fficial), 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

@Liberia:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Liberia
conventional short form: Liberia

Data code: LI

Government type: republic

Capital: Monrovia

Administrative divisions: 13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa, Grand
Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland,
Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, 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 in NA
2006); House of Representatives - last held 19 July 1997 (next to be
held in 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 Unification Party
or LUP

Judicial br