ng,
mainly foreign owned, had been small in scope. Political instability
threatens prospects for economic reconstruction and repatriation of
some 750,000 Liberian refugees who fled to neighboring countries.

_#_GDP: $988 million, per capita $400; real growth rate 1.5% (1988)

_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12% (1989)

_#_Unemployment rate: 43% urban (1988)

_#_Budget: revenues $242.1 million; expenditures $435.4 million,
including capital expenditures of $29.5 million (1989)

_#_Exports: $505 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);

commodities--iron ore 61%, rubber 20%, timber 11%, coffee;

partners--US, EC, Netherlands

_#_Imports: $394 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.);

commodities--rice, mineral fuels, chemicals, machinery,
transportation equipment, other foodstuffs;

partners--US, EC, Japan, China, Netherlands, ECOWAS

_#_External debt: $1.6 billion (December 1990 est.)

_#_Industrial production: growth rate 1.5% in manufacturing (1987);
accounts for 22% of GDP

_#_Electricity: 400,000 kW capacity; 730 million kWh produced,
290 kWh per capita (1989)

_#_Industries: rubber processing, food processing, construction
materials, furniture, palm oil processing, mining (iron ore, diamonds)

_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 40% of GDP (including fishing and
forestry); principal products--rubber, timber, coffee, cocoa, rice,
cassava, palm oil, sugarcane, bananas, sheep, and goats; not
self-sufficient in food, imports 25% of rice consumption

_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $665
million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-88), $853 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $25 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $77 million

_#_Currency: Liberian dollar (plural--dollars);
1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents

_#_Exchange rates: Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1--1.00 (fixed rate
since 1940); unofficial parallel exchange rate of L$2.5 = US$1, January
1989

_#_Fiscal year: calendar year

_*_Communications
_#_Railroads: 480 km total; 328 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 152 km
1.067-meter narrow gauge; all lines single track; rail systems owned and
operated by foreign steel and financial interests in conjunction with
Liberian Government

_#_Highways: 10,087 km total; 603 km bituminous treated, 2,848 km
all weather, 4,313 km dry weather; there are also 2,323 km of private,
laterite-surfaced roads open to public use, owned