1. Liberian Economic Project
Led by Sean Jakiel

2. What is Liberia?
Liberia is a Country on the gold coast of Africa neighboring the Atlantic Ocean
Liberia was established by freed slaves from the United States in with the help of a federal grant of 1 million dollars(1822)
Despite Liberia being founded by freed United states slaves, 90% of the people in the country of Liberia consist of many different tribal backgrounds
Official Language: English
Religious background: Christianity(40%) Indigenous (40%) Islamic(20%)

3. Liberia’s Geography
Liberia boarders the Atlantic Ocean, which gives Liberia good access to trade in the international market
Liberia is mostly flat, has a large amount of tropical rainforest
The only mountains in the north eastern part of Liberia, The highest mountain has an elevation of 1320 meters

4. Liberia’s Recent History
In 1986 until 2003 Liberia has suffered from two civil wars
The cause of the war was general hatred for the current president Samuel Doe who had oppressed many people in the country
The War Caused massive capital flight (MNCs and Investors left the country)
The War only ended when Charles Taylor (The leader of the NPFL) resigned from power due to external pressure from the United Nations
Still to this day there are 6000 UN Guards who are stationed in Liberia to keep the peace

5. Liberia’s Economy at a glance
GDP:1.627 Billion US Dollars GDP per capita: 500 US dollars GDP Growth Rate: 5% Unemployment Rate:85% Population below poverty line:80% Lowest 10% control 2.4% of wealth in Liberia Highest 10% Control 30.1% of wealth in Liberia
Liberia’s Currency-Liberian Dollars

6. Liberia’s Industries
Liberia has large deposit of Irons and diamonds in the country side
Liberia’s industries consist 70% of agriculture, 22% industry and 8% of services
Before the War Liberia’s steel industry was one of the biggest in the world until civil war broke out in 1986
Liberia currently trades diamonds ,agricultural products, iron, forest products, and rubber in the world market.

7. Liberia’s Health Factors
The JFK hospital in Monrovia
Liberia’s Health Factors
35% of all hospitals had been reformed by the new government
Infant Mortality rate:138.24/1000 Live Births
Suffers from malaria and yellow fever
Clean Water supplies have increased in the past year
Liberia has received food security from the United Nations
Only 25% of the nation has proper sanitation facilities in the entire country
35,000 people live with AIDS in Liberia

8. Liberia’s Population Factors
Population Growth Rate:2.665%
Age Structure
0-14 Years: 44.1%
15-64 Years:53%
65 and over:2.8%
Dependency Ratio: .885
Life Expectancy: years
Picture of Down Town Monrovia(Capital)
Ethic make up of Liberia
95% indigenous Descent
5% African American Descent
5%Other

9. Liberia’s Educational Factors
Literacy Rate: 57.5%
Male Literacy Rate: 73.3%
Female Literacy Rate: 41.6%
11% of Government funding goes to educational purposes
Lot of schools were put out of use in the past civil wars of
83% of all students are enrolled in primary schools (only 20% are enrolled in secondary school)
Years of Expected Education
Males-11 years
Females-8 years

10. Liberia’s Legal System
Liberia’s President: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Liberia’s Legal System
Liberia is a democracy
Elections take place every 6 years (next Election will be in 2011)
There is a supreme court
Liberia is broken up into 15 different counties
Some of the legal system consists of traditional tribal laws
Liberia is making efforts as to broaden the tax base as to increase government revenue

11. Liberia’s infrastructure
Miles of Roads: 10,600 km
Paved: 657km
Not Paved: 9,943 km
Miles of Telephone Wires:2000
Miles of Standard Gauge Rails: 345km (Most of the railroad tracks are damaged do the civil wars )
Miles of Non-Standard Gauge Rails: 84km
Airports: 33 (only 2 are paved)
Has two ports (Monrovia and Buchanan)

12. Why Liberia Has Failed to Develop Economically
Liberia has been in a state of turmoil until 2003 with the end of the second civil war
1,000,000 people were displaced from the war and many businesses left the country due the political instability
The Government until the UN established Peace has been very corrupt in how they spent their taxpayer dolars
The War caused over 250,000 dead

13. The Liberian Economic Project Proposal
Liberia before the war was one of the worlds biggest producers of Iron, However the Civil Wars have damaged the domestic infrastructure
The Economic proposal is for rebuilding Liberia’s rail ways (429 Km) to be useable for freighting goods
A better rail road system in Liberia will help mining facilities along with other Liberian industries such as forestry ,transport goods to be exported on the global market
This in return should help spur economic growth in Liberia

14. Cost Projection
Estimated Cost per a mile of rail is $288,000 US dollars per a mile of rail
267 miles of rail are planned to be either renovated or installed
Estimated Cost 76,800,000 US dollars
Loan Request 75 million US dollars
Government of Liberia will fund the additional costs of the project
Payment terms: Liberia wants a loan which is nearly interest free such as the IMF has done for other past loans we have borrowed and are paying off
Overall we have paid off most off our past loans in this method and our people will greatly appreciate the helping hand of the IMF again if we get the loan we are seeking

15. Thank you, for your time
Please, consider our proposition for approval. Any sum of money would go a long way to help restore our economy.