iefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%

Languages: English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages,
of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 38.3% male: 53.9% female: 22.4% (1995 est.) note: these
figures are increasing because of the improving school system

Government Liberia

Country name: Republic of Liberia conventional short form: Government
type: republic

Capital: Monrovia

Administrative divisions: 15 counties; Bomi, Bong, Gparbolu, Grand
Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland,
Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, River Gee, Sinoe

Independence: 26 July 1847

National holiday: Independence Day, 26 July (1847)

Constitution: 6 January 1986

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Charles Ghankay TAYLOR
(since 2 August 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state
and head of government head of government: President Charles Ghankay
TAYLOR (since 2 August 1997); note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
and confirmed by the Senate elections: president elected by popular
vote for a six-year term (renewable); election last held 19 July 1997
(next to be held NA July 2003) election results: Charles Ghankay TAYLOR
elected president; percent of vote - Charles Ghankay TAYLOR (NPP) 75.3%,
Ellen Johnson SIRLEAF (UP) 9.6%, Alhaji KROMAH (ALCOP) 4%, other 11.1%

Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate
(26 seats; 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 19 July
1997 (next to be held NA 2006); House of Representatives - last held 19
July 1997 (next to be held NA 2003) election results: Senate - percent
of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPP 21, UP 3, ALCOP 2; House
of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
NPP 49, UP 7, ALCOP 3, Alliance of Political Parties 2, UPP 2, LPP 1;
note - the Alliance of Political Parties was a coalition of the LAP and
the Liberia Unificat