Libya

I

Introduction

Libya, in full, Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriyah, nation of northern Africa, comprising the former Italian colonies of Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, and Fezzan. It is bordered to the north by the Mediterranean Sea, to the east by Egypt, to the south-east by Sudan, to the south by Chad and Niger, to the west by Algeria, and to the north-west by Tunisia. The area of Libya, one of the largest countries in Africa, is 1,759,540 sq km (679,362 sq mi). The capital city is Tripoli.

II

Land and Resources

About 95 per cent of Libya is made up of barren, rock-strewn plains and sand seas, with two small areas of hills rising to about 915 m (3,000 ft) in the north-west and north-east. In the south the land rises to the Tibesti along the Chad border.

A

Climate

Climatic conditions in Libya are characterized by extreme heat and aridity. Desert and sub-desert regions have hardly any precipitation. On the coast the annual rainfall total rarely exceeds 380 mm (15 in).

B

Natural Resources

The principal resource of Libya is petroleum. Natural gas, gypsum, limestone, marine salt, potash, and natron are also exploited.