Libya Transverse Mercator coordinate system (EPSG:2062)
Feb 6,2026

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Introduction

Libya Transverse Mercator coordinate system (EPSG:2062) is a projected coordinate reference system officially adopted by the State of Libya for national topographic mapping and cadastral surveying. Originally developed in the mid-20th century under Italian and later international geodetic influence, the system is based on the War Office ellipsoid and is historically tied to Libya’s national mapping infrastructure. While newer geocentric systems are increasingly used for GNSS applications, Libya TM remains critical for processing and maintaining historical geographic records, land administration documents, and foundational topographic series across the country.

File Structure

Libya Transverse Mercator (EPSG:2062) is implemented as a projected coordinate system with a specific geodetic datum and Transverse Mercator projection parameters tailored to Libya's territorial extent.

Geodetic Datum:
Based on the historical "Libyan Datum" referenced to the War Office ellipsoid. This datum is regionally oriented and not directly aligned with modern global reference frames.

Map Projection:
Transverse Mercator projection with the following key parameters:

Central Meridian: 15° 00' 00" East
Latitude of Origin: 0° 00' 00" (Equator)
Scale Factor at Central Meridian: 1.0
False Easting: 500,000 meters
False Northing: 0 meters

Coordinate Format:
Coordinates are expressed in meters as easting (X) and northing (Y) values within the defined projection.

Reference Ellipsoid:
War Office ellipsoid (Clarke 1880 modified for War Office use).

Pros

National Cartographic Standardization: Provides a unified coordinate framework for Libya's official topographic maps at scales 1:50,000 and 1:100,000, ensuring consistency in national mapping products.
Historical Data Integrity: Maintains spatial accuracy for Libya's extensive archive of historical surveying records, land registration documents, and infrastructure plans developed before the GNSS era.
Territorial Coverage Optimization: Designed to minimize distortion across Libya's predominantly north-south oriented territory, particularly along the Mediterranean coastal regions.
Administrative Continuity: Serves as the legally recognized coordinate system for cadastral and land administration purposes in many regions, preserving legal validity of historical property boundaries.

Cons

Datum Obsolescence: Based on the regional War Office ellipsoid rather than global reference systems, creating significant incompatibility with modern GNSS coordinates (typically 200-300 meter discrepancies with WGS84).
Transformation Complexity: Requires specialized multi-parameter transformations when integrating with Libya's newer national systems or international datasets, with potential accuracy loss.
Limited Modern Application: Not suitable for high-precision GNSS surveying, engineering projects, or integration with modern global geospatial infrastructures without complex transformations.
Regional Fragmentation: Libya's current administrative divisions and varying adoption of newer coordinate systems create challenges for nationwide data integration using this historical system.

Application Scenario

Libya Transverse Mercator coordinate system (EPSG:2062) is primarily utilized for managing historical geographic data, maintaining traditional surveying records, and processing land administration archives. Serving as the foundational reference framework for Libya's 20th‑century national topographic map series (scales 1:50,000 to 1:250,000), historical cadastral surveys, and pre‑GNSS infrastructure plans, this system is widely employed in digitizing land tenure records, tracing historical boundaries, and spatially locating archaeological sites. Within modern GIS workflows, it enables the integration of archival spatial information through parameterized coordinate transformation, supporting decision‑making scenarios that require historical geospatial context—such as national land‑use planning, cultural heritage preservation, and environmental change studies.