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Location:
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Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia
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Geographic coordinates:
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25 00 N, 17 00 E
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total: 1,759,540 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 1,759,540 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than Alaska
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Land boundaries:
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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:
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1,770 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 NM
note: Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees, 30 minutes north
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Climate:
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Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior
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Terrain:
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mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m
highest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, natural gas, gypsum
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Land use:
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arable land: 1.03%
permanent crops: 0.17%
other: 98.8% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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4,700 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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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:
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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:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
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Geography - note:
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more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert
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