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: 1.03%
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 |
| Geography - note: | more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert
Source: CIA World Factbook
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