Geography of Liberia
Location: | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone |
Geographic coordinates: | 6 30 N, 9 30 W |
Map references: | Africa |
Area: | total: 111,370 sq km land: 96,320 sq km water: 15,050 sq km |
Area - comparative: | slightly larger than Tennessee |
Land boundaries: | total: 1,585 km border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km |
Coastline: | 579 km |
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 200 nm |
Climate: | tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers |
Terrain: | mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast |
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 m |
Natural resources: | iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower |
Land use: | arable land: 3.43% permanent crops: 1.98% other: 94.59% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 30 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards: | dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March) |
Environment - current issues: | tropical rain forest deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage |
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation |
Geography - note: | facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland grassy plateau supports limited agriculture |