Total area: 1,759,540 km2
land area: 1,759,540 km2

Comparative area: slightly larger than Alaska

Land boundaries: 4,383 km total
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: 32o 30%19 N

Disputes: claims and occupies the 100,000 km2 Aozou Strip in northern Chad; maritime boundary dispute with Tunisia; Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in northern Niger; Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in southeastern Algeria

Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior

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

Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, gypsum

Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 8%; forest and woodland 0%; other 91%; includes irrigated NEGL%

Environment: hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; desertification; sparse natural surface-water resources

Note: 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

NOTE: The information regarding Libya on this page is re-published from the 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Libya Geography 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Libya Geography 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.