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- Government
-
- 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--President
- Gen. Dr. Samuel Kanyon DOE (since 12 April 1980);
- Vice President Harry F. MONIBA (since 6 January 1986).
-
- 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
- October 1991); results--Samuel Kanyon Doe (NDPL) 50.9%,
- Jackson Doe (LAP) 26.4%, others 22.7%;
-
- Senate--last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held
- 15 October 1991); 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 October 1991); 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, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL,
- IPU, IRC, ITU, Mano River Union, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
- WHO, 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 James K. BISHOP; 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.
-