LIBERIA

Charles Taylor
President

(pronounced "CHAR-els TAY-lor")

"In spite of the glaring and incontrovertible evidence of the horrors being perpetrated against the people of Liberia, the most powerful nations on Earth, who by their outright condemnation would give the terrorists and their supporters reasons to pause, have chosen to remain silent."

The Republic of Liberia is located on the Atlantic coast of the African continent and is bordered to the northwest by Sierra Leone, to the north by Guinea, and to the east by Côte d'Ivoire. It occupies a total area of 111,370 sq km (43,000 sq mi).

As of July 2002, Liberia was home to an estimated 3,288,198 people, however owing to civil war and continuing rebel insurgency, some 200,000 refugees and 130,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are away from their homes. Over 95% of the population is ethnically indigenous African, drawn from more than two dozen groups; the remaining 5% are Americo-Liberians, descended from nineteenth-century settlers from the United States who founded a colony near what is now the capital of Monrovia. English is the official language and is spoken by approximately 20% of the population. The majority of Liberians profess traditional African beliefs while approximately 20% are Muslim and 10% are Christian.

The economy continues to sputter as the result of civil war and mismanagement. Statistics are unreliable, but per capita gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated to be US $1,100, with 80% of the population living in poverty and inflation of 8% in 2001.