25 00 N, 17 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 1,759,540 sq km land: 1,759,540 sq km water: 0 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 exclusive fishing zone: 62 nm

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% (2005)

Irrigated land:

4,700 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

0.6 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 4.27 cu km/yr (14%/3%/83%) per capita: 730 cu m/yr (2000)

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; 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, 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:

more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert

People
Libya

Population:

6,173,579 note: includes 166,510 non-nationals (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 33.2% (male 1,046,400/female 1,002,148) 15-64 years: 62.6% (male 1,988,038/female 1,875,034) 65 years and over: 4.2% (male 128,386/female 133,573) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 23.6 years male: 23.7 years female: 23.5 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.216% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

25.62 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

3.46 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 21.94 deaths/1,000 live births male: 24.14 deaths/1,000 live births female: 19.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 77.07 years male: 74.81 years female: 79.44 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

3.15 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.3% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

10,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: