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Compare Liberia (2008) - Swaziland (2005)

Compare Liberia (2008) z Swaziland (2005)

 Liberia (2008)Swaziland (2005)
 LiberiaSwaziland
Administrative divisions 15 counties; Bomi, Bong, Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, River Gee, Sinoe 4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni
Age structure 0-14 years: 43.6% (male 698,382/female 695,409)


15-64 years: 53.6% (male 848,951/female 865,380)


65 years and over: 2.7% (male 42,745/female 45,064) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 40.6% (male 240,643/female 235,895)


15-64 years: 55.6% (male 327,661/female 325,400)


65 years and over: 3.8% (male 19,273/female 25,028) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep
Airports 53 (2007) 18 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
total: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 51


1,524 to 2,437 m: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 8


under 914 m: 38 (2007)
total: 17


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.)
Area total: 111,370 sq km


land: 96,320 sq km


water: 15,050 sq km
total: 17,363 sq km


land: 17,203 sq km


water: 160 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Tennessee slightly smaller than New Jersey
Background Settlement of freed slaves from the US in what is today Liberia began in 1822; by 1847, the Americo-Liberians were able to establish a republic. William TUBMAN, president from 1944-71, did much to promote foreign investment and to bridge the economic, social, and political gaps between the descendents of the original settlers and the inhabitants of the interior. In 1980, a military coup led by Samuel DOE ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule. In December 1989, Charles TAYLOR launched a rebellion against DOE's regime that led to a prolonged civil war in which DOE himself was killed. A period of relative peace in 1997 allowed for elections that brought TAYLOR to power, but major fighting resumed in 2000. An August 2003, peace agreement ended the war and prompted the resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR, who faces war crimes charges in The Hague related to his involvement in Sierra Leone's civil war. After two years of rule by a transitional government, democratic elections in late 2005 brought President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF to power. The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) maintains a strong presence throughout the country, but the security situation is still fragile and the process of rebuilding the social and economic structure of this war-torn country will take many years. Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured the monarchy (one of the oldest on the continent) to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS infection
Birth rate 43.75 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 27.72 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues: NA


expenditures: NA
revenues: $494.6 million


expenditures: $552.7 million, including capital expenditures of $147 million (2004 est.)
Capital name: Monrovia


geographic coordinates: 6 18 N, 10 48 W


time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Mbabane; note - Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital
Climate tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers varies from tropical to near temperate
Coastline 579 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 6 January 1986 a constitution was due to be adopted in November 2003 but was delayed and scheduled for early 2005
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Liberia


conventional short form: Liberia
conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland


conventional short form: Swaziland
Death rate 22.24 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 25.26 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external $3.2 billion (2005 est.) $320 million (2002 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Donald E. BOOTH


embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, P. O. Box 10-0098, Mamba Point, 1000 Monrovia, 10


mailing address: use embassy street address


telephone: [231] 7-705-4825 or 4826


FAX: [231] 7-701-0370
chief of mission: Ambassador Lewis LUCKE


embassy: Central Bank Building, Warner Street, Mbabane


mailing address: P. O. Box 199, Mbabane


telephone: [268] 404-6441 through 404-6445


FAX: [268] 404-5959
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Charles A. MINOR


chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011


telephone: [1] (202) 723-0437


FAX: [1] (202) 723-0436


consulate(s) general: New York
chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Madzandza KANYA


chancery: 1712 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009


telephone: [1] (202) 234-5002


FAX: [1] (202) 234-8254
Disputes - international although civil unrest continues to abate with the assistance of 18,000 UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) peacekeepers, as of January 2007, Liberian refugees still remain in Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and Ghana; Liberia, in turn, shelters refugees fleeing turmoil in Cote d'Ivoire; despite the presence of over 9,000 UN forces (UNOCI) in Cote d'Ivoire since 2004, ethnic conflict continues to spread into neighboring states who can no longer send their migrant workers to Ivorian cocoa plantations; UN sanctions ban Liberia from exporting diamonds and timber none
Economic aid - recipient $236.2 million (2005) $104 million (2001)
Economy - overview Civil war and government mismanagement destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around the capital, Monrovia. Many businesses fled the country, taking capital and expertise with them, but with the conclusion of fighting and the installation of a democratically-elected government in 2006, some have returned. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia had been a producer and exporter of basic products - primarily raw timber and rubber. Local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, had been small in scope. President JOHNSON SIRLEAF, a Harvard-trained banker and administrator, has taken steps to reduce corruption, build support from international donors, and encourage private investment. Embargos on timber and diamond exports have been lifted, opening new sources of revenue for the government. The reconstruction of infrastructure and the raising of incomes in this ravaged economy will largely depend on generous financial and technical assistance from donor countries and foreign investment in key sectors, such as infrastructure and power generation. In this small, landlocked economy, subsistence agriculture occupies more than 80% of the population. The manufacturing sector has diversified since the mid-1980s. Sugar and wood pulp remain important foreign exchange earners. Mining has declined in importance in recent years with only coal and quarry stone mines remaining active. Surrounded by South Africa, except for a short border with Mozambique, Swaziland is heavily dependent on South Africa from which it receives about nine-tenths of its imports and to which it sends nearly three-quarters of its exports. Customs duties from the Southern African Customs Union and worker remittances from South Africa substantially supplement domestically earned income. The government is trying to improve the atmosphere for foreign investment. Overgrazing, soil depletion, drought, and sometimes floods persist as problems for the future. More than one-fourth of the population needed emergency food aid in 2004 because of drought, and more than one-third of the adult population was infected by HIV/AIDS.
Electricity - consumption 296.9 million kWh (2005) 1.173 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 799 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2002)
Electricity - production 319.3 million kWh (2005) 402 million kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 m
lowest point: Great Usutu River 21 m


highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m
Environment - current issues tropical rain forest deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage limited supplies of potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups indigenous African 95% (including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, Dei, Bella, Mandingo, and Mende), 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) African 97%, European 3%
Exchange rates Liberian dollars per US dollar - NA (2007), 59.43 (2006), 53.098 (2005), 54.906 (2004), 59.379 (2003) emalangeni per US dollar - 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001), 6.9398 (2000)
Executive branch chief of state: President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF (since 16 January 2006); note - the President is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF (since 16 January 2006)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate


elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 November 2005 (next to be held in 2011)


election results: Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF elected president; percent of vote, second round - Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF 59.6%, George WEAH 40.4%
chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)


head of government: Prime Minister Absolom Themba DLAMINI (since 14 November 2003)


cabinet: Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and confirmed by the monarch


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch
Exports 23.31 bbl/day (2004) NA
Exports - commodities rubber, timber, iron, diamonds, cocoa, coffee soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit
Exports - partners Germany 40.1%, South Africa 12%, Poland 11.7%, US 8.5%, Spain 8.2% (2006) South Africa 59.7%, EU 8.8%, US 8.8%, Mozambique 6.2% (2004)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 April - 31 March
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 three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in yellow; centered in the red band is a large black and white shield covering two spears and a staff decorated with feather tassels, all placed horizontally
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 76.9%


industry: 5.4%


services: 17.7% (2002 est.)
agriculture: 16.1%


industry: 43.4%


services: 40.5% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $5,100 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 8.5% (2007 est.) 2.5% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 6 30 N, 9 30 W 26 30 S, 31 30 E
Geography - note facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland grassy plateau supports limited agriculture landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa
Highways - total: 3,107 km


paved: NA


unpaved: NA (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 1%


highest 10%: 50.2% (1995)
Illicit drugs transshipment point for Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine for the European and US markets; corruption, criminal activity, arms-dealing, and diamond trade provide significant potential for money laundering, but the lack of well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a major money-laundering center -
Imports 3,532 bbl/day (2004) NA
Imports - commodities fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods; foodstuffs motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners South Korea 43.2%, Singapore 15%, Japan 12.8%, China 8.2% (2006) South Africa 95.6%, EU 0.9%, Japan 0.9%, Singapore 0.3% (2004)
Independence 26 July 1847 6 September 1968 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 3.7% (FY95/96)
Industries rubber processing, palm oil processing, timber, diamonds mining (coal, raw asbestos), wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textile and apparel
Infant mortality rate total: 149.73 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 165.65 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 133.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 69.27 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 72.51 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 65.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 15% (2003 est.) 5.4% (2004 est.)
International organization participation ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land 30 sq km (2003) 690 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court High Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are appointed by the monarch
Labor force - 383,200 (2000)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 70%


industry: 8%


services: 22% (2000 est.)
NA
Land boundaries total: 1,585 km


border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km
total: 535 km


border countries: Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km
Land use arable land: 3.43%


permanent crops: 1.98%


other: 94.59% (2005)
arable land: 10.35%


permanent crops: 0.7%


other: 88.95% (2001)
Languages English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official)
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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts and Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (30 seats; note - number of seats changed in 11 October 2005 elections; 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 11 October 2005 (next to be held in 2011); House of Representatives - last held 11 October 2005 (next to be held in 2011)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - COTOL 7, NPP 4, CDC 3, LP 3, UP 3, APD 3, other 7; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CDC 15, LP 9, COTOL 8, UP 8, APD 5, NPP 4, other 15


