Long-form name: Republic of Liberia

Type: republic

Capital: Monrovia

Administrative divisions: 13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Jide, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, Rivercess, Sino

Independence: 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

National holiday: Independence Day, 26 July (1847)

Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet

Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives

Judicial branch: People's Supreme Court

Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--interim President Dr. Amos SAWYER (since 15 November 1990); interim Vice President Ronald DIGGS (since 15 November 1990); note--this is an interim government appointed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that will be replaced after elections are held under a West African-brokered peace plan; rival rebel factions led by Prince Y. JOHNSON and Charles TAYLOR are challenging the Sawyer government's legitimacy while observing a tenuous cease fire; the former president, Gen. Dr. Samuel Kanyon DOE, was ousted and killed on 9 September 1990 in a coup led by Prince Y. JOHNSON

Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL), Augustus CAINE, chairman; Liberian Action Party (LAP), Emmanuel KOROMAH, chairman; Unity Party (UP), Carlos SMITH, chairman; United People's Party (UPP), Gabriel Baccus MATTHEWS, chairman

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections: President--last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held NA); 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; Senate--last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(26 total) NDPL 21, LAP 3, UP 1, LUP 1; House of Representatives--last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(64 total) NDPL 51, LAP 8, UP 3, LUP 2

Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Eugenia A. WORDSWORTH-STEVENSON; Chancery at 5201 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20011; telephone (202) 723-0437 through 0440; there is a Liberian Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador Peter J. de VOS; Embassy at 111 United Nations Drive, Monrovia (mailing address is P. O. Box 98, Monrovia, or APO New York 09155); telephone [231] 222991 through 222994

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 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Liberia Government 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Liberia Government 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.