From information provided by the Federal Research Division, Library of Congress of the United States. Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. Land boundaries 4,345 kilometers long and coastline 1,770 kilometers long. Main contrast between narrow enclaves of fertile lowlands along Mediterranean coast and vast expanse of arid, rocky plains and sand seas to south.
Country has several saline lakes but no perennial watercourses.
Less than 5 percent of territory economically useful. In coastal lowlands, where 80 percent of population lives, climate Mediterranean, with warm summers and mild winters. Climate in desert interior characterized by very hot summers and extreme diurnal temperature ranges. Indigenous population was increasing at one of world's highest annual growth rates, estimated variously at between 3.4 percent and 4.5 percent. Italian and French also spoken, and small minorities speak Berber dialects.