Liberia:
Geography

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Other pages in this profile of Liberia:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


Background	Definition Settlement of freed slaves from the US in what is today Liberia began in 1822; by 1847, the Americo-Liberians were able to establish a republic. William TUBMAN, president from 1944-71, did much to promote foreign investment and to bridge the economic, social, and political gaps between the descendents of the original settlers and the inhabitants of the interior. In 1980, a military coup led by Samuel DOE ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule. In December 1989, Charles TAYLOR launched a rebellion against DOE's regime that led to a prolonged civil war in which DOE himself was killed. A period of relative peace in 1997 allowed for elections that brought TAYLOR to power, but major fighting resumed in 2000. An August 2003 peace agreement ended the war and prompted the resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR, who faces war crimes charges in The Hague related to his involvement in Sierra Leone's civil war. After two years of rule by a transitional government, democratic elections in late 2005 brought President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF to power. The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) maintains a strong presence throughout the country, but the security situation is still fragile and the process of rebuilding the social and economic structure of this war-torn country will take many years.

Location	Definition Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone
Geographic coordinates	Definition 6 30 N, 9 30 W
Map references	Definition Africa
Area	Definition - World rank and map total: 111,370 sq km land: 96,320 sq km water: 15,050 sq km
Area - comparative	Definition slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries	Definition total: 1,585 km border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km
Coastline	Definition 579 km
Maritime claims	Definition territorial sea: 200 nm
Climate	Definition tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
Terrain	Definition mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast
Elevation extremes	Definition lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 m
Natural resources	Definition iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower
Land use	Definition - World rank and map arable land: 3.43% permanent crops: 1.98% other: 94.59% (2005)
Irrigated land	Definition 30 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	Definition 232 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	Definition total: 0.11 cu km/yr (27%/18%/55%) per capita: 34 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards	Definition dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March)
Environment - current issues	Definition tropical rain forest deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage
Environment - international agreements	Definition 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	Definition facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland grassy plateau supports limited agriculture

Liberia: Geography

Liberia:
Geography