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

Area - comparative slightly larger than Alaska

Land boundaries
total: 4,348 km
border countries: Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,115 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%
other: 99% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 4,700 sq km (1998 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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Geography - note more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert

NOTE: The information regarding Libya on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Libya Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Libya Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.