FACTS

Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia

Area (only Total) total: 1,759,540 sq km

Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior

Terrain: mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions

Population: 6,173,579

Main Language (only first): Arabic

Government type: Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in practice, an authoritarian state

Capital (Name): Tripoli

Capital (Time Difference): UTC+2

Independence: 24 December 1951 (from UN trusteeship)

National holiday: Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)