World Factbook
Liberia
Republic of Liberia
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Area
land
96,320 sq km
water
15,049 sq km
total
111,369 sq km
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
Land use
other
13.5% (2023 est.)
forest
66.5% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
20% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 5.2% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 2.1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 12.7% (2023 est.)
Location
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone
Coastline
579 km
Elevation
lowest point
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point
Mount Wuteve 1,447 m
mean elevation
243 m
Irrigated land
30 sq km (2012)
Map references
Africa
Land boundaries
total
1,667 km
border countries
Guinea 590 km; Cote d'Ivoire 778 km; Sierra Leone 299 km
Maritime claims
contiguous zone
24 nm
territorial sea
12 nm
continental shelf
200 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March)
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
Natural resources
iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower
Area - comparative
slightly larger than Virginia
Geographic coordinates
6 30 N, 9 30 W
Population distribution
more than half of the population lives in urban areas, with approximately one third living within an 80-km (50-mi) radius of Monrovia, as shown in this population distribution map