note: junior senators - those who received the second most votes in each county in the 11 October 2005 election - will only serve a six-year first term because the Liberian constitution mandates staggered Senate elections to ensure continuity of government; all senators will be eligible for nine-year terms thereafter
bicameral Parliament or Libandla, an advisory body, consists of the Senate (30 seats - 10 appointed by the House of Assembly and 20 appointed by the monarch; members serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (65 seats - 10 appointed by the monarch and 55 elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms)


elections: House of Assembly - last held 18 October 2003 (next to be held October 2008)


election results: House of Assembly - balloting is done on a nonparty basis; candidates for election are nominated by the local council of each constituency and for each constituency the three candidates with the most votes in the first round of voting are narrowed to a single winner by a second round
Life expectancy at birth total population: 40.39 years


male: 38.93 years


female: 41.89 years (2007 est.)
total population: 33.22 years


male: 32.49 years


female: 33.98 years (2005 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 57.5%


male: 73.3%


female: 41.6% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 81.6%


male: 82.6%


female: 80.8% (2003 est.)
Location Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa
Map references Africa Africa
Maritime claims territorial sea: 200 nm none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total: 1,948 ships (1000 GRT or over) 71,387,243 GRT/109,450,945 DWT


by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 338, cargo 91, chemical tanker 211, combination ore/oil 9, container 614, liquefied gas 81, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 455, refrigerated cargo 91, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier 35


foreign-owned: 1,904 (Argentina 3, Australia 2, Belgium 1, Brazil 3, Canada 3, China 32, Croatia 5, Cyprus 5, Denmark 12, Estonia 1, France 5, Germany 728, Gibraltar 7, Greece 311, Hong Kong 21, India 2, Indonesia 1, Israel 9, Italy 31, Japan 111, South Korea 4, Kuwait 1, Latvia 15, Lebanon 2, Mexico 1, Monaco 8, Netherlands 28, Norway 42, Poland 14, Qatar 2, Russia 87, Saudi Arabia 24, Singapore 42, Slovenia 1, Sweden 11, Switzerland 11, Taiwan 82, Turkey 7, Ukraine 24, UAE 22, UK 74, US 103, Uruguay 3, Vietnam 3) (2007)
-
Military branches Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL): Army, Navy, Air Force Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF): Ground Force (includes Air Wing), Royal Swaziland Police Force (RSPF) (2005)
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $40.5 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.3% (2006 est.) 1.4% (2004)
National holiday Independence Day, 26 July (1847) Independence Day, 6 September (1968)
Nationality noun: Liberian(s)


adjective: Liberian
noun: Swazi(s)


adjective: Swazi
Natural hazards dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March) drought
Natural resources iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc
Net migration rate 26.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Political parties and leaders Alliance for Peace and Democracy or APD [Togba-na TIPOTEH]; Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia or COTOL [H. Varney SHERMAN]; Congress for Democratic Change or CDC [George WEAH]; Liberty Party or LP [Charles BRUMSKINE]; National Patriotic Party or NPP [Roland MASSAQUOI]; Unity Party or UP [Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF] political parties are banned by the government - the following are considered political associations; Imbokodvo National Movement or INM [leader NA]; Ngwane National Liberatory Congress or NNLC [Obed DLAMINI, president]; People's United Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU, president]
Political pressure groups and leaders Demobilized former military officers NA
Population 3,195,931 (July 2007 est.) 1,173,900


note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line 80% (2000 est.) 40% (1995)
Population growth rate 4.836% (2007 est.) 0.25% (2005 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 0, FM 10, shortwave 2 (2007) AM 3, FM 2 plus 4 repeaters, shortwave 3 (2004)
Railways total: 490 km


standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge


narrow gauge: 145 km 1.067-m gauge


note: sections of railway are inoperable because of damage suffered during the civil war (2008)
total: 301 km


narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)
Religions Christian 40%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 40% Zionist (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship) 40%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, Anglican, Bahai, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish and other 30%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.004 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.981 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.949 male(s)/female


total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female


total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age
Telephone system general assessment: the limited services available are found almost exclusively in the capital Monrovia; coverage extended to a number of other towns and rural areas by four mobile-cellular network operators


domestic: combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity only about 5 per 100 persons


international: country code - 231; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: a somewhat modern but not an advanced system


domestic: system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and low-capacity, microwave radio relay


international: country code - 268; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 6,900 (2002) 46,200 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 160,000 (2005) 88,000 (2003)
Television broadcast stations 4 (plus 4 repeaters) (2007) 5 plus 7 relay stations (2004)
Terrain mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
Total fertility rate 5.94 children born/woman (2007 est.) 3.7 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate 85% (2003 est.) 34% (2000 est.)
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