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.

@Libya:Geography

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
land: 1,759,540 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than Alaska

Land boundaries:
total: 4,383 km
border countries: 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
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%
permanent pastures: 8%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 91% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 4,700 sq km (1993 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: Climate Change, Desertification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

@Libya:People

Population: 5,115,450
note: includes 162,669 non-nationals (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 36% (male 938,476; female 899,139)
15-64 years: 60% (male 1,595,306; female 1,485,069)
65 years and over: 4% (male 97,770; female 99,690) (2000 est.)