| Geography | Libya |
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Location:
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Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia |
Geographic coordinates:
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25 00 N, 17 00 E |
Map references:
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Africa |
Area:
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total: 1,759,540 sq km
land: 1,759,540 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than Alaska |
Land boundaries:
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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:
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1,770 km |
Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
note: Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees, 30 minutes north
exclusive fishing zone: 62 nm |
Climate:
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Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior |
Terrain:
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mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m
highest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m |
Natural resources:
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petroleum, natural gas, gypsum |
Land use:
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arable land: 1.03%
permanent crops: 0.19%
other: 98.78% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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4,700 sq km (2003) |
Total renewable water resources:
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0.6 cu km (1997) |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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Total: 4.27 cu km/yr (14%/3%/83%)
Per capita: 730 cu m/yr (2000) |
Natural hazards:
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hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms |
Environment - current issues:
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desertification; 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:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
Geography - note:
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more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert |
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