Libya is a very large country, one of the largest in Africa, at 1,757,000 sq km (678,400 sq mi) and the majority of it is desert merging with the Sahara to the south. Most of the arable land is along the coast in a strip. In the interior there are a few oasis towns.

There are three mountainous regions: the low Jebel Nefusa range in the north west, the Jebel Akhdar (the Green Mountains) in the north east behind Benghazi, and the Tibesti Mountains, the highest of the three on the southern border with Chad.

The climate differs region by region. The desert is hot and arid while the coast enjoys a Mediterranean climate: dry and hot in summer, and rainy and warm in winter.

Arabic is the official language, although Berber is sometimes spoken, and English and Italian are used in trade. Arabic must be used for all official purposes.