5.3%, 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 four-year
terms) and the House of Representatives (64 seats; members elected
by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate--last held 19 July 1997 (next to be held in NA
2001); House of Representatives--last held 19 July 1997 (next to be
held in NA 2001)
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 LUP

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
TAYLOR]

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA,
ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user),
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Rachel DIGGS
chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Donald
PETTERSON
embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, Mamba Point, Monrovia
mailing address: use embassy street address

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

Economy

Economy--overview: A civil war in 1989-97 has destroyed much of
Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around
Monrovia. Many businessmen have fled the country, taking capital and
expertise with them. Some returned during 1997. Many will not
return. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a
climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia had been a producer and
exporter of basic products, while local manufacturing, mainly
foreign owned, had been small in scope. The democratically elected
government, installed in August 1997, inherited massive
international debts and currently re