Liberia vs. Cote d'Ivoire
Geography
| Liberia | Cote d'Ivoire | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia |
| Geographic coordinates | 6 30 N, 9 30 W | 8 00 N, 5 00 W |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 111,369 sq km land: 96,320 sq km water: 15,049 sq km | total: 322,463 sq km land: 318,003 sq km water: 4,460 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than Virginia | slightly larger than New Mexico |
| Land boundaries | total: 1,667 km border countries (3): Guinea 590 km, Cote d'Ivoire 778 km, Sierra Leone 299 km | total: 3,458 km border countries (5): Burkina Faso 545 km, Ghana 720 km, Guinea 816 km, Liberia 778 km, Mali 599 km |
| Coastline | 579 km | 515 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm |
| Climate | tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers | tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three seasons - warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet (June to October) |
| Terrain | mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast | mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,447 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 243 m | highest point: Monts Nimba 1,752 m lowest point: Gulf of Guinea 0 m mean elevation: 250 m |
| Natural resources | iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower | petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 28.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 5.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 2.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 20.8% (2018 est.) forest: 44.6% (2018 est.) other: 27.3% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 64.8% (2018 est.) arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 14.2% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 41.5% (2018 est.) forest: 32.7% (2018 est.) other: 2.5% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 30 sq km (2012) | 730 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March) | coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible |
| Environment - current issues | tropical rain forest deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; hunting of endangered species for bushmeat; pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage; pollution of rivers from industrial run-off; burning and dumping of household waste | deforestation (most of the country's forests - once the largest in West Africa - have been heavily logged); water pollution from sewage, and from industrial, mining, and agricultural effluents |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| 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 | most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated |
| Total renewable water resources | 232 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 84.14 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | more than half of the population lives in urban areas, with approximately one-third living within an 80-km radius of Monrovia as shown in this population distribution map | the population is primarily located in the forested south, with the highest concentration of people residing in and around the cities on the Atlantic coast; most of the northern savanna remains sparsely populated with higher concentrations located along transportation corridors as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
