| Libya |
Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Libya | Introduction | Top of Page

Background: | Since he took power in a 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI has espoused his own political system - a combination of socialism and Islam - which he calls the Third International Theory. Viewing himself as a revolutionary leader, he used oil funds during the 1970s and 1980s to promote his ideology outside Libya, even supporting subversives and terrorists abroad to hasten the end of Marxism and capitalism. Libyan military adventures failed, e.g., the prolonged foray of Libyan troops into the Aozou Strip in northern Chad was finally repulsed in 1987. Libyan support for terrorism decreased after UN sanctions were imposed in 1992. Those sanctions were suspended in April 1999.

Libya | Geography | Top of Page

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

Geographic coordinates: | 25 00 N, 17 00 E

Map references: | Africa

Area: | total: 1,759,540 sq km land: 1,759,540 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: | slightly larger than Alaska

Land boundaries: | total: 4,383 km border countries: Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,150 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km

Coastline: | 1,770 km

Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 NM note: Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees, 30 minutes north

Climate: | Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior

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

Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m highest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m

Natural resources: | petroleum, natural gas, gypsum

Land use: | arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 8% forests and woodland: 0% other: 91% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: | 4,700 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: | hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms

Environment - current issues: | desertification; very limited natural fresh water resources; the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development scheme in the world, is being built to bring water from large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities

Environment - international agreements: | party to: Climate Change, Desertification, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Libya | People | Top of Page

Population: | 5,240,599 note: includes 662,669 non-nationals, of which an estimated 500,000 or more are Africans living in Libya (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 35.41% (male 947,645; female 907,854) 15-64 years: 60.64% (male 1,645,085; female 1,533,066) 65 years and over: 3.95% (male 101,701; female 105,248) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: | 2.42% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | 27.67 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: | 3.51 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: | 28.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 75.65 years male: 73.53 years female: 77.88 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: | 3.64 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.05% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA

Nationality: | noun: Libyan(s) adjective: Libyan

Ethnic groups: | Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, Tunisians

Religions: | Sunni Muslim 97%

Languages: | Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities

Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 76.2% male: 87.9% female: 63% (1995 est.)

Libya | Government | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya conventional short form: Libya local long form: Al Jumahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah ash Shabiyah al Ishtirakiyah al Uzma local short form: none

Government type: | Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship

Capital: | Tripoli

Administrative divisions: | 25 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ajdabiya, Al 'Aziziyah, Al Fatih, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al Jufrah, Al Khums, Al Kufrah, An Nuqat al Khams, Ash Shati', Awbari, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Darnah, Ghadamis, Gharyan, Misratah, Murzuq, Sabha, Sawfajjin, Surt, Tarabulus, Tarhunah, Tubruq, Yafran, Zlitan; note - the 25 municipalities may have been replaced by 13 regions

Independence: | 24 December 1951 (from Italy)

National holiday: | Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)

Constitution: | 11 December 1969, amended 2 March 1977

Legal system: | based on Italian civil law system and Islamic law; separate religious courts; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch: | chief of state: Revolutionary Leader Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI (since 1 September 1969); note - holds no official title, but is de facto chief of state head of government: Secretary of the General People's Committee (Premier) Mubarak al-SHAMEKH (since 2 March 2000) cabinet: General People's Committee established by the General People's Congress elections: national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of people's committees; head of government elected by the General People's Congress; election last held 2 March 2000 (next to be held NA) election results: Mubarak al-SHAMEKH elected premier; percent of General People's Congress vote - NA%

Legislative branch: | unicameral General People's Congress (NA seats; members elected indirectly through a hierarchy of people's committees)

Judicial branch: | Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: | none

Political pressure groups and leaders: | various Arab nationalist movements with almost negligible memberships may be functioning clandestinely, as well as some Islamic elements

International organization participation: | ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US: | Libya does not have an embassy in the US

Diplomatic representation from the US: | the US suspended all embassy activities in Tripoli on 2 May 1980

Flag description: | plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state religion)

