Libyan Desert

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Libyan Desert

desert, North Africa

Also known as: Al-ṣaḥrāʾ Al-Lībīyah

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Arabic:: Al-Ṣaḥrāʾ al-Lībīyah

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Libyan Desert, northeastern portion of the Sahara, extending from eastern Libya through southwestern Egypt into the extreme northwest of Sudan. The desert’s bare rocky plateaus and stony or sandy plains are harsh, arid, and inhospitable. The highest point is Mount Al-ʿUwaynāt (6,345 feet [1,934 metres]), located where the three countries meet. The Qattara Depression (Munkhafaḍ al-Qaṭṭārah) of Egypt descends to 436 feet (133 metres) below sea level. The very few inhabitants are mainly concentrated in the Egyptian oases of Siwa, Al-Baḥriyyah, Al-Farāfirah, Al-Dākhilah, and Al-Khārijah and the Libyan oasis of Al-Kufrah. The Egyptian part, known as the Western Desert (Al-Ṣaḥrāʾ al-Gharbiyyah), was a critical area of operations in World War II.

This article was most recently revised and updated by John P. Rafferty.