Libya lies in Northern Africa, part of Africa. In formal use it is State of Libya. The capital is Tripoli.
Its territory runs to 1,759,540 km², which ranks it 18th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Sudan and just ahead of Iran. For scale, it is a little larger than Iran.
Some 7.4 million people call it home, placing it 106th of 250 by population — between Turkmenistan above it and Kyrgyzstan below. Within Northern Africa alone it is the 3rd largest of 7 and the 6th most populous.
Where Libya is and what surrounds it
Its reference point sits at 25.0° north and 17.0° east, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 2,783 km from the equator, in what geographers would call subtropical latitudes.
It is one of the countries that the Tropic of Cancer crosses. Countries on the same parallel, far away in longitude, include Mexico, Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates.
It borders 6 neighbours: Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Niger, Sudan and Tunisia. The largest of them by area is Algeria, while the most populous is Egypt. Together those neighbours hold about 273.4 million people.
It has both a coastline and land borders, which is the most common arrangement of all.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Population, density and language
Population divided by land area gives roughly 4.2 people per square kilometre, which makes it very thinly populated. The median across all 250 entries here is about 90 per square kilometre.
The demonym is Libyan, so residents are Libyans.
The one official language is Arabic. Arabic is one of the widely shared official languages here, listed by 24 other entries including Algeria, Bahrain, Chad and the Comoros.
Inside Africa it places 35th of 59 by population, and it accounts for 2.7% of everyone living in Northern Africa.
Money, internet and phone codes
The currency is the Libyan dinar (ل.د, LYD). That currency appears nowhere else on this list.
Tripoli is the city to remember for this country.
Its internet country code is .ly. To phone it from abroad you dial +218. In ISO terms it is ly in two letters and LBY in three.
As a sovereign state it is among the 193 UN members listed here. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Libya shares borders with 6 countries:
Fun facts about Libya
- Its capital city is Tripoli.
- The Tropic of Cancer runs across or very near it.
- Within Northern Africa it is the 3rd largest of 7.
- Arabic is official here and in 24 other entries worldwide.
- Mexico and Bangladesh sit at almost the same latitude, on the far side of the globe.
- Population density works out at roughly 4.2 people per square kilometre.
- People from Libya are known as Libyans.
Libya — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Libya?
- The capital of Libya is Tripoli.
- What currency does Libya use?
- Libya uses the Libyan dinar, written ل.د (currency code LYD). No other entry in this dataset uses it.
- What language is spoken in Libya?
- The official language of Libya is Arabic. It is also official in 24 other entries on this list.
- Which countries border Libya?
- Libya borders 6 countries: Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Niger, Sudan and Tunisia. Algeria is the largest of them by area.
- How big is Libya?
- Libya covers 1,759,540 km², ranking 18th of 250 by land area. That makes it a little larger than Iran.
- What is the population of Libya?
- Libya has a population of about 7.4 million, which makes it the 106th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Turkmenistan sits just above it and Kyrgyzstan just below.
- Where is Libya located?
- Libya is in Northern Africa, part of Africa. Its reference coordinates are 25.0° north and 17.0° east, roughly 2,783 km from the equator in subtropical latitudes.
- Is Libya a country?
- Yes. Libya is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