Libya | Economy | Top of Page

Economy - overview: | The socialist-oriented economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector, which contributes practically all export earnings and about one-quarter of GDP. These oil revenues and a small population give Libya one of the highest per capita GDPs in Africa, but little of this income flows down to the lower orders of society. In this statist society, import restrictions and inefficient resource allocations have led to periodic shortages of basic goods and foodstuffs. The nonoil manufacturing and construction sectors, which account for about 20% of GDP, have expanded from processing mostly agricultural products to include the production of petrochemicals, iron, steel, and aluminum. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely limit agricultural output, and Libya imports about 75% of its food requirements. Higher oil prices in 1999 and 2000 led to an increase in export revenues, which improved macroeconomic balances and helped to stimulate the economy. Following the suspension of UN sanctions in 1999, Libya has been trying to increase its attractiveness to foreign investors, and several foreign companies have visited in search of contracts.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $45.4 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: | 6.5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $8,900 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 7% industry: 47% services: 46% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line: | NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 18.5% (2000 est.)

Labor force: | 1.5 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: | services and government 54%, industry 29%, agriculture 17% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate: | 30% (2000 est.)

Budget: | revenues: $6.85 billion expenditures: $4.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Industries: | petroleum, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement

Industrial production growth rate: | NA%

Electricity - production: | 18.9 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: | 17.577 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: | wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts, soybeans; cattle

Exports: | $13.9 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: | crude oil, refined petroleum products

Exports - partners: | Italy 33%, Germany 24%, Spain 10%, France 5%, Turkey 4%, Tunisia 4% (1999)

Imports: | $7.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: | machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured goods

Imports - partners: | Italy 24%, Germany 12%, Tunisia 9%, UK 7%, France 6%, South Korea 5% (1999)

Debt - external: | $4.1 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: | $8.4 million (1995)

Currency: | Libyan dinar (LYD)

Currency code: | LYD

Exchange rates: | Libyan dinars per US dollar - 0.5101 (January 2001), 0.5081 (2000), 0.4616 (1999), 0.3785 (1998), 0.3891 (1997), 0.3651 (1996) note: Libya currently has two rates for foreign trade; one for government operations and foreign companies and one for Libyan individuals (0.45 dinars per US dollar in December 1998)

Fiscal year: | calendar year

Libya | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 380,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | NA

Telephone system: | general assessment: telecommunications system is being modernized; mobile cellular telephone system became operational in 1996 domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, cellular, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat, NA Arabsat, and NA Intersputnik; submarine cables to France and Italy; microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric scatter to Greece; participant in Medarabtel (1999)

Radio broadcast stations: | AM 17, FM 4, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios: | 1.35 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: | 12 (plus one low-power repeater) (1998)

Televisions: | 730,000 (1997)

Internet country code: | .ly

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2000)

Internet users: | 7,500 (2000)

Libya | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | note: Libya has had no railroad in operation since 1965, all previous systems having been dismantled; current plans are to construct a 1.435-m standard gauge line from the Tunisian frontier to Tripoli and Misratah, then inland to Sabha, center of a mineral-rich area, but there has been little progress; other plans made jointly with Egypt would establish a rail line from As Sallum, Egypt, to Tobruk with completion originally set for mid-1994; Libya signed contracts with two private companies - Bahne of Egypt and Jez Sistemas Ferroviarios of Spain - in 1998 for the supply of crossings and pointwork (1001)

Highways: | total: 24,484 km paved: 6,800 km unpaved: 17,684 km (1996)

Waterways: | none

Pipelines: | crude oil 4,383 km; petroleum products 443 km (includes liquefied petroleum gas or LPG 256 km); natural gas 1,947 km

Ports and harbors: | Al Khums, Banghazi, Darnah, Marsa al Burayqah, Misratah, Ra's Lanuf, Tobruk, Tripoli, Zuwarah

Merchant marine: | total: 28 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 399,725 GRT/654,843 DWT ships by type: cargo 10, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 3, petroleum tanker 6, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea passenger 4 (2000 est.)

Airports: | 136 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: | total: 58 over 3,047 m: 23 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 22 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 78 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 40 under 914 m: 18 (2000 est.)

Libya | Military | Top of Page

Military branches: | Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Command

Military manpower - military age: | 17 years of age

Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 1,459,400 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 866,012 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 61,694 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $1.3 billion (FY99/00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 3.9% (FY99/00)

Libya | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | Libya claims about 19,400 sq km in northern Niger and also a part of southeastern Algeria