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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

Liberia Quickstats

  • Population: 3,195,931 (July 2007 est.)
  • Area: 111,370 sq km
  • Density: 29 /km² (174th)
  • GDP (total): $3.292 billion (158th)
  • GDP (per capita): $1,003 (169th)
  • Literacy: 57.5%

Languages of Liberia

Useful to know

  • Currency: Liberian dollar¹ (LRD)
  • Dial code: +231

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