civil war in 1990, the country's economy was mainly associated with the production of rubber and wood processing (the main export items), and agriculture developed successfully due to favorable climatic conditions. As a result of interethnic conflict, many residents left the country, and with them there was an outflow of capital. GNP amounted to $ 2.3 billion in 1994 (GNP per capita - $ 770). The monetary unit is the Liberian dollar (1 Liberian Dollar (LS) is equal to 100 cents). Major trading partners: USA, Netherlands, other EU countries.

The total length of railways is 490 km, roads - 10,087 km. The main ports of the country: Buchanan, Greenville, Monrovia, Harper.

Opened in the 15th century Portuguese, the territory of modern Liberia soon became one of the centers of the slave trade. Returned in the 1920s 19th century In 1847, the freed slaves created the independent Republic of Liberia in Africa, the constitution of which was practically written off from the US constitution. A military coup in 1985 divided the country between supporters of the ruling regime and the rebels of the Patriotic National Front of Liberia, and led in 1990 to civil war in the country.

Participation in international organizations

AfDB, TKK, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, MAP, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, ITU, NAP, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO.