,638 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 733,415
(2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 28,506
(2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $230.8 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.9% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Lithuania

Disputes - international: the Russian Duma has not ratified 1997
boundary treaty; the Latvian Parliament has not ratified its 1998
maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over
oil exploration rights

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs
from Southwest Asia, Latin America, and Western Europe to Western Europe
and Scandinavia; limited production of methamphetamine and ecstasy

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

========================================================================

Liberia

Introduction

Liberia

Background: Seven years of civil strife were brought to a close in
1996 when free and open presidential and legislative elections were
held. President TAYLOR now holds strong executive power with no real
political opposition. The years of fighting coupled with the flight of
most businesses have disrupted formal economic activity. A still unsettled
domestic security situation has slowed the process of rebuilding the
social and economic structure of this war-torn country. In 2001, the UN
imposed sanctions on Liberian diamonds along with an army embargo and
a travel ban on government officials for Liberia's support of the rebel
insurgency in Sierra Leone.

Geography Liberia

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 water: 15,050 sq km land: 96,320 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: i