Location: Northern Africa, on the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia

Map references: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area:
total area: 1,759,540 sq km
land area: 1,759,540 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Alaska

Land boundaries: total 4,383 km, 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
Gulf of Sidra closing line: 32 degrees 30 minutes north

International disputes: the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in February 1994 that the 100,000 sq km Aozou Strip between Chad and Libya belongs to Chad, and that Libya must withdraw from it by 31 May 1994; Libya had withdrawn its forces in response to the ICJ ruling, but as of June 1994 still maintained an airfield in the disputed area; maritime boundary dispute with Tunisia; claims part of northern Niger and part of southeastern Algeria

Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior

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

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, gypsum

Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 8%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 90%

Irrigated land: 2,420 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: desertification; sparse natural surface-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
natural hazards: hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall
international agreements: party to - 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 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Libya Geography 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Libya Geography 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.