Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria
Geographic coordinates:
25 00 N, 17 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area: Area - comparative: Land boundaries: Coastline: Maritime claims: Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes: Natural resources: Land use: Irrigated land: Total renewable water resources: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements: Geography - note:
total: 1,759,540 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 17
land:
1,759,540 sq km
water:
0 sq km
slightly larger than Alaska
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
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
1,770 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea: 12 nm
note:
Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees, 30 minutes north
exclusive fishing zone:
62 nm
Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior
More Climate Details
mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions
lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point:
Bikku Bitti 2,267 m
petroleum, natural gas, gypsum
arable land: 0.99%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops:
0.19%
other:
98.82% (2011)
4,700 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
0.7 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
total: 4.33 cu km/yr (14%/3%/83%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita:
796.1 cu m/yr (2000)
hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms
desertification; limited natural freshwater resources; the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development scheme in the world, brings water from large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities
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
more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert