Map of Liberia
Liberia is a country in Africa with its capital at Monrovia, home to about 5.73 million people across 111,369 km². The interactive map below plots 13 cities and towns, 2 rivers, 1 mountain summits and 4 ports recorded for Liberia in YearMaps.
- Population
- 5.73 million
- Area
- 111,369 km²
- Capital
- Monrovia
- Continent
- Africa
Interactive Map of Liberia
Centred on Monrovia at 6.3146° N, 10.7997° W. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Liberia
Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. It has a population of around 5.5 million and covers an area of 43,000 square miles (111,369 km2). The official language is English, though over 20 indigenous languages are spoken, reflecting the country's ethnic and cultural diversity. The capital and largest city is Monrovia.
Liberia began in the early 19th century as a project of the American Colonization Society (ACS), which fomented the emigration of Black Americans from the United States to Africa. Between 1822 and the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, more than 15,000 freed and free-born African Americans, along with 3,198 Afro-Caribbeans, relocated to Liberia. Gradually developing an Americo-Liberian identity, the settlers carried their culture and traditions with them while colonizing the indigenous population. Led by the Americo-Liberians, Liberia declared independence on July 26, 1847, which the U.S. did not recognize until February 5, 1862.
Liberia was the first African republic to gain independence, and is also Africa's oldest continuously independent country. Both Liberia and Ethiopia were spared from the Scramble for Africa, when most of the continent was colonized by European powers, though Ethiopia was occupied by Italy from 1936 to 1941. In the early 20th century Liberia saw a large investment in rubber production by Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. These investments led to large-scale changes in Liberia's economy, work force, and climate. During World War II, Liberia supported the U.S. war effort against Nazi Germany and in turn received considerable American investment in infrastructure, which aided the country's wealth and development. President William Tubman encouraged economic and political changes that heightened the country's prosperity and international profile; Liberia was a founding member of the League of Nations, United Nations, and the Organisation of African Unity.
In 1980, political tensions from the rule of William Tolbert resulted in a military coup, marking the end of Americo-Liberian rule and the seizure of power by Liberia's first indigenous leader, Samuel Doe. Establishing a dictatorial regime, Doe was assassinated in 1990 during the First Liberian Civil War, which ran from 1989 until 1997 with the election of rebel leader Charles Taylor as president.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Liberia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Liberia
With 28 ethnic groups and languages, Liberia is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world. For hundreds of years, the Mali and Songhai Empires claimed most of Liberia. Beginning in the 15th century, European traders began establishing outposts along the Liberian coast. Unlike its neighbors, however, Liberia did not fall under European colonial rule. In the early 19th century, the US began sending freed enslaved people and other people of color to Liberia to establish settlements. In 1847, these settlers declared independence from the US, writing their own constitution and establishing Africa’s first republic. Early in Liberia’s history, tensions arose between the Americo-Liberian settlers and the indigenous population. In 1980, Samuel DOE, who was from the indigenous population, led a military coup and ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule. In 1989, Charles TAYLOR launched a rebellion that led to a prolonged civil war in which DOE was killed. A period of relative peace in 1997 permitted an election that brought TAYLOR to power. In 2000, fighting resumed. A 2003 peace agreement ended the war and prompted TAYLOR’s resignation. He was later convicted by the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague for his involvement in Sierra Leone's civil war. In 2005, Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF became president after two years of transitional governments; she was the first female head of state in Africa. In 2011, JOHNSON SIRLEAF won reelection but struggled to rebuild Liberia's economy -- particularly after the 2014-15 Ebola epidemic -- and to reconcile a nation still recovering from 14 years of fighting. In 2017, former soccer star George WEAH won the presidential runoff election, marking the first successful transfer of power from one democratically elected government to another since the end of Liberia’s civil wars. Like his predecessor, WEAH struggled to improve the country’s economy. In 2023, former Vice President Joseph BOAKAI was elected president, edging out WEAH by a thin margin, the first time since 1927 that an incumbent was not re-elected after one term.
- Location
- Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone.
- 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.
- Highest point
- Mount Wuteve 1,447 m.
- Lowest point
- Atlantic Ocean 0 m.
- Coastline
- 579 km.
- Land borders
- Total: 1,667 km; border countries: Guinea 590 km; Cote d'Ivoire 778 km; Sierra Leone 299 km.
