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Introduction
Geography
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues

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This page was last updated on 29 March, 2006

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| Introduction | Libya | Top of Page

Background:

From the earliest days of his rule following the 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI has espoused his own political system, the Third Universal Theory. The system is a combination of socialism and Islam derived in part from tribal practices and is supposed to be implemented by the Libyan people themselves in a unique form of "direct democracy." QADHAFI has always seen himself as a revolutionary and visionary leader. He used oil funds during the 1970s and 1980s to promote his ideology outside Libya, supporting subversives and terrorists abroad to hasten the end of Marxism and capitalism. In addition, beginning in 1973, he engaged in military operations in northern Chad's Aozou Strip - to gain access to minerals and to use as a base of influence in Chadian politics - but was forced to retreat in 1987. UN sanctions in 1992 isolated QADHAFI politically following the downing of Pan AM Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Libyan support for terrorism appeared to have decreased after the imposition of sanctions. During the 1990s, QADHAFI also began to rebuild his relationships with Europe. UN sanctions were suspended in April 1999 and finally lifted in September 2003 after Libya resolved the Lockerbie case. In December 2003, Libya announced that it had agreed to reveal and end its programs to develop weapons of mass destruction, and QADHAFI has made significant strides in normalizing relations with western nations since then. He has received various Western European leaders as well as many working-level and commercial delegations, and made his first trip to Western Europe in 15 years when he traveled to Brussels in April 2004. QADHAFI also finally resolved in 2004 several outstanding cases against his government for terrorist activities in the 1980s by compensating the families of victims of the UTA and La Belle disco bombings.

| Geography | Libya | 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: 4,348 km border countries: Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,115 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: 1.03% permanent crops: 0.19% other: 98.78% (2005)
Irrigated land: | 4,700 sq km (1998 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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note: | more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert

| People | Libya | Top of Page

Population: | 5,900,754 note: includes 166,510 non-nationals (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 33.6% (male 1,012,748/female 969,978) 15-64 years: 62.2% (male 1,891,643/female 1,778,621) 65 years and over: 4.2% (male 121,566/female 126,198) (2006 est.)
Median age: | total: 23 years male: 23.1 years female: 22.9 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: | 2.3% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: | 26.49 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: | 3.48 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 23.71 deaths/1,000 live births male: 25.99 deaths/1,000 live births female: 21.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 76.69 years male: 74.46 years female: 79.02 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 3.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.3% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 10,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA
Major infectious diseases: | degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in some locations during the transmission season (typically April through October) (2005)
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: 82.6% male: 92.4% female: 72% (2003 est.)

| Government | Libya | 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 (Prime Minister) al-Baghdadi Ali al-MAHMUDI (since 5 March 2006)
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: 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; an anti-QADHAFI Libyan exile movement exists, primarily based in London, but has little influence
International organization participation: | ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: | Libya does not have an embassy in the US but maintains an interest section under the protective power of the United Arab Emirates Embassy in the US
Diplomatic representation from the US: | the US suspended all embassy activities in Tripoli in May 1980, resumed embassy activities in February 2004 under the protective power of the US interests section of the Belgian Embassy in Tripoli, then opened a Liaison Office in Tripoli in June 2004
Flag description: | plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state religion)

| Economy | Libya | Top of Page

Economy - overview:

The Libyan economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector, which contribute about 95% of export earnings, about one-quarter of GDP, and 60% of public sector wages. Substantial revenues from the energy sector coupled with 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. Libyan officials in the past four years have made progress on economic reforms as part of a broader campaign to reintegrate the country into the international fold. This effort picked up steam after UN sanctions were lifted in September 2003 and as Libya announced that it would abandon programs to build weapons of mass destruction in December 2003. Almost all US unilateral sanctions against Libya were removed in April 2004, helping Libya attract more foreign direct investment, mostly in the energy sector. Libya faces a long road ahead in liberalizing the socialist-oriented economy, but initial steps - including applying for WTO membership, reducing some subsidies, and announcing plans for privatization - are laying the groundwork for a transition to a more market-based economy. The non-oil 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.

GDP (purchasing power parity): | $48.29 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): | $33.48 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 8.5% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $8,400 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 7.6% industry: 49.9% services: 42.5% (2005 est.)
Labor force: | 1.64 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture 17%, industry 23%, services 59% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate: | 30% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line: | NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | -1% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): | 11.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $25.34 billion expenditures: $15.47 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.6 billion (2005 est.)
Public debt: | 8% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products: | wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts, soybeans; cattle
Industries: | petroleum, iron and steel, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement
Industrial production growth rate: | NA%
Electricity - production: | 14.4 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - consumption: | 13.39 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production: | 1.643 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 237,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports: | NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: | NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves: | 40 billion bbl (2005 est.)
Natural gas - production: | 7 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 6.25 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports: | 770 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: | 1.321 trillion cu m (2005)
Current account balance: | $14.44 billion (2005 est.)
Exports: | $30.79 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities: | crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas
Exports - partners: | Italy 37%, Germany 16.6%, Spain 11.9%, Turkey 7.1%, France 6.2% (2004)
Imports: | $10.82 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities: | machinery, transport equipment, semi-finished goods, food, consumer products
Imports - partners: | Italy 25.5%, Germany 11%, South Korea 6.1%, UK 5.4%, Tunisia 4.7%, Turkey 4.6% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $32.31 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external: | $4.267 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: | ODA, $4.4 million (2002)
Currency (code): | Libyan dinar (LYD)
Exchange rates: | Libyan dinars per US dollar - 1.3084 (2005), 1.305 (2004), 1.2929 (2003), 1.2707 (2002), 0.6051 (2001)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

| Communications | Libya | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 750,000 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 127,000 (2003)

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: country code - 218; 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 16, FM 3, shortwave 3 (2002)
Television broadcast stations: | 12 (plus one low-power repeater) (1999)
Internet country code: | .ly
Internet hosts: | 47 (2005)
Internet users: | 205,000 (2005)

| Transportation | Libya | Top of Page

Airports: | 139 (2005)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 59 over 3,047 m: 23 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 23 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 2 (2005)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 80 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 41 under 914 m: 18 (2005)
Heliports: | 2 (2005)
Pipelines: | condensate 225 km; gas 3,611 km; oil 7,252 km (2004)
Railways: | 0 km note: Libya is working on seven lines totaling 2,757 km of 1.435-m gauge track; it hopes to have trains running by 2008 (2004)
Roadways: | total: 83,200 km paved: 47,590 km unpaved: 35,610 km (1999)
Merchant marine: | total: 17 ships (1000 GRT or over) 96,062 GRT/88,760 DWT by type: cargo 9, liquefied gas 3, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 4 (Kuwait 1, Turkey 2, UAE 1) (2005)
Ports and terminals: | As Sidrah, Az Zuwaytinah, Marsa al Burayqah, Ra's Lanuf, Tripoli, Zawiyah

| Military | Libya | Top of Page

Military branches: | Armed Peoples on Duty (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Command
Military service age and obligation: | 17 years of age (2004)
Manpower available for military service: | males age 17-49: 1,505,675 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: | males age 17-49: 1,291,624 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: | males: 62,034 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $1.3 billion (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 3.9% (FY99)

| Transnational Issues | Libya | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | Libya has claimed more than 32,000 sq km in southeastern Algeria and about 25,000 sq km in Niger in currently dormant disputes; various Chadian rebels from the Aozou region reside in southern Libya

This page was last updated on 29 March, 2006