sues Luxembourg

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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Libya

Introduction

Libya

Background: Since he took power in a 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar Abu
Minyar al-QADHAFI has espoused his own political system - a combination
of socialism and Islam - which he calls the Third International
Theory. Viewing himself as a revolutionary leader, he used oil funds
during the 1970s and 1980s to promote his ideology outside Libya,
even supporting subversives and terrorists abroad to hasten the end of
Marxism and capitalism. Libyan military adventures failed, e.g., the
prolonged foray of Libyan troops into the Aozou Strip in northern Chad
was finally repulsed in 1987. Libyan support for terrorism decreased
after UN sanctions were imposed in 1992. Those sanctions were suspended
in April 1999.

Geography Libya

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% permanent crops: 0% other: 99% (1998 est.)

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, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
Protect