(1988)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12% (1989)

Unemployment rate: 43% urban (1988)

Budget: revenues $242.1 million; expenditures $435.4 million, including
capital expenditures of $29.5 million (1989)

Exports: $550 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--iron ore 61%,
rubber 20%, timber 11%, coffee; partners--US, EC, Netherlands

Imports: $335 million (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--rice, mineral
fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, other foodstuffs;
partners--US, EC, Japan, China, Netherlands, ECOWAS

External debt: $1.7 billion (December 1989 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate 1.5% in
manufacturing (1987)

Electricity: 400,000 kW capacity; 730 million kWh produced,
290 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: rubber processing, food processing, construction
materials, furniture, palm oil processing, mining (iron ore, diamonds)

Agriculture: accounts for about 40% of GDP (including fishing and
forestry); principal products--rubber, timber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava,
palm oil, sugarcane, bananas, sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in food,
imports 25% of rice consumption

Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $634 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $793 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $25 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $77
million

Currency: Liberian dollar (plural--dollars);
1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1--1.00 (fixed rate since
1940); unofficial parallel exchange rate of L$2.5 = US$1, January 1989

Fiscal year: calendar year

- Communications
Railroads: 480 km total; 328 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 152 km
1.067-meter narrow gauge; all lines single track; rail systems owned and
operated by foreign steel and financial interests in conjunction with Liberian
Government

Highways: 10,087 km total; 603 km bituminous treated, 2,848 km
all weather, 4,313 km dry weather; there are also 2,323 km of private,
laterite-surfaced roads open to public use, owned by rubber and timber
companies

Ports: Monrovia, Buchanan, Greenville, Harper (or Cape Palmas)

Merchant marine: 1,379 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 48,655,666 DWT/
90,005,898 DWT; includes 11 passenger, 148 cargo, 26 refrigerated cargo, 18
roll-on/roll-off cargo, 42 vehicle carrier, 42 container, 4 barge
carrier, 436 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 100 chemical,
63 combination o