Capital: Monrovia
Administrative divisions: 13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa, 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 and head of government: Chairman of the Council of State David KPOMAKPOR (since March 1994); election last held on 15 October 1985 (next scheduled to be held September 1994); results - Gen. Dr. Samuel Kanyon DOE (NDPL) 50.9%, Jackson DOE (LAP) 26.4%, other 22.7%; note - President Doe was killed by rebel forces on 9 September 1990
cabinet: Cabinet; selected by the leaders of the major factions in the civil war
note: a transitional coalition government was formed as part of a July 1993 Cotonou Peace Treaty negotiated under UN auspices by the leaders of the major factions in the civil war; elections now scheduled for September 1994

Legislative branch: unicameral Transitional Legislative Assembly, the members of which are appointed by the leaders of the major factions in the civil war
note: the former bicameral legislature no longer exists and there is no assurance that it will ever be reconstituted

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL), Augustus CAINE, chairman; Liberian Action Party (LAP), Emmanuel KOROMAH, chairman; Unity Party (UP), Joseph KOFA, chairman; United People's Party (UPP), Gabriel Baccus MATTHEWS, chairman; National Patriotic Party (NPP), Charles TAYLOR, chairman; Liberian Peoples Party (LPP), Dusty WOLOKOLLIE, chairman
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Konah K. BLACKETT
chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: (202) 723-0437 through 0440
consulate(s) general: New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d' Affaires William P. TWADDELL
embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, Monrovia
mailing address: P. O. Box 100098, Mamba Point, Monrovia, or APO AE 09813
telephone: [231] 222991 through 222994
FAX: [231] 223710

Flag: 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

NOTE: The information regarding Liberia on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Liberia Government 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Liberia Government 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.