how big is libya

Libya covers an area of approximately 1,759,540 square kilometers (about 679,361.9 square miles), making it the 16th largest country in the world and the fourth-largest in Africa. It is larger than the U.S. state of Alaska and about seven times the size of the United Kingdom. Most of Libya is desert, with about 90% of its land covered by the Sahara Desert. Its coast along the Mediterranean Sea is the longest of any African country bordering the Mediterranean. The capital city is Tripoli, located in the northwest near the coast, where most of the population resides due to the milder climate compared to the desert interior.