2000 Edition

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.

Area

land

1,759,540 sq km

total

1,759,540 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Alaska

Climate

Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior

Coastline

1,770 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Bikku Bitti 2,267 m

lowest point

Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m

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, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

25 00 N, 17 00 E

Irrigated land

4,700 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,150 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km

total

4,383 km

Land use

arable land

1%

forests and woodland

0%

other

91% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

8%

Location

Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

note

Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees 30 minutes north

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, gypsum

Terrain

mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions

Age structure

0-14 years: 36% (male 938,476; female 899,139) 15-64 years: 60% (male 1,595,306; female 1,485,069) 65 years and over: 4% (male 97,770; female 99,690) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

27.68 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

3.51 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, Tunisians

Infant mortality rate

30.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.66 years (2000 est.)

male

73.34 years

total population

75.45 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

63% (1995 est.)

male

87.9%

total population

76.2%

Nationality

adjective

Libyan

noun

Libyan(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

5,115,450

note

includes 162,669 non-nationals (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

2.42% (2000 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 97%

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: 0.98 male(s)/female

total population

1.06 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.71 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

Capital

Tripoli

Constitution

11 December 1969, amended 2 March 1977

Country name

conventional long form

Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

conventional short form

Libya

local long form

Al Jumahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah ash Shabiyah al Ishtirakiyah

local short form

none

Data code

LY

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US suspended all embassy activities in Tripoli on 2 May 1980

Diplomatic representation in the US

Libya does not have an embassy in the US

Executive branch

cabinet

General People's Committee established by the General People's Congress

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

election results

Mubarak al-SHAMEKH elected head of government; percent of General People's Congress vote - NA

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 NA (next to be held NA)

head of government

Secretary of the General People's Committee (Premier) Mubarak al-SHAMEKH (since 2 March 2000)

Flag description

plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state religion)

Government type

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

Independence

24 December 1951 (from Italy)

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, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

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

Legislative branch

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

National holiday

Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agriculture - products

wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts; beef, eggs

Budget

expenditures

$5.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)

revenues

$3.6 billion

Currency

1 Libyan dinar (LD) = 1,000 dirhams

Debt - external

$4 billion (1998 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$8.4 million (1995)

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 farm output, and Libya imports about 75% of its food requirements. Higher oil prices in 1999 led to an increase in export revenues 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.

Electricity - consumption

15.736 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

16.92 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

Libyan dinars (LD) per US$1 - 0.4687 (January 2000), 0.4616 (1999), 0.3785 (1998), 0.3891 (1997), 0.3651 (1996), 0.3532 (1995); official rate: 0.45 (December 1998)

Exports

$6.6 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas

Exports - partners

Italy 40%, Germany 17%, Spain 12%, France 4%, Sudan 4%, UK 3% (1997)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $39.3 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

7%

industry

47%

services

46% (1997 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $7,900 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$7 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured goods

Imports - partners

Italy 23%, Germany 12%, UK 9%, France 7%, Tunisia 5%, Belgium 4% (1997)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

petroleum, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

18% (1999 est.)

Labor force

1.2 million (1997 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

services and government 54%, industry 29%, agriculture 17% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

30% (1998 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 17, FM 4, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios

1.35 million (1997)

Telephone system

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)

Telephones - main lines in use

318,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

NA

Television broadcast stations

12 (plus one low-power repeater) (1997)

Televisions

730,000 (1997)

Airports

142 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

59 over 3,047 m: 24 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 22 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 2

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

83 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 42 under 914 m: 19 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

47,590 km

total

83,200 km

unpaved

35,610 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

cargo 9, chemical tanker 1, liquified gas 3, petroleum tanker 6, roll-on/roll-off 4, short-sea passenger 4 (1999 est.)

total

27 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 401,303 GRT/656,632 DWT

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

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 Bahne of Egypt and Jez Sistemas Ferroviarios in 1998 for the supply of crossings and pointwork

Waterways

none

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Command

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 1,415,305 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 841,039 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

17 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

62,200 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

maritime boundary dispute with Tunisia; Libya claims about 19,400 sq km in northern Niger and part of southeastern Algeria

LIECHTENSTEIN