Location Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia

Geographic coordinates 25 00 N, 17 00 E

Map references Africa

Area
total: 1,759,540 sq km
land: 1,759,540 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative slightly larger than Alaska

Land boundaries
total: 4,383 km
border countries: Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,150 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km

Coastline 1,770 km

Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
note: Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees 30 minutes north

Climate Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior

Terrain mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m
highest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m

Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, gypsum

Land use
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 8%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 91% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land 4,700 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms

Environment - current issues desertification; very limited natural fresh water resources; the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development scheme in the world, is being built to bring water from large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities

Environment - international agreements
party to: Desertification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea

NOTE: The information regarding Libya on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Libya Geography 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Libya Geography 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.