| Area |
1,775,500 sq km (685,520 sq miles). |
| Population |
5,678,484 (2003). |
| Capital |
Tripoli (Tarabulus). - population 1,149,957 (2003). |
| Climate |
Summers are very hot and dry: winters are mild with cooler evenings. The desert has hot days and cold nights. |
| Language |
Arabic (which must be used for all official purposes), with some English or Italian. All road, shop and other signs are in Arabic. English is normally understood by people working in hotels, restaurants and shops. |
| Religion |
Sunni Muslim. |
| Time |
GMT + 2
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| Highlights |
Throughout history, Libya has been a crossroads of empires lying in the path of invading enemies from Europe and the Middle East. The Romans, Greeks, Byzantines, Arab-Islamic and other empires of the Sahara have all left their mark in the form of monuments and cultural influences on Libya over thousands of years.
Libya's major highlights including the five Unesco World Heritage sites are divided into two distinct categories: the extraordinary Greek and Roman cities along the Mediterranean coast in the north and the spectacular diversity of the Sahara. Leptis Magna and Sabratha on either side of Tripoli are some of the best-preserved Roman cities in the Mediterranean and further east lie the Greek ruins of Cyrene and Apollonia. Heading south into the Sahara the ancient Berber villages of Jebel Nafusa are well worth visiting en-route to Ghadames. Ghadames is arguably the finest old city in the Sahara famous for its trans-Saharan caravan trade. Further south the ancient town of Ghat has a mud brick medina and is gateway to the mountain range of Jebel Acacus where the desert scenery is spectacular and the rock art and ancient carvings are magnificent. More examples of amazing desert scenery can be found at the Ubari Lakes surrounded by the sand dunes of the Idehan Ubari (Ubari Sand Sea).
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| Country Facts |
Libya runs from the Mediterranean to the Sahara and is the fourth largest country in Africa. It is bordered by Egypt and Sudan to the east, Algeria and Tunisia to the west and Niger and Chad to the south. The Mediterranean coastline runs for 1,770 kms while 93% of Libya is covered by desert. Agriculture is developed in 1% of the land in the northwest of the country and there are no permanent rivers. The south of Libya has some small mountain ranges with the highest peak reaching 3,376 metres. |