- Natural resources
- Iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 20% (2023 est.); arable land: 5.2% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 2.1% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 12.7% (2023 est.); forest: 66.5% (2023 est.); other: 13.5% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March)
- Geographic note
- Facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland grassy plateau supports limited agriculture.
- Languages
- English 20% (official) and 27 indigenous languages, including Liberian English variants.
- Religions
- Christian 84.9%, Muslim 12%, Traditional 0.5%, other 0.1%, none 2.6% (2022 est.)
- Ethnic groups
- Kpelle 20.2%, Bassa 13.6%, Grebo 9.9%, Gio 7.9%, Mano 7.2%, Kru 5.5%, Lorma 4.8%, Krahn 4.5%, Kissi, 4.3%, Mandingo 4.2%, Vai 3.8%, Gola 3.8%, Gbandi 2.9%, Mende 1.7%, Sapo 1%, Belle 0.7%, Dey 0.3%, other Liberian ethnic group 0.4%, other African 3%, non-African 0.2% (2022 est.)
- Economy
- Low-income West African economy; food scarcity, especially in rural areas; high poverty and inflation; bad recession prior to COVID-19 due to Ebola crisis; growing government debt; longest continuously operated rubber plantation; large informal economy.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Liberia in Numbers
- Population
- 5.73 million
- GDP
- US$5.2 billion
- GDP per person
- US$915
- Life expectancy
- 62.3 years
- Population growth
- 2.09% a year
- Population density
- 58 per km²
- Urban population
- 56.1%
- Surface area
- 111,370 km²
- Forest cover
- 66.1%
- Arable land
- 5.2%
- Access to electricity
- 34.9%
- Internet users
- 32.2%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Liberia in Depth
History
The presence of Oldowan artifacts in West Africa was confirmed by Michael Omolewa, attesting to the presence of ancient humans.
Undated Acheulean (Early Stone Age) artifacts are well documented across West Africa. The emerging chronometric record of the Middle Stone Age (MSA) indicates that core and flake technologies have been present in West Africa since at least the Chibanian (~780–126 thousand years ago or ka) in northern, open Sahelian zones, and that they persisted until the Terminal Pleistocene/Holocene boundary (~12 ka) in both northern and southern zones of West Africa. This makes them the youngest examples of such MSA technology anywhere in Africa. The presence of MSA populations in forests remains an open question.
Geography
Liberia is situated in West Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean to the country's southwest. It lies between latitudes 4° and 9°N, and longitudes 7° and 12°W.
The landscape is characterized by mostly flat to rolling coastal plains that contain mangroves and swamps, which rise to a rolling plateau and low mountains in the northeast.
Tropical rainforests cover the hills, while elephant grass and semi-deciduous forests make up the dominant vegetation in the northern sections.
Liberia's watershed tends to move in a southwestern pattern toward the sea as new rains move down the forested plateau off the inland mountain range of Guinée Forestière, in Guinea. Cape Mount, near the border with Sierra Leone, receives the most precipitation in the nation.
Economy
The Central Bank of Liberia is responsible for printing and maintaining the Liberian dollar, Liberia's primary currency (the United States dollar is also legal tender in Liberia). Liberia is one of the world's poorest countries, with a formal employment rate of 15%. GDP per capita peaked in 1980 at US$496, (~$1,938 in 2025) when it was comparable to Egypt's (at the time). In 2011, the country's nominal GDP was US$1.154 billion, while nominal GDP per capita stood at US$297, the third-lowest in the world. Historically the Liberian economy has depended heavily on foreign aid, foreign direct investment and exports of natural resources such as iron ore, rubber, and timber.
Demographics
As of the 2017 national census, Liberia was home to 4,694,608 people. Of those, 1,118,241 lived in Montserrado County, the most populous county in the country and location of the capital Monrovia. The Greater Monrovia District has 970,824 residents. Nimba County is the next most populous county, with 462,026 residents. As revealed in the 2008 census, Monrovia is a primate city, being over four times more populous than all county capitals combined.
Prior to the 2008 census, the last census had been taken in 1984 and listed the country's population as 2,101,628.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Liberia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Liberia: Key Facts
| Currency | Liberian dollar |
|---|---|
| Official language | English |
| Head of state | Joseph Boakai |
| Head of government | Joseph Boakai |
| Form of government | presidential system, constitutional republic |
| Calling code | +231 |
| Internet domain | .lr |
| Highest point | Mount Wuteve |
| Lowest point | Atlantic Ocean |
| Established | 7 January 1822 |
Facts from Wikidata Q1014 (CC0).
History of Liberia: Empires and States
The atlas records 2 polities whose mapped territory included part of Liberia, from United States of America in 1822 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| United States of America | 1822–1847 CE | Nearly all |
| Republic of Liberia | 1848–2024 CE | Nearly all |
Historical Maps of Liberia
Liberia on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Liberia
Liberia, in West Africa, is a wonderful place to immerse yourself in the local culture. Liberia has a thriving music scene, known as hip co, which blends hip hop with colloquial Liberian English. Artists like Takun J, Santos, Mr. Smith, Soul Smiter, and Nasseman are popular. In the dry season, especially, concerts are regularly held at venues across the country.
Established and formed by the American Colonization Society (ACS) — an organisation which supported the migration of emancipated slaves to Africa from the United States — in the 19th century, Liberia was the first country to proclaim its independence during the Scramble for Africa.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Liberia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Liberia
13 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monrovia | 1.04 million | Montserrado | National capital |
| 2 | Buchanan | 48,315 | Grand Bassa | Admin-1 capital |
| 3 | Gbarnga | 45,835 | Bong | Admin-1 capital |
| 4 | Kakata | 33,945 | Margibi | Admin-1 capital |
| 5 | Harper | 32,661 | Maryland | Admin-1 capital |
| 6 | Voinjama | 26,594 | Lofa | Admin-1 capital |
| 7 | Zwedru | 25,678 | GrandGedeh | Admin-1 capital |
| 8 | Robertsport | 11,969 | Grand Cape Mount | Admin-1 capital |
| 9 | Sanniquellie | 11,415 | Nimba | Admin-1 capital |
| 10 | Greenville | 10,374 | Sinoe | Admin-1 capital |
| 11 | Bensonville | 4,089 | Montserrado | Admin-1 capital |
| 12 | Barclayville | 2,733 | GrandKru | Admin-1 capital |
| 13 | Rivercess | 2,578 | River Cess | Admin-1 capital |
Highest Mountains in Liberia
1 mountain recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Wuteve | 1,380 m | 4,528 ft | Africa |
Mount Wuteve
Mountain · 1,380 m
Mount Wuteve is a mountain rising to 1,380 metres (4,528 ft) in Liberia, in the Africa region. From PeakBagger.com, with kind permission..
Mount Wuteve, also known as Mount Wologizi, is a mountain located in Liberia, whose summit is the highest point in Liberia.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Mount Wuteve (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Elevation
- 1,380 m (4,528 ft)
- Global rank
- #512 of 641 indexed
- Region
- Africa (#75)
- Country
- Liberia
- Coordinates
- 8.1401°, -9.8601°
Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Mount Wuteve ranks #512 by elevation, below Montagne Pelée (1,397 m) and above Aniakchak Pk (1,356 m).
- Ranges:
- Guinea Highlands (Africa), Loma Mountains (Africa)
- Neighbouring summits:
- Mount Richard-Molard (1,752 m), Loma Mansa (1,945 m), Téna Kourou (747 m)
More about Mount Wuteve
Geography
The mountain is located in the Guinea Highlands range. Data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission revealed that the summit is higher in elevation than the previously quoted 1,380 meters. As of 2024, the elevation is understood to be 1,447 meters. The Wuteve or Wologizi ridge, including several other associated peaks, extends for 22 km with spurs of up to 5 km on each side. The slopes are steep, forming cliffs up to 100 m high in places.
The lower slopes are covered with open forest characterised by Lophira, Pycnanthus, Tarrietia, Albizia, Samanea and Cryptosepalum tree species. With increasing elevation, forest height decreases and the understorey denser. Above 1,000 m the dominant trees—Parinari and Ouratea species—are stunted.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Mount Wuteve (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Mount Wuteve: Key Facts
| Mountain range | Guinea Highlands |
|---|
Facts from Wikidata Q1950836 (CC0).
Rivers in Liberia
2 rivers recorded. Listed alphabetically. A river is listed where its mapped reach lies, so long rivers appear under more than one country.
| Name | Type | Also Flows Through |
|---|---|---|
| Cess | River | Côte d'Ivoire |
| St. Paul | River | Guinea |
Ports in Liberia
4 ports recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monrovia | 42.1 m | Small | Atlantic Coast of Africa | large vessels |
| 2 | Greenville | 38.4 m | Very Small | Atlantic Coast of Africa | medium vessels |
| 3 | Buchanan | 31.1 m | Very Small | Atlantic Coast of Africa | large vessels |
| 4 | Cape Palmas | 5.5 m | Very Small | Atlantic Coast of Africa | medium vessels |
Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Liberia
3 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.
| # | Name | Area | Type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Africa | 29.41M km² | Continent | Africa |
| 2 | Guinea Highlands | 80,421 km² | Range/mtn | Africa |
| 3 | Grain Coast | 14,989 km² | Coast | Africa |
Guinea Highlands
Range/mtn · 80,421 km²
Guinea Highlands is a range/mtn in Africa, covering an estimated 80,421 km². It extends across Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia.
The Guinea Highlands is a densely forested mountainous plateau extending from central Guinea through northern Sierra Leone and Liberia to western Ivory Coast. The highlands include a number of mountains, ranges and plateaus, including the Fouta Djallon highlands in central Guinea, the Loma Mountains in Sierra Leone, the Simandou and Kourandou massifs in southeastern Guinea, the Nimba Range at the border of Guinea, Liberia, and Ivory Coast, and the Monts du Toura in western Ivory Coast.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Guinea Highlands (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Feature class
- Range/mtn
- Mapped extent
- 80,421 km²
- Size rank
- #51 of 216 mountain ranges
- Region
- Africa
- Countries
- Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia
- Coordinates
- 8.4067°, -8.7723°
- Summits:
- Mount Wuteve (1,380 m)
- Adjacent ranges:
- Loma Mountains (Africa), Anti Atlas (Africa)
More about Guinea Highlands
Geography
In Guinea they are known as Dorsale Guinéenne. The highest peak in the region is Mount Bintumani in Sierra Leone, at 1,945 metres (6,381 ft). Other peaks include Sankan Biriwa (1,850 metres (6,070 ft)) in Sierra Leone and Mount Richard-Molard (Mount Nimba) (1,752 metres (5,748 ft)) on the border of Guinea and Ivory Coast. The highlands mostly lie between 300 and 500 metres (980 and 1,640 ft) above sea level.
The Guinea Highlands are the source of many of West Africa's rivers, including the Niger River, West Africa's longest river, the Senegal and Gambia rivers, and the rivers of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Maritime Guinea, and western Ivory Coast.
Ecology
The Guinea Highlands form the transition between the Western Guinean lowland forests, moist tropical rainforests that lie to the south between the Guinea Highlands and the Atlantic Ocean, and the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic to the north.
The Guinean montane forests ecoregion covers the portion of the highlands above 600 meters elevation. It includes montane forests, grasslands, and savannas, with a distinct flora and fauna from the surrounding lowlands.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Guinea Highlands (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Grain Coast
Coast · 14,989 km²
Grain Coast is a coast in Africa, covering an estimated 14,989 km².
The Pepper Coast or Grain Coast was a coastal area of western Africa, between Cape Mesurado and Cape Palmas. It encloses the present republic of Liberia. The name was given by European traders.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Pepper Coast (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Feature class
- Coast
- Mapped extent
- 14,989 km²
- Size rank
- #110 of 231 landforms
- Region
- Africa
- Coordinates
- 7.3173°, -12.4895°
- Summits:
- Loma Mansa (1,945 m), Mount Wuteve (1,380 m), Mount Richard-Molard (1,752 m)
- Ranges:
- Loma Mountains (Africa), Guinea Highlands (Africa)
Countries Bordering Liberia
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in Africa
Liberia: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Liberia?
- The capital of Liberia is Monrovia.
- What is the population of Liberia?
- Liberia has a population of about 5.73 million, the #117 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Liberia?
- Liberia covers 111,369 km², ranking #105 by area, with about 51 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Liberia in?
- Liberia is in Africa.
- Which countries border Liberia?
- Liberia shares a land or maritime border with Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone.
- What is the largest city in Liberia?
- Monrovia is the largest city in Liberia, with a metropolitan population of about 1.04 million.
- What is the highest mountain in Liberia?
- The highest summit recorded for Liberia in YearMaps is Mount Wuteve at 1,380 m (4,528 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.