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Geography and Environment of Liberia
Terrain, climate, natural resources, hazards, and environmental conditions of Liberia.
Speed
Overview
Liberia, the oldest independent republic in Africa, lies on the West African coast just 300 miles north of the Equator. It has a relatively long coastline of 350 miles. From the lagoons and mangrove swamps of the coastal plains, the land rises evenly along its length in belts parallel to the coast, from rolling hills, through a broader region of plateaus and low mountain ranges, into the foothills of the Guinea Highlands. Just beyond these 4,500-foot peaks originate the headwaters of the Niger. Half of the country is covered by tropical rain forest.
Detailed geography
Physical Features
- Terrain
- mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast
- Climate
- Liberia is so situated in the Tropics as to be directly in the path of the seasonal winds. From May through November, the prevailing monsoon winds drop most of the nearly 200 inches of rain received annually in the capital city of Monrovia. From December through April, the red, dust-laden harmattan winds originating over the Sahara Desert prevail. The transition periods between the seasons are punctuated by violent thunderstorms and sudden torrential downpours. Temperatures average 81°F; humidity averages 82%. There is little variation over the course of the year. Precautions must be taken against mildew and rust caused by the heat, constant humidity, and the corrosive salt air of the coast.
- Weather Patterns
- http://voap.weather.com/weather/oap/LIXX0002?template=TRVLH&par=1003114983&unit=0&key=5b85ae1d85877a1b34827fba743e2133
- Highest Point
- 1380 — Mount Wuteve 1,380 m
- Lowest Point
- Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Borders and Area
- Area (Comparative)
- slightly larger than Tennessee
- Border Countries
- Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km
Natural Resources and Hazards
- Natural Resources
- iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower
- Natural Hazards
- dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March)
Environment and Land Use
- Current Environmental Issues
- tropical rain forest deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage
- International Agreements
- party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation