Guinea vs. Liberia
Geography
| Guinea | Liberia | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone |
| Geographic coordinates | 11 00 N, 10 00 W | 6 30 N, 9 30 W |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 245,857 sq km land: 245,717 sq km water: 140 sq km | total: 111,369 sq km land: 96,320 sq km water: 15,049 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Oregon; slightly larger than twice the size of Pennsylvania | slightly larger than Virginia |
| Land boundaries | total: 4,046 km border countries (6): Cote d'Ivoire 816 km, Guinea-Bissau 421 km, Liberia 590 km, Mali 1062 km, Senegal 363 km, Sierra Leone 794 km | total: 1,667 km border countries (3): Guinea 590 km, Cote d'Ivoire 778 km, Sierra Leone 299 km |
| Coastline | 320 km | 579 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm |
| Climate | generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds | tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers |
| Terrain | generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior | mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 472 m | highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,447 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 243 m |
| Natural resources | bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish, salt | iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 58.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 11.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 2.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 43.5% (2018 est.) forest: 26.5% (2018 est.) other: 15.4% (2018 est.) | 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.) |
| Irrigated land | 950 sq km (2012) | 30 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season | dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March) |
| Environment - current issues | deforestation; inadequate potable water; desertification; soil contamination and erosion; overfishing, overpopulation in forest region; poor mining practices lead to environmental damage; water pollution; improper waste disposal | 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 |
| 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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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 |
| Geography - note | the Niger and its important tributary the Milo River have their sources in the Guinean highlands | facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland grassy plateau supports limited agriculture |
| Total renewable water resources | 226 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 232 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | areas of highest density are in the west and south; interior is sparsely populated as shown in this population distribution map | 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 |
Source: CIA Factbook
