Editing Geography of Liberia

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Use Liberian English|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox country geography
| name               = Liberia
| map                = Satellite_image_of_Liberia_in_January_2003.jpg
| continent          = [[Africa]]
| region             = [[West Africa]]
| coordinates        = {{Coord|6|30|N|9|30|W}}
| area ranking       = 102nd
| km area            = 111,369
| percent land       = 86.49
| km coastline       = 680
| exclusive economic zone = {{convert|249,734|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}
| borders            = {{convert|986|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| geographic center  =
| highest point      =  Wologizi Range <br/> {{convert|1,440|m|sp=us}}
| lowest point       = [[Atlantic Ocean]] <br/> {{convert|0|m|sp=us}}
| longest river      = [[Cavalla River]] <br/> {{convert|515|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| largest lake       = [[Lake Piso]] <br/> {{convert|103|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}
}}

[[Image:Topographic map of Liberia-en.svg|thumb|300px|Topographic map of Liberia|alt=]]
[[File:LocationLiberia.svg|thumb|Location of Liberia in western Africa]]
[[File:Koppen-Geiger Map LBR present.svg|thumb|Köppen climate classification map of Liberia|alt=]]

'''[[Liberia]]''' is a [[sub-Saharan Africa|sub-Saharan]] nation in [[West Africa]] located at 6 °N, 9 °W.

==Area and boundaries==
;Area
:*total: {{convert|43000|mi2|order=flip|sp=us|0}}<ref name=Atlas>{{cite book |title=Atlas of the World |last=Philip's |year=1994 |publisher=Reed International |isbn=0-540-05831-9 |page=100 }}</ref>
:**''country rank in the world:'' 102nd
:*land: {{convert|37190|mi2|order=flip|sp=us}}
:*water: {{convert|5810|mi2|order=flip|sp=us}}
;Area — comparative:
:* Australia comparative: approximately {{sfrac|3|5}} larger than [[Tasmania]]
:* Canada comparative: approximately twice the size of [[Nova Scotia]]
:* United Kingdom comparative: slightly more than {{sfrac|2|5}} larger than [[Scotland]]
:* United States comparative: slightly larger than [[Virginia]]
:* [[European Union|EU]] comparative: approximately the size of [[Bulgaria]]
;Land boundaries
:*total: {{convert|613|mi|order=flip|sp=us}}
:*border countries: [[Sierra Leone]] ({{convert|185|mi|order=flip|sp=us}}), [[Guinea]] ({{convert|367|mi|order=flip|sp=us}}), [[Ivory Coast]] ({{convert|483|mi|order=flip|sp=us}})
;Coastline:
:* [[Atlantic Ocean]] {{convert|360|mi|order=flip|sp=us}}

==Physical geography==
Liberia extends from between 4.21°N and 8.34°N to 7.27°W and 11.31°W. It is roughly rectangular measuring about {{convert|510|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} in length from northwest to southeast, with a width of about {{convert|275|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}. The coastline is about {{convert|680|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}, including river mouths and inlets up to one kilometre wide.<ref name=Hughes>{{cite book|author=Hughes, R.H. |title=A Directory of African Wetlands|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VLjafeXa3gMC&pg=PA385 |year=1992 |publisher=IUCN |isbn=978-2-88032-949-5 |pages=385–386}}</ref>

Drainage of the whole country is direct to the sea, with a series of short rivers flowing directly into the sea. These are, from west to east, the [[Mano River]] on the border with Sierra Leone, the [[Mafa River]], the [[Lofa River]], the [[Saint Paul River]], the [[Mesurado River]], the [[Farmington River]], the [[Saint John River (Liberia)|Saint John River]], the [[Timbo River (Liberia)|Timbo River]], the [[Cestos River]], the [[Sehnkwehn River]], the [[Sinoe River]], the [[Dugbe River]], the [[Dubo River]], the [[Grand Cess River]] and the [[Cavalla River]] on the border with Ivory Coast.<ref name=Atlas/>

In the west, the coast is low and sandy, but in the central and eastern parts of the country it is sandy and rocky and of moderate relief, frequently broken by the mouths of the rivers. The coastal plain varies in width, being narrow between [[Monrovia]] and [[Buchanan, Liberia|Buchanan]], but being much wider in the west and in the Cestos Valley in the centre, narrowing again in the eastern end of the country.<ref name=Atlas/>

Further inland the land rises, sometimes with [[escarpment]]s, to a plateau some {{convert|300|to|400|m|ft|-2|abbr=on}} above sea level. This is divided by the river valleys and there are hilly ridges between some of the river valleys. The land rises further in the north and northwest of the country, with mountains that exceed {{convert|1000|m|ft|-2|abbr=on}} in several places, the highest point in the country being in the [[Wologizi Range]] at {{convert|1440|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name=Hughes/>

=== Extreme points ===
This is a list of the extreme points of Liberia, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location.

* Northernmost point – unnamed location on the border with [[Guinea]] in the Sodia river immediately north of the town of Voinjama, [[Lofa County]].
* Easternmost point – unnamed headland at the [[confluence]] of the [[Cavalla River|Cavally river]] and the Hana river, [[River Gee County]].
* Southernmost point – Kablaké headland, [[Maryland County]].
* Westernmost point -  unnamed headland immediately west of the town of Sewulu at the mouth of the [[Mano River]], [[Grand Cape Mount County]].

==Borders and maritime claims==
The total length of Liberia's land [[border]]s is {{convert|986|mi|order=flip|sp=us}}: {{convert|190|mi|order=flip|sp=us}} with [[Sierra Leone]] on the northwest, {{convert|350|mi|order=flip|sp=us}} with [[Guinea]] to the north, and {{convert|445|mi|order=flip|sp=us}} with [[Ivory Coast]]. Liberia claims an [[Exclusive Economic Zone]] of {{convert|249,734|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} and {{convert|200|nmi|km mi|0|abbr=on|lk=in}}.

==Terrain==
Liberia has a mostly hilly terrain, it also has rolling plains along the coast to a rolling plateau and low mountains in the northeast.

===Elevation extremes===
The lowest point on Liberia is at sea level on the Atlantic Ocean. The highest point on Liberia is {{convert|1440|m|ft|0|disp=or}} above sea level at [[Mount Wuteve]].

==Natural resources==
Natural resources that are found in Liberia include [[iron ore]], [[timber]], [[diamonds]], [[gold]] and hydropower.

=== Mining ===
{{Excerpt|Mining industry of Liberia}}<br />
==Land use and agriculture==
''arable land:''
5.2%
<br/>''permanent crops:''
2.1%
<br/>''permanent pastures:''
20.8%
<br/>''forest:''
44.6%
<br/>''other:''
27.3% (2011)

===Irrigated land===
30 square kilometres of Liberia's land was irrigated as of 2012.

===Natural hazards===
The natural hazard that occurs in Liberia is a dust-laden [[harmattan]] wind that blows from the [[Sahara]] (December to March).

==Environmental issues==
{{Excerpt|Environmental issues in Liberia}}

=== Climate change ===
{{Excerpt|Climate change in Liberia}}<br />

== See also ==
* [[Administrative divisions of Liberia]]
* [[List of cities in Liberia]]
* [[List of rivers of Liberia]]
* [[List of Liberian national forests]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/liberia/]

{{CIA World Factbook}}{{Liberia topics}}
{{Geography of Africa}}
{{Africa topic|Climate of}}

[[Category:Geography of Liberia| ]]