2005 Edition

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Murzuq, Sabha, Sawfajjin, Surt, Tarabulus, Tarhunah, Tubruq, Yafran, Zlitan; note - the 25 municipalities may have been replaced by 13 regions

Age structure

0-14 years: 33.9% (male 997,364/female 955,272) 15-64 years: 62% (male 1,842,775/female 1,729,235) 65 years and over: 4.2% (male 117,967/female 122,950) (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products

wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts, soybeans; cattle

Airports

139 (2004 est.)

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 (2004 est.)

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 (2004 est.)

Area

land

1,759,540 sq km

total

1,759,540 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Alaska

Background

From the earliest days of his rule following his 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 paying compensation to the families of victims of the UTA and La Belle disco bombings. Geography Libya

Birth rate

26.82 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$12.23 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.6 billion (2004 est.)

revenues

$13.52 billion

Capital

Tripoli

Climate

Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior

Coastline

1,770 km

Constitution

11 December 1969; amended 2 March 1977

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

Currency (code)

Libyan dinar (LYD)

Currency code

LYD

Current account balance

$9.895 billion (2004 est.)

Death rate

3.48 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$4.069 billion (2004 est.)

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

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

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 20 October, 2005 ======================================================================

Economic aid - recipient

$4.4 million ODA (2002)

Economy - overview

The Libyan economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector, which contribute 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. 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 in December 2003 that it would abandon programs to build weapons of mass destruction. Almost all US unilateral sanctions against Libya were removed in April 2004. 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.

Electricity - consumption

19.43 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - production

20.89 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

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

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Ethnic groups

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

Exchange rates

Libyan dinars per US dollar - 1.305 (2004), 1.2929 (2003), 1.2707 (2002), 0.6051 (2001), 0.5122 (2000)

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

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 2 March 2000 (next to be held NA)

head of government

Secretary of the General People's Committee (Prime Minister) Shukri Muhammad GHANIM (since 14 June 2003)

Exports

$18.65 billion f.o.b. (2004 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)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Libya

Flag description

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

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

8.7%

industry

45.7%

services

45.6% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $6,700 (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.9% (2004 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$37.48 billion (2004 est.)

Geographic coordinates

25 00 N, 17 00 E

Geography - note

more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert People Libya

Government type

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

Heliports

1 (2004 est.) Military Libya

Highways

paved

47,590 km

total

83,200 km

unpaved

35,610 km (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.3% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

10,000 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Imports

$7.224 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery, transport equipment, semi-finished goods, food, consumer products (1999)

Imports - partners

Italy 25.5%, Germany 11%, South Korea 6.1%, UK 5.4%, Tunisia 4.7%, Turkey 4.6% (2004)

Independence

24 December 1951 (from Italy)

Industrial production growth rate

NA

Industries

petroleum, iron and steel, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement

Infant mortality rate

female

22.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

male

26.92 deaths/1,000 live births

total

24.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.9% (2004 est.)

International organization participation

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer), WToO

Internet country code

.ly

Internet hosts

67 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2002)

Internet users

160,000 (2003) Transportation Libya

Investment (gross fixed)

9.9% of GDP (2004 est.)

Irrigated land

4,700 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Labor force

1.59 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

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

Land boundaries

border countries

Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,115 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km

total

4,348 km

Land use

arable land

1.03%

other

98.78% (2001)

permanent crops

0.19%

Languages

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

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)

Life expectancy at birth

female

78.82 years (2005 est.)

male

74.29 years

total population

76.5 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

72% (2003 est.) Government Libya

male

92.4%

total population

82.6%

Location

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

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) (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.)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea

12 nm note: Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees, 30 minutes north

Median age

female

22.56 years (2005 est.)

male

22.8 years

total

22.68 years

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 7, liquefied gas 3, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 4

foreign-owned

1 (Algeria 1) (2005)

total

17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 129,627 GRT/105,110 DWT

Military branches

Armed Peoples on Duty (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Command

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$1.3 billion (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

3.9% (FY99) Transnational Issues Libya

Military service age and obligation

17 years of age (2004)

National holiday

Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)

Nationality

adjective

Libyan

noun

Libyan(s)

Natural gas - consumption

5.41 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

770 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

6.18 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

1.321 trillion cu m (2004)

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

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption

216,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA

Oil - imports

NA

Oil - production

1.518 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

38 billion bbl (2004 est.)

Pipelines

condensate 225 km; gas 3,611 km; oil 7,252 km (2004)

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

Population

5,765,563 note: includes 166,510 non-nationals (July 2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Population growth rate

2.33% (2005 est.)

Ports and harbors

As Sidrah, Az Zuwaytinah, Marsa al Burayqah, Ra's Lanuf, Tripoli, Zawiyah

Public debt

8.8% of GDP (2004 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 16, FM 3, shortwave 3 (2002)

Radios

1.35 million (1997)

Railways

0 km note: Libya is working on 7 lines totaling 2,757 km of 1.435-m gauge track; it hopes to have trains running by 2008 (2004)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 97%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$24.18 billion (2004 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: 0.96 male(s)/female

total population

1.05 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Telephone system

domestic

microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, cellular, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations

general assessment

telecommunications system is being modernized; mobile cellular telephone system became operational in 1996

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)

Telephones - main lines in use

750,000 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular

100,000 (2003)

Television broadcast stations

12 (plus one low-power repeater) (1999)

Televisions

730,000 (1997)

Terrain

mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions

Total fertility rate

3.34 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

30% (2004)