Libya Geography:
Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia
Geographic coordinates:
25 00 N, 17 00 E
Map references:
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: 4,348 km
border countries: Algeria 982 km, Chad 1055 km, Egypt 1155 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: 1.03%
permanent crops: 0.19%
other: 98.78%
(2001)
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, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea (not ratified)
Geography - Note:
More than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert |
