| Location | Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia |
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| Geographic coordinates | 25 00 N, 17 00 E |
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| Zone | Africa |
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| Area | total: 1,759,540 sq km
land: 1,759,540 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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| 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 |
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| Coastline | 1,770 km |
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| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
note: Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees, 30 minutes north
exclusive fishing zone: 62 nm |
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| Climate | Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior |
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| Terrain | mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions |
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| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m
highest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m |
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| Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, gypsum |
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| Irrigated land | 1,770 km |
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| Natural hazards | hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms |
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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 |
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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 |
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| Geography - note | more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert |
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